Tigers will rely on strong offense
COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS: NO. 61 MISSOURI
The 2017 Missouri Tigers’ season was spiraling after a 1-5 start. First-time head coach Barry Odom looked in over his head during his second season at his alma mater.
But behind quarterback Drew Lock and coordinator Josh Heupel’s offense, the Tigers caught fire and reeled off six straight wins to reach a bowl game. Mizzou scored at least 45 points in each victory.
The Tigers now look to build on the success. Missouri has many pieces in place on offense, but must replace Heupel, now the head coach at UCF. The team also has questions on defense.
As a result, Missouri is No. 61 in Orlando Sentinel college insider Matt Murschel’s preseason 2018 college football rankings. Murschel ranked all 129 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in the country. The Sentinel staff takes a closer look at a new team daily, counting backward from No. 129 to our projected No. 1 team. Missouri Barry Odom (11-14, third season; 11-14
7-6 overall, 4-4 in Southeastern Conference; tied for third in East Division
Things looked bleak in Colombia following a 53-28 loss at Georgia that featured 26 straight points by the Bulldogs and left the Tigers 1-5.
But Missouri capitalized on a softer schedule during the second half o the season. The Tigers beat UF, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Arkansas — four SEC programs in disarray, including three that would fire their head coach. Regardless, it was major progress for Odom’s program and showcased Lock’s considerable talents as a passer.
A 33-16 loss to Texas in the Texas Bowl was a limp finish for the surging Tigers, but after the season’s first half, few complained.
9
Lock was the top passing quarterback in the SEC, finishing 2017 with 3,964 yards, 44 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He is one of nine returning starters on an offense that led the SEC in scoring last season (37.5 points per game). But Lock and the Tigers have to overcome the loss of Heupel.
Lock also lost top receiver J’Mon Moore, who totaled 1,082 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. But the Tigers still have plenty of options on the outside. Emanuel Hall caught 28 passes for 713 yards and eight scores during the final eight games. Meanwhile, tight end Albert Okwuegbunam posted videogame numbers as a freshman, scoring 11 times on just 29 catches.
Mizzou’s run game lost a 1,000-yard rusher (Ish Witter), but Damarea Crockett is back and healthy. He rushed for 1,062 yards as a freshman in 2016. Sophomore Larry Rountree III is a quality backup. Both will run behind an offensive line with five returning starters, including right tackle Paul Adams and left guard Kevin Pendleton — each two-year starters.
The Tigers should be able to score points as long as former Tennessee coach Derek Dooley can handle his new gig as offensive coordinator. If Crockett remains healthy and Lock gets time to operate, Missouri will be a tough out for most teams on its schedule.
The defense, though, will have to replace most of the front four and both starting safeties from a unit that ranked last in the SEC against the pass and that allowed an average of 42 points to the five bowl teams it faced in 2017.
If Lock can help the Tigers win some highscoring games, Missouri should go bowling again. The schedule is challenging, highlighted by an early four-game stretch at Purdue, South Carolina and Alabama, and a home date with Georgia.