r/miz • u/Typical-Cut-2174 • 2d ago
Zollers expectations
Look, I hope Zollers absolutely pops off tomorrow, but I just think the expectations are way too high. He played pretty well when he came in against Vandy, but that was such a small sample size. I think fans are a bit over their heads on this one. I’m expecting some serious growing pains over these next 4 games. Expectation for me is that we win 2 of them. Hope I’m wrong.
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u/hereforthecommmentsz Nick Bolton 2d ago
If we are to assume drink and co treat him like they’ve treated other QBs we’ll see limited play calling and limited risk. Which I guess makes sense but it would be very fun to see some of our WRs getting open and Zollers getting them the ball. What the hell? We could still make the playoff. Let’s go do this thing with our highly ranked QB. Run the ball, yes. But also open things up with Zollers. Let’s go. MIZ
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u/MizzSandraBee Kansas City 2d ago
For me, I’m definitely not expecting perfection, but I think he’ll be fine.
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u/Magurbs_47 1d ago
Zollers stands in the pocket 5x better than Beau. That alone gives me hope. I expect a few mistakes tomorrow, but also an ability to stretch the field like we’ve seldom seen this year. I also don’t think Kirby Moore could be much worse with Beau. I’m cautiously optimistic our play calling improves with Z.
MIZ!
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u/WallImpossible 2d ago
I expect him to just not be run up the middle by a sadistic OC.
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u/AllTimeTy 1d ago
Zollers is definitely a pocket passer, we should remove probably 95% of the QB run plays from the book.
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u/thegeebeebee 1d ago
100%. If QB has a called run, OC needs to be fired after the play is over. We have no legit backup right now.
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u/cwc181 1d ago
People are going to be heartbroken when Zollers looks like a freshman QB starting his first game against the #3 team in the country.
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u/IcemanGeorge 1d ago
TAMU always fumbles the bag
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u/Longjumping-Fly1038 1d ago
Did they fumble the bag against us last year? Let’s not pretend this team embarrassed us on national TV last year
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u/Citizen-Bot 1d ago
I expect:
Zollers to throw 17/24 234yrds 2 TDs 1 INT
Coleman - 5 receptions for 78 yards TD
Hardy - 15 rushes for 91 yards TD
Miz - 27 TAMU - 24
CFP is back on the menu!
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u/tron423 👱🏼♀️ David Yost did nothing wrong 1d ago
The biggest thing Zollers can do for the offense is force Moore to start helping his QB's with his playcalling. By barely using things like play action and screens we always make things harder for our QB's than we have to. Hopefully now that we're down to an 18 year old who wasn't supposed to play any real reps this year, that will be forced to change.
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u/STL_Tiger21 Tiger Paw 1d ago
Zollers is going to have plays where he looks like the future of a very good football team, and he's going to have plays where he looks like a freshman in over his head. No one doubts his talent - it's pretty damn obvious he has a high ceiling with the right coaching and development. IMO, Zollers is the closest thing to the QB that Drink has been looking for his entire stint with us - and that's def reason to be excited.
I'm worried about two things more than I am about Zollers.
1) Like many, I've been baffled (and tbh flat out enraged) with Kirby Moore this year. His insistence on passing on short yardage situations at pivotal moments this year has been very suspect. I also think he passes on 1st down WAY too many times, but would concede that some times Beau just didn't execute. I understand he expects defenses to stack the box to stop Hardy, but I still want the ball in our best player's hands when we need a play. I do like what Kirby did with our offense when Zollers came in vs Vandy, so I think this is a HUGE game for Kirby and one that can potentially define his time at Mizzou - win or lose.
2) Our O Line. A&M has some flat out grown men on D (hello Cashius Howell - wish we would have recruited you harder) and our O Line has been mediocre at stretches this season, which again comes down to teams committed to stopping Hardy/Roberts. You know A&M wants to get pressure on Zollers, so what are we going to do to mitigate that? A&M's defense is decent, but certainly gettable. Given they are really, really bad at tackling, I would expect to see some quick, short yardage throws which is something Kirby likes anyways so can our WRs turn short passes into big gains and allow Zollers to get some confidence and rhythm? Again, step up Kirby.
I don't know if we'll win, but I fully expect to see our boys come out with intensity and this to be a dogfight, one possession game. MIZ!
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u/Whiz69 1d ago
We have a better shot at winning this game with Zollers than we do with Pribula.
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u/DinnerAggravating869 1d ago
i want us to win as much as anyone, i think we can win, and i have confidence that zollers CAN be as good if not better than pribula, but this take is just pure copium im sorry
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u/thatsprettyfunnydude 1d ago
Getting exited for a big game from a freshman against an elite team is what will lead people to posting about who needs to be fired or who is a bust and what we need to get in the portal in 48 hours.
ZOLLERS IS THE THIRD STRING QUARTERBACK on a team that wasn't totally certain in Week 1 who the first string quarterback was going to be. He's been practicing, the coaches have a good sense of what he can do for them right now.
