Mizzou Football Set to Host Kentucky for 109th Homecoming

MIZZOU FOOTBALL TO HOST KENTUCKY ON SATURDAY
OPPONENT LOCATION DAY TIME (CT) WATCH STATS
vs. Kentucky Columbia, Mo. Saturday, Oct. 24 3 PM SEC Network Stats

#NewZou Game Notes

Mizzou Looks to Build ofF Signature Win as it Welcomes KENTUCKY for 109th Homecoming

  • After an unexpected bye week due to COVID-19 concerns with Vanderbilt, Mizzou (1-2, 1-2 SEC) hopes to build off of an impressive 45-41 win over defending national champion and 17th-ranked LSU on Oct. 10, as it welcomes Kentucky (2-2, 2-2 SEC) to Memorial Stadium this Saturday (Oct. 24) for a 3 p.m. kick on SEC Network. The game will serve as the 109th Homecoming at Mizzou, which is the birthplace of Homecoming (more on that later). Saturday’s game was of course moved from Oct. 31 due to COVID-related issues with Vanderbilt (originally scheduled for Oct. 17) and Florida (originally scheduled for Oct. 24 in Gainesville).

Recapping Last TIME OUT

  • Mizzou Football knocked off No. 17/16 LSU in a wild shootout, 45-41, last time out (Oct. 10) at Memorial Stadium as head coach Eliah Drinkwitz secured his first victory at the school in dramatic fashion. Mizzou (1-2) used an epic goal-line stop at the 1-yard line to down the defending National Champions in the final seconds. In a game that was originally slated to be played in Baton Rouge, La., and moved to Columbia due to Hurricane Delta, Mizzou ripped off 586 total yards of offense, including 406 through the air in RS freshman QB Connor Bazelak’s second career start.
  • Keep in mind, Mizzou accomplished all of this with six players (five starters/key contributors) out because of COIVD contact tracing and injuries to two of its top four defensive tackles. The victory was a true test of the team’s character and will to win as it faced with plenty of adversity leading into the game.
  • Mizzou’s defense limited LSU to 49 total rushing yards as Mizzou overcame three turnovers to claim the heavyweight bout and beat a defending National Champion for the first time since edging No. 5 Notre Dame on Sept. 9, 1978, 3-0 in South Bend, Ind. Mizzou’s 45 points marked the most scored against LSU in regulation since Florida in 2008.
  • In its previous seven games against defending National Champions, Mizzou was 0-7 with an average margin of defeat at 42 points. It’s also worth noting that Mizzou had lost 27 straight games as a two-TD underdog before LSU. The last win as a 14-point dog was when Mizzou defeated No. 12 Oklahoma State, 51-50, in double OT in Stillwater during the 1997 season.
  • Mizzou senior RB Larry Rountree III ran for 119 yards on 18 attempts, becoming just the fourth Tiger ever to rush for 3,000 career yards, and just the third running back.
  • Bazelak was brilliant in his first start of the season, connecting on 29-of-34 passes for 406 yards and four touchdowns, doing so down three starting wideouts. He completed 15 consecutive passes at one point.
  • Junior RB Tyler Badie continued to be a dual threat for the Tigers in the backfield with two touchdowns on the day. He scored his first touchdown on a 29-yard run in the first quarter, and he hauled in a 21-yard reception for a score in the third quarter. Badie finished the day with 106 all-purpose yards.
  • WR Tauskie Dove had a career day, as he made his first career start and hauled in six catches for 83 yards vs. LSU, including his first career TD grab on a first-quarter flea-flicker for 58 yards.
  • Senior WR and former QB Micah Wilson also made his first career start and hauled in a touchdown as part of a two-catch, 45-yard day. His touchdown went for 41 yards in the third quarter.
  • True freshman K Harrison Mevis connected on six PATs and hit a 52-yard field goal, the longest ever by a Mizzou freshman. He is the only Mizzou freshman kicker ever to connect on his first five FG attempts. Amazingly, two of those five makes have come from 50+ yards.
  • Sophomore TE Niko Hea caught the go-ahead touchdown with 5:18 left in the fourth quarter to hand Mizzou the victory. Hea finished the day with 19 yards on two receptions.
  • Junior LB Nick Bolton was all over the field on defense, making a team-high 11 tackles and three pass break-ups.
  • Senior DE Tre Williams blocked a 45-yard field goal attempt.
  • RS sophomore DL Trajan Jeffcoat and sophomore LB Devin Nicholson each had a sack for Mizzou. Jeffcoat added a game-high four QB hurries as well.

