Missouri Blows Out Louisiana Tech, 52-24, Despite Some 'Sloppiness' On Defense

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Missouri finished 13th in the 14-team Southeastern Conference in total defense and pass efficiency defense last year.

And it at times picked up where it left off in a 6-7 campaign in the Tigers' season opener Thursday night against Louisiana Tech. But Missouri had plenty enough offense to overcome for a 52-24 victory in Columbia, Missouri.

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Lousiana Tech quarterback Matthew Downing threw a 75-yard touchdown, and backup Parker McNeil threw 64- and 37-yard touchdowns. The Tigers picked off three of Downing's passes, though, including one by defensive back Joseph Charleston that he returned 29 yards for a touchdown and 7-3 lead early in the second quarter.

COLUMBIA, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 01: Running back Marquis Crosby #33 of the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs makes a move as he tries to get past Jaylon Carlies #1 of the Missouri Tigers in the first half at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium on September 01, 2022 in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

Missouri never trailed again and put up 558 yards to 347 as sophomore quarterback Brady Cook completed 18 of 27 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown while rushing seven times for 61 yards with a 20-yard score.

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"A lot of sloppiness that needs to be corrected," Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said. "But when you're complaining after scoring 52, that's probably a bad sign. But there are things we've got to get corrected in a hurry."

Missouri (1-0) plays at Kansas State on Sept. 10.

Five-star prospect wide receiver Luther Burden III of St. Louis showed promise as he caught a 5-yard touchdown pass and rushed for a 1-yard touchdown from a direct snap. He rushed three times for 26 yards and caught three passes for 17 yards.

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Guilbeau joined OutKick as an SEC columnist in September of 2021 after covering LSU and the Saints for 17 years at USA TODAY Louisiana. He has been a national columnist/feature writer since the summer of 2022, covering college football, basketball and baseball with some NFL, NBA, MLB, TV and Movies and general assignment, including hot dog taste tests. A New Orleans native and Mizzou graduate, he has consistently won Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) and Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) awards since covering Alabama and Auburn at the Mobile Press-Register (1993-98) and LSU and the Saints at the Baton Rouge Advocate (1998-2004). In 2021, Guilbeau won an FWAA 1st for a game feature, placed in APSE Beat Writing, Breaking News and Explanatory, and won Beat Writer of the Year from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA). He won an FWAA columnist 1st in 2017 and was FWAA's top overall winner in 2016 with 1st in game story, 2nd in columns, and features honorable mention. Guilbeau completed a book in 2022 about LSU's five-time national champion coach - "Everything Matters In Baseball: The Skip Bertman Story" - that is available at www.acadianhouse.com, Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble outlets. He lives in Baton Rouge with his wife, the former Michelle Millhollon of Thibodaux who previously covered politics for the Baton Rouge Advocate and is a communications director.