SEC Media Days: Which games Mizzou players say will reveal the most about the 2022 Tigers

ATLANTA — Where Missouri football is as a program remains unclear as the 2022 season approaches. The Tigers have talent on the roster, more than any other time in the last three years, according to head coach Eli Drinkwitz.

Still, the SEC East is a difficult division and Missouri has yet to name a starting quarterback. The Tigers open the season with Louisiana Tech on a Thursday night, a game that MU will be expected to win handily.

The following week, according to players speaking at SEC Media Days, might be telling.

More: SEC Media Days: Can Mizzou football break out of mediocrity and into winning ways in 2022?

“Manhattan, Week 2,” wide receiver Barrett Banister said from his podium when asked if there is a game on the schedule that will show what the Tigers are as a team.

Banister was referring to Missouri’s Sept. 10 matchup with Kansas State on the road. The Wildcats went 8-5 last season and won the Texas Bowl.

According to Banister, the environment at the 11 a.m. game will be a test for Missouri.

"It’s a tough environment to go play in,” Banister said. “My uncle (Tim Horton) coached there when Ron Prince was there. They’re going to have that place sold out, they’re going to have that rock music playing. It’ll be a good time.”

The Wildcats won five of their last seven games in 2021. They return a healthy dose of talent, including 10 players who made all-conference in the Big 12 last year.

Kansas State is led by running back Deuce Vaughn who enters the season with 2,948 total yards, along with 31 touchdowns throughout his two seasons in Manhattan. After the loss of Skylar Thompson, who started more games than any other KSU quarterback in program history, the Wildcats brought in graduate transfer Adrian Martinez from Nebraska, who will be throwing to a stable of experienced receivers.

More: SEC Media Days: What ESPN's analysts said Mizzou football needs to be successful in 2022

Defensively, Kansas State will feature linebacker Daniel Green, who decided to return for one final season. They also return defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah, who had 11 sacks and six forced fumbles in 2021.

Missouri safety Martez Manuel also mentioned the Kansas State game as one that will provide a revelation about the 2022 Tigers.

Manuel pointed to a second game on the schedule as well: Missouri’s SEC opener on Sept. 24 at Auburn.

According to Manuel, both of those games will help determine whether the Tigers have cured something that has plagued them in the past.

“We’ve struggled to play on the road for some reason,” Manuel said. “I can’t figure out why.”

The Auburn game will mark the first time Missouri has faced off with the more southern Tigers since 2017 when MU received a 51-14 drubbing in Columbia. Since then, both teams have changed head coaches, with Auburn moving from Gus Malzahn to Bryan Harsin, and Missouri going from Barry Odom to Drinkwitz.

This year’s Auburn squad comes in with Harsin on the hot seat, after almost losing his job in the offseason, according to reports. If he wants to remain as head coach after the 2022 season, he will need his Tigers to make a major improvement over last year’s 6-7 record.

Last season wasn’t all bad for Auburn, which beat Ole Miss and LSU before nearly topping Alabama in the Iron Bowl. The Tigers will need to find a new quarterback this year to replace Bo Nix, who transferred to Oregon.

More: Quarterbacks, recruiting and more: What Eli Drinkwitz told local media at SEC Media Days

They return Tank Bigsby at running back, one of the top players at that position in the conference. Bigsby rushed for 1,102 yards and 10 touchdowns last season and will likely be called upon more this year.

One of Harsin’s problems is the Auburn schedule for 2022. Besides its normal wringer of an SEC West slate, the Tigers have to play Penn State the week before Missouri.

If they drop that game, the matchup with MU could be crucial for both squads.

“If we’re going to have the season we want, we have to win on the road,” Manuel said. “Winning at home just isn’t going to be enough anymore.”

Matt Stahl is the Missouri athletics beat reporter for the Columbia Daily Tribune. Follow him on Twitter @mattstahl97.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Mizzou football players look ahead to 2022 schedule, Kansas State game