Quarterbacks that present a run threat always add an extra dimension to an offense, and Missouri goes from 2D to 3D in that regard.
Brady Cook, its man under center, rushed for 585 yards in 2022 and has collected 253 yards thus far in 2023 with sacks included in both of those numbers.
“The first thing that jumps out at you is his athleticism,” Ohio State defensive tackle Ty Hamilton said. “He’s a really fast quarterback, one of those where you have to keep him contained. He can make a play with his feet, he can make a play with his arm. We’ve just got to keep him contained, make sure we do that.”
With a stocked armory at receiver and running back, Cook’s legs ensure that there’s no one area Ohio State can key in on when it plays the Tigers in the Cotton Bowl on Friday. Disciplined, assignment football will be paramount.
“I think when you're playing a kid like this who's back there at quarterback, it’s super important to maintain (rush lanes) and keep them in the pocket,” defensive end Jack Sawyer said. “When he gets out there and uses his legs it can be a problem for the secondary. So I think we’ve just gotta rush smart and always have an eye on him.”
Ohio State has previous experience defending running quarterbacks.
The Buckeyes are 24th in rush yards allowed per game (112.5) and 22nd in opposing yards per carry (3.4) this season, but Rutgers flew past those numbers on Nov. 4 thanks to a mobile threat under center in Gavin Wimsatt and a fantastic downhill running back in Kyle Monangai.
Monangai gathered 159 yards in 24 carries, 6.6 per attempt, and Wimsatt added another 49 on the ground. All told, the Buckeyes allowed season-highs in rushing yards (232) and yards per carry (5.4) despite ultimately winning the contest 35-16.
A defensive front simply isn’t able to crash down on a running back the same way when a quarterback is a threat to pull and keep, and that’s a problem when facing a Missouri team that features a running back the caliber of Cody Schrader. Racking up 1,499 yards this season at a clip of 6.1 yards per carry with 13 touchdowns, Schrader was a first-team All-American per the AP and CBS Sports and a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, given annually to the best running back in college football.
“He's a good back, great back,” Hamilton said. “So much like a lot of backs we played this year, and I feel like (we need to be) making sure that we stop him before he gets going. Going to be one of the crucial things we do. Just slowing him down. That's the biggest part of what we have to do.”
Cook has added eight rushing touchdowns to his 253 yards on the ground, presenting a threat in the red zone when the manipulations get tighter. His rushing acumen is part of the reason why Missouri ranks No. 1 in red zone scoring percentage, converting 54 of its 55 trips inside the opposing 20-yard line into points.
“He’s a really fast quarterback, one of those where you have to keep him contained. He can make a play with his feet, he can make a play with his arm.”– Ty Hamilton on Brady Cook
Beyond the ground game, mobile quarterbacks also present a threat in their ability to extend plays and give receivers time to get open. Cook’s completed 66.4% of his passes this year for 3,189 yards and 20 touchdowns with six interceptions, making use of a crop of receivers that features Biletnikoff semifinalist Luther Burden III.
Burden has 1,197 receiving yards in 2023, but former Oklahoma wideout Theo Wease Jr. and former Buckeye Mookie Cooper are also significant threats in the passing game. Keeping Cook in the pocket to limit the time Ohio State’s secondary has to defend downfield will be key.
“(Missouri has a) great runner downhill. Hits the hole fast, can make you pay,” defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said. “So you better be sure in that first, and then how much can you double the receiver and those kinds of chances that you can take. You’ve really got to be judicious with that because you don't want to open yourself up for the easy runs, because he's a great back and he'll take advantage of it. So it's just a constant game of back and forth because you can't really focus in one area.”
There’s no pinning back the ears and attacking the line of scrimmage without rush lane discipline and sound play within the scheme for Ohio State’s defensive front on Friday. Doing so could get the entire defense cooked.
“It’s frustrating at times but it’s the game of football,” Sawyer said. “(It’s) smart to do that at times and it works. So even though sometimes we may not like to do it, it's the right thing to do.”
