Missouri’s 34-20 loss to Texas on Saturday came with a few clear bright spots, and Pro Football Focus put numbers to them. Nicholas Rodriguez, Austin Simmons, Donta Simpson, Santana Banner and Jason Dowell graded out as the Tigers’ top five performers in the top-25 matchup, while the snap counts showed just how much Missouri leaned on a few key pieces as the game wore on.
Rodriguez turned in the best defensive grade on the roster at 81.9, and the linebacker stacked up three season-best PFF marks that all led the team: an 84 tackling grade, a 78.9 coverage grade and that overall defensive number. He backed it up on the stat sheet too, finishing with 12 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. His 98 tackles on the season now rank third in the country.
Simmons was the highest-graded offensive player by a wide margin, finishing at 77.5. Missouri’s offense had enough juice to hang around through three quarters, putting up 20 points and reaching the fourth tied with Texas.
But the final frame exposed how thin the attack had become. The Tigers stalled on five straight drives, and with Ahmad Hardy logging just four snaps and Jamal Roberts not moving much, Simmons had to carry the load against a Texas secondary that was sitting on what was coming.
He finished 23-for-43 for 252 yards and two touchdowns, while Missouri managed just 84 rushing yards.
On the defensive side, the snap counts told another part of the story. The Tigers’ leader in sacks was on the field for 32 snaps, his first game since Week 1 without at least 45. That came even with Langden Kitchen leaving early and playing only six snaps.
Sterling Webb and Darris Smith led that group with 44 snaps apiece. Daeden Hopkins was next at 32, and his 60.3 defensive grade was his third-lowest of the season. His 25.8 tackling grade was his lowest by far.
The rest of Missouri’s defensive workload was spread across Donovan Olugbode with 63 snaps, Cayden Lee with 48, Naeshaun Montgomery with 37, Caleb Goodie Sr. with 22, Shaun Terry II with 16, DaMarion Fowlkes with 15 and Kenric Lanier II with five.
Up front and in the back end, the snap distribution was just as telling. Tristan Wilson, Curtis Peagler, Luke Work and Cayden Green all played 71 snaps, while Jack Lange had one. Jordon Harris logged 30 snaps, Brett Norfleet 26 and Jude James 21.
At safety, Santana Banner played 69 snaps, with Trajen Greco and Elijah Dotson each at 50 and Kensley Louidor-Faustin at 47. In the secondary, Chris Graves Jr. had 54 snaps, Sione Laulea and Jahlil Florence each had 44.
Linebacker Robert Woodyard Jr. also played 54 snaps, matching Rodriguez’s workload closely, while Dante McClellan had 18, Jeremiah Beasley 14 and Brian Huff three.
The defensive line rotation included Donta Simpson at 37 snaps, Jalen Marshall and Marquis Gracial at 34 each, Jason Dowell at 33 and Mark Hensley at one.
In Other News...
Missouri Just Got A Ranking Snub At The Worst Time
Missouris stumble against Texas cost the Tigers more than a loss in the standings. After sitting at No. 19, they dropped out of the US LBM Coaches Poll entirely and landed as the second team just outside the top 25, a reminder of how quickly one rough afternoon can change the national view of a team in the middle of a big season.
The timing makes the snub sting even more because Georgia is next on the schedule, and that matchup will offer a fast chance to answer it. The updated poll also reshuffled the rest of the national picture, but for Missouri the focus now turns to proving the Texas loss was a detour rather than the start of a slide. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzous Loss Exposed One Problem Talent Alone Wont Fix
Missouris 90-84 loss to Saint Louis offered an early reminder that raw talent only goes so far. The Tigers had enough individual ability to stay in the game, and their more experienced players did their part, but the overall picture was harder to ignore. Saint Louis looked like a team that had spent more time together, with continuity among its starters showing up in the places Missouri was still trying to sort out.
For Missouri, the biggest issues were the ones that tend to linger into a long season if they are not cleaned up quickly. The freshmen had trouble with defensive rotations and never found much rhythm shooting, while the Tigers as a group did not always play with the kind of unselfishness and consistency needed to win in conference play. There is enough skill on the roster to make Missouri dangerous, but this game showed how much work remains before that talent starts functioning like a complete team. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Now Faces One Brutal Question In A Season-Defining Stretch
Missouris College Football Playoff path came to an abrupt end with a 34-20 loss to Texas, a result that left the Tigers needing to regroup quickly as the season moves into its toughest stretch. What had been a promising run now shifts into a different kind of test, with the focus turning from playoff positioning to how this team handles the grind that still sits in front of it.
Georgia, Kentucky and Oklahoma are next on the schedule, and that run will tell a lot about where Missouri stands after the disappointment in Austin. The broader SEC slate also adds to the pressure around Columbia, with plenty of conference games worth watching as the Tigers try to avoid letting one loss turn into a slide. [Read more 🡒]