Missouri Tigers’ offense has been atrocious

The Missouri Tigers began this football season attempting to become the first Southeastern Conference program to make three straight appearances in the league title game since the Florida Gators of the mid-1990s with coach Steve Spurrier and quarterback Danny Wuerffel.

That’s no longer the narrative.

Gary Pinkel’s Tigers now are simply trying to cross an opposing goal line, something they last accomplished against South Carolina on Oct. 3, when Spurrier still guided the Gamecocks. Missouri has gone three straight games without scoring a touchdown of any kind, a dubious feat that last occurred for the Tigers in 1937.

“It’s disappointing, because the defense is out there playing their hearts out for us,” Mizzou freshman quarterback Drew Lock told reporters after last Saturday’s 10-3 loss at Vanderbilt.

Missouri is open this week, so the Tigers have extra time to address an offense that ranks 126th out of 127 Bowl Subdivision teams in both points (14.9) and yards (277.6) per game. Only Miami of Ohio scores fewer points per game, while UCF is the only program managing fewer yards.

UCF coach George O’Leary resigned last weekend, and Pinkel certainly could spend this time essentially firing and hiring starting players.

“We’re looking at everything,” Pinkel said Saturday night in a news conference. “When you switch personnel, you have to know what happens with the spot with the person that’s leaving, so it’s really easy to throw people all over the place.

“We have to analyze all that stuff. It’s my fault, so I’m charged with getting that changed.”

The Tigers, who are 4-4 overall and 1-4 in conference play, became the first league victims of Derek Mason’s two-year coaching tenure with the Commodores. Mizzou went 0-for-14 on third-down conversions in Nashville, and the Tigers are 3-for-41 in their last three games.

Lock replaced suspended redshirt junior Maty Mauk before the South Carolina game, but Mauk has been cleared to return to team activities. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Lock has completed 77 of 152 passes (50.7 percent) for 763 yards on an offense that ranks 107th nationally through the air.

Missouri’s running game has been even worse, averaging 100.5 yards a game to rank 122nd in the FBS.

“It’s tough just when we don’t get things going,” sophomore receiver Nate Brown said. “I’ll just leave it at that.”

And if things are tough among the offensive players, imagine how Mizzou defenders must feel? The Tigers are fifth in the nation in fewest points allowed and 10th in fewest yards allowed.

Fifth-year senior linebacker Kentrell Brothers leads the nation with 103 tackles (12.9 per game) after compiling 12 in Nashville.

“There’s nothing we can really do but to just be supportive,” Brothers said. “We continue to be supportive, regardless if they score or not, because, you know, that is what teammates do. I know they’re frustrated, and I know they’re hurt, and I know they are ready to go to work.”

The difference between Missouri’s offense and defense can be capsuled by the first play of the Oct. 17 loss at Georgia, when Tigers safety Ian Simon intercepted Greyson Lambert and returned the ball to the 1-yard line of the Bulldogs. Mizzou’s next three plays resulted in a loss of 1 yard, forcing the Tigers to settle on a field goal.

What could be really troubling for the Tigers is if their defense continues to stay out on the field more and more each Saturday. Converting on 3 of 41 third-down chances the past three games has resulted in more three-and-outs than Brothers and his fellow defenders would like to count.

“We get really tired, that’s for sure,” Brothers said. “When we are on the sideline, after we catch our breath, the first thing we do is catch some corrections. If it is three-and-out after three-and-out, then we are right back on the field.

“We’re tired, but that is what we work for. We’ve got to be ready all the time.”

Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.