Mizzou football grades: Analysis of Missouri Tigers’ big victory at Arkansas Razorbacks

Chris Kwiecinski
·4 min read
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It was an ugly game.

Or, It was an ugly game if you weren’t the Missouri Tigers.

Mizzou decimated the Arkansas Razorbacks in a Friday afternoon Battle Line Rivalry football game at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Each phase of MU’s game was sublime in taking advantage of a dismal host that had no answers whatsoever.

Here are our grades from Missouri’s 48-14 beatdown of the Razorbacks on Black Friday:

Mizzou’s offense

Cody Schrader was back at it. Brady Cook shook off a slow start and found a rhythm. Luther Burden made great plays. Brett Norfleet made big plays in the red zone.

That’s taking care of business.

Missouri scored 10 points in the both first and second quarters with solid drives. That set up a 21-point third quarter.

From there, it was over. Missouri was in full control. That’s what happens when two touchdown tosses to Norfleet come just 11 seconds apart, and thanks to a special teams turnover by Arkansas.

Defensive lineman Jayden Jernigan scored Missouri’s third touchdown of the third quarter, but the Tigers’ offense can get some credit for that.

MU put the Hogs in a 34-0 hole that forced Arkansas to try just about anything in hopes of clawing back into the game. That led to a strip-sack by Mizzou and Jernigan’s touchdown.

In the fourth quarter, Sam Horn took over at quarterback for Missouri. Cook’s day was pedestrian compared to some of his best outings of the season, but he didn’t need to chuck it for 300 yards and three scores in this one.

The Tigers really didn’t need a great performance to subdue Arkansas, but Schrader produced one anyway: a mammoth 217-yard game, all on the ground.

Grade: A

Mizzou’s defense

What a performance.

The hosts were dealt a tough blow when star quarterback KJ Jefferson went down with an injury. But that just put the onus on Missouri’s defense to finish the job. Which the Missouri defense did.

Consider these points:

  • Arkansas crossed midfield for the first time late in the third quarter.

  • Arkansas only crossed the 100-yard threshold at the start of the fourth quarter.

  • Missouri’s defense scored a TD on Jernigan’s aforementioned fumble recovery/return.

  • Missouri forced five turnovers.

  • Missouri did not allow a point through three quarters.

  • The Tigers did all of this without Ty’Ron Hopper and Ennis Rakestraw.

At one point, the yardage disparity read 342 for MU and 59 for Arkansas. The Tigers shut down any notion of a Razorbacks upset early. Credit defensive coordinator Blake Baker for making sure Mizzou was ready.

Grade: A

Mizzou’s special teams

When the Tigers’ special-teamers make plays, Missouri usually wins.

On Friday, it was Sidney Williams’ delivering a hit on a muffed kickoff and Marvin Burks’ recovery that set up a Tigers touchdown early in the third quarter. That score made it 34-0.

Those kinds of plays are the difference between defeating a team and demoralizing your opponent. And there was no doubt that MU demoralized Arkansas on Friday.

Grade: A

Mizzou’s Cody Schrader

He had 192 yards at halftime and finished with 217. He put himself in a position to set the program’s single-season rushing record in MU’s forthcoming bowl appearance.

Sheesh.

Enough said.

Grade: A+

Mizzou’s Sidney Williams

Mizzou needed someone to keep its head on a swivel because of KJ Jefferson’s running ability.

Listed at 6-foot-3, 247 pounds, Jefferson is a physically imposing quarterback. But Tigers defensive back Sidney Williams — all 6 feet, 188 pounds of him — showed how to neutralize the Arkansas signal-caller early in the game.

Williams’ third-down sack on Jefferson on Arkansas’ first drive was textbook.

After Jefferson’s injury, Arkansas tried to move the ball laterally instead of through the middle of the field. But Williams was there in tandem with JC Carlies and did a good job of making needed tackles.

Williams was also the one who helped force a turnover on special teams. His hit on Isaiah Sategna ensured Sategna didn’t pick up the muffed kickoff.

The only reason Williams doesn’t earn an A here? A missed tackle on Isaiah Augustave’s Razorbacks touchdown with six minutes remaining in the game.

Grade: B

The Star has partnered with the Columbia Daily Tribune for coverage of Missouri Tigers athletics.