If Missouri’s rushing defense performs against Tennessee the way it has the first month of the season, does it really matter who starts at quarterback for the Volunteers?
The Tigers rank 129th out of 130 Football Bowl Subdivision teams against the run, having allowed 269.2 yards per game through their first four. It’s a hideous average that is actually on the rise, with Mizzou having yielded 294 rushing yards in a 59-28 win over Southeast Missouri on Sept. 18 and 275 last weekend in a 41-34 overtime loss at Boston College.
“I think it’s natural to be concerned about it,” Mizzou second-year coach Eli Drinkwitz said this week. “We obviously have some things that we have to do to fix it. I think it’s a combination of a lot of things. We’ve got to continue to find our scheme that fits us and maybe simplify things, and we’ve got to do a better job of tackling and taking the proper angles.
“We’ve also got to do a better job of defeating blocks, so it’s a combination of a lot of things, and we’re working hard to rectify those. It will be a tough test Saturday, because they run the ball really well.”
The noon Eastern showdown at Faurot Field of teams that are 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the Southeastern Conference will be televised by the SEC Network.