Series vs. Kentucky

  • Mizzou trails the all-time series with Kentucky, 7-3, and the Wildcats have won the last five meetings dating back to the 2015 season, however three of those setbacks have been by eight points or fewer.
  • Mizzou won the first three meetings with UK when it joined the league, winning 33-10 in 2012, 48-17 in 2013 and 20-10 in 2014, winning a pair of SEC East titles in that span.
  • Since then, Kentucky has had Mizzou’s number, starting with a 21-13 win in Lexington in 2015.
  • The 2018 game was controlled by Mizzou for much of the contest until a Lynn Bowden Jr. punt return TD with 5:03 remaining got Kentucky back onto the game. TE C.J. Conrad then scored a 2-yard TD on an untimed down after a pass interference call extended the game as No. 12 Kentucky escaped with a 15-14 win.
  • Last season, on a rainy Saturday night in Lexington, Mizzou dropped a 29-7 decision to the Wildcats. Mizzou mustered just 289 yards of total offense in the game, as Kentucky opened a 22-0 lead and never looked back despite a Tyler Badie 74-yard TD reception in the third quarter.

Notable Feats from the LSU Win

  • The win marked the first time Mizzou defeated a ranked opponent since its 38-17 win at No. 13 Florida on Nov. 3, 2018.
  • The victory also snapped an eight-game losing streak to ranked opponents on Faurot Field, and was the Tigers first at home over a ranked foe since a 25-21 victory over No. 19 Texas A&M to claim the 2013 SEC East title.
  • The 45 points Mizzou scored on No. 17 LSU marked its most scored on a ranked opponent since defeating No. 20 Illinois, 52-42, on Aug. 30, 2008.
  • Mizzou’s offense gained an average of 8.62 yards per play (68 plays/586 yards) against the Bayou Bengals, Mizzou’s highest mark in a conference game since 1957.
  • The Mizzou offense snapped LSU’s 13-game record of stopping opponents from scoring on opening drives.
  • The last time LSU gave up 24 points in the first half to an unranked opponent was against Troy on Nov. 15, 2008, and the last time LSU gave up 24 points in the first half to any opponent was vs. No. 25 Ole Miss on Nov. 21, 2015.
  • The LSU game marked the first time Mizzou has scored 24 points in the first half against a ranked opponent since it scored 28 in the first half against No. 7 Georgia in 2013. Both games of course were huge wins for the program.
  • Other than LSU’s seven overtime thriller against Texas A&M in 2018, Mizzou is the first offense to score 45 points against LSU in regulation since Florida did so in 2008.
  • After holding LSU’s offense to just one rushing yard in the first half, Mizzou’s defense held the visiting Tigers to 49 rushing yards, LSU’s lowest since it recorded 12 rushing yards against No. 1 Alabama on Nov. 3, 2018.
  • Mizzou did not allow a single third-down conversion from LSU on 10 attempts.
  • Mizzou is now 10-10 all-time against the SEC West and it was Mizzou’s first-ever win over LSU in league play.

