An offense beyond struggling
Missouri ranks sixth nationally in scoring defense and eighth in total defense, holding opponents to an average of 12.9 points and 279.0 yards per game, but the Tigers have started 4-3 — including 1-3 in SEC play — because of their anemic offense.
Missouri ranks 125th in scoring offense (16.6 points) and 126th in total offense (290.4 yards).
The discrepancy on each side of the ball was magnified last Saturday when Missouri lost 9-6 at Georgia, where the Tigers had to settle for a field goal after a turnover set them up with a first-and-goal at the Georgia 1.
Missouri’s defensive players said the offensive struggles haven’t caused a rift that could divide the locker room.
“It’s never a pointing-finger-type thing,” linebacker Michael Scherer said according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “The offense isn’t doing too well. We all know it. Nobody needs to bring it up.”
Defensive end Walter Brady said some people tend to forget whether on offense or defense, the players are teammates.
“Our job as teammates is to encourage them and keep their spirits up and help them out the best we can,” Brad said according to the Post-Dispatch.
LSU letdown?
On paper it looks like the perfect trap game.
LSU is playing Western Kentucky on Saturday, sandwiched between the Tigers’ victory over previously undefeated Florida and their upcoming game against Alabama, which figures to be a showdown for the SEC West title.
Western Kentucky is 6-1, with its only loss to Indiana 38-35. The Hilltoppers have a talented quarterback in senior Brandon Doughty, who has completed 197 of 266 passes (74.1 percent) for 2,709 yards and 24 touchdowns with 4
interceptions.
Despite the circumstances, it’s hard to imagine LSU not taking care of business against Western Kentucky.
The Tigers have won 51 consecutive regular-season nonconference games, including a 41-0 record under Coach Les Miles with victories over Syracuse and Eastern Michigan this season.
Many of LSU’s victories in the nonconference streak have been in guarantee games against outmatched opponents, but the Tigers are 14-0 against teams from Power Five conferences since they lost at Virginia Tech 26-8 on Nov. 14, 2002, when Nick Saban was their coach.
Since 2003, LSU has beaten Arizona, Washington and West Virginia twice, along with victories over Arizona State, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Oregon, Oregon State, TCU, Wisconsin and Syracuse.
Tough finish
Shawn Elliott is 1-0 as South Carolina’s interim coach after the Gamecocks beat Vanderbilt 19-10. It figures to be tough for him to win enough games the rest of the season to keep the job for 2016.
The Gamecocks’ remaining five opponents — Texas A&M, Tennessee, Florida, The Citadel and Clemson — are a combined 18-7.
Coker and contact
Alabama senior quarterback Jacob Coker is becoming known for being a tough runner.
Tide linebacker Reggie Ragland has started calling Coker “Baby Roethlisberger,” because he and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger are both 6-5, 240 pounds and have shown the ability to scramble for good gains or to keep drives going.
Coker told reporters he’s also been called “Vanilla Vick,” a reference to Steelers quarterback Michael Vick, who is filling in for Roethlisberger.
“There’s a couple more,” Coker said of the nicknames list compiled by his teammates. “It’s getting out of hand.”
Saban isn’t thrilled about the extra hits Coker takes, but said he doesn’t want limit to Coker’s ability to make plays with his feet.
“He’s a tough guy,” Saban told reporters. “Do you want him to run out of bounds? Sometimes I wish he wouldn’t take the hits, but sometimes I like to see the other team’s reaction when he does that.
“I mean, it’s the personality of the player. Jake’s a tough, competitive guy. He’s a big, physical guy.
“He’s getting better every week, so I don’t want to take his aggressiveness away because we’re fearful something bad is going to happen. I just don’t coach that way.”
Two-minute drill
Alabama returned three interceptions for touchdowns last week against Texas A&M. It was the first time that was done since 2012, when SMU intercepted three passes in a victory over Houston.
Ole Miss Coach Hugh Freeze said the Rebels had 30 missed tackles in their loss at Memphis.
Georgia’s 9-6 victory over Missouri marked the first time the Bulldogs won without scoring at least 10 points since they beat North Carolina 7-3 in the 1971 Gator Bowl.
Tennessee will be trying to break two losing streaks when the Volunteers play Alabama. Tennessee has lost 10 consecutive games against SEC West teams — most recently against Arkansas — and eight in a row against the Crimson Tide.
Missouri had zero rushing first downs at Georgia. The Tigers converted five first downs on passes and had one first down resulting from a penalty against the Bulldogs.