2024 will be an exciting season for Boston College fans. We made a big splash with the Bill O’Brien hire and have our starting QB, Thomas Castellanos, returning. The rebuild will take time, but it looks like the Eagles could be headed in the right direction. Let’s look into the week 3 matchup against Missouri.
Last Season (11-2 overall, 6-2 in SEC)
Missouri had a phenomenal season last year which ended with a victory in the Cotton Bowl against #7 ranked Ohio State. The 88th Goodyear Cotton Bowl was the first New Year’s Six bowl for Missouri in the College Football Playoff Era, and the school’s first Cotton Bowl appearance since 2014. The Tigers were led by Grad Student Cody Schrader, the transfer from D2 Truman State, who led the SEC in rushing yards. Brady Cook, Redshirt Junior Quarterback, was also a catalyst for the Tigers offense that averaged 434 yards per game.
Departing Players
The Tigers will enter the 2024 season without their best player and SEC leading rusher, Cody Schrader. Other than Schrader, the Tigers return a majority of their offensive production. On defense, however, the Tigers are only returning 4 First Teamers. This will be an area of concern for Missouri fans as they enter the 2024 season.
This Year
There are high hopes for Missouri this year. The return of Brady Cook and Luther Burden III should allow the Tigers to maintain their high powered offense. Not only did star receiver Burden III return, but so did all of their top 5 receivers in terms of production along with most of their offensive line. They also added Georgia State transfer, Marcus Carroll, to help fill the shoes of Schrader.
The big question for the Tigers will be their defense. With the large amount of turnover, the transfers and 2nd Teamers will need to make an impact to keep opposing offenses at bay. There is a lot of excitement this year surrounding the Missouri Tigers and head coach Eli Drinkwitz. It will be difficult to replicate last year’s season in a stacked SEC, but their high powered offense will most likely need to carry them if they want to do so.