Missouri football was better in 2018 going 8-5, but former Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant will look to take the Tigers to new heights this season.
Head coach Barry Odom has made some big strides at Missouri since his inaugural 4-8 season and has posted back-to-back winning seasons. With the addition of Clemson transfer, Kelly Bryant, Odom will be hoping to get the Tigers back to a double-digit win total.
That’s not going to be very easy inside the heavily competitive SEC, but it’s possible with Bryant behind center, who has almost been forgotten by the college football world after Trevor Lawrence beat him out for the starting job.
In addition to Bryant, Missouri has an offensive line that allowed the fewest sacks in the SEC and the fewest tackles for loss. They also have one of the best tight ends in the nation returning in Albert Okwuegbunam, who had 43 catches for 466 yards last year. The running game has a chance to be lethal as well with Bryant’s elusiveness combined with 1,000-yard back Larry Roundtree.
The defense, however, is a bit of a different story. Injuries in the secondary combined with a lackluster pass rush placed Missouri at No. 118 in defending the pass last season which is not going to cut it in the SEC. That said, the Tigers return both of their defensive ends and three of four in the secondary so there should be an improvement in those areas of the game in 2019.
Missouri football best-case scenario
- Aug. 31 – at Wyoming – W
- Sep. 7 – vs. West Virginia – W
- Sep. 14 – vs. Southeast Missouri State – W
- Sep. 21 – vs. South Carolina – W
- Oct. 5 – vs. Troy – W
- Oct. 12 – vs. Ole Miss – W
- Oct. 19 – at Vanderbilt – W
- Oct. 26 – at Kentucky – W
- Nov. 9 – at Georgia – L
- Nov. 16 – vs. Florida – L
- Nov. 23 – vs. Tennessee – W
- Nov. 29 – at Arkansas – W
Record: 10-2 (6-2 SEC)
While this record would be great for Missouri, it would also be bittersweet considering the postseason ban that will be enforced on them this season. Nonetheless, it is very possible due to a pretty weak schedule and fielding an improved team.
Their toughest non-conference is at home vs. West Virginia that should take a step back this season. Their first three SEC games are all winnable home games against South Carolina, Ole Miss, and Vanderbilt.
Traveling to Kentucky and Georgia in back to back weeks will be tough, but the Wildcats shouldn’t be as formidable as they were last season. Georgia would be a major upset, but Missouri just doesn’t have the athletes on defense to keep up with Georgia. They also get Florida at home and it should be a close game but asking a team to beat Florida after battling Georgia isn’t easy.
Missouri football worst-case scenario
- Aug. 31 – at Wyoming – W
- Sep. 7 – vs. West Virginia – L
- Sep. 14 – vs. Southeast Missouri State – W
- Sep. 21 – vs. South Carolina – L
- Oct. 5 – vs. Troy – W
- Oct. 12 – vs. Ole Miss – W
- Oct. 19 – at Vanderbilt – W
- Oct. 26 – at Kentucky – L
- Nov. 9 – at Georgia – L
- Nov. 16 – vs. Florida – L
- Nov. 23 – vs. Tennessee – L
- Nov. 29 – at Arkansas – W
Record: 6-6 ( 3-5 SEC)
With Bryant coming in to spice things up for the Tigers this record would be a total failure for the Missouri football program. But the defense was definitely shaky last season and if that continues, anything is possible in the SEC. West Virginia isn’t a cupcake being that they should still have a pretty good passing attack this season.
Having five straight home games to start the season is great until you realize that you then have to go on a three-week road trip. In the SEC, for a team with nothing to play for other than the pride of saying they had a good record, this could spell disaster when you have Kentucky and Georgia in back to back away games as well as Florida the following week at home.
Realistically, Missouri should fall in the middle of these scenarios with a defense that is less than impressive but with an offense that should be able to put up numbers behind their quarterback.