Middle Tennessee St. offers new test for MU defense

Josh Augusta of Missouri tries to chase down Florida running back Lamical Perine during last Saturday night's game in Gainesville, Fla.
Josh Augusta of Missouri tries to chase down Florida running back Lamical Perine during last Saturday night's game in Gainesville, Fla.

COLUMBIA - Missouri's defense can't take a breather just yet.

After consecutive games against LSU and Florida, two power rushing teams that each had multiple 100-yard rushers against Missouri, the Tigers (2-4, 0-3 Southeastern Conference) now turn around to face the air-raid offense of Middle Tennessee State (4-2, 2-1 Conference USA) at 3 p.m. today (SEC Network) at Faurot Field.

The Blue Raiders are fifth in passing yards per game, sixth in yards per game and 24th in points per game. They also rank 19th in plays per game, having run 86 last week in a 44-43 loss to Western Kentucky.

Sound familiar? It should, since they run a similar fast-paced offense as Missouri.

"They like the deep ball and they take their chances," senior cornerback Aarion Penton said. "With the fast tempo, we can get caught off-guard, personnel issues and stuff like that. As long as its formations and stuff we're used to seeing, you know, we can just go out and play."

Middle Tennessee State junior quarterback Brent Stockstill ranks top 10 nationally in completions per game, passing yards per game, total offense, touchdown passes and passing yards. Missouri head coach Barry Odom recruited Stockstill when he was Memphis' defensive coordinator to eventually take over for 2016 first rounder Paxton Lynch.

There was one hurdle for Odom: Stockstill's dad, Rick Stockstill, is the head coach for Middle Tennessee State.

"He's an unbelievable talent, he's got such a quick release, you know just a great competitor and you don't see many incomplete passes, he makes a lot of right decisions," Odom said. "He's a tremendous competitor, I like the way he plays the game. It'll be fun to follow him after this game is over."

Stockstill's top weapons include senior running back and Mississippi transfer I'Tavius Mathers and sophomore wide receiver Richie James. Mathers' 1,027 all-purpose yards are the ninth most in the FBS, and James is sixth in receiving yards.

On the one side, Missouri has played the pass better than the run this season. But on the flip side, the Tigers are still only 73rd in yards per game against the pass.

"I look at it two ways, when you're not stopping the run you don't have to defend the pass," defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross said. "We haven't stopped the run well enough, but when those guys have been challenged down the field they've done a phenomenal job, not only breaking up the ball but coming down with quite a few of the pass attempts."

To Cross' point, Missouri is only allowing 6.3 passing yards per attempt - 29th best in the country - and have snagged the 10th most interceptions in the country with 10 interceptions.

Penton and redshirt senior cornerback John Gibson lead the team with three each. Safeties Cam Hilton and Anthony Sherrils, and linebackers Michael Scherer and Joey Burkett all have one.

Missouri's defense has practiced against a similar quick-strike, big play offense since training camp started in early August. The results have shown on the field in limiting opposing offense's big plays through the air. The big challenge for Missouri will be not letting Middle Tennessee State racking up yards with long drives.

"They've got an explosive guy in the backfield, too, at tailback so they're going to try to run the ball, they're going to try to balance it out a little bit," Odom said, "I was watching their receivers they block, they make catches, schematically they've got a pretty good feel what they're doing offensively. We'll have our hands full."

The Tigers are also looking to regain their explosiveness on offense.

After being the top scoring and yardage offense in the SEC through Week 4, Missouri struggled to sustain drives and put points on the board against LSU and Florida. Last Saturday, it took them a quarter and a half just to get a first down.

Sophomore quarterback Drew Lock fell from second nationally in passing yards to 27th in three weeks. Junior wide receiver J'Mon Moore, who led the SEC in receiving yards and touchdowns through four games, has been held to two catches for 31 yards in his last two games.

Missouri has an opportunity to right its ship against a defense that is 60th nationally in 396 yards given up per game, and 85th with 249 passing yards per game. It almost has to.

The final five games for Missouri come against conference foes, and while Kentucky, Vanderbilt and South Carolina are far from the SEC's elite, none of them are slam dunks either. Missouri then finishes at No. 18 Tennessee and No. 17 Arkansas, both games it likely will be heavy underdogs.

If Missouri is to reach 6-6 and qualify for a bowl game, it starts with taking care of business against Middle Tennessee State.

Audio:

Missouri Tigers Football Podcast [Middle Tennessee preview, Oct. 22, 2016]