When the Missouri Tigers are fully healthy, the top option for moving the ball is to ride the legs of outstanding running back Russell Hansbrough. But Hansbrough has been dealing with a sprained ankle since his first carry of the season, and though he tried to play on it against Arkansas State, he missed last week’s 9-6 victory against Connecticut and the Mizzou offense has been sluggish without him at full speed.
Hansbrough is listed as probable for the team’s SEC opener on Saturday at Kentucky, but it’s unclear exactly how close to full speed he’ll be and how much of a boost he’ll be able to give the Tigers’ offense. So, supposing Missouri has to find somebody else to carry the load offensively, here are the top five candidates to break out and give the Tigers a boost.
1.RB Ish Witter — Witter has gotten the majority of the carries in Hansbrough’s offense, and though he hasn’t had a breakout game yet, he’s shown improvement as his sophomore season has gone along. He grounded out 54 yards on 17 carries against UConn and also added three catches for 31 yards. He still needs to get better, but he might be the Tigers’ best bet until they can rely fully on Hansbrough.
2. QB Drew Lock — At this point, it looks like Missouri knows what it has in incumbent starter Maty Mauk, and it’s nothing spectacular. Gary Pinkel is being careful not to throw the freshman Lock into the fire too fast, but at some point it might have to be Lock who jumpstarts the Mizzou passing game. So far, he’s completed 60 percent of his passes in limited action and his 8.9 yards per attempt is significantly higher than Mauk’s 5.9. He still has just one touchdown to one interception and he has plenty to learn, but on-the-job training might benefit both he and the Tigers.
3. WR Nate Brown — Wide receiver was a big concern for the Tigers coming in, and the passing game has underwhelmed with nobody truly stepping up, but Brown has shown flashes of potential. He’s coming off his worst game of the season last week against UConn with just two catches for 10 yards, but he’s been steady otherwise and has the ability to get yards in chunks.
4. RB Tyler Hunt — As a running back, Hunt has been little more than mediocre carrying the ball, but he’s been a part of some of the Tigers’ biggest offensive plays this season as a receiver. He had a 78-yard touchdown catch in the season-opener against Southeast Missouri State and a 51-yard reception last weekend. He’s far from the most talented player the Tigers have, but he has made the most of his opportunities.
5. WR J’Mon Moore — Moore’s season has been similar to Brown’s. He’s contributed with 11 catches for 130 yards and a touchdown, but he hasn’t been a breakout star. But he has good speed and might be the Missouri receiver most likely to take a pass and streak down the sideline for a huge gain.
Shane Mettlen is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Texas A&M, Missouri and Alabama.