Let’s Go Back to that Epic Goal-Line Stand

  • In what was an offensive shootout for much of the game, it was Mizzou’s defense that made plays when it mattered most, four of which came as LSU needed just one yard to escape The Zou with a win.
  • The entire goal line sequence, as heralded as it was across the nation, would not have been possible without an unheralded play from senior DB Adam Sparks, a Louisiana native to boot, as he tackled LSU WR Terrace Marshall at the 1-yard line, keeping him out of the end zone and setting up the sequence.
  • First Down: A stout Mizzou front plugged the middle, allowing All-American LB Nick Bolton to come from the right side and SS Martez Manuel to collapse from the left, tackling LSU RB Ty Davis-Price for not gain.
  • Second Down: LSU snapped the ball quickly as time was moving against the visitors, and senior DT Markell Utsey blew up the line of scrimmage to allow the linebackers to get into the backfield to again stifle Davis-Price. LSU calls timeout with 22 second left.
  • Third Down: Mizzou finished with 10 pass break-ups as a team vs. LSU, three from its defensive star Bolton. Bolton’s biggest PBU came on third down as he came from the left side and batted down a swing pass into the flat to a wide-open Marshall. Big-time players make big-time plays, and Bolton’s play was one of those.
  • Fourth Down: With Marshall having a career day – 11 catches for 235 yards – everyone in the stadium knew the ball was likely headed in that direction on fourth down. LSU QB Myles Brennan rolled right and had his favorite target streaking to the pilon, appearing to be open, but senior S Joshuah Bledsoe jumped the route and got a hand on the pass, sealing the win. Again, big-time players make big-time plays, and Bledsoe did just that. Bledsoe played like a big-time player when matched against Marshall all game long. According to Pro Football Focus, when Bledsoe was covering Marshall for six targets, he had just three catches for 57 yards and a touchdown with a pair of PBUs, including the game-winner. All other Mizzou defenders on Marshall combined to allow eight catches for 179 yards and two TDs.
  • It’s worth noting that Mizzou’s goal line stand came exactly 30 years and four days after the notorious ‘Fifth Down’ game during which eventual National Champion Colorado was erroneously awarded a fifth down, winning the game with a 1-yard run as time expired.

Defense Makes Plays When it Matters

  • In what was an offensive shootout for much of the game, it was Mizzou’s defense that made plays when it mattered the most. Aside from limiting LSU to becoming a one-dimensional offense with just 49 yards rushing, Mizzou’s defense bowed up in key situations.
  • LSU scored 17 points off of three Mizzou turnovers, taking over deep in Mizzou territory (one on the MU 25 and another on the MU five). In fact, the last time Mizzou won a game with a multiple-turnover disadvantage was a 33-28 win over Vanderbilt on Nov. 10, 2018. In fact, Mizzou last won a game with a -3 turnover margin in the Comeback at Carolina, a 21-20 comeback win over South Carolina on Sept. 27, 2014, a victory that helped Mizzou claim its second of back-to-back SEC East championships. Mizzou had a -5 turnover margin that game.
  • It’s worth noting that after LSU scored the go-ahead touchdown to make the score 38-31 with 10:36 remaining in the third quarter, Mizzou actually played stout defense from that point on, allowing just three points over the final 25:36 of play. LSU had four possessions in that span, including the goal line stand, a punt and a blocked FG.

Coach Drink Gets First Win, Does So In Notable Fashion

  • Of course, the win over LSU marked the first for Eliah Drinkwitz as Mizzou head coach. He is now 13-3 in his career as a head coach, but most notably he became the first Mizzou coach to defeat a ranked opponent for his first career Mizzou win since Warren Powers defeated No. 5 Notre Dame, 3-0, on Sept, 9, 1978 in South Bend, Ind.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR MIZZOU

  • Following Mizzou’s huge win over LSU, several players earned national and conference awards. Below is a snapshot:
    • QB Connor Bazelak
      • SEC Freshman of the Week
      • Davey O’Brien National QB of the Week
      • Orange Bowl Player of the Week
      • Manning Award Star of the Week
      • Davey O’Brien Award Great Eight List
    • LB Nick Bolton
      • Bronko Nagurski National Player of the Week
    • WR Tauskie Dove
      • Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Honorable Mention Player of the Week

MIZZOU POSTS HIGHEST YARDS PER PLAY IN LEAGUE GAME SINCE 1957 IN WIN OVER LSU

  • Mizzou’s offense was arguably the best its ever been in an SEC game last time out vs. LSU. In fact, when looking at one stat in particular, it’s easy to see why – Mizzou averaged 8.62 yards per play vs. the defending National Champions. Dating back to 1957, that is Mizzou’s best mark ever in a conference game.
  1. vs. LSU (2020) – 8.62 yards per play
  2. vs. Kansas State (2009) – 8.49 yards per play
  3. vs. Kansas (1969) – 8.45 yards per play

