No. 3 Texas A&M hits the road for the third gamee in a row, traveling to CoMo for a Saturday afternoon tilt with No. 22 Missouri. The Tigers have statistically the best defense A&M has faced yet this season, and should be in desperation mode to stay in the Playoff hunt. To see how folks are feeling on the Mizzou side of the fence, we spoke to Sammy Stava of Rock M Nation
, SB Nation’s Missouri team site.Good Bull Hunting: Mizzou had a great start, but it seems like Playoff hopes are on life support with two losses at this point. What’s the feeling of the fanbase headed into this game?
Sammy Stava: Mizzou is in win-out mode the remainder of the regular season to make the CFP and
that seems unlikely at this point. Texas A&M presents a tough challenge for the Tigers – especially with true freshman QB Matt Zollers replacing Beau Pribula. I would say the fanbase is still excited for this game as it will be a sellout crowd, but I also think they’re not expecting Missouri to win this one and this season is looking like a step-back. Still, it could be a good atmosphere on Saturday afternoon..
GBH: We’ve seen Drink linked to a few other head coaching openings (much like Mike Elko). I know A&M fans have shrugged these rumors off as pretty unlikely, how’s the reaction in Columbia?
SS: I think the fanbase is a little concerned about Drinkwitz leaving as he’s been rumored to be a candidate at almost every opening. Losing Drinkwitz would be unfortunate with the way he’s built this program. Having said that, I think there’s a better chance he stays at Mizzou than landing another head coaching job – at least for right now.
GBH: Obviously the game at Kyle Field last season turned into an absolute splattering. Do you think the Tigers go into this one with revenge in mind?
SS: It would help; that’s for sure. Losing at Kyle Field the way that they did last season was disastrous. With their CFP hopes dwindling, Mizzou will need all the motivation they can get – and the revenge factor could come into play.
GBH: The injury to Beau Pribula certainly sucks. Give us the scoop on the backup and how you think he will change the Mizzou offense.
SS: True freshman quarterback Matt Zollers will come in and replace Beau Pribula on Saturday. In the loss against Vanderbilt, Zollers showed the composure and talent he has. He was 14/23 with 138 yards and a TD. It’s weird to say, but the offense flowed better with Zollers under center as made some plays. He has a bright future ahead of him – but making your first start against one of the best teams in the country will obviously be a tough situation for the true freshman.
GBH: On a scale of “a bunch” to “Mean Girls the limit does not exist gif,” how many carries will Ahmad Hardy get on Saturday?
SS: The limit does not exist.” Missouri will need to rely on Hardy heavily in this game if the Tigers have any chance to win. He started the season with five straight games of over 100-plus yards rushing but these last three games have been a struggle with the yardage production. I’d expect Hardy to get between 20-25 carries and potentially more.
GBH: On paper, this looks like perhaps the best defense the Aggies have faced yet this season. What has this defense looked like, and what are its strengths and (potential) weaknesses?
SS: Missouri’s defense is legit as they currently rank fifth in the country in total defense. Their biggest strength is their defensive line unit with Georgia transfer Damon Wilson and Zion Young leading the way. They will have the ability to wreak havoc on Marcel Reed. Having said that, Mizzou’s weakness is the secondary unit. Marcel Reed could have a big day passing the ball – especially with the dangerous Kevin Concepcion at wide receiver.
GBH: Alright, give me your score prediction, and how you think this game will play out.
SS: This will be the first time I pick against Missouri this season. Texas A&M is legit and will be simply too much for Mizzou. Tigers will be able to make it interesting but Aggies prevail 30-21
