Missourian Football Beat 2017

Preserving memories A look at the 2017 Missouri football season through the eyes of the Columbia Missourian writers

By Peter Baugh, Tyler Kraft, Anne Rogers and Brooks Holton

Head coach: Barry Odom Athletic director: Jim Sterk Overall record: 7-6

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Table of Contents Tyler Kraft ……………………………. 4 Brooks Holton ……………………………. 72 Anne Rogers ……………………………. 108 Peter Baugh ……………………………. 199 Joint Efforts ……………………………. 303

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Tyler Kraft CLASS: Junior HOMETOWN: Denver, Colorado POSITION: Missouri football beat writer PREVIOUS MISSOURIAN BEATS: Missouri wrestling, Hickman athletics

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Prewett brings versatility to Missouri defense Aug. 7 For the first time since he was 5 years old, Kaleb Prewett wasn't playing football.

The safety transferred to Missouri after a 2015 season in which he racked up 49 tackles and one sack at Kansas State. However, because of NCAA transfer restrictions, his move forced him to sit out the entire 2016 season. He couldn't even don a Tigers jersey while watching his teammates from the sidelines.

"It was terrible," Prewett said. "Just sitting out and watching all my brothers play, it killed me."

Eight months later, the rising redshirt junior is raring to step onto Faurot Field for the first time as an official Missouri Tiger. However, the role he will play is different than the one he expected when he first arrived in Columbia.

After originally remaining practicing as a safety with Missouri and playing as the nickel back in Missouri’s spring game, Prewett was approached by outside linebackers coach Brian Odom about making the transition to outside linebacker.

"He said I get to blitz, and I wasn’t blitzing much at free safety," Prewett said. "Now I’m around the line of scrimmage, and I feel comfortable."

Now, Prewett is listed as a starting linebacker for the 2017 Tigers, taking over the spot vacated by Donavin Newsom. But he will not be a traditional linebacker, in that he will focus on stopping the run and come out of games during passing situations. A more accurate position listing can be found in Prewett's Twitter bio, where he describes himself as Missouri’s "Swiss Army Knife."

"Kaleb fits the prototype of what we want as far as his skills in the cover game and how physical he is in the run game," Odom said. "If you can find that guy you trust in coverage and (who) is physical enough to play in the run game, you’ve got something to build on."

The versatility Prewett brings means he will play many roles by the time Missouri kicks off on Sept. 2 against Missouri State. He expects to play as the team's strongside linebacker, nickel back and dime back, leaving him little time to come to the sidelines for a rest. Not that any of that bothers Prewett.

"I hate coming off the field," Prewett said. "I have the opportunity to play all three, so I'm just ready to get going."

Prewett’s versatility doesn't come without a cost. He is listed at only 210 pounds — 30 pounds lighter than his predecessor, Newsom — and is the smallest player in Missouri's starting front seven.

To make up for his lack of size, Prewett has focused on utilizing his speed to evade blockers and still level the powerful hits expected from linebackers.

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"I try to stay away from letting big guys come into me," Prewett said. "I just use my speed and get there quicker so I don’t have that problem."

His fellow starters aren't worried about whether or not Prewett will be able to perform the roles associated with being a linebacker. Linebacker Eric Beisel only cares about winning football games, something he thinks will be easier to accomplish if Prewett is on the field.

"He’s willing to do whatever it takes to win," Beisel said. "We want winners out there. … He’s proven himself over the summer, and we expect him to make a lot of big plays for us."

Despite battling an ongoing hip-flexor problem that has plagued him since the beginning of camp, Prewett remains optimistic that he will be ready to go for the start of the season. After waiting longer than he ever has to play football again, Prewett doesn't want to spend any more time on the sidelines.

"Now, I have an opportunity to play," Prewett said, "so I’m just ready to get out there and get going."

Witter again ready to do whatever it takes to help MU Aug. 9 When a pass rusher breaks into the Missouri backfield and sees running back Ish Witter, only two outcomes are possible.

