Mizzou has certainly had better starts in it’s 100-year history at Memorial Stadium. The Tigers allowed a 75-yard TD pass on the second play of the game and it’s ensuing offensive posession was killed by penalties. The Mizzou defense had numerous penalties the next drive, allowing Troy to take a 10-3 lead.

The rest of the game was a dog fight. Missouri managed to get two straight takeaways for the second game in a row, as well as a punt return touchdown from DaMarion Fowlkes that ultimatelyput the Tigers in the driving seat going forward. Yet, despite the win on the board, tonight can still bring the same feelings as a loss. Here are three takeaways from tonight’s game against Troy:

1. Penalty issues getting increasingly worse, must be fixed by next week: Penalties are arguably the number one issue for this football team through the first few weeks. Against Pine-Bluff, Missouri had 5 penalties for 35 yards. Against Kansas, 10 for 76. Against Troy, 9 for 90. On the first offensive posession of the game, Missouri managed to have 3 penalties in a row, that completely killed there opening drive. On the ensuing defensive posession, numerous penalties that kept the Troy drive alive, giving them three points on the board.

Drinkwitz said it himself in the press conference, it only gets tougher from here. Out goes the non-con, in comes the gauntlet of a nine game SEC schedule. The Tigers are looking down the barrel at plenty of talented teams and beating themselves certainly won’t do them any good. The penalty issues can get overshadowed by wins against subpar teams now, but when the schedule gets tougher, which it will, that will demolish their season. Silly penalties like unnecessary roughness and false starts simply cannot happen in SEC play.

2. The secondary still has a long way to go: I want to say that first off, I don’t think Mizzou has an awful secondary. The Tigers have plenty of talented players in the backend, and they’ve done an ok job. But, time and time again, coverage is soft and guys run butt naked open. Not every play, but occasionally a few times a game.

Drink mentioned the issue of leverage tonight and guys taking the wrong angles. He called the defense on Troy’s first touchdown, “awful defense.” Missouri is going up against an uber talented quarterback in Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor next week. They have to get these issues fixed, or Taylor could have an absolute field day. I think the issues are very fixable, but the team has only a week to do so.

3. Big improvement from the special teams unit: I’ll be nice and end of on a positive. The special teams came back from an abysmal outing in Lawrence and actually boded nicely tonight. The Tigers got there first punt return TD of the season via DaMarion Fowlkes. Blake Craig went 2/2 and Bruno Reus was punting absolute rockets all over the field. If there was one shining light from this depressing outing, it was the special teams unit.

I still think this team is a solid group. I don’t think this game is indicative of their season, but a lot of concerns going forward that need to be fixed asap, if the Tigers hope to play meaningful football later in the year.