If Mizzou had fired defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross after a Week 1 performance in which the Tigers gave up 43 points to FCS opponent Missouri State, no one would have batted an eye.

But in Week 2, the Mizzou defense took a minor step forward, allowing only 31 points (seven of which came on a kickoff return by Deebo Samuel) to South Carolina.

Still second-year head coach Barry Odom, who had already started calling defensive plays, decided to fire Cross after the 31-13 loss.

The move to fire Cross, who worked closely with the inside linebackers, was surprising to members of his unit, including LB Joey Burkett, who told STLToday.com that he was caught off-guard by the decision:

“We weren’t expecting anything like that,” he said. “There’s nothing we can do. We’re just moving on.”

Star DT Terry Beckner Jr. agreed, saying he is sad to see Cross go, but understands he and the rest of the defense still have a job to do:

“That was a big caught-off-guard (moment),” Beckner Jr. added. “We really weren’t expecting that. We just hope everything goes well with this situation. It’s a tough one. … Nobody was looking forward to that happening, but sometimes things happen out of nowhere and you have to run with it.”

Mizzou hosts a surprisingly potent Purdue offense this weekend, so it’ll be interesting to see how Odom’s defense does in its first game without Cross assisting.