The first is predictable: The running back, who is generously listed at 5-foot-10 on Missouri’s official site, gets slammed to the ground by the bigger player. Or, the diminutive back dishes out a hit of his own, one that has Missouri coaches and players alike taking notice because of its power and proficiency in stopping the defender in his tracks.

"I think for the guys that haven't been around a lot, it's probably an eye-opener with some of the hits Ish has put on in this camp," offensive lineman Alec Abeln said. "Ish has more than proven himself physical.

That dude loves to hit people ... . He's either getting crushed or blowing somebody up."

Running backs the size of Witter aren't usually known for being able to deliver powerful hits and blocks.

They usually take on the role of a receiving back — think the Eagles' Darren Sproles — and stay as far away from oncoming rushers as possible.

That has never been the case for Witter, who has been thrust into roles often designated for running backs 30 pounds heavier and legitimately standing around 6 feet tall his entire career at Missouri.

During Witter's sophomore season, senior running back Russell Hansbrough went down in the first quarter of Missouri's first game with an ankle sprain. While the team expected Hansbrough to recover after a little time off, he was never the same when he returned, only rushing for 436 yards and one touchdown for the rest of the year.

Hansbrough's limited capacity meant Witter would be taking over Missouri's feature running back duties.

That meant few plays off and needing to be able to do everything. He could no longer be placed in situations that played to his particular skill set.

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"It was rough," Witter said. "The rushing wasn't that good that year, and it was something that hurt us pretty bad."

Witter only managed 518 rushing yards and one touchdown during the 2015 season as a part of one of the country's worst offenses.

"It was a rough season, so it’s kind of hard looking back on it," Witter said. "But coming into the next season, we did pretty good in the rushing (game), so that upped our level a little bit."

Witter's junior season was more balanced than the year before. Combined with healthy freshman Damarea Crockett, Witter was able to rush for 750 yards and six touchdowns in Josh Heupel's new fastpaced offense. The success gave Witter his confidence back and set his expectations high heading into his senior season.

"It was a great feeling," Witter said. "We're looking forward to doing that every week this year."

Along with his improvement in running, Witter found himself being the best pass blocker out of all of Missouri’s running backs. He often stayed in the backfield in passing situations, protecting quarterback Drew Lock in case any defender was able to slip through the cracks.

"It’s nice to have a sixth man back there that can block for the quarterback so he can get the ball out," Witter said. "I take a lot of pride in that."

His commitment to keeping his quarterback upright has not gone unnoticed by Lock, who appreciates any extra seconds his running backs can buy him.

"They do an amazing job of stepping up there and sticking their nose in it," Lock said. "We have compete grades every single day, and for running backs, a big thing in their compete grades is stepping up and taking guys on … . Ish and Damarea do a great job of that."

Lock and the Missouri offense will depend on the likes of Witter to continue to have the success the Tigers had a year ago. As for Witter, he will do whatever is asked of him, whether it is scoring touchdowns or continuing to deliver blocks that catch defenders by surprise.

"Anything they need me to do," Witter said. "If that’s blocking, catching the ball, running the ball, anything to help this offense out, help the team out. We're trying to get to a good place, and as long as everybody's doing what they need to do, we'll be fine."

Lineman Howell uses new diet to become a more consistent player Aug. 11 Tyler Howell is a big guy, even by offensive linemen standards.

Missouri's starting left tackle is the tallest member of the Tigers offensive line, standing at 6-foot-8, while weighing in at 330 pounds, second-most among starters behind Kevin Pendleton.

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Howell's large frame must be fueled by something to keep it upright and functional through fall camp. But the lineman doesn't load up on carbs or snack on steaks. Instead, he sticks to carrots.

"It definitely gives me more energy to keep playing at a high level all throughout practice," Howell said, "not like crashing or starting off high and crashing at the end, but getting you all the way through the hump of practice."

Besides carrots, Howell fills his stomach with "lots of green stuff" and makes sure to clear it all off his plate before he leaves the cafeteria. The diet has allowed Howell to focus on his game for longer periods at practice instead of wondering when the next break will come around.

"Trying to (home) in on all the little details that I didn't get a hold on last year," Howell said, "really just taking advantage of every opportunity to make my game better."

