For all the noise that came after Mizzou’s 34-20 loss to Texas, the real damage came from what happened between the whistles. The officiating debate took over the conversation after Arch Manning’s controversial fumble turned into a 14-yard gain for Emmet Mosley V, but the Tigers still had chances to slam the door. They didn’t.
The biggest swing came with Mizzou ahead 20-13 and Texas facing 3rd and 10, the same down-and-distance as the disputed play. Texas lined up in a 3x1 set with Jermaine Bishop Jr. isolated on the short side, and the Tigers brought six. Manning got the ball out in less than two seconds, Bishop was completely uncovered, and the 25-yard touchdown tied the game at 20 with under two minutes left in the third quarter.
That bust told the story of the night. Trajen Greco immediately started talking to Sione Laulea after the snap, and Eli Drinkwitz later explained the confusion bluntly: “Our corner thought we were in cover-2, and everybody else thought we were in a fire zone.”
Mizzou’s pressure package left five in coverage, creating a three-deep, two-under look that resembled cover-3. But Laulea played it like cover-2 underneath, and Texas cashed in on the mistake.
“They made the plays they needed to in order to win the game, and ultimately we did not,” Drinkwitz said. “It didn’t come down to officials; it didn’t come down to reviews.
It came down to the opportunities we had as a team. Ultimately that’s on me as a head coach.
My job is to make sure our guys take advantage of the opportunities.”
That one bust was only part of the problem. Manning turned in his best statistical SEC performance of the season, finishing 28-for-38 for 297 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions or turnover-worthy plays. He repeatedly found space in the middle of the field, something Drinkwitz pointed to after the game.
“They attacked our seams and got completions on curls and cover 3,” Drinkwitz said.
According to Pro Football Focus, 12 of Manning’s 27 completions came between the numbers and beyond the line of scrimmage, with five more completions between the numbers behind the line. With Mizzou unable to consistently get home, Manning had time to work through the defense and pick it apart.
“If we get in man coverage against some of these guys, we’re going to be in for a tough day, so we’re going to give up some zone and try to hope we can get home with our pass rush,” Drinkwitz said.
The Tigers did record three sacks and PFF credited them with 18 pressures, but that still wasn’t enough to bother Manning the way they needed to. He averaged 2.89 seconds to throw, the only other Power Four games with a longer average coming against Ohio State and Oklahoma.
Texas also beat Mizzou with design. On the Longhorns’ first touchdown, Manning worked a screen to Derrek Cooper after rolling left and then redirecting back to the right.
Mizzou’s front never recognized it as a screen, Santana Banner came on a safety blitz, and Chris Graves and Trajen Greco were tied up with Bishop and Emmett Mosley V running vertically. Cooper had a clear lane and took it 24 yards to the end zone.
The go-ahead score was another matchup win for Texas. Mizzou played man across the board, Raleek Brown slipped out on a wheel route instead of staying in to protect, and Dante McClellan couldn’t stay with him. Manning dropped it in for a 23-yard touchdown that put Texas ahead for good.
“They hit the wheel route,” Drinkwitz said. “Matched up, Coach Sark always gets good matchups and makes the plays they need to win.”
Mizzou didn’t give itself much margin elsewhere, either. The Tigers went 3-of-16 on third down, scored one red-zone touchdown, missed two kicks and had a punt blocked. But the pass defense was the clearest issue, and it left no room to hide behind the controversy.
At 6-3, Mizzou now turns to a stretch of Georgia, Kentucky and Oklahoma, starting next week in Athens. Georgia’s passing game will present another stiff test, with Gunner Stockton carrying a 2.5% turnover-worthy play percentage and 43 of his 82 completions beyond the line of scrimmage coming between the numbers. That’s the same area where Manning kept finding answers all afternoon.
Playing in Athens has not been easy for Mizzou, and Georgia enters as the new No. 1 after Miami-FL’s loss to Notre Dame. The Tigers are heading into a difficult run, and if they want a better result, they can’t afford another day like this against the pass.
In Other News...
SEC Defends Officiating As Missouri Fallout Keeps Growing
The fallout from Missouris Week 10 loss to Texas has stretched well beyond the final whistle, with the SEC now spending as much time defending its officiating process as explaining the call itself. Commissioner Greg Sankey pushed back on the public criticism that followed the game, arguing that broadcasters should not be so quick to question rulings without having the full picture, while also acknowledging how hard it is to expect perfection from officials every week.
For Missouri, the larger issue is less about one controversial moment than what comes next for a program and fan base that still want answers. Sankey said the league is continuing discussions about making the review process more transparent, a sign the conference knows the scrutiny is not going away anytime soon. Even with the explanation, the sense around Columbia is that the conversation around that game is still very much alive. [Read more 🡒]
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Mizzou's Texas Loss Just Opened An Officiating Fight Fans Won't Ignore
Missouris home loss to Texas is still echoing well beyond the final whistle, with athletic director Laird Veatch saying the school has formally asked the SEC to review the officiating from the game. The request comes after a series of contentious calls drew immediate attention, including the ruling on Arch Mannings fumble that became one of the defining moments of the afternoon.
Veatch said he understands why fans are frustrated, and the school has not been given anything that contradicts the SECs public explanation of the situation. Even so, the review keeps the conversation alive around a game Missouri felt slipped away amid calls that left plenty of people in Columbia wanting a closer look. [Read more 🡒]