The Missouri Tigers defeated the North Carolina Tarheels in the Independence Bowl by the score of 42-24.
UNC looked like and played like UNC. Meaning poor defensive play led to their loss. They have potentially but must play better as a defensive unit.
The real reason us Gamecock fans tuned into the Independence Bowl was to see what the Tigers from Missouri are all about and we left impressed. The team has been to seven post-season bowl games in a row, and has had 29 total bowl appearances. By the initial watch of their game, they should fit right in the SEC football world.
Here are some more postgame thoughts on Missouri…
If you recall, the field of teams in the Southeastern Conference has extended to 14 with the addition of the University of Missouri, starting on July 1, 2012. The decision was announced on Sunday, Nov. 6, and it was unanimous among the conference schools’ presidents and chancellors. So we Gamecock fans must now begin to get too accustomed to the Missouri Tigers as not only are they the newest members of the SEC but they will be in the SEC East.
Missouri football, at least in 2011, played solid on both sides of the ball and in the game against UNC. They had a balanced attack offensively that kept the opposing defense on the ropes which helped get the win. They finished the season with an 8-5 record.
The one area that we now respect Missouri in is their paly at quarterback led by James Franklin. He helped lead the Tigers to 513 total yards of offense against UNC. He himself contributed to that total by rushing for 142 yards and throwing for 132. He also had three touchdowns. Oh and this kid is just a sophomore so yes USC needs to prepare for him.
One big stat that jumps out at you is Missouri had 337 yards rushing. Yes, UNC’s defense sucked but that is still a whole lot of grinding on the ground by the guys in black and yellow.
So in scouting Mizzu, the Gamecocks will have to shut down the run and have to place a shadow on quarterback James Franklin as he can escape the pocket and use his legs to hurt you. It is likely that the Tigers will have the same scheme in place and lean on Franklin offensively. Their defense should improve but it will be interesting to see how they handle SEC-style football.
Looking forward to this match-up in 2012 with the Missouri Tigers as it will be a great SEC clash by design and the Gamecocks should be able to defeat the Tigers as long as they can stop the Tigers run and limit James Franklin.
For now, good win by Missouri and welcome to the SEC.
