Mizzou football coach Eli Drinkwitz talks about the defensive depth on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, after a win over Buffalo. (Video by Mizzou Network, used with permission of Mizzou Athletics)
COLUMBIA, Mo. — The last time Missouri’s defense has been this dominant, this oppressive, America was at its most depressive.
In 1935, in the heart of the Great Depression, the Tigers opened their season with a coach named Don Faurot. They didn’t allow a point through their first two games under the man whose name now adorns Mizzou’s playing surface, holding William Jewell and Warrensburg Teachers College — now Central Missouri — scoreless.
No MU defense started a season with back-to-back shutouts between that 1935 campaign and Saturday, when the Tigers beat Buffalo 38-0.
Pair that with a season-opening shutout of Murray State, and No. 9 Missouri is taking care of business in dominant and historic fashion against its gentle entry to the 2024 season.
Mizzou, in just its second game with Corey Batoon as its defensive coordinator, held the Bulls to 169 yards. And while opening against Murray State and Buffalo doesn’t make for anything approaching the nation’s toughest schedule, MU’s defense has been impressive nonetheless.
Given an opportunity to manhandle a team from the Mid-American Conference, the Tigers did just that. The Bulls faced 12 third downs but only converted one of them into a first down — and on that first-quarter play, Buffalo quarterback CJ Ogbonna completed a panic pass to throw out of a sack.
The key, through two games, seems to be a Batoon-driven kind of preparation.
“It’s situational,†safety Marvin Burks Jr. said. “We just feel like we know what’s going on every time when we’re out there on third down, second down, first down, end of game, end of half.â€
For his part, Burks picked off Ogbonna when the Bulls quarterback vastly overthrew his target — the Cardinal Ritter product’s first career interception.
Twenty-five MU defenders recorded a statistic in Saturday’s game in a notable display of depth across all 11 positions. While some of that usage was driven by an out-hand result that led to Missouri’s second team playing most of the fourth quarter, there was significant rotation early in the game when starters were playing.
“We’ve got a lot of depth over there and a lot of consistency and a lot of guys holding each other to a standard,†Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “And I think when you can just send waves of players who are fresh, continually, I think that’s hard on an offense.â€
Quarterback Brady Cook was among the happy spectators when the Tigers defense was on the field.
“It doesn’t surprise me,†he said. “I went against them for how many days in fall camp? They’ll suffocate you. They don’t give up much.â€
Missouri’s defense holding Buffalo at bay gave its offense time to find its footing. After scoring just three points, on a 51-yard field goal from new kicker Blake Craig in the first quarter, the Tigers scored three touchdowns in the second — a jet sweep rush from wideout Luther Burden III and two runs from Cook.
Burden disappeared from the game shortly after scoring and did not return because of an illness.
“Luther Burden has been dealing with an illness all week,†Drinkwitz said. “After he scored his touchdown, didn’t feel good, we didn’t feel like it was worth putting him back in the game.â€
Two offensive starters missed the game. Tight end Brett Norfleet was in street clothes after missing practice time last week following a hit he took in the season opener. Right guard Cam’Ron Johnson dressed out but did not appear after suffering an injury during Wednesday’s practice. Mitch Walters took his place along the offensive line.
Though he didn’t score, wide receiver Theo Wease Jr. was Missouri’s most prolific offensive player. He caught a career-high 13 passes for 149 yards — also the most he’s ever posted in a game. Burden’s absence boosted Wease’s volume, but soft coverage from the Bulls ensured that MU’s No. 1 saw plenty of openings.
Now at 2-0, Mizzou not only has survived its favorable start to the year but secured comfortable wins in both games. Boston College — also 2-0 after thumping Duquesne on Saturday and Week 1’s high-profile win over Florida State — will be more of a challenge next Saturday.
Making an early statement, particularly on defense, has been a priority for a program that faced offseason questions on that side of the ball.
“All offseason, you see in the media, you see yadda yadda yadda: ‘What’s the defense going to be? Is it still going to be that same Death Row Defense that we’ve had?’ †Cook said. “They’ve not shied away. They came out strong (in) the first two games. They’re doing their thing right now.â€
Stifling the offenses of rebuilding Football Championship Subdivision and Group of Five programs won’t answer those questions with complete certainty, but it does reflect a theme of the Tigers’ opening couple of weeks of 2024 — one that Drinkwitz has pinpointed when addressing the locker room.
“That was actually the pregame speech,†he said. “Take advantage of opportunities and don’t disrespect the fans or the game by assuming that the other team’s not going to play.â€
Cook, a team captain for the third consecutive season, echoed that.
“I think it’s easy for certain teams to overlook opponents — really waste the opportunity you have to dominate, like we’ve done,†the quarterback said.
There was an emotional element to that message ahead of Saturday’s game. The mother of defensive end Eddie Kelly Jr. died suddenly on Wednesday, a loss the Tigers were aware of.
Kelly played, making two tackles, and was honored with a game ball.
“It was very emotional,†Burks said. “The guys knew we had to play for Eddie and his family. Eddie’s still just coming out here to play with us, so we wanted to make sure we get that win.â€
“For him to still be here and our team to play the way they did around him tonight, whether it was the defense — and that’s who they said they were playing for — was a special, special moment and a special thing for this brotherhood,†Drinkwitz said. “That goes back to the opportunity. That’s why we were so just — man, you just don’t know. Life is precious.â€
“Y’all got to watch something special tonight,†he continued, “for our team to play, our defense to play like that, for Eddie.â€
Johnny Walker Jr. and Joe Moore III, who both play Missouri's "joker" position, combined for four quarterback hurries, two tackles for a loss …
Missouri cornerback Dreyden Norwood, 12, tight defends against Buffalo wide receiver Taji Johnson, who is unable to make a catch in a game on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Columbia, Mo.