Why Buffalo is an Important Test for the Missouri Defense

The Missouri Tigers' early schedule features multiple mobile quarterbacks, beginning Saturday with Buffalo.

Joey Van Zummeren | Sep 4, 2024

Nov 11, 2023; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joe Milton III (7) stiff arms Missouri Tigers linebacker Triston Newson (14) during the first half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

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Missouri Tigers

The Missouri Tigers' defense will face much tougher offenses in 2024 than Buffalo.

But their week 2 opponent might still serve a purpose that will pay dividends for Missouri down the road.

Buffalo quarterback C.J. Ogbonna will act as a measuring stick for the Missouri defense's ability to contain mobile quarterbacks. The Buffalo offense features plenty of designed runs for Ogbonna, who Missouri faced when he played at Southeastern Missouri (SEMO) in 2021.

“That's gonna be the challenge this week," Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz said in his weekly press conference Tuesday. "We've got to do a good job in the read game. They try to get on your edges through zone reads, plus-one run schemes and options, so we have to be disciplined and multiple in the way we're challenging those read schemes.”

Ogbonna was quiet in the run game in Buffalo's opener, only rushing for 20 yards on five attempts. However, last season Ogbonna rushed for over 40 yards in four games in 2023. In 2021 with SEMO, he rushed for 357 yards and three touchdowns.

He'll be the first of three consecutive mobile quarterbacks will face in September, followed by Boston College's Thomas Castellanos in week 3 and Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia in week 4. In Boston College's win over Florida State, Castellanos rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown on 14 attempts. Pavia rushed for 104 yards and the game-winning touchdown in Vanderbilt's upset win over Virginia Tech in overtime.

Additionally, later in the season Missouri is expected to face Alabama's Jalen Milroe and South Carolina's LaNoris Sellers, both playmakers with their arms and feet, in pivotal late-season matchups.

Outside of allowing Jayden Daniels to rush for 130 yards, the Missouri defense was solid at limiting dual-threat quarterbacks in 2023. It held Arkansas' K.J. Jefferson to just 15 yards, Tennessee's Joe Milton to 36 and South Carolina's Spencer Rattler to a net -15 yards.

However, the Tigers did lose inside linebacker Ty'Ron Hopper, who acted as a patrol officer over the middle of the field. His quickness from sideline to sideline made him an ideal player to send on a quarterback spy.

In 2024, Missouri may utilize South Alabama transfer inside linebacker Khalil Jacobs to keep an eye on quarterbacks. Safety Daylan Carnell, who spends most of the time in the box in the star role, should also help out in the efforts.

While the Buffalo offense won't be a perfect test for Missouri compared to the dual-threat ability of the quarterbacks it will face later on, Ogbonna will serve as a good checking point for Missouri to see what players and formations work best to contain mobile quarterbacks.

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