Why the Missouri Tigers got reps up and down the depth chart at UMass on Saturday

Missouri Tigers were able to cycle comfortably through their roster and let some newer names and numbers see playing time Saturday.

Competing in the nation’s fourth-smallest FBS stadium, the 21st-ranked Tigers used the unique environment and opponent as an opportunity to give playing time to depth players in their 45-3 victory over UMass.

On the defensive side, a slew of Tigers saw the field for the first time since Southeastern Conference play began. Saturday’s game was a non-conference break in MU’s league schedule.

“I don’t know that they’re lower down on the depth chart,” Drinkwitz said. “I told them to go out there and play, and if you make plays, you’re going to play.”

Holes in Missouri’s defensive lineup opened up when linebacker Triston Newson and defensive end Joe Moore III were both ruled out of Saturday’s game. An injury to linebacker Khalil Jacobs midway through the third quarter brought even more replacements into the fold.

On the Tigers’ first defensive drive of the game, true freshman defensive end Williams Nwaneri, redshirt freshman cornerback Shamar McNeil and true freshman linebacker Nicholas Rodriguez became the first young Missouri playmakers to take the field against the Minutemen.

Rodriguez had a breakout performance with nine total tackles, three of them solo. Both Drinkwitz and linebacker Corey Flagg Jr. said they were impressed but not surprised by the former four-star prospect’s performance.

“Nick Rodriguez, man, was playing,” Drinkwitz said. “I don’t know how many tackles he ended up with, but he really played well.”

“The thing about Nick is he does that every day in practice,” Flagg said. “He’s consistent in doing his job. He listens to coach DJ (Smith). He’s finite in detail (when) doing his job. ... So it was a matter of time when he got (his) opportunity.”

Nwaneri, a five-star recruit from Lee’s Summit, recorded his first collegiate sack midway through the third quarter. The sack resulted in a loss of 2 yards, and he added a tackle in the fourth quarter.

Missouri showed just how comfortable it was with its depth when, with 6:30 left in the third quarter, it sent out a defense that did not include a single starter. The Tigers routinely swapped out their starters throughout the matchup.

Of those who stepped in from the sidelines, Drinkwitz commended the performances by freshman defensive end Jaylen Brown and freshman safety Trajen Greco, who recorded one tackle for loss.

As a unit, the Tigers held UMass to 237 total yards, with the Minutemen only succeeding on 2 of 13 third-down attempts and venturing into the red zone just twice.

But the team’s performance was not enough to satisfy Drinkwitz.

“I didn’t think our tackling was very good. I didn’t think our RPO defense was very good,” Drinkwitz said. ... “Is that enough? Or you want me to keep going?”

While the Tigers’ defensive substitutes didn’t lead that side of the ball to an all-time stellar performance, the “Death Row Defense” did its job in Amherst, forcing a pair of turnovers. And Flagg football headlined the effort.

An interception by Flagg, who picked the ball at Missouri’s 5-yard line and had an explosive 80-yard return late in the first half, highlighted the defensive effort. The turnover set up a 42-yard field goal before the half for the Tigers, who took a 24-3 lead into the break.

“I was just in the right place at the right time,” Flagg said. ... “We played good on defense today because everybody was doing their job. So that’s the result.”

Flagg’s interception represented the first takeaway for Missouri since sophomore safety Marvin Burks Jr.’s interception against Buffalo in Week 3. It was almost followed with another on the Tigers’ next defensive drive

Redshirt junior safety Daylan Carnell broke up a pass from UMass quarterback Taisun Phommachanh and had the opportunity to snatch the ball and return it for a touchdown.

But the ball bounced out of Carnell’s hands, leading to a punt by the Minutemen early in the third quarter.

Junior safety Caleb Flagg, Corey Flagg’s younger brother, forced his first fumble of the season in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. McNeil scooped up the fumble, and the Tigers ran out the clock on the ensuing possession.

“He’s better than me,” Corey Flagg said of his brother. “Hell of a player. I’m dead serious, man.”

The Tigers allowed just 95 rushing yards and 3.1 yards per rush in the win. They also did not give up a touchdown to the Minutemen, the third time this season Missouri has held an opponent without a TD.

Missouri nexts hosts Auburn at either 11 a.m. or 11:45 a.m. Saturday. An official time and TV designation for the Tigers’ Homecoming game have yet to be announced.

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