Georgia Opponent Offseason Q&A: Missouri Tigers
We’re taking another look at Georgia’s schedule for 2023. The Bulldogs play nine game against Power Five competition: eight in the SEC plus Georgia Tech. As we continue along with our second week, we come to one of Georgia’s toughest tests in 2022: the Missouri Tigers.
For more on Missouri, be sure to Rock M Nation and the great work that the guys over there do. Special thanks to Sammy Stava for the help here.
Also, we’ve got a DawgsHQ deep dive into each of Georgia’s opponents for 2023. Here’s the earlier offseason overview on Missouri. And for access to all of the offseason overviews plus the previous Q&As, click here.
Q: What are your expectations for Missouri at quarterback with Brady Cook back but also Jake Garcia and Sam Horn there? Is this a true competition or do those others simply provide depth?
A: I believe we will see a true QB competition at Mizzou’s Fall Practice for the starting spot. There’s just no obvious, clear-cut starter – but there’s options. Brady Cook missed spring practice due to a torn labrum – but he’s expected to be ready for upcoming fall camp. Meanwhile, Sam Horn suffered a forearm injury as he’s also a pitcher on the baseball team – so there’s injury concerns with Horn and Cook.
Mizzou’s addition of Jake Garcia via the transfer portal was an interesting one – as he was a highly touted four-star recruit back in the 2021 Class but didn’t exactly shine at Miami. If I had to predict right now, I’d say Cook will be named QB1, Garcia QB2, and Horn QB3 – but I guess it will depend on who plays the best during fall camp to earn the spot.
Q: Little bit of a two-parter here based on the circumstances: One of Missouri’s top offensive weapons from last year is now at Georgia. What should UGA fans be excited about with Dominic Lovett and on the flip side of things, who are the big names to watch for Missouri without Lovett there?
A: If you can recall, Dominic Lovett left the Mizzou-Georgia game last season in the 2nd quarter with a lower-leg injury. If he was available in the 2nd half for that game – Mizzou just might of had enough to pull off the upset. That’s how valuable Lovett was to last year’s Mizzou team as proved to be their best wide receiver. Goes without saying but Georgia fans should be thrilled about the addition of Lovett as he provides plenty of speed and athleticism to the wide receiver position.
With the subtraction of Lovett, Mizzou’s obvious answer to replace him is five-star sophomore Luther Burden at the slot position – and the expectation is that Burden takes that next step that Lovett did last season. Mizzou also added Oklahoma transfer Theo Wease Jr. – who was a former five-star recruit back in the 2019 Class who should provide some much-needed experience for this position.
Q: Defensively there are several returnees from a group that was strong last season including the top three tacklers and key pieces in the secondary. Who are you looking to as the leaders on this unit, and what do you believe the identity will be for Missouri’s defense?
A: There are a lot of key returners coming back this season for this Mizzou defensive unit – but none bigger than Florida linebacker transfer Ty’Ron Hopper. Last season Hopper finished second on the team with 77 total tackles and first with 14 TFLs. Overall, he was without a doubt Mizzou’s best player last season.
Hopper certainly had high NFL Draft projections but opted to stay at Mizzou for his senior season – which shows a positive impact on defensive coordinator Blake Baker. As for Missouri’s defensive playing style under Baker – expect an aggressive defense that will wreak havoc on the Quarterback. Baker’s scheme relies on a 4-2-5 formation.
Q: Missouri gave Georgia one of the toughest tests last season, certainly its toughest in the regular season, on the back of a strong defensive line. Isaiah McGuire and DJ Coleman are gone there. Who needs to step up as a result of their departures for the NFL?
A: Isaiah McGuire and DJ Coleman are two key losses to Mizzou’s defensive line – but there should be enough depth at that position to overcome. Look for Oklahoma State transfer Jayden Jernigan and Oregon transfer Khristian Williams (both seniors) to step up big time this season.
Q: Fill in the Blank: The biggest offseason storyline for Missouri is (___). How do you expect to see that addressed this fall?
A: The biggest offseason storyline for Missouri is “how hot is Eli Drinkwitz’s seat heading into Year 4?” In his first three seasons, Drinkwitz is 17-19 and hasn’t produced a winning season yet. Mizzou has made back-to-back bowl appearances, so they haven’t been bad — but not exactly good either. Simply mediocre.
Missouri needs to take that next step and the “manageable” schedule at least early in the season allows them to get off to a hot start. Anything less than an 8-4/7-5 regular season record will be a disappointment for this team.
Q: What would you consider to be Missouri’s biggest strength headed into the season? Biggest weakness?
A: Without a doubt, Missouri’s biggest strength this season is their overall defensive unit with plenty of key returners (Ty’Ron Hopper, Kris Abrams-Draine, Jaylon Carlies, etc) that should provide a lot of experience and talent.
Meanwhile, I’d say Mizzou’s biggest weakness is the most important position at quarterback. That’s not to say their QB situation is in a horrible spot – but there’s just a lot of unknown at that position. This is the season where they desperately need to find the SEC level QB.
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