A Historic Performance for Bazelak

  • It’s important to note that the LSU win featured a redshirt freshman quarterback making his second career start and first of the season guiding Mizzou’s dominant offense. Connor Bazelak, who had shined in backup duty in Mizzou’s first two games, got the start for Coach Drinkwitz last Saturday and shined against the defending national champions.
  • In his second career start, Bazelak engineered an unbelievable day for the Mizzou offense. At 85.3 percent (29-of-34), Bazelak posted Mizzou’s best-ever completion percentage against a ranked opponent or FBS opponent, a mark that is also a Mizzou freshman record. The only performance better than Bazelak’s was Chase Daniel’s 94.1 completion percentage against Southeast Missouri during his senior season in 2008.
  • Bazelak’s passer rating of 242.4 was the sixth-best mark in program history, with the other five coming against SEMO, Iowa State, Missouri State, Nevada and Idaho, as it was the best-ever rating against a ranked team for a Mizzou QB. The previous best rating by a Mizzou QB in an SEC game was Drew Lock’s 210.3 at Florida in 2018.
  • The redshirt freshman passed for 406 yards and four touchdowns – the first Mizzou freshman to pass for four touchdowns in a game since Maty Mauk against Kentucky in 2013 – and the 14th-most passing yards by a QB ever.
  • Only six Mizzou QBs have ever thrown for more yards than Bazelak did Saturday – keep in mind it was his second career start.
  • He led the offense to 586 total yards, including 406 through the air, and at one point completed 15 consecutive passes, the longest such streak since Chase Daniel had 20 straight against Buffalo in 2008  – Bazelak’s streak ended on a ball he had to throw away after being flushed from the pocket.
  • Bazelak is the only SEC QB since the turn of the century to have 400 yards, 4 TDs, 85% completion pct. and 0 INTs in a game. Only two other QBs have accomplished a similar stat line against a Power-5 opponent over the same time frame – Geno Smith and Philip Rivers.
  • Keep in mind, he did all of this with Mizzou’s top two WRs and three of the group’s top five out of the lineup due to COVID-related issues.
  • Bazelak won the following awards following Mizzou’s win over LSU:
    • SEC Freshman of the Week
    • Davey O’Brien National QB of the Week
    • Orange Bowl Player of the Week
    • Manning Award Start of the Week
    • Davey O’Brien Award Great Eight List

MIZZOU IS THE HOMECOMING BIRTHPLACE

  • Mizzou, which is the birthplace of Homecoming, is 62-40-5 all-time in Homecoming games. Legend says that the Homecoming tradition got its start at the University of Missouri in 1911, thanks to the vision and efforts of Chester L. Brewer, Mizzou’s Director of Athletics at the time. Although Illinois staged a similar celebration in 1910, Missouri claims its 1911 effort as one of the first formal Homecoming celebrations surrounding a football game. That year, the Missouri-Kansas game was to be played on a college campus for the first time ever. Previously, the game had been played in either Kansas City or St. Joseph, Mo.
  • Brewer wanted to add some spice to the season-ending game in Columbia, so he issued a plea to Mizzou alumni and especially to former Tiger football players to “Come Home” for the game. They did just that, with a record crowd of 9,000 overflowing old Rollins Field.
  • With four minutes to play, and Mizzou trailing by three, Tiger captain Glen Shuck booted a tying field goal from a difficult angle. Then, little Billy Blees caught a rampaging KU fullback in the open field in the final seconds to preserve the tie, and was carried off the field a hero. Hence, “Homecoming” was born.
  • Mizzou has won 13 of its last 18 Homecoming games, including a landmark 36-27 win over BCS No. 1-ranked Oklahoma in 2010 (36-27). The Tigers also got their first-ever SEC win in the 2012 Homecoming tilt against Kentucky (a 33-10 Tiger victory). Mizzou won last year’s Homecoming game, defeating Ole Miss, 38-27, to cap a five-game winning streak at the time.

