Three Takeaways From Missouri's Stunning Road Loss to Texas A&M

Instant thoughts from the Tigers dissapointing blowout defeat in their first road test of the season.

Oct 5, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Jahdae Walker (9) catches a pass as Missouri Tigers cornerback Dreyden Norwood (12) defends in the second quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images. / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

COLLEGE STATION, Tx. - The No. 9 Missouri Tigers arguably could not have lost on the road against No. 25 Texas A&M in worse fashion.

They were punched in the mouth out of the gate, trailing 24-0 by the end of the first half. The Tigers could not stop a Conner Weigman led offense, especially on third down, while the defense allowed 41 points and too many third down conversions to count.

Nothing offensively or defensively was clicking for the Tigers, as it took until the 5:06 mark in the third quarter for the Tigers to get their first points on the board. Quarterback Brady Cook looked out of sync the entirety of the game and nothing was coming of their ground game. In the loud Kyle Field environment, the Tiger offense looked sloppy and unprepared.

After a brutal 41-10 defeat on the road against the Aggies, here are three instant thoughts from the loss.

Another slow start

The mistakes made by the Tigers the entire game, but especially in the first quarter, were enough to make football fans pull their hair out. The slow starts from the Tigers in the first quarter now appear to be a trend, one that needs to get eliminated fast.

Quarterback Brady Cook actually completed his first throw of the game on a 27-yard look to Luther Burden III, but his efficiency plummeted shortly after. Looking for multiple other deep balls and not connecting, the Cook led offense didn't have any answers early on.

It appeared as if the Tiger offense got their break when Cook connected with Burden on a wide-open 75-yard touchdown. The excitement from the Tigers and quiet in Kyle Field didn't last long, as it was brought all the way back due to a Inelligable-man downfield penalty charged against offensive lineman Mitchell Walters.

Not much can be said about the Tiger defense in the first half, allowing 24 of the easiest points a defense could allow. The Aggies converted on all but one third down and quarterback Conner Weigman looked near unstoppable. He only threw four incompletions and converted a 40-yard pass on third-and-13, from their own side of the field.

Every time the Tigers had a glimmer of hope in the first half, they either executed poorly or shot themselves in the foot. There were absolutely no answers on either side of the ball, putting them in a deep hole in the first portion of the game.

An impressive Conner Weigman performance

To say Conner Weigman exceeded people's expectations leading the Aggie offense is an understatement. The former 5-star recruit made throw after throw, picking apart the Tiger defense in every way possible. He finished with 276 yards on 18 completions against the Tigers, with an efficient 82% completion percentage

Seeing Weigman jump in the beginning of the game may have came as a surprise, but he got right to work, hitting two completions for 28 total yards on their first drive, resulting in a score from running back Amari Daniels.

All of the Aggies drives resulted in rushing touchdowns, usually having minor distance to score. Weigman hit multiple receivers in the flats or in the middle of the field, usually wide open, which would turn into longer plays after the reception. The Tiger defense did struggle making tackles all game,

Weigman lit the Tigers up on the ground as well, rushing for 3 yards on five carries, with plenty of time to sit back in the pocket and make his decisions. They were all scrambles and pocket-escaping runs, usually with wide-open gaps created by the offensive line. The Missouri front line could not generate any pressure on Weigman, giving him all the time in the world to make the usually correct choice.

Third downs issues

Each time Weigman walked out on third down, there was rarely any doubt they would convert. The Aggies went 7-for-12 on third down conversions, an impressive and efficient number.

This goes back to Weigman's performance. Time after time, Weigman delivered on third and long to drag out Aggie drives. In the second quarter, after a good first-two defensive stops from the Tigers, Weigman delivered a 40-yard bomb to receiver Jahdae Walker, furthering the seemingly-stalled drive.

Weigman scrambled for 15 yards on that same drive three plays later on third-and-seven, scoring just two plays later thanks to running back Le'Veon Moss.

Things could not have gone any different for the Missouri offense on third down. The Tigers went 5-for-15 on third down attempts compared to the Aggies seven conversions. The confidence when Cook and the the offensive unit stepped out for third down conversions was completely different and Cook's 13-for-31 performance probably had something to do with that.

Prior to the beatdown they took, the Tigers were converting on nearly 55% of their third downs. Against the Aggies, they converted on 33%.

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