51ºÚÁÏ

The Tigers (3-0) bullied Louisiana (1-2) for a 52-10 victory on Saturday, performing more or less as expected in a dominant win. As always, the Post-Dispatch is looking back at the game through Pro Football Focus' array of grades and advanced stats.

Among the highlights:

• Running back Ahmad Hardy pacing the nation's tailbacks in... just about every metric.
• A more pedestrian day for quarterback Beau Pribula.
• Two offensive linemen putting together excellent outings.

All of that, plus complete snap counts, is below.

If this is your first PFF rodeo, or you just need a reminder:ÌýPFF is not perfect in its grades, as you'll notice soon enough. They're just a convenient, simple way to quantify player performances — and nothing more. Rest assured nobody on the MU coaching staff is making decisions based on PFF grades.

The site bases all of its grades, including college ones, on an "NFL standard": 90-100 is elite, 85-89 is Pro Bowl caliber, 70-84 is starting level, 60-69 means backup and anything between 0-59 is replaceable.

With that in mind, this week's findings:

Offensive line

• RG Curtis Peagler, 64 snaps, 60.7 grade
• LT Cayden Green, 60 snaps, 92.0
• LG Dominick Giudice, 60 snaps, 78.1
• C Connor Tollison, 60 snaps, 78.1
• RT Keagen Trost, 60 snaps, 89.6
• RG/C Tristan Wilson, 44 snaps, 73.0
• LT Jayven Richardson, 24 snaps, 72.3
• LG Jaylen Early, 24 snaps, 65.5
• RT Johnny Williams IV, 24 snaps, 51.6
• RG Keiton Jones, 4 snaps, 66.4
• RT Jack Lange, 4 snaps, 58.9
• C Henry Fenuku, 4 snaps, 61.8
• LT Whit Hafer, 4 snaps, 65.4
• LG Ryan Jostes, 4 snaps, 60.3

That's pretty much the whole cast right there. Peagler played the most snaps despite rotating at right guard with Wilson seemingly because the coaching staff is giving that position a look. Wilson posted the better PFF grades in both pass blocking and run blocking, but this game just isn't the best gauge for anything. Peagler was assigned responsibility for one pressure allowed. (Beau Pribula's two sacks were deemed not to be the fault of anyone on the line.)

As his high grade suggests, this was Green's best game since moving out to left tackle. His 90.6 run-blocking grade was the third-best mark in the nation this week. Trost's 86.0 run-blocking grade was the fourth-best.Ìý

The Tigers ran to the left side 30 times and the right side 25 times. Mizzou picked up eight first downs by running between Green and Giudice, the most of any gap. MU rushers picked up just under 3 yards before contact, on average.Ìý

Quarterbacks

• Beau Pribula, 60 snaps, 60.1
• Matt Zollers, 24 snaps, 63.2
• Brett Brown, 4 snaps, 60.0

It's not like Pribula was bad against Louisiana — his metrics just came back to Earth as Missouri leaned into its ground game. An interception, his first with the Tigers, didn't help either.

Pribula leaned into shorter, quicker passes against the Ragin' Cajuns. His average depth of target (5.5 yards downfield) and average time to throw (2.32 seconds) were both the shortest yet.Ìý

Pribula threw 10-plus yards downfield seven times and completed only one of those passes.

He was blitzed on exactly half of his dropbacks and performed worse against the blitz — in part because he took sacks from unblocked blitzers on two of those. He did get the ball out quicker with more pressure coming, but that led to a play like his interception where he seemed to force a pass instead of move on to another read.

The Tigers hardly used play-action at all with Pribula in the game, faking a handoff on just five of his 26 dropbacks. No need to get fancy when handing it off for real is working so well.

Zollers, who threw the ball twice, did not throw a pass past the line of scrimmage.

