It’s been a few years since Alabama got to take on the Missouri Tigers (I believe the season opener in 2020 with Mac Jones going bombs away to Jaylen Waddle was the last time), so it’s always fun to knock out a Q&A with a team we don’t see as often.
Sammy Stava from Rock M Nation joins us once again to give us some perspective from the black and gold side of things heading into a matchup that, a few weeks ago, looked like it was headed towards a top-5 matchup, but is now a battle of top 20ish squads.
1) At 6-1 overall, how does this year’s Missouri team compare to last year? Do you think Eli Drinkwitz still has room to keep improving as a coach, or has he maxed out at this point?
I just think last year’s Mizzou team was better and more complete. The Tigers went 11-2 with a Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State and their only two losses were competitive games to LSU and Georgia. At a respectable 6-1 record, this team is good but not great. And Eli Drinkwitz still has room to improve as a head coach. He’s a high-level recruiter that has built Mizzou from an average to good program, but can he take that next step to take the Tigers to being a consistently great program? I think he’s capable of doing so.
2) Is Brady Cook eligible for social security yet? Ha, but seriously, we all know Cook at this point… But how disastrous is it going to be if Missouri has to go with a full game of Drew Pyne?
Drew Pyne came into the Auburn game with Brady Cook sidelined with an injury and his performance wasn’t pretty. I think he’s a better QB than he showed last week, but Mizzou’s offense needs to have Cook healthy in order to succeed. Pyne is experienced, but he needs more familiarity with this offense.
3) Personally, I’m of the opinion that Nate Noel is a top 4 running back in the SEC (and definitely #1 most overlooked), and him possibly not playing is probably worth a good 7-10 points off the scoreboard for Missouri. Am I overlooking backup Marcus Carroll too much?
There’s no doubt that losing Nate Noel will hurt this offense on Saturday as he’s one of the top running backs in the SEC. Marcus Carroll is a nice backup option as he’s scored 4 TDs in his last two games — but three of those came against UMass. Jamal Roberts scored the GW TD vs Auburn, but both RBs will need to bring their “A” game vs Alabama. Will see what running backs coach Curtis Luper had up his sleeve.
4) Missouri’s defense fascinates me. Coach Corey Batoon was Kane Wommack’s DC the last few years at South Alabama, so the two teams run nearly identical defenses. In fact, the rate stats for both are uncannily similar – and yet Missouri is 10th in the country in points allowed, while Alabama is 42nd. How is this defensive scheme working for the Tigers, and what do you think they’re doing to be able to get off the field on 3rd downs?
I don’t know how the defensive scheme is working under Corey Batoon because the defense was the question mark heading into this season after Mizzou lost plenty of defensive talent to the NFL Draft. However, they brought in key impact transfers from Power 4 programs. Zion Young (Michigan State), Chris McClellan (Florida), Corey Flagg Jr. (Miami) and Toriano Pride (Clemson) are just to name a few that have made an impact. This defense is getting off the field on third downs with successful blitzing from the defensive line.
5) Eli Drinkwitz seems to have built most of a team on veteran transfers, but are there any young players who seem like they may be on the Luther Burden track to homegrown stardom?
There’s a lot of transfers on this team, but also some homegrown talent. On the defensive side, 5-star freshman Williams Nwaneri hasn’t played a whole lot this season, but he’s shown glimpses of what he can become on the defensive line. Sophomore tight end Brett Norfleet was named to the All-SEC Freshman team last season and has a bright future ahead with the Tigers despite some injury issues this year.
6) What would you consider a successful season for the Tigers? And is it possible for Drinkwitz to find his job in peril if the Tigers don’t get there?
There were realistic expectations heading into this season that Mizzou could make the College Football Playoff. The Tigers might have to win out for that to be the case — and I don’t think that’s possible now. Mizzou can still go 10-2 or 9-3 and have a good season. Anything less than that would be a disappointment. However, Eli Drinkwitz’s job is pretty safe at this point after his breakthrough season last year.
7) Who do you think wins the SEC, and how many SEC teams make the playoffs?
After Georgia’s win at Texas, the Bulldogs have to be the favorite to win the SEC now. And I think the SEC sends five teams to the CFP. Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, the winner of LSU vs Texas A&M, and the winner of Mizzou vs Alabama this weekend.
8) Finally, what’s your game prediction this weekend? Do Alabama’s losses to Vandy and Tennessee have Missouri fans smelling blood, or do you think the Tiger’s astronomically long injury report will doom them before the game really starts?
I think Mizzou fans (including me) would have preferred Alabama to beat Tennessee last weekend. Now the Tide is desperate and pissed off at home against a depleted Missouri team according to the injury report. It’s not a recipe of success for the Tigers. I think Mizzou will put up a respectable fight, but Bama pulls away in the end. 31-17, Tide.
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