The Mizzou Massacre
The most shocking aspect of Missouri’s humiliating 56-31 loss at Texas wasn’t the final score.
It was Mizzou’s softness.
This team was not ready to play. The Tigers played scared. I know Texas has more talent, more depth, and the physical toughness to dominante on both lines. That’s certainly the No. 1 reason why the Longhorns made brisket out of the Tigers.
But how do we explain Mizzou’s incredible stage fright in a big game? the Tigers have been playing the big rooms for a while now. They’ve had plenty of games on ESPN and ABC. They’ve been on the cover of Sports Illustrated, ESPN the Magazine and other national publications. They had a showdown game with Kansas last season, and played Oklahoma twice, including a matchup in the Big 12 Championship. And they’ve played Illinois twice in St. Louis, and that’s a rivalry game with a lot of built-in pressure.
Those games should have prepped the Tigers and conditioned them for the meeting in Texas. At the very least, I expected Mizzou to put up a fight and generally play well and come up short. And while losing should never be acceptable, it is possible to lose in a way that maintains respect.
Mizzou lost a ton of respect and credibility on Saturday night. The MU offense, predictably overrun by the Texas front, was shaken and rattled. And QB Chase Daniel lost his poise (again). The Tigers opened the game with three-and-outs on three of the first four possessions. And forget this bunk about Daniel playing in the NFL; if the dude encounters even a faint pass rush it unhinges him. Getting smacked around is standard in the NFL.
On defense, the Tigers offered little resistance and the Longhorns bullied them for first-half TD drives of 94, 82, 43, 41 and 92 yards. Look, the Longhorns are a powerful force on offense, but Mizzou made it to easy for them.
Given that the Tigers had a solid defense in 2007, and were returning nine or 10 starters for 2008, how can this unit be so feckless? What happened here? How did these players forget how to play pass defense in less than a year’s time? How and when did they lose their competitive fire? When did the turn so soft? And why can’t defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus get a response from the players, or adjust his schemes to close the glaring holes in the Mizzou secondary? Why are his blitzes so predictable? Texas knew when the blitzes were coming and Colt McCoy carved it up.
And the questionable coaching isn’t limited to the defensive side. Just how many times did Gary Pinkel and offensive coordinator Dave Christensen need to see redshirt freshman Elvis Fisher get buried at left tackle at Texas before they’d conclude it might be smart to give the young man some help? And why did it take the MU coaches six quarters (four vs. Oklahoma State and then the first half vs. Texas) before they closed those wide O-line gaps that made it so easy for the Cowboys and Longhorns to stuff the run or crash Daniel’s pocket?
Pinkel, Christensen and Eberflus did a terrible job of preparing their team for the last two games, and even a worse job of adjusting. And there’s really no excuse for that. Again, if Mizzou loses because of the talent deficit, that’s one thing. But it was more than that. the timid Tigers got jacked in Austin because they weren’t locked in, competitively. And once Texas began rolling, the MU coaches did nothing to slow the avalanche. Mizzou was in a daze, players and coaches.
This team wasn’t ready for a big game.
The coaches weren’t, either.
And Pinkel still hasn’t beaten Texas or Oklahoma.
Reality check?
MU is at best the sixth-best team in the BIg 12. Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State are clearly superior. And objectively, you’d have to put Kansas ahead of Missouri at least until the Tigers and Jayhawks meet and settle their annual feud later in the season. At least Kansas went into Oklahoma yesterday and competed like crazy, putting up a fight and getting a lot of things done on offense until the Sooners pulled away late. At least KU didn’t go into Norman and lay down, the way the Tigers did in the first half at Austin. I hate to say this, but what happened Saturday night reminded me of the Woody Widenhofer years, the Bob Stull years.
(Some of you have since written in to say that the above Stull-Woody reference is a cheap shot … you’re probably right. But I was really frustrated watching that game, because, despite what some of you believe, I want the Tigers to win. I’m not saying that this Mizzou team is as bad as those sad-sack outfits, but Saturday night brought back some unpleasant flashbacks. That’s all).
This was one of the most disappointing efforts I’ve ever seen from a team that was supposed to be great, supposed to be a contender for a national title. Instead, we’ve discovered an unfortunate truth: Missouri is not ready for the big time. At least not yet.
-B
Of course I will respond … that’s the purpose of exchanging comments, Stahlhut. I write a blog, people show me the courtesy of responding to it, and then I show them the courtesy of responding in turn. And if we don’t agree, so what? Nothing wrong with a good give-and-take. Or am I supposed to ignore those who disagree with me? I see no reason to show such disrespect.
I’ve written many positive things about Mizzou … if you have missed them, that’s your fault, not mine.
