Buckeye Defense Sees Talented, Explosive Missouri Offense

For the first time since the College Football Playoff national championship game against Alabama in the 2020 season, an Ohio State defense is going to face an opponent with a 1,000-yard rusher, a 1,000-yard receiver, and a 3,000-yard passer.

The No. 7 Buckeyes will face the No. 9 Missouri Tigers in the Cotton Bowl on December 29, and it will be a battle of strengths — the Ohio State defense vs. the Missouri offense.

Tigers running back Cody Schrader leads the Southeastern Conference in rushing this year, with 1,499 yards, averaging a league-high 124.9 yards rushing per game. Wide receiver Luther Burden is second in the conference with 83 receptions, and third with 1,197 yards receiving. His eight touchdown receptions are also third in the SEC.

At the helm is quarterback Brady Cook, who has thrown for 3,189 yards with 20 touchdowns and six interceptions.

And that’s not all.

“They’re an explosive offense,” said Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams. “They’ve got a really good running back and quarterback and receiver. Their whole O-line’s good, they work together. It’s gonna be a good game. They’re not like a pushover team whatsoever. So we definitely got to lock in and get ready.”

Missouri is 10-2 on the season, having lost to No. 13 LSU 49-39 at home, and 30-21 on the road at No. 6 Georgia. They have scored at least 30 points in all but two games this season, and finished the season by scoring 36 points against No. 25 Tennessee, 33 points against Florida, and 48 points at Arkansas.

“They’re a good team,” said linebacker Cody Simon. “Their running back is really good. And we need to make sure we are on all of our P’s and Q’s in stopping the run because I think that’s where the strength of the team comes from.”

There may be no running back hotter than Cody Schrader right now. He rushed for 112 yards on 22 carries against Georgia, and capped the season with 205 yards rushing against Tennessee, 148 yards against Florida, and 217 yards against Arkansas. He also went for 159 yards against South Carolina. The numbers above represent Missouri’s last five outings. Schrader has averaged 168.2 yards rushing per game over that stretch.

Schrader isn’t the only running threat for the Tigers, however. Quarterback Brady Cook had a four-game stretch of conference games where he rushed for 40, 64, 39, and 55 yards.

“I think they’ve got threats all over the field,” safety Sonny Styles said. “Running back’s really good, receivers are really good. I think it’s huge in college football when you see a quarterback able to extend plays and run, he’s a run threat. So I think that makes the offense even more dangerous.”

Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz and offensive coordinator Kirby Moore also utilize the entire field, before and after the snap.

“A lot of motions, great football players,” said defensive back Jordan Hancock. “The run after catch. They can catch a five-yard slant and take it to the crib at any time. So just their mindset, they’re dogs over there, and we’re just wanting to compete with them.”

Missouri’s top three receivers were all blue-chip recruits. Luther Burden was an in-state five-star prospect that the Buckeyes recruited heavily. Theo Wease has caught 45 passes for 639 yards this season. He is a former five-star receiver who transferred over from Oklahoma.

The most familiar name to Ohio State, however, is former Buckeye Mookie Cooper, who has 34 catches for 429 yards this year for the Tigers. He transferred from Ohio State after his 2020 true freshman season.

But it all starts with Burden.

“Oh, he can play,” said cornerback Denzel Burke. “He’s a football player for sure. He can play ball.”

Burden does much of his work in the slot, which means he will be matching up with Ohio State nickel back Jordan Hancock. Hancock has had a great season for the Buckeyes, but this will be the biggest test of his career.

“Yeah, I’m looking forward to that matchup,” Hancock said. “Great ballplayer. He’s got other receivers there too, good running back. Great quarterback. So I’m excited to go out there and compete.”

The Ohio State defense will have their hands full in the Cotton Bowl, but they’ll also have a plan. The Buckeyes have the No. 2 scoring defense (11.0 ppg) in the nation and the No. 3 total defense, which isn’t going to make life easy for the Tigers.

“It should be a fun game,” Burke said. “Go out there and match up and just do what we do.”

[Luther Burden photo courtesy Missouri Dept. of Athletics]

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