This comes after a season in which Howell feels he "played like trash." His recommitment to his craft has caught the eyes of his coaches, who feel he will be a massively improved player when Missouri’s first game kicks off.

"He's really focused on his body and just getting stronger, being able to bend," offensive line coach Glen Elarbee said on Aug. 3. "I think he’s gotten a lot better with his hands and just general knowledge of the game. Out there, there were a lot of times where he just knew what Tyler did, and now he knows what everybody does."

Lock becoming more vocal with experience During his first two seasons, Drew Lock wasn’t always sure where his receivers were going.

While he knew which route each would run, each took a different variation on how far to go and when to break. Heading into his third season, Lock is becoming more vocal with his receivers on what he wants each route to look like for all of them.

"This summer is when I started really getting vocal with how I want routes run," Lock said. "Knowing our offense well enough to know where they should break, how many big steps, small steps they take on a route."

Lock is now in his second year with offensive coordinator Josh Heupel's offense and believes he knows the offense well enough to know when he makes a mistake versus when a receiver doesn’t end up where he should be.

"I can’t go out there and be 50-50 on if I'm right," Lock said. "I'll say something, or I might not be right, so I'll back off and not say anything. I pretty much got to the point where I knew this job in and out and I could go out there and be vocal."

Brandon cleared to practice Junior college transfer defensive lineman Rashad Brandon, who had been held out of fall practices due to academic eligibility issues, was cleared to join the team by the NCAA, Missouri athletics announced Saturday.

Brandon adds depth to a defensive line that is still without Nate Howard, who was suspended indefinitely following his arrest on drug possession charges, and junior college transfer Malik Young, who is still waiting to be cleared by the NCAA. Injury report The majority of Missouri's tight ends were in no-contact jerseys on Friday, as Albert Okwuegbunam nursed a sore hamstring and Logan Christopherson was limited with a sprained ankle. Jason Reese was

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held out of practice entirely with back spasms.

Defensive lineman A.J. Logan remained sidelined because of concussion protocol, while wide receiver Justin Smith is still being held out because of a swollen knee, which was drained on Thursday. Both, along with defensive lineman Markell Utsey, will be held out of Saturday's scrimmage.

Sherrils finds comfort as Missouri returns to old scheme Aug. 14 In 2016, Anthony Sherrils was often in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The safety, who amassed 64 tackles his sophomore season, seemed to have lost his sense of direction when he stepped onto the field his junior year. He was often the culprit of bad angles to the ball and missed tackles.

"I wouldn't say tackling was an issue," Sherrils said. "I would say being in the right spot when you needed to be there was. Cause if you're out of position, the offense has a step on you, and you’re in a weird angle, weird position."

As a result, in what could have been a breakout year for Sherrils, he only recorded 53 tackles. That's the same amount as former linebacker Michael Scherer, who played five fewer games than Sherrils.

Sherrils was not the only defensive player who struggled last season, as Missouri regressed from one of the nation's top defensive units in 2015 to one of the worst in 2016. To restore the proficiency it played with two years ago, Missouri is readopting the scheme that allowed players such as Sherrils to thrive.

"It's just like natural out there," Sherrils said about the transition back. "It's all scheme. If you're in the right spot and your keys are right, then you're going to make the play."

As Sherrils comfort level with the defensive scheme has risen, so has his spot on the depth chart. He is currently listed as Missouri's starting strong safety, a spot he ended up sharing with Cam Hilton last season.

Sherrils' knowledge of Missouri's defense also will allow him to play roles besides his usual position. He expects to find himself closer to the line of scrimmage when Missouri uses its dime package in passing situations.

The added roles would not have been possible if the Tigers did not return to what Sherrils knows well.

Now that he is back in his comfort zone, coaches expect the season that never appeared a year ago.

"I think he's not worrying about anything else other than doing his job and doing it the best he can," defensive backs coach Ryan Walters said. "When he's focused and his eyes are right and his technique is good, he’s a pretty special player."

