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But ...

Mizzou’s Zion Young, who wasn’t even part of the play, got in the receiver’s face and was called for taunting.

Automatic first down.

The duality of the defense, right there.

Now ranked No. 16, Mizzou actually fared OK in the 27-24 loss to now-No. 6 Alabama, but mental mistakes and a lack of timely stops doomed the D. Yes, quarterback Beau Pribula’s subpar play — and the lack of runs by Ahmad Hardy — were primary reasons Mizzou’s not 6-0 right now. But the defense deserves a microscope, for better or worse (of which we saw both Saturday in Columbia).

“The first two drives were penalty-driven drives,” said the safety Carnell, whose teammate Marvin Burks Jr. was ejected on the second drive for targeting. “I mean, spotting the team 14 points ... giving them a lot of yards off penalties is just never really going to end well.”

Alas, it ended in a brutal three-point loss at home. But it wasn’t only the penalties. Mizzou’s defense didn’t rise up against the Tide on fourth downs. Bama was 3 for 3, including a fourth-quarter fourth-and-1 — a brilliant Ty Simpson pass and Jamarion Miller catch near the left sideline.

Heading into this game, from these newspaper pages to the radio airwaves to the online message boards, Mizzou’s secondary was discussed, sometimes with disgust. While the Tigers defense entered Saturday with elite stats (No. 2 in the land with 203.8 yards allowed), the secondary as a whole — holy moly — was holey. Quarterbacks from Kansas and South Carolina took advantage and made game-swaying plays. And here was Heisman candidate Simpson coming to town.

So credit where credit’s due: Mizzou’s secondary didn’t have any major breakdowns. Yes, on another fourth-and-1 — this one from the 1 — Simpson completed a touchdown pass and a couple of Missouri players were animated with each other on the field. But that’s a high-percentage play, regardless of the down.

“I feel like we did a pretty good job against the pass,” Carnell said. “(Simpson) had 200 passing yards. That’s his season low. I mean, he made big-time plays when they needed him. ... But overall, I feel like we did pretty decent against the pass.”

Mizzou is known for its defensive line — and even against the NFL prospects on Bama’s offensive line, the Tigers got a respectable amount of pressure on Simpson.

Much has been made about Young, who entered this season with hype on hype. He did commit another dumb penalty on that same first drive — a third-down offsides. But he also brought that X factor of his: his knack for causing fumbles (or scooping fumbles).

On the very first play of the third quarter, No. 9 in black and gold bulldozed from the left side, simultaneously sacking and stripping Simpson. Fellow defensive end Damon Wilson II recovered the football (incidentally, it was Alabama’s first lost fumble of the year). Mizzou had possession — immediately in the red zone. Three plays later, Pribula’s touchdown run tied it at 17-17, essentially resetting the game.

Oh, and how about Wilson — the man’s a menace! The former defensive end for Georgia is a Missouri bulldog — and he had arguably his best game against the best team Mizzou’s faced. The acclaimed statistics site Pro Football Focus gave him a 74.4 rating for the Bama game, which was fourth-highest on the defense and best of the defensive lineman. He now has 5.5 sacks for the season — tied for 10th in the nation.

And his first sack was particularly impactful.

In the second quarter, Mizzou was down 17-7. The Tigers got the ball ... and went three and out. A Bama score could’ve made the score insurmountable. But on third-and-4, Wilson penetrated the Tide line and sacked Simpson. Bama punted — and Mizzou responded with a field goal on its drive.

And really, on the afternoon, Wilson and the defense did a commendable job against Bama’s run offense. The visitors averaged just 2.8 yards per carry. And Simpson, not a running back, had the team’s longest run at 20 yards. So yeah, a lot to like about Missouri’s defense, even in a loss. But it was still a loss.

And Mizzou’s defense had trouble getting off the field. The time of possession was unbalanced. Bama even had a nine-minute drive late (which resulted in a field goal).

So you mix that with the early penalties, the spotted 14 points, the first-quarter ejection of a starter and troubles in big moments ... and like Mizzou as a team, the defense still has room for improvement.

Unfortunately, this was a prove-it game.