Mizzou’s sterling first half defensive performance wasn’t enough to hold off the Texas A&M Aggies, who broke through in the second half and left the offensively-challenged Tigers in the dust.
Here are your five takeaways from Mizzou’s third loss of the year.
1. Knowing what to expect
Call it boundless optimism — is that allowed in Columbia? — but in the lead up to this game, there were some questions about whether or not Mizzou was really as down-and-out as we thought. After all, remember how Zollers looked in his brief cameo against Vanderbilt? And this defense! With them, we can win any game. Right?
Well, time to take a cold bath in reality, folks. The College Football Playoff dream is officially officially dead. A nice season with nine or 10 wins isn’t off the table, but the ceiling won’t be reached for this team. Mizzou’s offensive struggles against an elite A&M defense made sure of that and have officially put a cap on what this team can achieve.
That’s pretty disappointing, but it also helps fans level set for the rest of the year. Mizzou will be a team that has to win on defense and score just enough. That’s not the most fun place to be, but it’s not unfamiliar territory for Mizzou fans.
2. A cold welcome for Matt Zollers
Mizzou fans have seen their fair share of true freshman starts in their day. And while his future is bright, Zollers’ official debut is certainly one he’ll want to put behind him.
Seven-for-twenty-two in the passing game. Seventy-seven yards passing. Two fumbles. Two sacks. Constant pressure from an elite pass rush. The true freshman was under duress all night and failed to display much of the poise he demonstrated when stepping in for Beau Pribula two weeks ago.
It wasn’t all bad for Zollers. He was able to hit some of his receivers on deep balls and looked to grow into the game as it developed, at least from a confidence perspective. But going up against Mike Elko’s defense was always a tough draw, and the former blue-chipper certainly looked like a player without much game time over the past two calendar years. Nowhere to go but up!
3. A nice night for the run game
After a few weeks of disappointment, Mizzou’s run game finally woke up against the Aggies with both Ahmad Hardy and Jamal Roberts going for more than 100 yards and a score. It wasn’t enough to lift the team to a win, but it bodes well for the rest of the season.
Jamal Roberts proved the more consistent of the backs, gashing the Aggies front seven from quarter-to-quarter and giving Matt Zollers an extra layer of protection in the backfield. His fumble in the fourth quarter sullied what was otherwise another strong night from the sophomore.
Not to be outdone, Ahmad Hardy busted two 45-yard runs and provided some explosive play threat against an Aggie front that terrorized Zollers. He hasn’t been his terrifying best in about a month, but his ability to bust big runs should give Mizzou some hope that the run game can carry them moving forward.
4. Extension for Batoon… and Drinkwitz?
The coaching carousel continues to spin, and Drinkwitz’s name will be included until he either (a) signs an extension with Mizzou or (b) packs his bags for other pastures. But should Mizzou fans be just as worried about defensive coordinator Corey Batoon getting poached?
Before the dam broke in the second half, the Tigers defense was making life a nightmare for Marcel Reed, who constantly found himself under pressure. The pass rush was frenetic, the linebackers were great on clean up duty, and the secondary continued its upward trajectory. If not for the offense’s continued struggles, Batoon’s unit may have had some extra time to breathe and might have been able to hold off the Aggies deeper into the game.
Despite the fact that Mizzou won’t be playing on a national scale at the end of the year, this defense is CFP-quality. That has a lot to do with how Batoon has both recruited and developed the talent up and down the depth chart. That won’t go unnoticed by coaches settling into their new roles at bigger schools, and Mizzou should do its due diligence and lock him up before someone else comes calling.
Mizzou could upset Oklahoma in two weeks, win out the regular season and win their bowl game. Boom. Ten wins for a third straight year.
Mizzou could lay an egg against Mississippi State and drop their final two games to Oklahoma and Arkansas. They could lose their bowl game. Boom. Losing record.
Honestly? If you’re asking me at this point, there’s not too much difference between the two. Because this season is now all about the future. It’s about getting Matt Zollers lots of reps. It’s about finding out which underclassmen are willing to grind the rest of the season and earn their playing time. It’s about locking up the coaches you want to bring back. It’s about laying the foundations for 2026 and beyond.
Is that where we wanted to be when Mizzou was 6-0 and welcoming Alabama to town. Of course not. But the breaks have gone how they’ve gone and now all Mizzou can do is make sure things don’t spiral. There’s still a lot of talent and a lot of pride on this team. Time to finish strong and look to the future.
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