Mizzou Football Week 2 Wrap-Up: Tigers Still Need Improvement

Mizzou fans are thrilled to see the Tigers pull through their dangerous road test at Toledo as Mizzou was able to repeat the theme of starting strong on the road.

Any time we critique, it's always best to start off with praise, and without question the biggest not-too-unexpected surprise was the play of senior wide receiver Bud Sasser. Sasser is a guy who has patiently waited his turn behind the wide array of receiving talent the Tigers have had over recent years. He's come out and shown that it won't just be Darius White who will carry the team in the air.

Also of note was the interception by sophomore defensive back Aarion Penton out of St. Louis. The takeaway was the result of pressure by Markus Golden, a name that SEC offensive coordinators are going to need to be familiar with if they're not already. Golden, much like his predecessors on the defensive line, has found an NFL-level of success and has that innate ability to be around the ball.

Unfortunately, none of these things on their own are going to be good enough to carry Mizzou to certain victory in its deciding games against the likes of South Carolina, Georgia and possibly Florida as well.

Still suspect is the Tigers' rushing defense, which hasn't exactly impressed so far against sub-SEC talent. Toledo's Kareem Hunt averaged 9.9 yards per carry with a 148-yard day on the ground overall. If Mizzou are giving up numbers like this early, it could be devastating when players like Georgia's Todd Gurley gets a crack at them.

We also didn't get a real good look at Eddie Printz in action. He only attempted one pass, which was incomplete, but it will be interesting to see if Printz can maintain his success in practice on the field in a real game or even critical situation.

The Tigers will rest up Sunday and watch film before getting ready for a tough week of practice in preparation to host UCF. Game time is 12 p.m. ET, and it can be seen on the SEC Network.

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