Rountree Ranks Among Program’s All-Time Greats

  • Mizzou senior RB Larry Rountree III ran for 119 yards on 18 attempts vs. LSU, becoming just the fourth Tiger ever to rush for 3,000 career yards, and just the third running back.
  • Rountree passed Tiger legend Devin West to move into fourth place on Mizzou’s all-time rushing list as he now has 3,018 yards on 587 career carries (5.14 average). He needs eight yards this Saturday to catch another Tiger legend, Brock Olivo whose number is retired at Mizzou. He sits just 180 yards shy of the all-time rushing record by a Mizzou tailback. That record is currently held by Zack Abron (3,198 yards from 2000-03).
  • He has an outside shot at catching transcendent QB Brad Smith who is the school’s all-time leading rusher with 4,289 career yards. Rountree is 1,280 yards back of that mark. Below is a look:
Rank Player (Years) Yards Total Carries
1. Brad Smith, QB (2002-05) 4,289 799
2. Zack Abron, RB (2000-03) 3,198 692
3. Brock Olivo, RB (1994-97) 3,026 686
4. Larry Rountree III, RB (2017-20) 3,018 587
5. Devin West, RB (1995-98) 2,954 597

The LSU game marked Rountree’s 10th career 100-yard rushing game and first of the season. He is one of six Tigers to record 10+ games of 100 or more rushing yards, joining Brad Smith (18), Zack Abron (11), Henry Josey (11), Joe Moore (11) and Devin West (11).
Rountree III tallied his 27th career rushing touchdown at Tennessee three weeks ago. That moved him into a tie for seventh place all-time at Mizzou, matching Brock Olivo (1994-97). He ended the game with 84 tough yards on 18 attempts (4.7 per carry). Below is a look at where Rountree ranks on Mizzou’s all-time rushing TD list (running backs unless otherwise denoted):

Rank Player (Years) Rushing TDs
1. Brad Smith, QB (2002-05) 45
2. Zack Abron, RB (2000-03) 40
3. Corby Jones, QB (1995-98) 38
4. Henry Josey, RB (2010-13) 30
T5. Devin West, RB (1995-98) 28
T5. Derrick Washington, RB (2007-09) 28
T7. Larry Rountree III, RB (2017-20) 27
T7. Brock Olivo, RB (1994-97) 27
  • Rountree is averaging 0.659 touchdowns per game in his career. Should he average that mark for the final seven games this season, he would finish with 31 career rushing TDs, which would be fourth-most in Mizzou history and second-most among Mizzou running backs.
  • Additionally, Rountree now has 16 runs of 25+ yards in his career, tied for the third-most in school history. He also has 21 rushes of 20+ yards, fifth-most in Mizzou history. Below is a look:
Rank Player (Years) Rushes of 25+
1. Brad Smith, QB (2002-05) 35
2. Henry Josey, RB (2010-13) 20
T3. Larry Rountree III, RB (2017-20) 16
T3. Tony Temple, RB (2004-07) 16
Rank Player (Years) Rushes of 20+
1. Brad Smith, QB (2002-05) 50
2. Tony Temple, RB (2004-07) 30
3. Henry Josey, RB (2010-13) 27
4. Corby Jones, QB (1995-98) 24
5. Larry Rountree III, RB (2017-20) 21

Tigers Have a Budding Young Star at Kicker

  • We would be remiss if we didn’t mention true freshman kicker Harrison Mevis as the Tigers get ready to take on Kentucky this weekend. A native of Warsaw, Ind., Mevis was the No. 2-ranked kicker nationally coming out of Warsaw Community High School by Kohl’s Kicking. He has lived up to those expectations early in his young career, connecting on five of his six field goal attempts this season, with his only miss coming from 56 yards.
  • He is the first Mizzou kicker ever to connect on his first five field goals as a collegiate kicker, and he did so in incredible fashion, hitting a pair from 50+ yards. His 52-yard field goal vs. LSU marks the longest by a Mizzou freshman in program history.
  • He is also the first Mizzou freshman to make a 50+ yard FG since Jeff Jacke in 1988.

