Brady Cook will make his second career start at quarterback against Louisiana Tech on Thursday night.
Cook grew up less than two hours from Columbia, MO in St. Louis with the dream of one day playing for the Tigers.
Cook achieved that dream when he signed with Missouri in the 2020 recruiting cycle and will be looking to take Missouri to new heights in year three of the Eli Drinkwitz era.
Cook's 2021 Season
The 6'2, 206-pound signal caller played 143 snaps across 5 games a season ago.
Cook's most extensive action came in his first career start against Army in the Armed Forces Bowl on December 22, 2021.
In the 24-22 defeat, Cook played well completing 27/34 (79%) for 238 yards and 1 TD. He also rushed for 53 yards and 1 TD in the contest.
Let's take a deeper dive into Cook's 2021 season that saw him throw for 345 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Passing Numbers by Level
At LOS or Behind | 13/13 (100%) for 70 yards
0-10 Yards Downfield | 24/26 (92%) for 156 yards, 1 TD
11-20 Yards Downfield | 8/11 (73%) for 97 yards, 1 TD
20+ Yards Downfield | 1/6 (17%) for 22 yards
The early returns are that Cook shows great accuracy on short and intermediate throws.
Having another year in the system, will Missouri open up the playbook and look to push the ball down the field vertically on Thursday night?
Passing Pressure
Kept Clean | 40/48 (83%) for 304 yards, 2 TDs
Under Pressure | 6/10 (60%) for 41 yards
Not Blitzed | 40/46 (87%) for 303 yards, 1 TD
When Blitzed | 6/12 (50%) for 42 yards, 1 TD
As is the case with any young quarterback, pressure *usually* leads to more mistakes.
The goal for Louisiana Tech will be to put some early pressure on Cook, mix up the looks defensively in the secondary and see if they can force some mistakes.
Overall Thoughts for Thursday Night
Brady Cook was really good in limited action a season ago. How significant is that when he takes the field for the first time in 2022? It should grant him a substantial amount of confidence, but there is still more to prove for the young signal caller before he becomes a bonafide star in the college football world.
Keeping Cook in the pocket and not allowing him to make plays with his legs when he gets uncomfortable could be an x-factor in the contest Thursday night.
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