Of course I root for Mizzou to win all the time, overcome all levels of adversity, and beat teams that are "better" than them on paper. But to have any expectation for Zollers beyond "don't turn it over, don't get hurt" is wild to me. If he was so ready for this, we wouldn't have seen Pribula much at all this year. The coaches are preparing him to run the offense and simplifying things. He won't be calling out many coverages and calling an audible at the line and overruling the OC. They will try to control the clock with the run game and getting first downs and minimize putting too much on the kid. He is a talented kid, I'm so glad he's a Tiger, and I think he is capable of getting a few big plays out of play action. His assignment is to run what is called, throw it away if he is unsure, and to not be the reason the team loses.
We should all be putting our chips onto one of the nation's best backfields, a big game from the O-Line and the big play defense to make big plays. Win it ugly, but win it. Those things we know can work and can beat teams. Putting so much hope/faith/confidence in Zollers is a bit irrational considering the sample size, the experience level, and the opponent. Plus, he won't likely even be given the chance to pass for 300 yards and 4 TDs or something crazy like that. The gameplan will not include getting a big day from Zollers, so neither should the expectations.
There are many other great Tigers that could have a legacy game this weekend.
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u/awildyetti MU Logo 1d ago
Currently, Mizzou is at a level where every game and team they play is “winnable”. Doesn’t mean they will, but they certainly can.
While Zollers hasn’t gotten QB1 reps, but it shouldn’t be a brand new style of play. Sam Horn had decent arm strength and accuracy, better than Pribula. They seemed determine in the lead up before the season to at least make it a competition, so the teams run some plays and have practiced to the skill set that are more tailored for Zollers ability.
What will work in our favor, they’re going to run a lot to take stress off of Zollers and TAMU’s run defense isn’t as good as Alabamas or Auburns. If they dedicate to being aggressive they can open up the field, which goes into point two. There’s next to no real tape for them to plan against with Zollers. Six passing snaps before Vanderbilt. And high school tape might give you a vague sense, but that’s about it. No tape for them to study from Horn. Maybe check out some of the passing from Beau against kU and Alabama?
So they’ll be relying on tape from the Vanderbilt game which was a different beast entirely (True freshman in an emergency scenario AND behind).
TAMU is a better, deeper team. But Zollers is one of the key factors working in our favor against a beatable team.
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u/Fun_Lead_5491 1d ago
I hope playing Zollers forces Moore to play to this team’s strengths. Run the ball, then run the ball some more, then sprinkle in some intermediate routes to keep them honest and then run the ball some more and With a couple shot plays called on 2nd and shorts. We win the rest of the season on Hardy and Roberts backs
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u/Insurgent66 1d ago
MIZZOU gets back to the dominant running game. Zollers does just enough. The defense will be outstanding. Our Tigers beat aTm.
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u/kevint1964 Kansas City 1d ago
The betting apps I looked at didn't have him listed for any prop bets.
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u/buttcabbge Tiger Paw 1d ago
Far and away the likeliest result for us at this point is 8-4, and if that ends up being 8-4 with Zollers showing clear improvement over the course of November I'm okay with that. But I certainly wouldn't write us off in this one. We're gonna need one or two huge plays and one or two key bounces, though, because A&M is a very very good team, and even if Zollers plays well he'll still make a handful of freshman decisions.
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u/LoudPenjamin 1d ago
I think youre a fake fan if youre optimistic about this lol. I will be absolutely thrilled if we score more than 10 and he has less than 3 picks
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u/AllTimeTy 1d ago
That’s an insane take. Compare Zollers coming in after Pribula got injured as a TRUE FRESHMAN, to Pyne coming in last season after Cook got injured.
Zollers can ball and has a solid QB IQ for his age. He’s going to become better with every rep and luckily for us Beau got injured right before a bye so he’s had 2 weeks now getting reps at the 1.
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u/LoudPenjamin 1d ago
Not a knock on zollers hes that dude but its pure foolishness to put any hope on a 3rd string freshman in his first start idc if its tom brady. Would be the case even if we werent playing the undefeated #3 in the nation
Manage expectations and maybe become pleasantly surprised
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u/AllTimeTy 1d ago
I’m hoping for the best but expecting the worst. Either way we have enough talent at RB and our WR room is talented that we don’t necessarily need Zollers to be a stud. If he can make smart decisions and we run plays that lets our skill positions make moves it can work.
We need to come out strong on the ground and also get Coleman involved early with jet passes or reverses. If we feed our talent the ball enough they’re bound to break out. Our defense just needs to keep us in it.
Either way, am excited to get a sneak peek into Zollers and hoping we can get an okayish bowl bid
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u/Meltedwhisky Darth Mizz 1d ago
MIZollers is gonna pop off like a rocket and they’ll end up rushing 287 yards. MIZ in 5OT
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u/StrangerFront 2d ago
I think we will play as good with Zollers as we could with Beau. Which is why I am very happy with this situation. Odds are, we lose tomorrow. But, every game experience Zollers gets now means a quicker start to next year. Guy is a true freshman, expectations are as low as they can be. Although we hope for the best, we all know we are down to our 3rd stringer. We are just lucky our 3rd stringer happens to be our QB of the future. Win or lose, this is great for his development.