With Missouri up 31-21 in Lawrence, Eli Drinkwitz said screw it and decided to go for it on fourth down. Austin Simmons threw his best ball of the night (according to Eli Drinkwitz) to Brett Norfleet to ice the game, 38-21. The quarterback Missouri fans have been waiting for has arrived.

Last year, former Missouri quarterback, Beau Pribula, had his best game against Kansas. In the win at home, Pribula posted a stat line of 30/39, 334 yards, and 3 touchdowns. So the question is, what makes the Austin Simmons performance different? Why jump the gun now and call him the most talented quarterback since Drew Lock? The eye test.

In Pribula’s game against Kansas last season, his night was epitomized by taking what the defense gave him and letting his receivers do the rest. Pribula played pitch and catch to Kevin Coleman all day long and had numerous 30 plus yard passes, just from yards after catch alone. Pribula did exactly what he was meant to do that game, so kudos to him.

That brings us to last night. Simmons game was efficient but characterized by throwing absolute dimes. Eli will tell you that Simmons’s best throw was the touchdown to Norfleet. I personally would argue that his back shoulder throw to Cayden Lee was the best of the night. That’s what makes this performance different. Simmons had numerous high-level throws in tight windows and put them on the money. That’s not even taking into consideration the few drops the receiving room had. The drops left roughly 60 yards off the board for Simmons.

For years, Missouri fans have been left with talented teams, but the quarterback play held the team back from achieving greatness. Now, we wonder if the Tigers have everything to back up great quarterback play. So, why get excited about Simmons now?

1. His pocket presence: A common mistake that I see out of quarterbacks is the inability to climb the pocket effectively. Whether it be fear of d-lineman or a tendency to scramble, quarterbacks tend to get out of the pocket, long before they have to. Simmons did an excellent job of climbing the pocket and being patient. Granted, I thought the pass blocking was really good last night, but Simmons did an excellent job of scanning the field and taking his time.
2. A rocket arm mixed with pinpoint accuracy: Something that really has impressed me about Simmons is his ability to put the ball EXACTLY where it needs to be. Coming in, I was aware of Simmons’s rocket arm, but I was unaware that he could be this accurate. His two passing touchdowns to Olugbode and Norfleet were picture perfect. If you guys can recall, Norfleet dropped one earlier in the game.

In summary, you have permission to get excited. Your team finally has a quarterback, so enjoy it.