Missouri State (0-1) was a heavy underdog entering its Week 1 game against No. 8 Texas A&M. The Aggies (1-0) avoided an upset by taking down the Bears 50-0.
The Bears flashed some great plays, while the Aggies showcased their SEC power and depth. Here are some takeaways from Missouri State’s road game at Kyle Field.
Missouri State’s defense formidable against SEC talent
Although the score reads a major blowout, Missouri State’s defense kept the Bears in the game in the first half.
Texas A&M marched down the field for a 58-yard opening touchdown drive. Following this drive, Missouri State allowed just 68 yards across the next three drives.
Missouri State’s defense forced back-to-back punts along with a fantastic forced fumble. Missouri State’s Joel Boamah punched the ball out of wide receiver Isaiah
Horton’s hands. With the Bears trailing 9-0 in the second quarter, it was a huge momentum play.
“I was pleased with our tackling performance,” head coach Casey Woods told the Missouri State Radio Network. “That’s a good tackle-breaking team.”
Following the fumble recovery, Missouri State was stopped on fourth down near midfield. The Bears would fight an uphill battle the rest of the way.
It was a career day for captain and linebacker Jared Lloyd. He finished with a career-high 13 total tackles. He also tied a career high with seven solo tackles. He set the tone throughout the game, even though he battled through a hand injury.
“He understands football,” Woods said. “He’s tough, he’s physical and he gets them on the ground.”
Offense shut down by SEC speed and depth
Missouri State’s offense was simply not good against the Aggies. Six of the team’s 11 drives ended in a three-and-out. But it shouldn’t be a cause for concern… yet.
The Bears will not face a defense better than Texas A&M all season. The SEC speed, strength and depth just swallowed every Missouri State chance.
“As we move forward, we have to learn from the mistakes,” Woods said. “We have to protect the ball. We have to have a better plan that we can execute on third downs.”
The Bears finished with just 67 total yards. Quarterback Skyler Locklear played the entire game, going 8-for-17 with 30 passing yards.
Three Missouri State turnovers were the difference in helping Texas A&M win in a rout. The Bears finished with a time of possession of 17:15. The defense barely had time to catch its breath on the sidelines.
Missouri State opened the game with eight straight passing attempts. The run game was not part of the team’s offense early in the contest.
Again, Texas A&M’s defense will be near the top in the entire country.
We’ll learn a lot more about the Bears' offense against Lindenwood next week.
Injuries are a cause for concern
One big key for the Bears was to avoid injuries. There were some important players, especially on the defensive side of the ball, who went out of the game with injuries.
Corner Joel Kpassou, linebacker Hieko Malone, and defensive tackles Tim Brantley Jr. and Gilles Tchio all exited the game. All four players were starters for the defense.
An update on the team’s health will come at Woods’ weekly press conference on Monday, Sept. 7.
“I’m really disappointed in the result right now,” Woods said. “But, I’m encouraged by the make up of this team.”
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Takeaways from Missouri State's opening loss to No. 8 Texas A&M