Scrimmage recap

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Missouri held its first fall scrimmage on Saturday, allowing coaches to assess the team's progression since the start of fall camp.

Coach Barry Odom reported that the team was able to come out of the 160 scheduled snaps with no major injuries. Players who he said caught his eye were quarterback Drew Lock, defensive lineman Terry Beckner Jr., linebacker Cale Garrett and running backs Nate Strong and Larry Rountree III. Dubinski gets scholarship Former Rock Bridge center Jonah Dubinski is now on a scholarship. The redshirt sophomore was awarded the scholarship "a couple weeks ago," Odom said.

Dubinski is expected to start Missouri’s first game against Missouri State at center.

Brandon arrives on campus Junior college transfer Rashad Brandon took part in his first practice since officially joining the team after being cleared by the NCAA. While Brandon practiced with Missouri in the spring, he missed the first part of fall camp because of academic eligibility issues.

Byers' long road to college football brings him to MU Aug. 16 On the morning of Feb. 1, eight high school football players sat around tables in Fayetteville High School’s Bulldog Arena.

Each table was decked out in memorabilia from each student's college choice. Pens in hand, they signed their national letters of intent to play collegiate sports.

One was staying in town to play offensive line for Arkansas. The Coulter twins were heading 117 miles southwest to Russellville, where they would both play as defensive backs for Arkansas Tech. The majority were going to the schools they had verbally committed to in the weeks and months prior to National Signing Day. Then there was Akial Byers.

Byers was arguably the most talented player in the group, a four-star prospect according to both 247Sports and ESPN. Just a month earlier, he had participated in the Under Armour All-America Game, which showcases the nation’s top 100 players.

It wasn't until after Byers’ sophomore year that college recruiters and national scouts started noticing him. Up until that point, Byers was still dabbling in other sports.

"I wasn’t really committed to football," Byers said. "I was still playing basketball and track and that stuff.

After my sophomore year, I really started focusing and tuning into football. After that, offers started rolling in."

Byers was already a big kid by any standards, weighing somewhere between 250 and 260 pounds his sophomore year. When he turned his focus completely to football, he turned into a 6-foot-4, 275-pound mammoth his junior year and helped lead the Bulldogs to an Arkansas 7A state championship.

It was during this season that Billy Napier, the wide receivers coach at Alabama at the time and one of the nation’s top recruiters, offered Byers a scholarship to play for the Crimson Tide.

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Napier convinced Byers he could become a dominant defensive lineman if he chose Alabama, and when the Crimson Tide defeated Clemson in the 2016 National Championship, the offer became too much to pass up. Byers committed to play for Nick Saban on July 17, 2016.

As Byers entered his senior season, he had one more hurdle to clear before he could head to Tuscaloosa.

While his accolades on the field were far above average, his scores in the classroom were not enough for the university to accept him.

Byers took the ACT multiple times as signing day approached, each time receiving a notice that his score was not enough to gain admission to Alabama. On the eve of National Signing Day, Byers ran out of time.

"I kept retaking it and retaking it until I got it, and then on signing day, they had signed everybody they could," Byers said. "I didn’t have nowhere to go."

With just hours to go before he expected to sign his letter of intent, Alabama yanked Byers' 2017 offer. The prized recruit, suddenly with his future in doubt, refused to let the situation bring him down.

"I was just like, 'Move on,'" Byers said. "I wasn’t going to let nothing bring me down because I still knew I had the potential I have even if I was going there or going anywhere else."

With a picture of Byers and Saban standing together still decorating his table, Byers signed his letter to play for Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. His plan was to stay at MGCCC for a semester, get his grades up and then transfer to Alabama.

While Byers tried to figure out a way to regain the future he was once promised, his quarterback saw an opportunity.

Taylor Powell sat a few seats away from Byers as he signed his letter of intent. Powell had recently flipped from the school he originally planned on, switching from Wake Forest to Missouri. When he heard his teammate since seventh grade was in search for a new school, Powell immediately made the call to Columbia.

"As soon as he became available, I contacted the coaches and asked if we had an extra scholarship available, and they said, 'Yeah,'" Powell said. "They wanted a D-lineman, so I got him up here."

