On a Missouri team that is loaded with new faces in practically every position, the offensive line returned three starters from the 2025 team, but have still been heavily penalized four weeks in to the year. After the offensive line accumulated eight penalties through the first three weeks, in the Tigers’ first SEC contest, the unit was responsible for five of their eight penalties. Returning starters Curtis Peagler and Cayden Green each had two penalties in the game.
The flags that have been haunting the unit are holding calls and false starts. On Saturday, the Tigers’ line was called for holding on every penalty, but in games past have been called for false starts as well. Dominick Giudice — who was called for a false start against Troy and has four total penalties — spoke on Missouri’s struggles.
“One of the biggest (difficulties) is just not beating ourselves. Obviously having those self-inflicting mistakes, penalties, things like that,” Giudice said. “To clean those up is is a big thing, a big emphasis that we have and just really make sure that we’re putting the best product out there, not shooting ourselves in the foot.”
Avoiding those self-inflicted wounds is “easier said than done,” Giudice said, but still something the Tigers will be honing in on in practice. Avoiding holding penalties is a point of emphasis for the team.
“It is really just tough because in your mind, once you’re locked in with the guy, you’re just thinking drive him. You just want to finish the guy, you want to pancake him,” Giudice said. “Once you throw that little tear away, then you’re a little lenient still. Maybe (you) can finish them with a lean, but once he gets the full extension out and the arms flailing, that’s when you gotta let go.”
The Tigers’ 32 penalties have costed them 292 yards and have created difficult late game situations. On the final drive against Mississippi State, the Tigers were facing a first-and-10 on the Bulldogs’ 35-yard line with 34 seconds to go, but after a holding penalty was called on Missouri, the team was ultimately forced to throw an incomplete Hail Mary.
Head coach Eli Drinkwitz said the penalties were one of the hardest things to overcome in the 31-24 loss to Mississippi State.
“Really what hurt us in the game was offensive penalties and it putting us behind the chains. We have got to be able to to be more efficient, especially with the holding penalties. They were all legit, they were all great calls, but we got to keep our hands inside, we got to know when we’re outleveraged to let him go,” Drinkwitz said.
“It gets tough sometimes when you don’t know where the back is, but you just have to do your best job of keeping your hands inside and just keep driving your feet no matter what happens. The biggest thing is not stopping your feet (to) be able to to not get that holding,” Giudice said.
Against Florida and linebacker Jayden Woods, the offensive line will be put to the test once again. The sophomore has accumulated a team-second 19 tackles and 12 solo tackles, while leading the team with four sacks.
Florida’s 12 sacks tie Missouri for sixth in the SEC, representing a pass rush that is likely the best Missouri has faced. Stopping the run has also been a speciality of the Gators, who have held their opponents to 379 rushing yards through three weeks, ranking fourth in the SEC. Although the Gators present a plethora of challenges, they have given up 67 total points to Auburn and Ole Miss in the last two weeks.
“Obviously the presentations give a lot of challenges. Just being able to scheme up how we’re going to block different fronts and things like that, how we’re going to get those to different formations,” Giudice said. “But it’s a challenge that we’re willing to take on and we’re excited to take on. They have a really good front… they have a lot of good players. So we’re excited to take on this challenge.”
Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram for the latest news.
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleÂ
