Missouri received plenty of hype and expectations entering this 2024 season. After all, the Tigers returned the likes of Brady Cook, Luther Burden III, Theo Wease, Daylan Carnell and a host of other major contributors from an 11-win, Cotton Bowl-champion squad.
Mizzou fans could not have asked for much more through two weeks against lighter competition. The Tigers have outscored Murray State and Buffalo by a combined 89-0, making them the first FBS team since 2019 to begin the year with a pair of shutout victories. Wisconsin accomplished the feat in ’19, beating South Florida 49-0 and then Central Michigan 61-0.
This should come as a breath of fresh air for Tiger fans. Under Eliah Drinkwitz, Mizzou has notoriously struggled in early-season matchups against lower-tier competition. Middle Tennessee State had opportunities to take the lead during a 23-19 loss at Faurot Field in 2023, while the 2021 campaign saw Central Michigan and North Texas hang around for much longer than anticipated.
Drinkwitz’ squad is also first in the nation in yards allowed per game, giving up 127.0 through two weeks.
The schedule quickly heats up for Missouri now. The Tigers welcome 2-0 Boston College to Columbia on Saturday, with a home game against Vanderbilt and a road trip to College Station following that one.
Missouri is the first FBS team since 2019 to begin the year with two shutouts@MizzouFootball pic.twitter.com/O2NwkQr7uy
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 8, 2024
Parker is currently the sports editor for the Enterprise-Journal in McComb, Mississippi. He's a graduate from Mizzou who has experience covering the Tiger football and basketball beats for SB Nation, and he's worked for a variety of sports news outlets in the past.
