The Missouri Tigers play in the SEC East, which means they live in the shadows of the national champion Georgia Bulldogs.
By Matt Zemek
However, while winning the SEC East is not realistic under current conditions, finishing second in the division – while obviously unlikely – isn’t as much of a fantasy as some people might think. Sure, Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee have more established programs, but none of them are locks to win nine games this year. They all have enough weaknesses and uncertainties that there’s no clear-cut favorite in the battle for second place in the East. Maybe Missouri can pull a few surprises in 2022.
The battle to exceed expectations begins with a Thursday season opener against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. Missouri has endured a number of changes to its roster. Coach Eli Drinkwitz will try to put the pieces together and create a formula which catches the rest of the SEC East off guard. Let’s look at what the Tigers have to focus on in this first game of 2022.
1 – The passing game needs to Cook
Brady Cook grew up as a Missouri fan, so he will get to be the quarterback for the college team he has rooted for his entire life. That has to be very special for him, but it also means that his excitement level for this game needs to be channeled into the flow of the contest. He can’t be overeager to make big plays. He has to stay within the offense, be patient, exhibit discipline, and show the maturity of a true team leader. That’s what a quarterback has to do. If Cook can make sound decisions and still generate big plays within the offensive system, that would be an ideal opening game for the player, the team, and the coaching staff.
2 – Carrying the Burden
Luther Burden is the wide receiver Missouri fans hope will transform the program. Burden is just the third five-star recruit in the entire history of the Tiger program. That’s a remarkable fact, but it speaks to the unique potential one man has to rewrite the story of Mizzou football and give this team a much higher ceiling than it has had the past several years. If Missouri is eventually going to compete for the SEC East championship – which it won in the 2013 and 2014 seasons – Luther Burden needs to be a special, generational player in Columbia. Getting off to a great start against Louisiana Tech would set the right tone.
3 – The secondary
Louisiana Tech is coached by former TCU and Texas Tech offensive coordinator Sonny Cumbie, who likes to throw the ball and has developed some good quarterbacks in his career as an assistant coach. The secondary is going to get a workout. Being able to limit big plays while also displaying aggressive coverage on shorter passes in 3rd and 5 situations will be a profound challenge for the Mizzou secondary in Week 1.
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