Missouri football seems to be on the upswing in Eli Drinkwitz’s third year as the head coach, opening the season with a dominant 52-24 win over Louisiana Tech.

While Mizzou still has some areas it needs to improve to develop into a more viable SEC contender, the Tigers have shown growth that could rise through the ranks in the coming years.

Here’s a look into 3 things to be excited about as an early season rolls on.

1. Luther Burden is as advertised

It was no secret that Burden, a 5-star recruit, would be a player to watch and among the Tigers’ best players this year. Burden backed that up in his college debut, reeling in 3 passes for 17 yards and 1 receiving touchdown on the victory. He also ran for a TD out of the Wildcat formation and hardly had a negative moment in the contest outside of an interception that bounced off his hands.

Drinkwitz wasn’t the least bit surprised by Burden’s debut.

“I see it every day, to be honest with you,” Drinkwitz told reporters. “I just didn’t want to build it up too much.”

Look for Burden to continue to be an impact player who has the ability to add an element of explosiveness to the Mizzou offense.

2. The ground game

There were some concerns about the run game after the Tigers entered the offseason with a tough task ahead of them in replacing former SEC leading rusher Tyler Badie, who ran for a program-record 1,604 yards last season.

Because of the opponent, it’s probably too early to say those concerns have completely disappeared, but things went better than some projected.

Mizzou ran for 323 yards and 5 TDs. The TD total was their most since running for 5 against Arkansas in 2020. The yardage was their most since pouring 433 yards on Tennessee in 2017.

Nathaniel Peat and Cody Schrader led the rushing effort — Peat rushed 8 times for 72 yards with 1 touchdown and Schrader carried 17 times for 70 yards and 1 TD.

The Tigers lead the SEC in rushing entering Week 2. Nobody expects that to hold up, but it’s easy to get the sense that they can find a way to roll effectively with Badie out of the fold.

3. What Eli Drinkwitz is building

Missouri hasn’t had a winning record in the SEC since going 7-1 and winning its second consecutive SEC East title in 2014, but Drinkwitz seems to be getting this team on the right track. The Tigers are still very much in the middle of a “rebuilding” phase if you will, but they have shown a good bit of promise and have started the 2022 season on a high note. The pass rush in the La. Tech game was impressive and there were several bright spots that clearly showed up within the offense.

The progression of QB Brady Cook, who showed flashes as a passer and a runner despite the typical growing pains of an inexperienced starter, will be something to watch. A true dual-threat with upside, Cook has the ability to be a legitimate SEC starter and there’s reason for optimism about the way this offense could really start clicking in a new way if so.

Mizzou finished last season with a 6-7 overall record (3-5 in the SEC) and a foundation to build upon, recording wins over conference opponents Florida, South Carolina and Vanderbilt. The team is off to a solid start and looks to be on the right path, something it will look to continue as the Tigers take on Kansas State on Saturday.