BOLTON TACKLING AT HISTORIC PACE

  • Entering week five of the season, Mizzou junior All-SEC LB Nick Bolton once again finds himself ranked among the national elite in tackles. After posting 11 more tackles and three pass break-ups vs. LSU, Bolton sits tied for seventh nationally with 36 tackles while his 12.0 tackles/game is tied for the lead nationally (players who have played multiple games) with Arkansas’ Jalen Catalon.
  • Since Oct. 12, 2019, after Mizzou senior captain LB Cale Garrett went down with a season-ending injury, Bolton has tallied 107 tackles over the last 10 games (10.7 per-game average). His 10.7 tackle per-game average puts him on pace for 111 tackles over the 10-game, shortened 2020 season.
  • The last Tiger to average better than 10.7 tackles per game over a nine-game span was LB Kentrell Brothers during his All-American 2015 season when he led the nation with 152 tackles. Brothers averaged 13.0 tackles per game in the first nine games of the 2015 season.
  • Bolton’s 17 tackles at Tennessee are tied for the second-most at Mizzou since the turn of the century and are the most since a 20-takcle performance by LB Sean Weatherspoon against Buffalo on Sept. 20, 2008.

TIGERS MAY HAVE THE SEC’S BEST TRIO OF SAFETIES

  • One of the strongest position groups for the Tigers on this year’s defense is the safety position. Mizzou’s two elder statesmen on the back end of the defense – FS Joshuah Bledsoe and boundary safety Tyree Gillespie – are long-known as being one of the nation’s elite safety tandems. But, after week the first three weeks of play, we also need to highlight SS Martez Manuel into the conversation.
  • Manuel – whose SS spot is a hybrid linebacker/safety position as part of Mizzou’s five-DB scheme – is currently third on the team with 22 tackles and leads the team with his 3.5 tackles for loss.
  • The trio was disruptive all over the field vs. No. 2 Alabama, combining for 18 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two PBUs.
  • They again shined last time out against LSU, posting a combined 16 tackles and two pass breakups, one of which was Bledsoe’s to end the game.
  • Through three games, they rank third (Manuel with 22), fourth (Gillespie with 17) and fifth (Bledsoe with 16) on the team in total tackles. They have combined for 54 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and three pass breakups through the season’s first three games.
  • Coached by defensive coordinator Ryan Walters, a rising young star in the coaching profession who landed at No. 8 on The Athletic’s Assistant Coaches to Watch list over the summer, Mizzou’s safeties are a proven commodity in the SEC.
  • Gillespie was tabbed a 2020 second-team All-SEC pick during the preseason by the league’s coaches after posting 50 tackles over 12 games last year, including 4.0 tackles for loss, one sack and seven pass breakups.
  • Bledsoe, who made the jersey change from #18 to #1 this season, finished 2019 ranked third on the team with 49 tackles (35 solo) with 4.0 tackles for loss. He added a team-high 10 pass breakups with a fumble recovery and also forced fumble. His 49 tackles were a new single-season career-high and he became the first Mizzou safety in more than a decade to post 10+ pass breakups in a single season and just the eighth Mizzou defender to do so since 2009.

A QUICK LOOK AT MIZZOU’S FIRST-YEAR BENCH BOSS

  • A winner at every stage of his coaching career, Eliah Drinkwitz – considered one of college football’s top offensive minds – was named the 33rd head football coach at the University of Missouri in December 2019.  Drinkwitz took over at Mizzou following an impressive 2019 season at Appalachian State, where he led the 20th-ranked Mountaineers to a 12-1 record and a Sun Belt Conference championship (Drinkwitz did not coach the bowl game, the team’s 13th win, as he had already accepted the Mizzou job).
  • Drinkwitz’s offensive acumen has been a key element in his teams winning five conference championships while compiling a perfect 8-0 bowl game record in 10 seasons at the FBS level.  The combined record of his teams from 2010-19 is 99-36 overall (73.3%), including a 58-24 conference mark (70.7%). Drinkwitz also serves as the program’s offensive coordinator.
  • The 2019 season saw Drinkwitz turn in one of the most impressive FBS head coaching debut seasons ever. His Mountaineers set a Sun Belt record with their 13 wins, and also set the mark for the best regular season in conference history (11-1).  They claimed the Sun Belt championship with a 45-38 win against Louisiana on Dec. 7.
  • Prior to App State, Drinkwitz spent three years as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for record-setting North Carolina State teams (2016-18), after excelling in a similar role at Boise State for two years (2014-15), where the Broncos won the 2014 Mountain West title and finished 12-2 and ranked 16th nationally. In 2015, Drinkwitz was promoted to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, and he helped the Bronco offense rank in the Top 15 nationally in points (39.1) and yards (501.3) per game.
  • In his five seasons as an offensive coordinator, Drinkwitz has produced five 1,000-yard rushers, four 3,000-yard passers and four 1,000-yard receivers. Three of those years (2015, 2017, 2018) his offenses produced at least one in each category.

