We looked at my grades for the offense this morning. You can check them here.
Now let’s flip over to the defense and how I grade its performance from Saturday in the matchup against Oklahoma.
I was planning on doing this split by positions, but it makes more sense to me to do it as pass rush, run defense and coverage.
Hard to grade the pass rush as anything other than an A+.
Five sacks, one QB hit and 13 hurries, the whole group did a great job taking advantage of an Oklahoma offensive line filled with young backups because of injuries.
That was exactly what needed to happen for the Tigers to win.
Johnny Walker Jr., Zion Young, Triston Newson, Eddie Kelly Jr. and Chuck Hicks were credited with the sacks.
Newson, Kelly and Hicks took advantage on just a handful of rushing opportunities each. Defensive coordinator Corey Batoon dialed up the pressure very well.
And Newson was named SEC co-defensive player of the week for his performance.
The run defense gets a C+ from me.
Only allowing 122 yards and 3.4 yards per carry looks like a good day, but the Sooners lost 47 yards on sacks, so that total gained is actually 169, which doesn’t look as good.
The defense was doing a great job in run defense most of the day, but that Sooner drive to tie the game at 16 late in the fourth was runs of 10, 9, 2, 6, 8, 1, 10, 2 and 4, almost entirely coming from true freshman Xavier Robinson running up the middle. Exactly the wrong time to allow a true freshman to gut your defense up the middle. Without that drive, we’re talking about an A+ performance.
The coverage group gets an A+, too.
I’m going to put the 43-yard fake punt on the special teams, so not on the coverage group.
Which means the main pass defenders allowed a 13-for-26 day for 92 yards and one touchdown on a trick play.
A fantastic day, again taking advantage of a weakness your opponent has shown most of the year.
The pass game has been a problem for Oklahoma and even with the return of the Sooner’s two best receivers, the Tigers kept it as a problem.
Jackson Arnold’s longest completion was just 14 yards. Not much more you can ask for from the coverage unit except an interception or two, but with the team recovering four fumbles, I’m going to give that one a pass.
The defense gets an A+ from me.
Only allowing 16 points, with nine of those coming from being set up in a poor position, is a fantastic day.
Think about how those three first-half field goals came about.
The fake punt set up the first one and the Tiger defense did a great job coming back out and keeping that drive to a field goal attempt. The second came after Missouri failed to get a fourth-down from its own 44 and the defense allowed just 27 yards. The third came on a drive that started at the OU 35 because of a kickoff out of bounds and the Tigers made the Sooners kick a 56-yarder.
So really, one good drive allowed.
That’s an A+ day.
Head on over to the Tiger Walk to let me know how you graded Saturday’s defensive performance.
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Take a look around all the Mizzou athletics from the past week, focused on the ones that don't get usual coverage.
A loaded weekend of college football and news leading up to signing day means a loaded Recruiting Rumor Mill is here.
Three-star tight end Jack Utz spoke with quarterback Matt Zollers on why he chose Missouri.
Football thoughtsFirst things first, the defense is very, very good.Good enough that competent quarterback play should
The Tigers blew three-star wide receiver Kenyon Alston away on his first unofficial visit to Missouri.
Take a look around all the Mizzou athletics from the past week, focused on the ones that don't get usual coverage.
A loaded weekend of college football and news leading up to signing day means a loaded Recruiting Rumor Mill is here.
