SEC reset: Missouri
MISSOURI (1-0)
Game: Missouri 58, Murray State 14. Missouri struggled early and trailed the FCS Racers 14-13 at the end of the first quarter. But QB James Franklin got the offense moving by throwing three touchdown passes as the Tigers scored 38 points over the second and third quarters. The Tigers rushed for 358 yards and amassed 694 yards in total offense. The Racers finished with just 297 yards after compiling 196 in the first quarter.
Takeaway: Missouri's aim of having a fast-paced offense almost did the Tigers in in the first quarter, when they had the ball for just over six minutes and trailed by one point. That turned around in the second and third quarters, when the Tigers held the ball for nearly 20 of the 30 minutes.
But you have to wonder how that is going to work when the competition gets much more challenging than that offered by a team from college football's second level.
The Tigers have a lot of things to correct -- they had only two penalties but one nullified a touchdown -- and, fortunately for them, they will have plenty of time to do it with a September schedule that features games against Toledo, Indiana, and Arkansas State with only Indiana on the road.
-- Junior RB Henry Josey celebrated his comeback from a knee injury by rushing for 113 yards on just 13 carries, one of which covered 68 yards for a touchdown. Josey missed all of last year because of the injury, which required two surgeries.
-- Senior QB James Franklin finished the game with 362 yards in total offense (44 rushing, 318 passing), giving him 6,114 for his career. That's No. 7 on Mizzou's all-time total offense.
Next: Vs. Toledo, Sept. 7.