Powell's recommendation was transferred to new defensive line coach Brick Haley, who joined the Tigers in December. For a coach who was in charge of fixing a defensive line that crumbled during the last season, a high-profile recruit was a godsend.

Haley reached out to Byers immediately. The two didn't talk very much about football, instead focusing on Byers himself and his similarities to Haley.

"I think we have a lot in common," Haley said, "where he’s come from, his upbringing, those type of things. ... So we can relate to each other on lots of different levels."

When combined with Haley's résumé as both a high profile collegiate coach and an NFL coach, Byers decided his future was as a Tiger.

"His past explains it all," Byers said. "He’s a good coach. I feel like he can change 'D-Line Zou' and we can win a national championship with him and all the other guys we have."

Byers committed to Missouri in April. He has since arrived and made a strong impression on coaches and teammates during camp. While his hands and quickness set him apart in the eyes of Haley, the biggest difference between Byers now and the recruit that was committed to go to Alabama is in his head. He holds onto the Alabama offer for fuel and knows that he cannot just have physical talent to play at the level he wants to at MU.

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"He’s always had the size and strength and natural talent," Powell said. "I think he’s become mental and he’s become a hard worker. He wants to be good, wants to be coached. I feel like that’s what got him to this point."

Downing goes from overlooked recruit to having a chance to play Aug. 24 Dawson Downing wanted more.

He was a senior at Bishop Miege High School in Mission, Kansas, and had just wrapped up a senior season in which he rushed for 1,904 yards and 42 touchdowns en route to a 4A state title. The year before, he ran to a similar tune, carving up defenses for 1,955 yards and 31 touchdowns, winning the state championship along the way.

Yet, nobody cared. More accurately, nobody that Downing wanted to care was interested in the 6-foot, 205-pound, zero-star recruit.

So, Downing looked at schools that were interested in him, one of which was Northwest Missouri State, a Division II powerhouse. But Downing wanted more.

“I looked at them,” Downing said. “But I wanted to play at the Division I level and in an SEC program.”

Without a scholarship in hand, Downing drove 139 miles east to Columbia, Missouri, to walk on to the Missouri football team.

Missouri already had multiple running backs on scholarship, including Ish Witter, as well as two fellow class of 2016 signees in Damarea Crockett and Nate Strong. Right from the start, Downing knew it would be an uphill battle to see playing time at his preferred position.

“Freshman year, I assumed I might be redshirted, which happened,” Downing said. “Coming into this year, I just wanted to get on the field any way I could, whether that’s special teams or any way I could help. But looking to play running back, that’s the ultimate goal.”

After sitting out his true freshman season, Downing made his name known to Missouri fans during the Tigers’ spring game. With both Witter and Crockett sitting on the sidelines to rest, Downing rushed for 47 yards and a touchdown, averaging 5.7 yards per carry.

Downing has carried that performance over into Missouri’s fall camp, where he has made his way up the depth chart to become Missouri’s third-string running back. This puts him in an ideal spot to see the field, as running backs coach Cornell Ford believes in an ideal world, there will be, “four of those guys at least in the rotation.”

“Dawson’s been steady,” Ford said. “He’s very smart, tough kid, knows what we want. He’s very consistent. He’s been pretty good, very solid.”

However, Downing’s consistency doesn’t save him a spot in the starting rotation if he doesn’t continue to improve. Ford’s job is to use the running backs he thinks will do the best job of helping to win football games, a mental depth chart that changes from day to day.

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“It’s about who’s the best,” Ford said. “I think Dawson’s just like the other guys. He’s always just a play away so he’s trying to get himself in a position where if his number is called, he’s ready to go.”

Not having his spot secured doesn’t worry Downing. Now, instead of wanting more in terms of college football options, he has a chance to work for more than just being a walk-on in a Division I program.

“If you ever want to play, you can’t have that doubt because it’s an uphill battle,” Downing said. “It’s a fight every day to prove you can earn a spot to play.”

Ulmer earns starting role as a freshman Aug. 29 Barry Odom doesn't like depth charts.

