After a frustrating 17-10 loss to Vanderbilt that dropped Missouri to 6-2 on the season, the Tigers find themselves facing one of their most important weeks of the year. A week without a game.
Mizzou’s
bye week comes at a critical moment, sitting between a disappointing performance in Nashville and a looming match up against third-ranked Texas A&M. The break offers Eli Drinkwitz and his team an opportunity to regroup, recover and refocus for the final stretch of the SEC schedule.
For the Tigers, the path forward during this off-week must center on three primary goals. With Mizzou’s SEC championship aspirations all but quashed and their playoff hopes on thin ice, the Tigers still have an opportunity to make noise nationally. They have a lot of work to do this week to make that happen.
1. Onboarding Matt Zollers
Missouri’s top priority this week is getting true freshman Matt Zollers comfortable running the offense. That’s a tall task as Zollers will be immediately tossed into the deep end against one of the nation’s most talented defenses in Texas A&M. While Zollers showed impressive poise after being tossed into the fray in the third quarter last week, the Tigers’ offense never found a consistent rhythm.
The bye week gives Zollers an opportunity to take extended reps with the first-team offense, refine his reads and decisions under pressure, and emphasize situational scenarios like third-down, two-minute drills and red-zone possessions.
Missouri also needs to build timing and communication with both the running backs and receivers. Perhaps the single play that cost the Tigers the game was the fourth-quarter fumbled hand off when Jamal Roberts and Zollers were not on the same page. Additionally, an increasingly frustrated Marquis Johnson publicly showed his exasperation late in the game when he and Zollers struggled to get on the same page. While Johnson’s behavior was out of pocket, it did show the need for Zollers and his play makers to develop more cohesion and better communication.
The bye week will also allow Kirby Moore to learn which plays Zollers is more comfortable running and to scheme up a simplified game plan emphasizing quick reads to take some pressure off the true freshman. If Zollers can settle into the role of field general and the offense finds balance, the Tigers may find their rhythm again in time for Texas A&M.
2. Recharge physically
The bye week couldn’t have come at a better time for Missouri’s health beyond the quarterback position. The Vanderbilt game left several key contributors banged up, including tight end Brett Norfleet, center Connor Tollison, and defensive end Damon Wilson.
Norfleet’s absence in particular would be felt if he’s limited moving forward. The sophomore tight end has emerged as one of Missouri’s most reliable red-zone targets and an important blocker in both the run and pass game. Tollison’s leadership at center anchors an offensive line that’s been shuffled due to injuries and protection issues. And Wilson, one of the Tigers’ most physical defenders, has been vital in creating pressure against opposing quarterbacks. Missing any of those three players will be painful against the Aggies.
In addition to resting starters who may be banged up, the bye provides valuable practice time for depth players who could be called upon in the coming weeks. Inexperienced offensive linemen, backup linebackers and young defensive backs should be able get extended looks in practice. That experience could prove critical if injuries persist through November.
Getting back to full strength (or as close to it as possible) will be essential heading into a Texas A&M match up that figures to test Missouri’s physicality on both sides of the ball. The Aggies boast one of the SEC’s most disruptive defensive fronts and a balanced offense capable of grinding down opponents over four quarters.
Missouri’s best chance will come if it enters that contest fresh, healthy and capable of winning in the trenches.
3. Resetting mentally and regaining confidence
Perhaps the most important work Missouri will need to do during its bye week won’t come on the practice field, but between the ears.
The loss to Vanderbilt stung precisely because it was one Mizzou believes it should have won. The Tigers had multiple opportunities to seize control but failed to capitalize. For a program that began the season with high hopes after two consecutive double-digit win seasons, the defeat was a sobering reminder of how thin the margin for error is in the SEC.
The bye week provides a natural opportunity for players to step back, clear their heads and reset expectations for the final four games. Beyond the Xs and Os, this week needs to be about reconnecting with the mindset that fueled the Tigers’ best moments earlier in the season.
When the Tigers return to action against Texas A&M, it will face a team known for defensive toughness and offensive efficiency. The Aggies present challenges that will test every area Missouri hopes to improve: offensive rhythm, physical health and mental resilience.
The bye week won’t fix everything overnight, but it offers the Tigers a crucial window to regroup before entering November with their bowl hopes and pride on the line.
If Missouri can emerge from the off week healthier, more confident and more cohesive, it could yet finish the season on a strong note. A note that reaffirms the progress Drinkwitz’s program has made, even in the face of adversity.
