Night And Day: Missouri Defense Shows Massive Strides vs. Louisiana Tech

The Missouri Tigers defense looked dominant forcing three first half turnovers, despite giving up 24 points in total.

© Jay Biggerstaff, USA TODAY

The Missouri Tigers put up some big numbers on Thursday night as they crushed LA Tech 52-24. The offense rolled to the end zone on most possessions and Mizzou outrushed the Bulldogs by a canyon of 320 yards (MIZ-328/ LAT- 8). 

Of course, most of the attention will be focused on freshman standout Luther Burden III, who scored two touchdowns in his Tigers debut. Still, it was the Missouri defense that looked truly impressive in the season opener.

Early on, Mizzou's defense had LA Tech in shackles. The Bulldogs only managed ten points through three quarters, and the Tigers came up with three interceptions in the first half. Up front, Missouri could get penetration nearly every play which completely nullified the Bulldogs' rushing attack.

Transfer linebacker Ty'Ron Hopper already looks like a huge upgrade at the second level. He was a catalyst on defense, totaling a team-leading six tackles, one sack, and one interception. 

The ex-Gator seemed to teleport to the ball and was able to make plays at key moments on essentially every meaningful drive. It's early, but he may just be the best player on that side of the ball.

Defensive backs Jaylon Carlies and Joseph Charleston also stepped up in this matchup. Carlies has been a bit under-recognized for his talents but looked like the most NFL-ready player in the Tigers' secondary. 

He racked up five tackles and a pick of his own, while Charleston scored on his interception return. In fact, Charleston would have had a second interception had it not been negated for pass interference on another player. 

Cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine put forth another solid performance, utilizing his length to make it difficult for the Bulldogs' receivers to find any daylight. He added four tackles, and a pass defended to Mizzou's stat sheet. 

The Tigers might have given up 24 points, but 14 of those came well after this game was already decided. They'll have to put forth similar turnover-creating performances going forward which should contribute to a better scoring defense in 2022. 

So far, so good for the Tigers who get the 1-0 start to the fall. They'll take on Kansas State in their second game on Sept. 10. 

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