The Auburn Tigers go on the road for the second time this season after a week off to play the No. 19 Missouri Tigers led by head coach Eliah Drinkwitz.
The matchup marks the fourth meeting between the two Tigers, with Auburn leading the series 3-1 over Missouri. Since Missouri joined the SEC, Auburn holds a 3-0 record against it.
Drinkwitz is in his fifth season at Missouri and enters the contest with a 5-1 (1-1 SEC) record this season, coming off a 45-3 win over UMass. The Tigers defeated conference opponent Vanderbilt in double overtime and fell to Texas A&M on the road 41-10.
Here’s everything you need to know about Missouri ahead of Saturday’s matchup.
Offense:
Missouri’s offense has shown versatility this season, leaning on a balanced attack led by quarterback Brady Cook. The experienced quarterback is one of the most complete Auburn has faced this season and ranks fourth for the Tigers in all-time passing yardage (7,822) and fifth in career touchdown passes thrown (45). This season, Cook has a completion rate of 65%, connecting on 118 of 184 passes for 1,361 yards and seven touchdowns, while throwing one interception.
Racking up an average of 33.5 points per game, Missouri totals an average of 434 yards of total offense per contest, rushing for 187.5 yards per game and throwing for 246.5. Theo Wease Jr. leads the Tigers with 407 yards receiving and one touchdown, followed by Luther Burden III with 398 yards receiving and one touchdown. Wease is in his second season with Missouri after a stint at Oklahoma where he totaled 64 receptions for 1,044 yards and 10 touchdowns. Burden III grabbed five catches for 59 yards last week at UMass, extending his streak to 28 consecutive games with at least one reception.
On the ground, Appalachian State transfer Nate Noel has played in five games and leads the team with 79 carries for 481 yards and one touchdown. Missouri ranks 63rd in the nation in rushing yards per game, with Noel leading the way, averaging 94.2 yards per game, which ranks 29th nationally.
Defense:
The Missouri defense started the season holding its opponents scoreless for back-to-back games, the first time the Tigers had done so since 1935. Missouri's defense stands out nationally, ranking 5th in first downs allowed, 7th in passing yards allowed, 12th in total defense, and 24th in scoring defense. This season, the Tigers have limited their opponents to just 15.3 points per game and an average of 270.8 total yards of offense.
Linebacker Corey Flagg Jr. leads Missouri with 29 tackles, including three tackles for loss and one sack. He is followed by safety Marvin Burks Jr. with 27 tackles and one interception. Drinkwitz announced earlier this week that linebacker Khalil Jacobs and defensive end Joe Moore will miss the remainder of the season due to injury, both key defenders for the Tigers.
Linebacker Nick Rodriquez should see decent minutes in Saturday’s matchup. Rodriguez recorded a team-high nine tackles against UMass including three solos as the Tiger defense held the Minutemen to 62 yards in the second half.
Special Teams:
Redshirt freshman kicker Blake Craig has proved to be a key contributor for Missouri. Craig kicked three field goals, helping the Tigers secure a 30-27 double-overtime victory over Vanderbilt, and his 37-yard field goal in the second overtime sealed the win for Missouri. His farthest kick of the season is a 54-yarder, bringing his record to 3-of-4 on attempts from beyond 50 yards this season.
Craig is second among all FBS kickers in field goals per game (2.17) and ranks fourth in the SEC, with an average of 10.2 points per game (14th nationally), and the Tigers lead the SEC with 13 field goals this season.
In the kickoff return game, Missouri ranks fourth in the SEC in total kickoff return yardage (216), led by Marquis Johnson's 25.4 yards per return average. Johnson's impressive 63-yard return at Texas A&M stands as the longest by a Tiger since 2021.
Auburn is set to take on Missouri on Saturday, Oct. 19, in Columbia, Mo. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CST and will be televised on ESPN.
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Grace Heim is a senior from Enterprise, Alabama, majoring in Political Science. She started with The Plainsman in January of 2023.
You can follow her on X (Twitter) at @graceeheim
