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Rapid Reaction: Missouri defense dominates Towles, Kentucky in big win
By Ethan Levine
Published:
Here are some quick thoughts on Missouri’s 20-10 win over Kentucky Saturday afternoon.
What it means: The Tigers’ victory over Kentucky, coupled with Georgia’s loss to Florida, gives Missouri sole possession of first place in the SEC East through 10 weeks this season. The Tigers are now the only East team with one conference loss, and even though it would lose the tiebreaker to Georgia, if Missouri wins out it can’t be caught atop the East standings. Mizzou’s final three games all come against unranked teams, meaning Missouri’s path to another East title is wide open. The Tigers control their own destiny,
What I liked: The play by Missouri’s defensive line. Nothing came easy for Kentucky’s offense in this one, due in large part to Missouri’s dominance along the line of scrimmage. Patrick Towles was uncomfortable in the pocket all game, completing just 18 of 35 passes for 151 yards one week after throwing for 390 yards against No. 1 Mississippi State. Kentucky’s run game wasn’t any better, rushing for a mere 113 yards at just 3.4 yards per carry. Shane Ray extended his SEC-leading sack total and set a new school record for sacks in a season in the process, and Missouri limited Kentucky to just three points for most of the game as the Tigers’ defense dominated from start to finish.
What I didn’t like: Missouri’s inability to run the ball against the Wildcats. Missouri rushed for 164 yards, but did so at fewer than four yards per carry in the victory. The offense as a whole averaged just 4.1 yards per play, and it benefited from a handful of promising drives and a dominant defense to win this game. The Tigers’ leading rusher was quarterback Maty Mauk, who did most of his work scrambling on designed pass plays. Missouri won by two scores, but its offense didn’t look much better than it has in its other SEC East contests, especially the run game.
Who’s the man: Ray is the man, and for good reason after breaking Missouri’s school record for sacks in a season. The star defensive end had 3.5 sacks in the win over Kentucky, bringing his total to 12 in nine games this year. Ray and his fellow defensive linemen controlled the line of scrimmage on virtually every snap, and the line was the biggest reason Missouri was able to win this game. Ray has been the man all year, and he soared to his single-season milestone as his team overtook first place in the division standings.
Key play: With Missouri leading 7-3 in the first quarter of Saturday’s game, Maty Mauk found wideout Bud Sasser in single coverage streaking down the right sideline. Mauk threw a dime over the top that fell right into Sasser’s hands in the end zone, extending the Missouri lead to 14-3 at the time. Kentucky only scored 10 points all game, so that touchdown ended up being the nail in the coffin, although we didn’t know it at the time. It was also Mauk’s nicest completion of the day, and a small taste of the Mauk many thought we’d see this season.
What’s next: Missouri takes its 4-1 SEC record to College Station for a cross-division showdown with Texas A&M at Kyle Field. If the Tigers win out, they win the East, and A&M is arguably their most difficult opponent remaining on the schedule. If Missouri can clear next week’s hurdle, it will go a long way toward their defense of the East division title.
A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.