Again: sorry, but that game Saturday night brought back some unpleasant flashbacks. Of course Pinkel has a better team than those bad MU teams. I’m just saying that it reminded me of those days when MU went into tough places and got walloped. That’s all. Nothing more.
But slap the messenger, right? That’s OK, I appreciate your comments. I don’t mind taking the jabs. I think it’s funny that you make all of this about me (and Floyd Irons???) instead of dealing with the reality of Saturday night’s flop. No problem, pal… hope it helps you, my pleasure, take care, cheer up, try to be happier. MU will rally. Thank you!
-B
Bernie,
Your statements:
“Mu is at best the sixth-best team in the BIg 12″
“Texas Tech and Oklahoma State are clearly superior”
“objectively, you’d have to put Kansas ahead of Missouri”
Had you simply vented about the loss like a frustrated tigerboarder, that would be understandable. But when you say that Kansas is “objectively” better than MU despite MU being ranked a full 8 spots ahead of KU in the BCS rankings (post “massacre”), I wonder who is being objective. And when you say that OSU is a “clearly superior team”, I have to wonder whether you even watched that game. OSU won and they deserved to win on that day. But they were not a “clearly superior” team.
As an MU fan, I’m happy to raise my standards. I’d ask that you do the same.
Actually, I could have been a lot more negative.
Could have said they looked like a team coached by Scott Linehan.
LOL.
(Just kidding, don’t throw a rod.)
Tigers will bounce back against Colorado.
-B
Sorry, but I base it on the fact that KU went to Oklahoma and played pretty well, and hung in there a long time. And MU wasn’t competitive at Texas.
I’m thinking that by the time the teams play, MU will have recovered and rebounded and will take care of business.
But Kansas was a better football team yesterday. That’s all I’m saying. If you disagree, fine. Does it really matter? Tigers will have a chance to win the Big 12 North.
Thanks!
-B
I stated that OSU is clearly the superior team … because OSU beat the Tigers … on MU’s home turf. Which makes them superior … at least up to this point.
You know: head-to-head meeting, keeping score, the final score and all of that stuff.
Usually an undefeated team (OSU) that already has defeated a two-loss team (MU) would be considered superior. Correct? On what basis would they not be considered superior, at least as we idle here today? Might not be this way at the end of the road, but it is true now.
Thank you.
-B
Yeah Bernie, it was Bad, but 6th in the Big 12, Texas Tech also has a very porous defense so maybe 5th. Pinkel probably does need a new defensive Coordinator and Mizzou was psyched out, but still losing to Texas does not quite have tthe sting that losing to OSU at home does.
I was just saying that I think they’re about sixth right now; doesn’t mean it will be that way at the end of the regular season. Some of the teams that I believe are ahead of MU right now will undoubtedly lose a game or two over the next several weeks; there are a bunch of head-to-head conflicts coming up in the Big 12 South. And it will leave some of those squads damaged. I suspect you are right about Texas Tech; they seem ripe to get knocked down a peg or two or three. Thanks for the comments.
-B
Bernie, I have complimented you before about your coverage. I have to say this post regarding last night is a bit heavy handed. Comparing this team to Stull and Woody is laughable. I went to mizzou in the late 70’s and early 80’s, when Warren Powers probably wasted more talent than any coach you could cite. He and Norm Stewart could have shared an apartment. Having said that, look at the Mizzou basketball program now. I’m not happy about Saturday, but I am happy that our football team is ranked, playing games on national tv, and every now and then, winning them.
Stahlhut, it’s simple…don’t read bernie’s articles, blogs, anything he writes if you don’t like it at all….he has an opinion and has a right to share it here or anywhere he likes.. as do you, but you shouldn’t be critical of someone else for doing the same thing you are doing
deciding moment - dropped pass by Perry on the first drive. he was at the first down line and dropped it…3 and out. I could see it right there, this team has lost IT. IT being confidence, swagger, this idea of “we can score any time we touch the ball.” and it lost IT on its home turf…and when they could have marched down to texas and AT LEAST showed some fight, they didn’t! Bernie’s RIGHT, they didn’t. They didn’t come out with fight. They didn’t come out ticked that they got exposed on ESPN last week. They SIMPLY DIDN’T. Now, neither did LSU??? I don’t get the D - Wm Moore, Hood, Weatherspoon, don’t get that? They simply didn’t show up. You can get mad, you can get optimistic, you can do whatever, but Bernie’s right, all of a sudden we’re having the same doubts we had 2 years ago when they forgot the second half of the season. The same grueling doubts we had when we thought the 2nd half against TROY the coaches would make adjustments and Brad Smith wouldn’t run the same play every down. The same doubts we had when Mizzou would enter conference play at 4-0…BUT. I hope they come out next week and simply DESTROY colorado. I thought that 2 weeks ago. Now? I’m just not so sure.