Mizzou’s offense managed a pathetic three points on Saturday against Ole Miss, leading to a brutal 28-point defeat in Oxford. Quarterback Austin Simmons didn’t mince words after the game, calling them “self-inflicted wounds” and stressing the need to “finish drives and really make sure that we put ourselves in the right position to score.” Just about everything that could go sideways for the Tigers did, making it one of those days where you just shake your head in frustration.
The Red Zone Disasters Started Early
The warning signs flashed bright and early, right on Mizzou’s opening drive. Simmons connected with Caleb Goodie Sr. for a solid 22-yard gain, putting them right there with a first-and-goal at the Ole Miss 10-yard line. You’re thinking 7-0, right? Nope. Center Dominick Giudice got hit with a false start, pushing them back five yards. Then, two plays later, Simmons found Naeshaun Montgomery in the end zone. The ball was there, the opportunity was there, but Montgomery dropped it. That was just the first of several crucial drops and near-misses between Simmons and his receivers that just killed momentum. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz summed it up perfectly: “I think everybody was off today, and I didn’t see it coming. But, I mean, it’s just obvious we were off.” Blake Craig did salvage a few points with a 27-yard field goal, putting Mizzou on the board, but it turned out to be their only score all day, despite three trips to the red zone.
Another Prime Chance, Another Miss
The Tigers got their second shot at the red zone in the second quarter, trailing 14-3. Xai’Shaun Edwards powered forward for 10 yards, setting up another first-and-goal, this time at the Rebels’ 3-yard line. This was a massive chance to make it a one-score game. But what happened? Two runs that actually lost yardage, followed by an incompletion. Drinkwitz sent Craig back out for what should have been an easy 23-yard field goal. He missed. Drinkwitz felt it, too: “Obviously, that was a deflating moment of the game.” Ole Miss took that gut punch and immediately marched down to tack on another touchdown. Instead of being down by just one score at halftime and getting the ball back to start the third, Mizzou was staring down a 21-3 deficit, a hole they absolutely dug for themselves.
Drinkwitz acknowledged the problem, stating, “You’ve got to score in the red zone and get everybody settled down. We were never able to just get settled into the rhythm of the game.” He gave credit to the defense, saying they “settled in the third quarter and gave us chances,” but the offense just couldn’t capitalize. The Mizzou offense has to find that rhythm and finish those red zone trips, or they’ll keep facing these deflating losses. It’s about those “inches” Drinkwitz mentioned, and they need to figure out how to get them next time.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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