‘We’re going to find a way’: Missouri Tigers know defense has to improve quickly

When Missouri football faces Southeast Missouri State this Saturday, defensive coordinator Steve Wilks will be calling plays from a different location.

The former NFL head coach plans to direct the defense from up in the press box instead of from the field, switching things up from the first two games in which the Tigers’ defense has struggled.

Missouri has allowed more rushing yards (257.5 per game) and total yards (497.5 per game) on defense than any Power Five conference team this season.

The Tigers have also given up explosive plays and quick scores in the opening quarter of the first two contests, one of which contributed to Wilks’ decision. He said there was a miscommunication regarding personnel on the first drive of the Kentucky game, which led to the defense allowing a 64-yard rush from Wildcats wideout Wan’Dale Robinson on a jet sweep and eventual touchdown.

“We thought they were in some form of jumbo ... so we had extra linemen in the game, which screwed us up,” Wilks said. “When you start talking about how can you make corrections, one of the things right now is looking at yourself. And I’m going to the box so hopefully, it’ll give me better eyes to be up top, to be able to see things and have a better jump on calling the plays.”

Wilks has experience calling plays from both the field and box throughout his career, including when he was defensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers in the 2017 season. That defense ranked third in the NFL against the run, allowing just 88.1 yards per game, and 11th overall.

That was, of course, a different team full of talented professionals, but Wilks is hoping making the move will be effective for him once again. He took full responsibility for the errors of the defense this week, but there have clearly been mistakes to go around.

“It’s tackling, it’s bad eyes, it’s gap integrity, it’s beating the man across from you,” head coach Eliah Drinkwitz said. “It’s a lot of different factors that have to get cleaned up and fixed.”

Added defensive back Allie Green IV: “When we go back and watch the film it’s definitely stuff that we can correct.”

Wilks and players noted that there has been a bit of a learning curve with the team adjusting to a new defensive scheme this year. The defensive coordinator didn’t want to make excuses, but he did note being used to having NFL preseason games to “get the kinks out.” He said the staff might look at simplifying plays to help players process things faster, but many of the mistakes have been self-inflicted and down to fundamentals.

“I think the biggest thing that we want to get to is just controlling what we can control and winning one on one matchups,” said Blaze Alldredge, one of three linebackers that has seen the field through two games with a lack of depth at the position. “Because the X’s and O’s are what they are, but at the end of the day you still have to make a tackle in the hole or somebody needs to come off a block and make a play.”

Missouri aims to correct many of those woes, now with Wilks coaching from the box, when it faces Southeast Missouri State at 11 a.m. Saturday in Memorial Stadium.

“There’s a lot of pride in that room, there’s a lot of pride starting with me,” Wilks said. “And we’re going to find a way to get this thing correct and get on the right track.”