Running backs

• Ahmad Hardy, 30 snaps, 92.7
• Jamal Roberts, 30 snaps, 68.3
• Marquise Davis, 24 snaps, 72.1
• Brendon Haygood, 4 snaps, 57.6

Wide receivers/tight ends

• TE Brett Norfleet, 46 snaps, 47.8
• WR Marquis Johnson, 44 snaps, 58.0
• WR Joshua Manning, 40 snaps, 60.4
• Slot WR Kevin Coleman Jr., 4 snaps, 83.5
• TE Jordon Harris, 31 snaps, 67.4
• WR Xavier Loyd, 23 snaps, 56.4
• TE Jude James, 22 snaps, 45.0
• Slot WR Daniel Blood, 20 snaps, 56.6
• WR Logan Muckey, 20 snaps, 69.5
• WR Donovan Olugbode, 17 snaps, 54.8
• WR DaMarion Fowlkes, 14 snaps, 59.8
• TE Vince Brown II, 14 snaps, 51.8
• WR James Madison II, 13 snaps, 59.4
• WR Shaun Terry II, 10 snaps, 75.4
• TE Gavin Hoffman, 4 snaps, 59.6

Not as much to note here given the prolific day on the ground. Norfleet continuing to pace this group in snaps is an encouraging sign for his health and availability.Ìý

Coleman continues to be the clear top target for Pribula, particularly when short passes are in the game plan. Coleman was targeted just 0.4 yards — so, a foot and change — downfield on average.Ìý

Defensive line

• DE Damon Wilson II, 20 snaps, 90.9
• DE Zion Young, 20 snaps, 77.6
• DT Chris McClellan, 17 snaps, 76.2
• DE Darris Smith, 13 snaps, 33.0
• DT Marquis Gracial, 11 snaps, 56.6
• DE Langden Kitchen, 10 snaps, 61.4
• DT Elias Williams, 10 snaps, 65.1
• DT Sterling Webb, 10 snaps, 60.6
• DT Jalen Marshall, 9 snaps, 52.2
• DE Daeden Hopkins, 7 snaps, 68.8
• DE Javion Hilson, 7 snaps, 63.2
• DT Jason Dowell, 7 snaps, 59.9
• DT Bralen Henderson, 6 snaps, 63.4
• DE Nate Johnson, 4 snaps, 68.0
• DT Sam Williams, 1 snap, 68.9

Wilson earned high marks for picking up another sack, one of his two quarterback pressures on the day. McClellan also notched a pressure.

It's not immediately clear why PFF graded Smith in the basement. He didn't miss a tackle, which can be the cause of a grade like that, and was never called into coverage. The algorithm ain't always right.

It's tough to make any more out of an afternoon where some defensive line starters, like Gracial, played only 11 snaps. That wouldn't be outlandish for a whole drive in a normal game, but in this blowout, that was the game.

Linebackers

• Josiah Trotter, 18 snaps, 77.9
• Khalil Jacobs, 13 snaps, 82.3
• Nicholas Rodriguez, 12 snaps, 61.8
• Triston Newson, 11 snaps, 62.4
• Jeremiah Beasley, 10 snaps, 65.0
• Dante McClellan, 7 snaps, 66.8

Jacobs was quite effective as a pass rusher. He pressured the quarterback on both of his blitzes and came away with one sack.Ìý

Rodriguez was the only MU player blamed for missing a tackle.Ìý

Trotter continued to pop up all over the field, including the backfield for a couple of tackles for losses.

Defensive backs

• CB Stephen Hall, 26 snaps, 64.3
• CB Drey Norwood, 24 snaps, 90.6
• S Jalen Catalon, 23 snaps, 62.0
• S Santana Banner, 20 snaps, 68.2
• S Marvin Burks Jr., 19 snaps, 62.4
• STAR Daylan Carnell, 18 snaps, 65.0
• CB Toriano Pride Jr., 16 snaps, 65.0
• S Caleb Flagg, 13 snaps, 64.1
• Trajen Greco, 12 snaps, 47.2
• S Mose Phillips III, 10 snaps, 65.2
• CB Cameron Keys, 7 snaps, 60.9
• CB Nick Deloach Jr., 7 snaps, 61.8

Louisiana passed for 4 yards.ÌýFour.ÌýThe last time a Mizzou opponent was held to that little through the air was 1976. So the defensive backs should get a lot of credit.Ìý

Norwood was stellar in coverage. He was targeted five times, broke up two passes and on the only catch he allowed, he tackled the Louisiana receiver for a loss.

There still seems to be heavy rotation between Norwood, Pride and Hall at corner, but this isn't the game to be able to parse out that hierarchy.