Missouri can add yet another game to its list of losses by 1 score after it fell, 21-17, at home to Kentucky on Saturday, dropping to 4-5 on the season (2-4 in the SEC) and continuing to project as 1 of the best-worst teams in college football.

It was a close game that told the same tale that we’ve seen so many times this season — a stellar defensive effort that performs lights out and deserves to be credited with a lot of the good moments the Tigers have had this year, but an offense that comes up short because of a combination of play-calling that could be better and/or developing players going through some growing pains despite the amount of talent the unit has.

Mizzou’s defense kept potential first-round draft pick Will Levis largely in check. He finished 13-of-19 passing for 170 yards with 3 touchdowns but had a negative rushing total. That has some level of significance, considering just how much praise he has garnered for what he has shown on the ground, previously functioning as “The Lion” at Penn State — a position that demands a great deal of athleticism and ability to run the ball effectively — before transferring.

And despite standout rusher Chris Rodriguez passing the century mark, between the negative rushes and other factors, the Wildcats only had 82 yards of rushing offense to go with a passing game that didn’t blow everyone away. Among Mizzou’s leaders in this game for a defense that has statistically been top 25 in the nation for some time despite no one talking about it enough was defensive lineman DJ Coleman, who finished with 9 total tackles and 5 solo, half a sack and 2 tackles for loss.

Linebacker Chad Bailey was also worthy of praise, totaling 7 tackles (4 solo) and 1 tackle for loss. While Mizzou didn’t do well at all itself converting on 3rd down, it also kept Kentucky at bay in that area as the Wildcats converted just 6 of 16 attempts.

Third down has at times been a rough spot for the Tigers, who had one of their worst showings in that statistical category on Saturday, converting just 2 of 13 times. That’s something that simply cannot be corrected by the defense, regardless of how staunch its effort is, and it’s nearly impossible to win a football game at any level like that. The roughing-the-kicker call in the 4th quarter added to the controversy, considering that Mizzou was very much in a position to get the win if it had not happened (and there are questions abound in regard to the officiating decision there).

On a 4th-down play at its own 41-yard line, Kentucky went out to punt and the Wildcats long snapper sent the ball over Colin Goodfellow’s head, going way back to the 5-yard line before Goodfellow got the chance to recover it. Mizzou defenders went in to tackle him, and he seemingly, impossibly still managed to get the punt off to the surprise of everyone and the penalty was called, setting up Kentucky in a position to score with a fresh set of downs.

Boos aside, there’s no reason Mizzou should have been in that position to begin with in what was, once again, a very winnable football game despite some offensive woes.

The Tigers will look to get back to the right side of the win column, as they go up against a Tennessee team that might just be the very best team in the nation. It’s a matchup that will present no easy task and will demand the greatest effort from Mizzou on both sides of the football when the teams face off on Saturday in Knoxville.