Reacts: Grading the offense and defense so far

Oct 26, 2024 | Uncategorized

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(CAL TOBIAS/ROCK M NATION) Missouri quarterback Brady Cook (12) throws a pass during the first half of a game against Boston College on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, at Faurot Field.

We asked the fans to grade both sides of the ball, and the reactions were… mixed at best.

Report cards are, in my humble opinion, kind of lame. It’s content that’s easy to spit out but offers little to no analysis outside of an instant reaction from the reader based on the feelings they associate with a given grade.

That 33-word sentence aside, a report card is exactly what we asked y’all to give for this week’s Reacts questions. Hey, you’re the one doing the grading, not me!

We made it simple, asking you to grade both the defense and the offense so far in Mizzou’s 6-1 run to open the season. Let’s start with Corey Batoon’s defense, inarguably the lesser-maligned group of the two.

I think that’s pretty reasonable. The defense hasn’t exactly been at an elite level, especially with the blemish of Texas A&M on their CV. But they’ve been much better than we might have expected given the amount of production that was lost to the NFL and graduation. There hasn’t been any one spectacular element to highlight, but an all-around solid approach, combined with some smart in-game tactics from Batoon, has been the key to a unit that has had to prop up its counterparts more often than not.

Speaking of which…

If you told me to begin the year that one of the units was going to get a 69 (not nice) percent C-grade from the fanbase thus far, I would’ve put at least $100 down that it would be the defense. The offense, returning much of the explosive passing game and bringing in two high-level RB and OL transfers, seemed like a lock to be one of the nation’s best. And while they’ve been fine, they haven’t nearly been as good as we expected. Is it because Brady Cook has probably been playing hurt? Maybe? Has the offensive line fully gelled? Probably not. But it feels like things have taken an unexpected step back this season, and that’s been probably the biggest disappointment you could take away from a 6-1 team.

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