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The Missouri Tigers will face off against the Abilene Christian Wildcats this Saturday at noon. Missouri will be looking to get back on track following a disappointing 40-12 loss to Kansas State last week.
The Tigers got off to a strong start this season with a 52-24 win over Louisiana Tech. They received a major boost from their run game, with five different players scoring on the ground. Missouri’s defense also had an impressive outing, finishing the day with three interceptions. Additionally, they only gave up 10 points through the first three quarters.
Things quickly went south for the Tigers the following week. The entire team generated only 222 yards of offense. Quarterbacks Brady Cook and Jack Abraham also threw a combined total of four interceptions. As for Missouri’s defense, they gave up 235 rushing yards and only forced one turnover all game. The Tigers had a difficult time containing junior running back Deuce Vaughn, who racked up 145 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries.
Missouri will be hoping for a breakout game from Cook, their starting quarterback. In the Tigers’ first two games, Cook has thrown for 329 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. He also leads the team with 117 rushing yards. Still, the Tigers will likely need Cook’s passing to improve if they want to make some noise this season.
Missouri Coach Eli Drinkwitz’s Thoughts
Missouri Head Coach Eli Drinkwitz acknowledged that his team has not played to their full potential in recent weeks. Nevertheless, the Tigers have made it a point of emphasis to move on from last week and focus on their upcoming game. Drinkwitz noted that the team knows they cannot control what happened against Kansas State. They can only control how they bounce back.
The Abilene Christian Wildcats have gotten off to a 2-0 start this year. In the Wildcats’ season opener, quarterback Maverick McIvor led his squad to a 28-14 victory over Lamar University. McIvor threw for 258 yards and two touchdowns. The following week, Abilene Christian narrowly came away with a 21-13 win over Prairie View A&M. The Wildcats rode a 14-point fourth quarter to victory. Missouri will serve as their biggest test yet as they hope to start the season with three consecutive wins.
Kickoff is set for noon this Saturday at Faurot Field in Missouri.
