Grading Missouri football in its Cotton Bowl win

For the first time since 2015, Missouri football has won a bowl game.

For the first time since the inception of the College Football Playoff, Missouri football has won a New Year’s Six Bowl game.

It was a stellar game from the Tigers’ defense. The offense needed three quarters to find life, but it eventually did. That led to a 14-3 Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State for Missouri.

Here are our grades from Missouri’s play in the Cotton Bowl Classic.

Missouri’s Offense

It wasn’t the best day at the office for Missouri’s offense. By a very long shot.

The Tigers punted eight times in the first three quarters. They struggled to get the running game going and couldn’t get the pass game going.

But, on a day when the defense was playing at such a high level, all Missouri needed to do was score the ball once or twice. MU did that in the fourth quarter.

A 49-yard deep shot to Marquis Johnson ignited the offense. Finally, movement.

That led to a 7-yard touchdown run by Cody Schrader. Finally, the lead.

The offense’s job is to gain yards and put up points. But, against a defense as good as Ohio State’s, that assignment simplifies to just gaining yards by any means possible. Missouri found a way to do that when it mattered most.

Grade: C

Dec 29, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Lincoln Kienholz (12) almost gets sacked by Missouri Tigers defensive back Daylan Carnell (13) before throwing the ball away in the second quarter during the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium.

Missouri’s Defense

If there ever was a time for Missouri to show that its defense is elite, it was Friday night.

The Tigers did that.

Defensive coordinator Blake Baker was aggressive early on with his blitzes, and it paid off as MU limited Ohio State to just three points in the first half. His usage of MU’s defensive backs on his blitzes led to…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/defense-played-magnum-opus-grading-042807728.html

Author : Columbia Daily Tribune

Publish date : 2023-12-30 04:28:07

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