Five Takeaways from Mizzou’s 13-7 Gator Bowl loss to Virginia

Mizzou’s 2026 play ends pinch an 8-5 grounds aft losing nan TaxSlayer Gator Bowl to Virginia. Missing a big of violative players to transfers and injury, Mizzou’s discourtesy grounded to put up immoderate points aft nan opening drive, making Virginia’s lone touchdown and 2 section goals capable to travel retired connected top.

Here are your 5 takeaways.

Bowl games whitethorn not matter successful nan expansive strategy of things. But contempt what you whitethorn beryllium told, they do person an effect connected instrumentality cognition of a program. And Mizzou’s capacity against Virginia will surely time off a sour sensation successful mouths for nan adjacent fewer months.

Mizzou, a squad that prides itself connected a ascendant tally crippled and clip of possession, was out-possessed by almost 17 minutes of crippled clock. A defense that made its bones connected third-down conversion allowed nan Cavaliers to person 13 3rd downs for a 56.5 percent rate. The First Team All-American moving back? Held to conscionable 15 carries connected nan night, including conspicuous absences successful critical, late-game moments (despite averaging 5.9 yards per carry.)

Don’t fto nan one-score outcome, aliases nan truth that Mizzou astir came backmost to triumph it late, fool you. The Tigers were flattened by Virginia successful Jacksonville. Eli Drinkwitz and his unit will person plentifulness of bulletin committee worldly to usage for adjacent play conscionable based connected this crippled alone.

I had written retired a full takeaway astir really bad Matt Zollers was tonight. And by nary intends was he good. But nan last drive, which saw him uncork a fewer mouth-watering throws, redeemed his capacity somewhat. Unfortunately, an eventual redemption was taken retired of his hands by nan referees.

With Mizzou sitting astatine nan separator of nan reddish area connected third-and-10, Matt Zollers scrambled to his correct and threw a shot distant nether unit from a Virginia defender. Then, aft nan shot had been retired of his manus for a bully second, different Cavalier came barreling successful to laic a unsighted broadside deed connected nan freshman, whipping his caput onto nan turf and causing Zollers to grasp his helmet. After a fewer seconds of lying connected nan ground, Zollers bounced up for his last changeable astatine nan extremity zone.

Except it ne'er came. The referees, utilizing their discretion, removed Zollers from nan crippled nether nan auspices of a imaginable caput injury. Zollers, looking disconsolate astatine nan decision, could only watch arsenic walk-on Brett Brown put a lob into nan area of nan extremity area that was surgery up by Virginia’s defense.

Perhaps it’s nan correct telephone by nan officials fixed nan game’s deficiency of value and Zollers’ evident discomfort aft nan hit. But allowing nan deed to spell unpunished successful nan first spot will adhd to nan grievance Mizzou fans will consciousness fixed nan referees past put nan Tigers astatine further disadvantage by removing their champion passer from nan game.

With Mizzou’s nonaccomplishment to Virginia, nan Tigers extremity their play cleanable against teams pinch losing records… and winless against teams pinch winning records.

A team’s grounds isn’t everything, and it shouldn’t beryllium nan only facet successful really we measure nan programme moving forward. The precocious numbers opportunity that Mizzou was 1 of nan country’s apical 25-30 teams this year, and that’s meaningful erstwhile you play successful nan SEC. But it’s benignant of poetic that this Mizzou squad was precisely what it ended up connected nan scoreboard: Good capable to hit nan bad teams, but not bully capable to hit nan bully ones. It’s a tag that is starting to travel Eli Drinkwitz’s teams around, 1 that will beryllium particularly noteworthy fixed his new, eye-popping salary.

It’s a downer statement for his play to extremity on, but we’d beryllium remiss if we didn’t telephone retired Mizzou’s caller all-time azygous play rushing champion. Ahmad Hardy started nan crippled pinch a bang, rushing 42 yards to group up Mizzou’s only scoring thrust of nan night. And while he was inexplicably sat for overmuch of nan game, he was capable to bust capable trademark YAC runs to brake Cody Schrader’s grounds of 1,624 yards connected nan ground.

All eyes will beryllium connected nan First Team All-American erstwhile Mizzou takes nan section adjacent season, and it’ll beryllium difficult for him to apical what he’s already done successful black-and-gold. But he’s earned those distinctions, arsenic good arsenic nan correct to person an discourtesy built astir him. Get to work, Mr. Lindsey.

Mizzou’s play connected nan section is over. But off-the-field, things are getting hairy.

Will nan Tigers bring successful QB title for Zollers? Can they rebuild their WR corps and secondary? Will location beryllium immoderate upgrades successful nan trenches? How galore much players will they lose? Which eligible players will state for nan draft?

A batch of questions bent successful nan air, and we won’t person to hold excessively agelong for answers.

Thanks to everyone who sounds these pieces each week. Sometimes they’re a batch of nosy to write. Sometimes they benignant of suck. They’re ever a challenge, and nan engagement they get makes a writer consciousness good.

Happy New Year, all! M-I-Z!