Cougars prepare for high-powered Missouri defense


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PROVO — BYU will face its second top five-ranked defense on the season when it travels to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, to take on the Missouri Tigers on Saturday (5:30 p.m. MST on KSL 1160 AM).

Mizzou (4-5, 1-5 SEC) has struggled to score points this season, but the Tigers' defense, led by the nation's leading tackler linebacker Kentrell Brothers, has BYU offensive coordinator Robert Anae on high alert.

"I do believe we left a lot out on the field (in last week's 17-16 win at San Jose State), and our challenge this week is to get back on track on the road against a really good defense," he said. "We've been preparing ourselves to be at our best to play against probably the best defense we've seen up to this point in the year."

Mizzou ranks fourth in the FBS when it comes to scoring defense, allowing just 14.6 ppg. BYU (7-2) also faced Michigan this season, which currently leads the nation in scoring defense at 11.9 points allowed per contest. The Cougars did not fare well in Ann Arbor, managing only 105 yards of total offense in a 31-0 defeat. A major offensive inhibitor for BYU in that game was the inability of its receivers to get open from the Wolverines' man press coverage. Anae expects to see a similar look from the Tigers on Saturday.

"The athleticism of their (Missouri) players compares with Michigan," he said. "I think we were probably at our worst as an offense against Michigan."

BYU's Mitch Mathews (10) grabs a touchdown pass next to San Jose State cornerback Cleveland Wallace III (6) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Nov. 6, 2015, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
BYU's Mitch Mathews (10) grabs a touchdown pass next to San Jose State cornerback Cleveland Wallace III (6) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Nov. 6, 2015, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

The Cougars' offense will face a very similar challenge to the one they had when they were held scoreless for the first time under head coach Bronco Mendenhall at Michigan. Points will likely come at a premium in what projects to be a hostile, pro-Missouri crowd in Kansas City. Since the late September loss in Ann Arbor seven weeks ago, BYU receivers coach Guy Holliday has made it a priority to be better and stronger against press coverage.

"I think we've proven since the Michigan game that we can beat press coverage," he said. "I think that's always going to be a focus. We've put a lot of emphasis on it since then. This is an SEC team, and having coached in that conference I know how important defense is. I'm looking forward to the challenge, and I think it's going to be a lot of fun playing them at Arrowhead Stadium."

If there is a weakness on Missouri's defense, it would appear to be its rush defense. The Tigers are allowing opponents to gain, on average, 121.2 yards per game, which ranks 118th nationally. That may be an area the Cougars will exploit, especially with Tejan Koroma, Ului Lapuaho and Kyle Johnson all possibly returning to game action on Saturday. Their return would be beneficial as the offensive line play was a glaring hole last week.

"We were not on point in all of our groups (in San Jose), with the offensive line being one of them," Anae said. "That's a group that has a huge influence because there are five of the 11 guys on the field in that group. They're a big part of the deal. We do have a couple guys back practicing this week, and it's really good to see. The pace is faster and they have been more decisive up front in their communication."

Solving the SEC's best defense, at least to some degree, will be crucial for BYU to improve to 2-0 all time against Missouri.


Blake Dorton is a BYU student studying broadcast journalism and French. He hopes to pursue a career in sports broadcasting following graduation. Follow him on Twitter @BlakeDorton.

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