The Missouri head coach thinks lists of first- and second-string players doesn't do his roster justice. Their use appears to increase the importance of one player over another while creating the impression that other players will not see playing time.

"We're going to have a bunch of guys play in a lot of spots," Odom said. "Just because you play with the 'ones' the first time we take a snap, that doesn't mean you're going to play more than the next guy."

Nevertheless, Missouri released its depth chart for Saturday's game against Missouri State. The list was not without its share of changes from the one released at the start of fall camp.

Ulmer wins starting job as a freshman

When the Tigers take the field Saturday, there will be a new face in Missouri's secondary rotation.

Jordan Ulmer will start at free safety in his true freshman season. Ulmer managed to pass both Cam Hilton and Ronnell Perkins, who saw significant playing time in 2016.

"It's crazy how fast he's learned the defense," defensive backs coach Ryan Walters said. "He graded out the highest in the role in both scrimmages, and he's been most consistent, so he deserves it."

The starting role did not come as a surprise to Ulmer, who credited time in the film room as one of the reasons he landed on top.

"I worked hard," Ulmer said. "I felt like I played really well in the second scrimmage and had a very good start, so I wasn't surprised."

Odom still expects to see the other safeties get their share of playing time, whether it is at the safety position or in another spot.

"All four (safeties) are going to play a whole lot," Odom said. "With the different things we do in our nickel or dime packages and sub packages, we can see a combination of a lot of those guys on the field at the same time."

Missouri linebackers to share time The competition between Missouri's linebackers doesn't start on the field. It manifests on the TV screen.

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"If anybody in the world wants to try me at 'Mortal Kombat,' please step on the floor," linebacker Terez Hall said. "If you want to quote something, quote that. 'Terez Hall is the king of "Mortal Kombat."'"

Hall might have the edge when it comes to "Mortal Kombat," but Missouri's coaches have yet to find a linebacker on the roster that has a clear edge over his teammates.

Every linebacker position is still up for grabs heading into Saturday's game. The depth chart lists each starter with an "or" designation, meaning that each linebacker will rotate with his backup.

"We feel like all six of those guys can either be a starter or play fairly close to evenly," Odom said. "Some of it depends on what personnel grouping that we get on the first snap and how we match it up."

The rotation does not concern Hall or the other linebackers. Hall said they are one of the closest groups in the country and that one player's success is a success for the team.

"Whatever it takes to win," Hall said. "I'm not really into the rotation deal. It really doesn't matter to me."

Castillo edges Dubinski for center spot Trystan Castillo found out he was Missouri's starting center through a text from his mom.

"She saw it before I did," Castillo said. "She just told me she's proud of me and things like that."

The decision to start Castillo comes after the redshirt freshman battled former walk-on Jonah Dubinski through fall camp. While Dubinski has started more games than Castillo, who will be making his first career start Saturday, coaches were impressed with Castillo's ability to do his job consistently.

"He and Jonah both are going to play a lot," Odom said. "Both Trystan and Jonah have done a great job.

Trystan has done it a little more consistently, but I'm excited about Jonah. Too."

FAST FIVE: Garrett talks pregame traditions and favorite Columbia restaurant Sept. 1 This week, the Missourian talked with Missouri middle linebacker Cale Garrett about everything from pregame traditions to where the Missouri linebackers stack up when it comes to video games.

Do you have a pregame ritual you do before every game?

"I put my pads on, I don't know. I really don't. I try to listen to my favorite song at the time right before I go out."

Who is the one quarterback or player you would most like to sack or hit?

"My boy (Missouri redshirt sophomore quarterback) Jack Lowary. Me and him were roommates. He's my best bud."

Which game are you most looking forward to this year?

"The first one."

Which of the linebackers is the best at video games?

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"Terez (Hall) will say he is, but it would probably be Rod Winters or Brandon Lee." Where is the best place to eat in Columbia?

"Don't do that to me. My favorite place is West Main Pizza."

Beckner Jr. overcomes hardships during recovery from second ACL tear Sept. 1 This time, Terry Beckner Jr. ended up staring at a blue sky instead of a black one.

