COLUMBIA, Mo. 鈥 What will Missouri need to get a result against Alabama?
It鈥檚 an open-ended question that has quite a few potential answers for the No. 21 Tigers, who will face the No. 15 Crimson Tide at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Tuscaloosa and on ABC (KDNL, Channel 30 locally).
Health, of course, is one possible correct response. Having starting quarterback Brady Cook, who suffered a high ankle sprain less than a week ago, back in action might be a prerequisite for having a chance to win. A decent number of the nine other players included on Mizzou鈥檚 first injury report of the week getting to play would make a difference, too.
In terms of the Tide, MU will probably be hoping for a turnover or two from opposing quarterback Jalen Milroe, who has played at both Heisman and questionable levels this season.
But if you set personnel aside and look at what Missouri (6-1, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) will need to beat Alabama (5-2, 2-2 SEC) from a philosophical standpoint, the Tigers think their path to victory involves keeping it speedy and streamlined.
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That鈥檚 a lesson Mizzou learned rather forcibly in its first road game of the season, a drubbing at the hands of Texas A&M.
鈥淚 think sometimes we get caught up too much into minutiae,鈥 coach Eli Drinkwitz said. 鈥淚f you go back and watch our game (against the Aggies) from a 10,000-foot view 鈥 you know, just because it was a good idea doesn鈥檛 make it the best idea for our team. We got to focus on what we can do. And if our base call allows our guys to play fast and without hesitation, then that鈥檚 going to be the best thing that we can do in the game.鈥
Is that his way of backing in to the idea that Missouri overcomplicated things in the run-up to that blowout loss? Perhaps, and the game supports it. The Tigers trailed 17-0 before they could even rattle off more than a few designed run plays, which then led to them abandoning an offensive staple in the name of trying for a desperate comeback. Cook logged the worst single-game completion percentage of his career as the passing attack floundered. The MU defense seemed unprepared for A&M to use quarterback Conner Weigman, or at least gave him more running room than would be expected.
And potentially fueling the good ideas that weren鈥檛 really the best ones, Mizzou had an extra week to prepare for that game.
That seems to be one of the keys to how Tigers coaches 鈥 namely Drinkwitz, offensive coordinator Kirby Moore and defensive coordinator Corey Batoon 鈥 have installed their game plan for Alabama.
Prefacing his explanation with a desire to be 鈥渃autious鈥 in explaining their philosophy, Drinkwitz said his team can鈥檛 play another game 鈥渙veranalyzing every situation.鈥
鈥淲e can鈥檛 have too many checks, on both sides of the ball,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 have too many what-ifs. We can鈥檛 have, 鈥業f they do this, then we鈥檙e going to do this,鈥 and, 鈥業f they do this, their motion is this, we鈥檙e going to check to this,鈥 or, 鈥業f they show us this coverage, we鈥檙e going to check for this.鈥
鈥淟ike, we got to go out there and play football,鈥 Drinkwitz continued. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to come down to who鈥檚 able to stop the run, who鈥檚 able to run the football, who鈥檚 able to defend the pass. Are we going to be able to tackle? Are they going to be able to tackle us? Are you going to be able to play clean on special teams?鈥
His players seem on board with that.
Middle linebacker Corey Flagg Jr., one of the most impressive offseason additions to the MU roster, diagnosed something similar as the cause of the Tigers鈥 collapse against Texas A&M.
鈥淚 think it was just a lot of guys trying to make a play instead of just 鈥 including myself 鈥 instead of just doing our assignment, doing our job and playing with the defense,鈥 Flagg said.
So if the defense becomes simpler, that helps, right?
Defensive end Johnny Walker Jr., who has been with MU since the start of Drinkwitz鈥檚 tenure, seemed to think so 鈥 in part because 鈥淒-linemen don鈥檛 think,鈥 the team captain joked.
The approach against 鈥橞ama is 鈥渞eally just cutting down the play sheet, letting us get calls we鈥檙e comfortable with and just letting us play free,鈥 Walker said.
Missouri will step onto Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium as an underdog, likely by more than two touchdowns, though the spread has fluctuated based on injury news. Beating Alabama in Tuscaloosa is no easy task, even in what might be a transitional year for the Tide.
With more simplicity secured, Drinkwitz has given the Tigers a few clear instructions that he thinks give them a chance at springing an upset.
鈥淧lay with zero hesitation,鈥 he said. 鈥淕o out there and play as fast as you possibly can. Don鈥檛 hesitate. If the play is there, go make it.鈥