COLUMBIA, Mo. — For all the buzz Missouri quarterback Drew Lock and his collection of playmakers stirred last November when the Tigers strolled through their favorite month with four straight wins, just like they did a year earlier, a defense once left in tatters was every bit as responsible for the turnaround.
The Tigers got younger, faster and more reliable on defense and might have salvaged a spiraling season. Mizzou allowed just 15.5 points per game and 5.0 yards per play in those November wins over Florida, Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Arkansas, the third- and fourth-best averages across the Southeastern Conference in the final month of the regular season.