Missouri offense struggles to find rhythm

The Tigers point production has decreased this year.

By Evan Glantz

Published Oct. 18, 2009

In recent seasons, the Tigers offense was known for lighting up the scoreboard. In 2007, the team averaged 39.9 points per game, then upped that to 42.2 last season.

This year, Missouri has seen that production drop to 29.3 points per game. The games against Nebraska and most recently, Oklahoma State, have especially illustrated Missouri’s struggles pushing the ball into the end zone.

“It’s just obvious if you look at us all year on offense, you haven’t seen us, except for our first football game, consistent,” coach Gary Pinkel said.

On Saturday night in Stillwater, Okla., it appeared the Tigers came out ready to strike. Using a steady balance of running and passing, Missouri pushed the ball all the way down to Oklahoma State’s four-yard line. But they would get no further and had to settle for a field goal. The three points put Missouri on top at the time, but were also a sign of things to come.

“It was a real good drive, and we ended up kicking a field goal down there,” Pinkel said. “We had our troubles getting in the end zone.

Senior wide receiver Danario Alexander said the issue comes down to performance.

“We’re just not executing our plays,” Alexander said. “If we just execute as an offense, then we can be pretty good.”

Alexander did his best to get the Tigers going. In the first half, he hauled in six passes for 161 yards and a touchdown. As a result, the game was still within reach, as Oklahoma State held a 24-17 advantage.

But things slowed down for Alexander and the Tigers in the second half. The receiver was held to three catches for 19 yards, and Missouri was shut out in the half. The Cowboys, on the other hand, consistently found ways to put points on the board.

“We’ve been a second half team,” sophomore wide receiver Wes Kemp said. “And today we just weren’t able to put it together. I think we need to get started faster in the first half.”

Missouri got off to a solid start in the game. The score went back and forth between the Tigers and Cowboys for most of the first half.

But late in the second quarter, sophomore quarterback Blaine Gabbert’s throw fell through the outstretched arms of sophomore wide receiver Wes Kemp. Oklahoma State got the ball with less than two minutes until halftime, and managed to score a touchdown with two seconds left to go up 24-17.

“You can’t focus on that happening,” Gabbert said. “We had to come out in the second half and score points and we didn’t do that.”

Gabbert’s play was representative of the rest of the team. He completed just 22 of his 44 passes for 325 yards. All that yardage through the air accounted for just one touchdown, but also three interceptions.

“I always tell my football team, ‘In order to win, you have to learn how to not beat yourself and do things that put yourself in a negative situation,’” Pinkel said. “I thought we fought hard but just made a lot of mistakes today. You’ve got to overcome them, and we weren’t good enough to overcome them.”