Since joining the SEC, Missouri has developed a reputation for defense, primarily through the development of defensive line talent under position coach Craig Kuligowski. New head coach Barry Odom has brought in his own set of coaches, including defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross and defensive line coach Jackie Shipp, and with them come significant change. Missouri fans who've come to celebrate a tradition of "D-Line-Zou" will still see an emphasis on punishing defense, but it will look a little different as Odom installs his system.
Odom inherited the personnel of former defensive coordinator Dave Steckel's effective, relatively vanilla 4-3 defense and molded it into a more aggressive unit with multiple fronts.