Donta Simpson didn’t just flash in Missouri’s win over Kansas - he forced the Tigers to keep paying attention.
After a quiet opener against UAPB, the sophomore defensive tackle responded with 1.5 sacks against Kansas, tying for the team lead and doing it in just 13 snaps. That production stood out even more because Daeden Hopkins matched that sack total in far fewer snaps, while Simpson kept carving out a bigger role in the pass rush.
Eli Drinkwitz made it clear earlier in the week that Simpson still had something to prove. The head coach said he temporarily stripped the single-digit look from the transfer after the season opener.
"I put him in (number) 88 all week instead of eight, just to let him know that you have to play better if you want to wear a single digit and he showed me he could," Drinkwitz said on Tuesday. "So instead of having 88, I've just got a piece of tape in front of the eight that says eight. So he's going to have to continue to work to improve, and that's what everybody's got to do."
Simpson answered with the kind of burst Missouri wants off the edge. Of his 13 snaps, 12 came as a pass rusher, and he finished fifth on the team in pass-rush snaps even though he was 18th in total snaps.
Against a Kansas offense, he was part of a Tigers front that looked far more disruptive than it did in Week 1. Missouri had just one sack against UAPB, then came away with four against Kansas, all of them in the fourth quarter, while pressuring Isaiah Marshall throughout the night.
Drinkwitz pointed to Simpson’s explosive traits as the reason the production came so quickly.
"One of the best things he does is rush the passer, he's got incredible twitch and speed, which showed in those two sacks," Drinkwitz said. "So we've got to continue to get him reps in those things and then add the other elements of the run game that we needed to play. But... that was just a peak."
What makes the start even more notable is how Simpson got here. Drinkwitz said the sophomore dealt with a sickness in late June that kept him out of training for a month, including all of July. He could still be around the team, but he wasn’t able to condition, and Missouri didn’t get him back until August 12.
"Donta had a sickness in the middle of late June that had required him to sit out and do zero training for the month of July and he was able to be around the team, but not able to do any conditioning," Drinkwitz said. "We weren't able to get him back until August 12 and so it's been a a process to get him back acclimated, not only to football, but to the strength and the conditioning."
That backdrop makes the early impact harder to ignore, and his teammates have noticed too. Senior linebacker Robert Woodyard Jr., who had his own two-takeaway performance, said Simpson’s work in the offseason has shown up fast.
"Just him putting the work in, him coming in from as a transfer, as well as me, just seeing what he's able to do in the off season and just seeing him put his head down and grind," Woodyard said about how Simpson has impressed. "I've seen him work his (butt) off and be able to do what he can do."
Missouri will get another look at Simpson on Saturday at 6 p.m. at Faurot Field against Troy, which comes in at 2-0.
In Other News...
Mizzou's Border War Win Didn't Hide A Problem Drinkwitz Had To Address
A Border War win over Kansas pushed Missouri to 2-0 and gave the Tigers plenty to feel good about, especially with quarterback Brady Simmons drawing praise for his leadership and a defense that kept delivering momentum-changing plays. Still, Eliah Drinkwitz did not let the 38-21 result blur the rough edges, pointing to special teams, run-game consistency and red-zone defense as areas that need tightening before the schedule gets more demanding.
The next test comes against Troy, and Drinkwitz has already started shifting the focus toward the Trojans offense and the experience they bring at quarterback. Missouris coach knows the Tigers can enjoy the rivalry win for a moment, but the bigger concern is making sure the same issues that surfaced against Kansas do not follow them into another game they are supposed to control. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou May Be Bringing A New Problem Into SEC Play
Missouris win in the Border War did more than keep the momentum rolling, it also put a couple of Tigers in the SEC spotlight. Austin Simmons earned SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors and landed on the Davey OBrien Great Eight Team of the Week, while Deaden Hopkins was recognized as SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week for his work on the other side of the ball.
Those awards arrive just in time for a different kind of test, with Missouris SEC opener against Mississippi State set for Sept. 26 at 6:45 p.m. CST on the SEC Network. The Tigers are heading into conference play with a little national attention and a reminder that their early success is starting to draw notice beyond Columbia. [Read more 🡒]
Drinkwitz Just Put Mizzous Biggest Problem Under A Harsh Spotlight
Missouris special teams came under a harsh light after the Kansas game, and coach Eli Drinkwitz did not try to soften it. He pointed to two blocked field goals and a string of penalties as the kind of breakdowns that can swing a game, then made clear the problems went beyond execution on the field and into coaching. With Troy next on the schedule, it has become a priority area the Tigers cannot afford to leave unresolved.
Drinkwitz said the operation has already been revisited in practice, with the staff looking at fixes on the protection side and around the personnel involved. The bigger question for Missouri is whether those changes can steady a unit that has suddenly become a source of anxiety instead of an asset, especially with the SEC slate looming after this week. [Read more 🡒]