It’s a new era for Missouri football, and the Tigers are ready to put a 5-7 season behind them. On Saturday, fans got a first look at Mizzou under the guidance of new coach Barry Odom and offensive coordinator Josh Heupel in its spring contest, the Black and Gold Game.

The game indicated that the first year of the Odom era will have the Tigers improving on offense while returning its signature dominating defense.

1. Drew Lock looks ready to lead Josh Heupel’s offense

Odom hasn’t named a starting quarterback yet, but Saturday’s Black and Gold game should help seal the deal for Lock (9-of-13, 134 yards, 2 TD). When the sophomore had time to throw (more on that later), he looked poised in the pocket and effective in the passing game.

If there were any worries that a new offensive coordinator would stymie Lock’s growth as quarterback, those concerns should be put to rest. When Lock had protection, he demonstrated he can get the ball to his playmakers and move the offense.

2. Good luck covering Justin Smith

As a 6-foot-7, 200-pound wideout, Smith has to be on the field any time the Tigers are in the red zone. Even if he’s not the most polished route runner or the fastest wideout, Smith’s height alone makes him a scoring threat, as was demonstrated Saturday with the help of QB Marvin Zanders.

In the fourth quarter, Zanders sent a jump ball to the end zone and Smith came down with it for six points. As long as Smith has decent hands and awareness, the Tigers should have a significant advantage on passing situations inside the 20-yard line.

3. There’s room for improvement in the offensive backfield, but run defense still solid

The good news for Missouri is that RB Ish Witter gained 43 yards on 13 carries. The bad news is that on the whole, the Tigers recorded only 49 rushing yards on 32 carries.

To be fair, MU ball-carriers might not face many defenses as good at stopping the run as Missouri. LB Michael Scherer led the way on defense with six tackles, including two tackles for loss.

4. Offensive line solid … considering the circumstances

Most of Missouri’s offensive issues in 2015 can be traced back to problems up front. A lack of pass protection intensified Lock’s struggles as a true freshman facing SEC defenses, and failures to run block impeded the Tigers’ ground game.

With only eight scholarship lineman available Saturday, MU’s offensive line turned in a solid performance. On the whole, the quarterbacks had time to throw as the defense only registered two sacks. Missouri must improve up front in 2016, and Saturday was a step in the right direction.

5. Turnover free is the way to be

It won’t grab headlines, but the offense’s zero turnovers was one of the most encouraging stats of the day. With the kind of defense Missouri is expected to return, an offense that plays error-free could be the difference in multiple SEC contests.

While Odom might be a little disappointed that the secondary failed to come away with an interception on plays like the jump ball, he’ll likely see the positive in his offense playing mostly smart football.