Have you ever practiced 4-7-8 breathing? It’s a breathing exercise where you alternate between breathing in and out every 4, 7, and 8 seconds. It helped me a lot with my anxiety and is apparently great for lowering heart rate and helping people sleep. Why don’t you take a few minutes to try it? I definitely will.

(Pause)

Are you back? OK. Let’s get started.

1. Time to reset expectations?

Mizzou went into Saturday night’s game as a team widely considered a top 10 team and a favorite by most media outlets for a spot in the first 12-team College Football Playoff. In fact, Luther Burden III spent time on national television this week talking about how Mizzou deserved more Attention as one of the top programs in the country.

About it!

Mizzou is still undefeated and has the world on its plate. A record of 10-2 would still be enough to advance. They have months to prove they are one of the 12 teams that deserve a shot at a Natty.

But Boy-oh-boy-oh-boy-oh-boy-oh-boy-oh-boy-OH, BOY do they need to prove that what just happened was the biggest fluke of all time? Missouri never looked like a team fighting for a spot in the sport’s most important competition. Hell, they looked like a team fighting for a bowl berth.

Missouri is obviously better than they showed against Vanderbilt. But how much better? It’s time for them to show us.

2. Stinker by Drink-er

After halftime, Eli Drinkwitz told ESPN crews that his decision to take a try on fourth and third at the end of the half was, in short, a dumb decision on his part. It wasn’t the only puzzling decision Drinkwitz made that day.

Earlier in the game, with momentum still undecided, Drinkwitz opted to kick a field goal when there were only a few yards left to the end zone. Blake Craig responded by bouncing a field goal off the upright. Another time, with the ball near the 50, Drinkwitz opted to punt the ball away rather than attempt a 4th-and-short situation. With the ball firmly in Vanderbilt territory in the fourth quarter, Drinkwitz opted to kick another field goal on 4th-and-2. Again, a miss by Craig. The team as a whole looked listless and uninspired for most of the game, which ultimately goes back to Drinkwitz and the tone he sets in the week leading up to the game.

The head coach has done a lot of things well during his time as a Tiger. But this week will go down in history as the low point. After the game, he told the same team that the team still had “a long way to go.” No joke.

3. College kickers give…

…and they take it away.

A week after Blake Craig heroically converted 6 of 6 penalties, he had a brutally Night from the point, made 3/6 – especially a chip shot from less than 25 yards – and brought a kickoff out of bounds. At the end of the game you could see his confidence draining from his body. But you have to give him credit: He managed a PAT and a 32-meter pass when the game was on the line in both overtimes.

It’s hard to expect greatness and supreme consistency from a redshirt freshman — although he certainly showed fans he’s capable of the former. But we know Eli Drinkwitz’s style requires tight games. If the Tigers want to reach their lofty preseason goals, Craig will have to be much better than he showed Saturday night.

4. Is there a panic button that can be pressed during the offensive?

I check the box that says “Things I never thought I’d type at the start of the season.”

The running game is fine. Great, even! But somewhat surprisingly, the lack of a passing threat has made Kirby Moore’s offense pretty one-dimensional for long stretches of Mizzou’s games. Both Boston College and Vanderbilt were able to contain the Tigers’ attack in the second half and hope that the passing game isn’t just enough to pull out the win. And I guess it has? Sort of? Maybe?

Brady Cook looked out of form throughout the game, missing passes that a quarterback with his resume should be making. His planned attacks looked anything but threatening. And the much-vaunted offensive line was overwhelmed several times in crucial situations by a Vanderbilt front that entered this game as one of the least threatening in the country.

The talent on offense is enormous, so you can expect great things from them. They haven’t shown it against a team with power, and they’ve had two tries. Something has to change. And fast.

5. It doesn’t get any easier from here

We like to say here at Rock M, “Win ​​your junkets.” That certainly holds true. Looking at the schedule, the Tigers can only hope this is their biggest junket of the season.

Mizzou will have no time to lick its wounds after the week off. Next up is their first road test of the season, a big trip to College Station to play one of the toughest venues in the country. Then, for some unchristian reason, they head to Amherst to play UMass. Then they face a desperate but talented Auburn team before heading to Tuscaloosa to play the Tide.

Failures happen, as you just saw. Mizzou survived. But they must quickly regain the confidence they have displayed for nearly a year if they hope to continue winning.