Missouri Football: How Will the Offense Handle Change in 2018

The Missouri Tigers are coming off an impressive 2017 offensive campaign. How will the offense look different in 2018 and will it be for the better?

The Missouri Tigers had a great year on the offensive side of the ball in 2017. Quarterback Drew Lock broke the single-season SEC touchdown passes record with 44, wide receiver J’Mon Moore had his second consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season, and running back Ish Witter ran for over 1,000 yards.

Just two years removed from one of the worst offensive performances in team history, the offense was successful enough for offensive coordinator Josh Heupel to take a head coaching job for UCF. Drew Lock considered entering the 2018 NFL Draft but decided to stick around for his senior season with Mizzou. It was likely a good choice considering the number of quarterbacks that came out this year.

We saw what the offense looked like without Heupel in the Texas Bowl which showed how much the offensive coordinator means to this team. While Heupel put together a great offense for the Tigers at times, it also struggled tremendously. The hope is that new offensive coordinator Derek Dooley, who spent the last five seasons as the Dallas Cowboys wide receivers coach, will bring some consistency to the offense in 2018.

It will be Dooley’s first chance as a coordinator of an offense which brings along some question marks. The positive is that ten offensive starters will be returning in 2018 including Lock. Under Heupel, Missouri ran an air raid-spread hybrid system that ranked 8th in total offense and 14th in scoring and passing offense last season. At Tennessee, Dooley ran a more pro-style offense which could be a transition for the Tigers offense.

The new offense in 2018 could be extremely beneficial for Lock as he enters his final season with the Tigers before looking to move onto the NFL. Last season, the offense ran plays where Lock only had to read half of the field before making a throw and where some receivers didn’t have routes to run. It made it easier for Lock but it won’t do him any favors going to the next level.

The 2018 season could be an opportunity for Lock to prepare for the NFL in a way that most college quarterbacks don’t get a chance to. While sticking to a similar style of offense that the Tigers ran last season, Dooley wants to develop Lock for the pros.

"“Obviously what we’re going to do systematically is probably going to be a little bit more oriented to what he’ll get in the NFL,” Dooley said. “What pace any quarterback can go is how much you give him. He plays with a lot of freedom. We don’t want to take that away. But he’ll probably a little more on him mentally than what he’s used to.”"

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One of the reasons that Lock decided to stay at Missouri for his senior season was that he knew that he still has some development to do. Lock feels that he doesn’t have the base knowledge and experience to operate an NFL offense yet. He made comments that he hoped the new offensive coordinator who would replace Heupel would implement a more multifaced offense which would prepare him for the NFL.

Considering that Lock made the choice to stay at Missouri following the hire of Dooley and their meeting, it would seem that Lock believes this offense will make him a better player. Following spring practice back in March, the senior quarterback talked about his thoughts on the offense.

"“It’s more complicated of an offense, but I’d say in a way it’s easier,” Lock said after Tuesday’s spring practice. “It was more guessing games last year on what I thought receivers were going to run. This year, I have it set in stone on what they’re going to do every single play. It just makes me a lot more comfortable back there because I know exactly what’s going on.”"

The new offense will put him under center more often which is something that most quarterbacks lack coming into the NFL. One of the biggest knocks on young quarterbacks is the lack of time they spent under center. While the new offense will largely benefit Lock, it will also benefit the rest of the offense in 2018 as well.

Missouri will face off against five schools that ranked in the top 25 last season in scoring defense. Teams like Alabama, Georgia, Wyoming, Purdue, and South Carolina. Having the ability to adjust the offense each week to match a specific opponent instead of running the same plays every week will benefit everyone on the offense.

Next: Ranking the best Mizzou quarterbacks of all time

Most people are wondering whether or not the new offense will limit Lock’s big plays in 2018. While he might not throw 44 touchdowns this season as the team tries to help out the defense by holding onto the ball longer, he could still have another explosive season with the weapons around him.