There’s a whole lot of good to discuss this week in the recap of Missouri’s win over North Texas.

The Good

• Missouri ran the ball effectively, and that was because the offensive line had a good day overall. They were able to carve out lanes and do well enough so that Bazelak had a decent amount of time to throw. They weren’t perfect and had a few noteworthy penalties, but they did a good job on Saturday.
• What can you say about Tyler Badie that hasn’t been said already? He’s been the engine of this offense for the most part and has stolen the show in almost every game he’s played this season. He has an NFL skillset that is on display on Saturdays, and I truly question where Missouri would be without him.
• Connor Bazelak got back to what he does best, being efficient with the football. He also managed to sprinkle in a deep shot downfield for a TD to JJ Hester, which was encouraging. It was a good, not great day for Bazelak and it’s really because they didn’t need him to be amazing. Nonetheless, a solid day and something he can continue to build off of.
• This is the first time all season that I have gotten to be truly positive about the defensive line. They did a better job against the run than in previous weeks, and managed to hold a very talented rusher in DeAndre Torrey under 100 yards. I’ll take that. In addition, a few individuals managed to shine, too. Trajan Jeffcoat and company looked active and managed to keep them off balance for most of the game.
• Mekhi Wingo deserves some praise as well. He had several plays in the game where he truly flashed the potential of what he could be going forward. Aside from the touchdown, (which was sick) he had several plays where he was the driving force in the play being made. Wingo has had an up and down year and that should be expected, honestly, as he’s a true freshman starting in a spot that is truly punishing. That is the benefit of getting a player like him snaps early in his college career. He is developing for 2022, ‘23 and ‘24, and in the meantime, he’s still providing solid value as a freshman.
• One of the bright spots of the Missouri offense has been how lethal they are in the red zone. They are ranked #1 in the country in red zone offense, and are very impressive when they get down into the “money” territory.
• Death, taxes, and Harrison Mevis making kicks with ease. I am all aboard the #MevisForGroza campaign.

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Bad

• For the most part, it was a clean slate. However, the fourth quarter defense left something to be desired. They had a couple of breakdowns in coverage, on misdirection plays. It really changed the tenor of the game when Missouri was giving up continuous TD’s at the end of the game. The game was in hand, so I think that the concentration slipped for a bit, but there were still too many players who play often for that kind of thing to be happening.

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