Imposing MU defense will be tested like never before by high-scoring Aggies

Mizzou sees Saturday’s matchup against Texas A&M as an opportunity. An opportunity to capture a signature win over one of the top teams in the country, and a way to make its case for the College Football Playoff credible.

MU, which came in at 22nd in the CFP rankings, is taking on third-ranked Texas A&M, so the stakes are high.

The path to the playoffs requires the Tigers to avoid many obstacles. True freshman Matt Zollers will get the first start of his young career against a stout Texas A&M defense — a unit that prides itself on knocking down the quarterback. The Aggies’ 32 total sacks are the fourth-most in the nation. Zollers showed he could perform in the second half against Vanderbilt, but to take down the Aggies, it’ll require excellence from the entire roster.

“He does not have to win this game by himself,” coach Eli Drinkwitz said of Zollers. “He’s got a really good core of players around him. We just have to play complementary football in all three phases.”

While the Mizzou offense will have to hold up its end, the defense will once again be given a tough assignment. Texas A&M boasts an average of 37.8 points through eight games, all wins. That included a 49-point performance against a strong LSU defense in Week 9.

Last year against the Aggies, Missouri made the mistake of game-planning for Marcel Reed rather than Conner Weigman. This time, there’s no doubt about it: The Tigers will face Reed, one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in college football. Compared to a year ago, he’s a far more developed talent and carries improved confidence in the pocket.

“(Reed) is a really good player,” Drinkwitz said. “You can tell the guys love playing for him, they love playing around him. When he makes a mistake, he just bounces back, keeps on going. Moment is never too big.

“I’d like for Marcel to recognize that I was on the bandwagon first.”

Reed and the Texas A&M offense dominate in the red zone. The Aggies have scored on 30 of 32 red-zone possessions — 24 of them being touchdowns — and rank ninth in the country in that area.

Receiver KC Concepcion is the primary target once they get into scoring position. Concepcion leads the team with seven receiving touchdowns, while Mario Craver does a lot of the damage in the middle of the field. With the Reed targets, Mizzou will face two of the quickest and most talented weapons at the position.

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The Tigers don’t match up extremely well in the red zone against Texas A&M, but they can stop teams on third downs better than most. They have the fifth-ranked third-down defense across the FBS, as they’ve only allowed 28 of 101 completions in such situations. Containing the deep ball and preventing explosive plays will be pivotal against the Aggies, especially when Mizzou is that close to ending drives.

Even if Missouri can do that, Reed’s legs present a challenge. He has rushed for 349 yards and six touchdowns this season, aided by a strong offensive line that creates the necessary gaps for its quarterback. The unit has allowed only six sacks, though Reed’s elusiveness explains some of that.

“We just have to try to contain that and do the best that we can to make sure that we don’t allow that to happen,” Mizzou safety Jalen Catalon said on Reed’s rushing ability. “Make him play quarterback. That’s all we have to do — make him play quarterback. ... But he’s a really good player and has really good playmakers around him.”

Behind a front seven featuring linebacker Josiah Trotter and edge rushers Zion Young and Damon Wilson II, Mizzou is equipped with talent that can amply pressure Reed. The Tigers have 23 sacks on the year and have notably played dual-threat quarterbacks well, including South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers and Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia.

With all of the experience Missouri has gained against players that fit the mold of Reed, it will be prepared for the different looks Texas A&M might throw at it.

“I feel like all these games prior that we had (were) a good buildup for this game and kind of show us what a mobile QB can do,” Trotter said. “It’s not going to be our first rodeo of seeing a QB that can run the ball and use his legs to try to extend plays.”

Mizzou’s defense has kept it afloat even during games in which the offense stumbled. It has held opposing offenses to below-par performances multiple times. Now, with Zollers facing immense pressure, the unit more than ever will likely have to be near-flawless to overcome the Aggies.

Texas A&M’s completeness makes it likely the toughest challenge the Tigers have faced. The “Death Row” defense, as the Tigers call it, has an opportunity to live up to its name Saturday and pull off an upset.

“There’s really nothing to fear,” Drinkwitz said. “It’s just a hell of an opportunity laying out there for us, and we’re going to go attack it and go have fun doing it.”