2019 Schedule
followed a questionable pass interference call in Columbia.
A week later, the Tigers ruined the Florida Gators’ homecoming with a decisive 38-17 win in the Swamp to kick off a four-game win streak. Missouri, though, ended the season with a 38-33 shootout loss to Oklahoma State in the Liberty Bowl after the Cowboys stopped Tigers quarterback Drew Lock with 1:01 remaining on fourth-and-1 inside the 10-yard line. Bryant also will have the SEC’s best tight end, 6-foot-5, 255-pound Albert Okwuegbunam, who has 16 touchdowns the past two seasons, as his top option in the passing game. Slot receiver Johnathon Johnson is another dependable option after catching 59 passes for 737 yards and five scores.
Mizzou’s defense continues to produce top linemen at an impressive rate. The latest is Texas transfer Jordan Elliott, a 6-foot-4, 315-pound junior who had eight tackles for loss in a backup role a season ago. Linebacker Cale Garrett is a tackling machine, with 217 tackles, 16.5 for loss, the past two seasons. Both starting cornerbacks, DeMarkus Acy and Christian Holmes, return from a unit that allowed opponents to complete just 55 percent of their passes in 2018. solid in the middle but soft on the edges. No end had more than 2.5 sacks last season. Missouri has high hopes for sophomore Trajan Jeffcoat of South Carolina, while junior college transfer Sci Martin Jr. is a former LSU Tiger.
Odom, a former Missouri linebacker who posted 362 career tackles, is looking for someone to pair with Garrett after Terez Hall’s graduation. Safety also is a major question mark with two new starters.
The absence of punter Corey Fatony could be glaring. He averaged nearly 44 yards during four seasons as the Tigers’ starter.
Outlook: The NCAA sanctions cast a cloud over what could be a fun season in Columbia. Missouri’s offense should be explosive, while the defense has talent and more often than not is in the right place with Odom overseeing the unit. The Tigers’ schedule also is favorable, with Arkansas and Ole Miss — who combined for one SEC win in 2018 — as their West Division matchups and winnable games at Kentucky and Vanderbilt. Another eight-win season, or better, appears in the offing.