SEC Championship 2013: Live Game Grades and Analysis for Missouri Tigers

Final Score: Mizzou 42, Auburn 59

No. 5 Missouri (11-1, 7-1) was defeated by No. 3 Auburn (11-1, 7-1) Saturday in the SEC Championship.

Positional Unit	First Half	Final Grade
Pass Offense	B+	B
Rush Offense	B	B
Pass Defense	B-	B-
Rush Defense	F	F-
Special Teams	C+	C+
Coaching	B-	C

Game Analysis for Mizzou

Pass Offense: James Franklin had a pretty good day with 303 yards and three touchdowns. But he didn’t do enough in the end to propel a comeback for Mizzou.

Rush Offense: Henry Josey had a heck of a game. Although he had just nine carries, he finished with 123 yards. Franklin also pitched in with 62 yards and a score.

Pass Defense: The pass defense was definitely limited by the ineptitude of the run defense and didn’t actually see much action, but it was not great by any means, as Nick Marshall completed nine out of 11 passes for 132 yards and a score.

Rush Defense: It’s hard to conceive how bad Mizzou’s rush defense was today. Auburn finished with 538 yards on the ground and just dominated Mizzou in every way possible.

Special Teams: Special teams did not really play much of a factor in the second half, where there were no kick or punt returns.

Coaching: Gary Pinkel made a few right decisions in the second half, but his team just didn’t execute well enough to win. Pinkel’s inability to make defensive adjustments in the second half led to a lower grade.

First-Half Analysis for Mizzou

Pass Offense: James Franklin has been good but not great, with two touchdown passes and an interception. Dorial Green-Beckham is playing like a future first-round pick (2 TD, 103 yards receiving).

Rush Offense: James Franklin is Mizzou’s leading rusher at the half, although Henry Josey is averaging 9.4 yards per carry and needs to get the ball more.

Pass Defense: Auburn has only thrown a few times, but Mizzou allowed completions on all six of Nick Marshall's attempts, including a touchdown. But Kony Ealy did get a sack and fumble recovery on Auburn's first possession.

Rush Defense: Mizzou has gotten absolutely thrashed on the ground. Giving up 282 yards on the ground in one half is unacceptable, and the two fumbles are the only saving grace for the Tigers defense.

Special Teams: Andrew Baggett has made both of his field goals, although Christian Brinser had a brutal first punt.

Coaching: Great call going for it on fourth down, and Gary Pinkel has called a pretty decent game. But he needs to make some changes to stop Auburn’s rushing attack.