The season might just hinge on taming the Tide.
Missouri football faces the biggest game of its 2024 campaign Saturday, when it visits Alabama for a game at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Both the Tigers (6-1, 2-1 SEC) and the Tide (5-2, 2-2) are grappling to remain relevant in the race for a berth to the College Football Playoff.
As big as the opponent is for Mizzou, coach Eli Drinkwitz’s message for the team was mostly about meeting internal expectations. Drinkwitz spoke at length Tuesday about keeping the game plan simple and not over-analyzing each play call, and simply letting players use their instincts in a tricky environment.
That’s a lesson from Texas A&M.
Now Mizzou is stepping into another formidable ring.
“Obviously, we were tested in different ways in the Vanderbilt game and the Boston College game, but, you know, now we’ve faced adversity, faced even more Saturday, and we’re going to face a lot more this Saturday,” Drinkwitz said. “So, just got to stay in the fight, and you’re never out of it if. If you believe in yourself and you believe in each other, then you’re never out of the fight.”
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Here is Missouri’s path to staying in the fight and emerging with a win in Tuscaloosa:
Will Brady Cook be healthy for Missouri football at Alabama?
Let’s start with the obvious question.
There’s a Brady Cook-sized elephant in the room. The Missouri starting quarterback was listed as doubtful on the Tigers’ SEC-mandated availability report released Thursday night. The possible designations, from most likely to play to least likely: available; probable; questionable; doubtful; out.
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At face value, a “doubtful” designation doesn’t give much cause for optimism.
But then again, at face value, a mid-game visit to the hospital doesn’t sound too promising for a return, either.
Cook managed it once. Can he do it twice?
Mizzou might just need him to repeat his heroics.
The case study from Saturday does not inspire optimism that Missouri can go to Tuscaloosa and beat Alabama with Drew Pyne quarterbacking the offense. The Tigers took a significant step back without their starter on the field.
Mizzou’s path to victory likely starts and ends with Cook’s availability.
Follow Vanderbilt’s lead — run the ball
Cook or no Cook, Missouri needs to make the clock its friend.
Vanderbilt did just that, running the ball a gaudy 54 times for a hair more than 3 yards per attempt to control possession for more than 42 minutes as it stunned Alabama.
That makes for a pretty simple how-to guide on how to beat this current Alabama team.
Run the ball often, and keep moving the chains.
Missouri could be without Nate Noel on Saturday, as the starting tailback was listed as doubtful on MU’s Wednesday availability report. That would make Marcus Carroll the lead back for essentially the third straight week, with Jamal Roberts, like he did against Auburn, coming in as the main next man up.
This task gets a little tougher if Cook does prove to be inactive Saturday. His utility on QB draws and scrambles should not be overlooked. With or without the starter, though, Missouri should follow the example set by Vanderbilt.
Find a way to take away Milroe’s legs
It’s a cat-and-mouse game when it comes to Jalen Milroe.
Missouri has dared some mobile quarterbacks to throw the ball this season, with Boston College’s Thomas Castellanos top of mind. Against others, like Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia, there was a more balanced approach and respect for the passing game.
Milroe is an elite runner. The Alabama quarterback also has one of the more electric receivers in the country in Ryan Williams, and a trustworthy option in Germie Bernard. Milroe proved against Georgia that he can lead the Tide to victory with his arm.
Still: There’s case studies in the benefits of taking away his legs and forcing him to use his arm.
It shows up in both Vanderbilt and Tennessee’s wins, when Milroe was 43-of-69 passing (62%) for two touchdowns and three interceptions across the Tide’s two losses.
Over those same two games, Milroe ran for 21 net yards.
If Mizzou chooses to focus on cutting off the QB’s rushing lanes, it needs its most disciplined day of the season from its secondary to make the system work. If the Tigers can force some pressure when Milroe steps back to throw, even better.
But stopping Milroe from scampering helped Tennessee and Vandy pull out wins, and it could help Missouri, too.
“We can’t create vertical rush lanes for him to escape through,” Drinkwitz said. “Once he gets his shoulders pointed downhill, he’s got unbelievable speed. He’s got great vision, really good thrower, so he’s the definition of a dual-threat quarterback.”
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: What is Missouri football’s path to win at Alabama? 3 keys for Tigers