Drinkwitz’s Coaching Awards

Advertisement

  • 2019 Eddie Robinson Award Finalist
  • 2019 North Carolina Coach of the Year (North State Journal)
  • 2018 Broyles Award Nominee

BAZELAK ACCOMPLISHES RARE FEAT VS. LSU

  • In Mizzou’s win over LSU, RS freshman QB Connor Bazelak threw for four TDs, three of which came in the second half. He became the sixth Mizzou QB to ever throw for three second-half TDs, and first since Drew Lock did so against Wyoming in 2018. He and Lock are the only two Mizzou QBs to do so in a league game. Below is a look:
    • 2020 – Connor Bazelak vs. LSU
    • 2018 – Drew Lock vs. Wyoming
    • 2017 – Drew Lock vs. Tennessee
    • 2011 – James Franklin vs. Baylor
    • 2008 – Chase Daniel vs. Kansas
    • 2001 – Kirk Farmer vs. Oklahoma State
    • 1993 – Brian Sallee vs. Kansas State

TOUCHBACK MASTER

  • Mizzou RS JR K Sean Koetting has mastered the art of the touchback since taking over kickoff duties last season.
  • In his career, Koetting has posted 16 touchbacks in 17 attempts, including 15 of 16 through three games this season.

SPREADING THE WEALTH

  • RS freshman QB Connor Bazelak’s historic performance against LSU wasn’t a solo effort, as the Tiger QB spread the ball around the field with eight different pass catchers, including five who totaled three or more receptions
  • In the victory, three WRs – Boo Smith, Micah Wilson and Chance Luper – recorded their first career receptions and three – Wilson, Tauskie Dove and Niko Hea – recorded their first career TD receptions.
  • Making his first career start, Dove recorded a career day catching the football, as he pulled in six receptions for 83 yards and a score.
  • Smith also made the most of his playing time, as the walk-on posted a team-high six catches for 54 yards.
  • As a reminder, heading into the LSU game, Mizzou was missing three of its top wide receivers – senior WR Keke Chism, senior WR Damon Hazelton and junior WR Dominic Gicinto, all who ranked in the top-four on the team in receptions heading into the contest.

BADIE A STAR IN THE PASSING GAME, TOO

  • One of Bazelak’s aforementioned second-half passing TDs against LSU came on a 21-yard catch-and-run to RB Tyler Badie. Dating back to last season, Badie has emerged as a threat in the passing game. In fact, he has caught five of Mizzou’s last eight TD receptions, and six of the last 10. Here is a look:
    • vs. LSU – Bazelak to Niko Hea for 5
    • vs. LSU – Bazelak to Badie for 21
    • vs. LSU – Bazelak to Micah Wilson for 41
    • vs. Alabama – S. Robinson to Badie for 54
    • at Arkansas – T. Powell to Jonathan Nance for 10
    • vs. Tennessee (2019) – M. Wilson to Badie for 15
    • vs. Tennessee (2019) – K. Bryant to Badie for 7
    • at Kentucky (2019) – K. Bryant to Badie for 74
  • On his last five scores, Badie has taken it to the house from all parts of the field, averaging 34.2 yards per score as he continued to be dynamic with the ball in his hands.
Advertisement
Wood & Huston