Be ready for a bigger dose of Ahmad Hardy on Saturday.
Missouri got its returning All-American back on the field last week in the Tigers’ 34-10 win over Arkansas on Oct. 31, and now the expectation is that his role should grow when No. 9/10 Texas visits Columbia on Nov.
- Hardy had missed the first seven games while recovering from a gunshot wound to his thigh, then logged his first action of the season in Fayetteville.
That debut was brief. Hardy played five snaps, handled two carries for five yards and picked up a first down before leaving the game.
Missouri had hoped to work him into the red zone, but the Tigers didn’t get back there until the third quarter. By then, after a rain-soaked night in Northwest Arkansas, Drinkwitz said he “didn't know if he was ready” or still loose enough to return.
This week, though, the plan sounds different.
“I think you'll see more of a rotation than what we were last week,” Drinkwitz said, “or a more enhanced version of ‘hey, this is what his role will be.’”
That matters because Missouri’s backfield has been productive even without Hardy driving the offense. Jamal Roberts leads the SEC with 1,005 rushing yards and 10 total touchdowns, and he was the first SEC back to reach 1,000 yards this season. Still, the Tigers’ rushing attack has been more middle-of-the-road than dominant overall, averaging 167.5 yards per game, which ranks sixth in the league.
Drinkwitz said Hardy’s return gives Missouri a chance to sharpen the backfield without disturbing what Roberts has already established.
“He's been great. Bounceback has been good,” Drinkwitz said.
“I think for us, it's continuing to clearly define what his role can be for us. You know, where can we utilize him without throwing off the rhythm of what we've already established offensively with Jamal?”
The timing is useful. Texas brings one of the SEC’s stingiest defenses into this matchup, with defensive coordinator Will Muschamp’s group allowing just 102.4 rushing yards per game, fourth-best in the conference, and 273.1 total yards per game, third-best in the league.
The Longhorns also have impact talent at every level. Future first-round edge rusher Colin Simmons has been out since Oct. 17 with an ankle injury, and his status remains uncertain. If he plays, Texas can roll out one of the nation’s top edge pairs alongside Lance Jackson.
But the linebackers may be the real engine of the defense. Raheem Biles, a transfer from Pittsburgh, has three interceptions, 9.5 tackles for loss and a team-high 61 tackles.
Justin Cryer, who came over from Florida State, has an interception and 46 tackles. Both rank among the SEC’s top-50 players in “Stops,” the Pro Football Focus stat that marks a play as a failure for the offense.
Drinkwitz pointed to Muschamp’s scheme as a big reason those linebackers keep showing up around the ball.
“I think Coach Muschamp's system has always been very linebacker friendly because of its aggressive style and downhill nature,” Drinkwitz said. “Those guys don't think a lot, they just react.
It's more complicated than see-ball, hit-ball, but that's what they're doing. And he utilizes them in a lot of different ways, from cut fronts to simulated pressures to read-and-react and protecting with run stunts that allow penetration of A- and B-gaps and the linebackers to flow over the top.
“So, as an offense, you have to kind of prepare for it. You have to try to stay ahead of the chains, eliminate negative yardage runs.”
That’s where Hardy fits naturally. His ability to avoid losses and keep drives moving gives Missouri another tool against a defense built to squeeze out mistakes.
And he may not be the only new name in the mix. Preston Hatfield, a spring signee from Lee’s Summit, has also started to emerge as a possible third back.
“He's got some qualities of elite running backs that I've been around here, and those qualities aren't necessarily on the field. It's just the way he approaches his business,” Drinkwitz said.
“He's got a workmanlike mentality. Reminds me a ton of the way Cody (Schrader) approached his day-to-day.
So, you know, he's earned his opportunity.”
For Hardy, the key now is simply getting more work without overloading him. Roberts should remain the lead back, with Hardy taking on a larger share than he did against Arkansas.
Exactly how much more will be clear on game day. But Drinkwitz made it sound like Missouri is ready to push the button a little harder.
“He's going to get more reps this week. Now he knows what it feels like to get hit again.
He knows he can do it,” Drinkwitz told Brandon Walker at Barstool Sports on a podcast appearance Monday. … “I think this week there will be a more specific plan for him and there will be more carries."
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