One of the top games circled on the SEC schedule this weekend by many is No. 9 Missouri traveling to College Station to take on No. 25 Texas A&M at 11 a.m. on ABC. It features a high-powered Missouri offense looking to create havoc against a gritty A&M defense.
Led by senior quarterback Brady Cook, Missouri is 19th in the country in total offense, averaging 472.2 yards per game with 6.07 yards per play. Cook is completing 68.7% of his passes for 946 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. In Missouri’s recent game on Sept. 21 against Vanderbilt, Cook experienced his toughest outing of the season in double overtime as he recorded 226 passing yards and two touchdowns.
“I think he is extremely talented,” coach Mike Elko said. “He can throw the ball all over the field, makes plays with his feet, extends drives, makes plays on third down. He makes a lot of plays with his feet, a lot more than what I think people give him credit for, and he is such a winner.”
Cook has been a scary piece to coach Eliah Drinkwitz’s puzzle. He has been utilized in the run game, using his legs to extend plays, which has resulted in four rushing touchdowns to lead the team. Cook’s mobility will likely force the Maroon and White defense to step up and communicate with each other, making big plays when needed.
“It’s been a huge focus on communication and making sure we’re on the same page across the board with what we’re doing,” Elko said.
Elko’s defense is welcomed by the Tigers’ ground game from senior running backs Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll, who carry a workload of the run game for the Tigers. On 69 carries, Noel has rushed for 441 yards, averaging 6.4 yards-per-carry with two touchdowns, along with Carroll’s 35 carries for 164 yards with two touchdowns.
For the Maroon and White defense to find success, it will likely have to rely on senior defensive tackle Shemar Turner and sophomore DT DJ Hicks to stop the run in the interior with junior defensive ends Nic Scourton and Shemar Stewart applying outside pressure to prevent Cook from getting outside the pocket and taking off to make an explosive play.
“I think, defensively, we play pretty good snaps, but we have too many explosives,” Scourton said after last week’s win over Arkansas. “Once we limit the explosives, I think this defense can be really special.”
The Tigers’ offense struggled in a vulnerable spot, though, in the red zone, converting touchdowns on only two of its four trips. The Tigers’ offense is No. 7 in the country on third downs but had trouble on third down against the Commodores, going 7-for-17. The offensive line, which has three players who returned for their third year, also allowed eight tackles for loss while giving up three sacks.
“We’ve got to take a hard look at what we’re doing in the red area and figure out why we can’t sustain drives and why we’re not able to convert third downs,” Drinkwitz said.
An area of emphasis Missouri will also want to prioritize is converting on-field goal attempts. The kicking game suffered two weeks ago when redshirt freshman kicker Blake Craig missed three field goals from 24, 40 and 46 yards. It was uncharacteristic of Craig, who has 11 made kicks in 2024, with his career-long 56-yard field goal coming against Boston College.
“It’s a learning lesson,” Drinkwitz said. “Can’t get too high or too low.”
In the wide receiver room, Missouri has a dynamic duo in senior Theo Wease Jr. and junior Luther Burden Ⅲ, who leads the team with four touchdowns despite his 5-foot-11, 208-pound frame. Both have combined for 544 receiving yards, which match for over half of Missouri’s total receiving yards for the season.
Being No. 52 overall in total defense, A&M has given up 330.8 yards per game and is allowing opponents to average 5.37 yards per play, which requires overcoming adversity to fix. The Aggies’ run defense gave up only 146 yards on the ground in the 21-17 win against the Razorbacks and saw their largest chunk of yardage given up in the air.
The coaching staff will need to push the defensive backs, including redshirt freshman cornerback Dezz Ricks, senior CB BJ Mayes, sophomore safety Marcus Ratcliffe, and graduate S Trey Jones Ⅲ to limit significant plays in the secondary. With a lot of pressure recently in one-score games in the last couple of weeks and playoff aspirations still on the line, the secondary must cover all field boundaries. Three turnovers for A&M were the difference in getting its fourth consecutive victory versus Arkansas, so winning the turnover margin will be crucial to stay in the game.
The matchup against the Tigers will be the toughest test the Aggies’ defense has faced since the Notre Dame offense in Week 1. If A&M can make red zone stops and prevent Missouri from converting on third down, it will certainly be interesting to see how the Aggies’ offense responds against the Tigers’ defense.
“It’s gonna be another big national stage here in Kyle Field, so we’re excited for the opportunity and turn the page forward,” Elko said.