A year before, Beckner was in the same position on the 20-yard line at Arrowhead Stadium. Now, the defensive tackle lay on his back on Faurot Field's 5-yard line.

The opponents were different. Instead of Brigham Young's left guard diving into his legs, Beckner was toppled when Middle Tennessee's right guard went low to cut him down.

This time, the pop came from his left knee instead of right.

Weeks before the one-year anniversary of when he tore his right ACL against the Cougars, Beckner Jr. lay on the ground with a blown out knee. While he was able to limp off the field, he did not kid himself with the severity of his injury.

"Right at that moment when it happened, I knew what happened because I had that feeling before," Beckner Jr. said. "I just knew I had to go attack it."

Beckner Jr. was diagnosed with another torn ACL, meaning he would have to go through another arduous rehabilitation process, all the while hoping he would be the same football player again.

But instead of the uncertainty that came with his original tear, Beckner Jr. was determined to attack the rehab with full effort and come back a stronger player than he was before. By all accounts, he has.

Tearing scar tissue In the immediate aftermath of an ACL repair, the leg is kept immobilized in a full-leg cast, sometimes for up to six weeks or more, to protect the graft — a piece of living tissue that is transplanted into the knee surgically — from any unnecessary movements. Although the cast prevents the leg from sliding and retearing the repair, it does not prevent the leg from becoming just as useless.

The longer the leg stays straight, the more time scar tissue has to form. The scar tissue can be just as dangerous as retearing the ligaments. If scar tissue forms

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quickly, it can prevent the leg from ever being able to regain its full range of motion, effectively ending any hopes a person has of ever being able to regain full use.

Beckner Jr. came very close to that possibility during the early months of his first recovery.

"My freshman one, I almost didn't make it through because I waited too long as far as getting my range of motion back," Beckner Jr. said. "It got stiff on me so I had to push through. It was painful, but I did that to myself."

There is a good chance Beckner Jr. would have continued on that track had it not been for Rex Sharp, Missouri's head athletics trainer.

"That first month and a half or two, he didn't do very well," Sharp said. "There was a day where he sat in here, in this office, and I challenged him pretty well with, 'You know, I want you to be the very best player you can possibly be, and right now your attitude sucks. I need you to attack the rehab just like you would attack the opponent on the football field.' And he got it."

From that point forward, Beckner Jr. gave everything he had to making sure he would be able to regain full use of his knee. By the time Missouri's first game against West Virginia rolled around, he was back to his old self.

Fast forward a month and a half, and Beckner Jr. was determined not to repeat the mistakes of his past.

"I knew when this one happened that I wasn't going to let that happen to me again," Beckner Jr. said. "So I just attacked it with everything I could and I got better day by day."

Beckner Jr. had surgery the week after the tear. Six months later, he was participating in spring practice, only skipping contact drills on Sharp's orders.

"I think just having gone through that once before was a huge help because we were at least two months ahead the whole time," Sharp said. "I intentionally held him out of full contact drills. Could he have played? Yes, absolutely. But he was way ahead, mentally and physically, from where he had been the prior injury."

Getting one thing to match the other Once the patient has re-established his or her range of motion, the focus shifts to equalizing strength in both legs.

Progress is slow, with initial exercises only allowing for cycling without resistance and low-weight-bearing lifts. Running, jumping and anything sports-related is out of the question.

However, this process can be accelerated depending on the patient's commitment to getting better.

Sometimes, that means applying what works in other patients' progression to his or her own recovery.

This is where Markell Utsey comes into the picture.

Utsey filled in for Beckner Jr. after the Middle Tennessee game but suffered the same fate as his predecessor when the Tigers played another team from the Volunteer State. In the penultimate game of the season against Tennessee, the then-freshman suffered a torn ACL. Utsey's tear was subtly different than Beckner Jr.'s, as he tore his posterior capsule along with the ligament. This forced his reconstruction to be delayed nearly a month after the injury, as doctors could not operate because of the tear, which would have allowed fluid used in the surgery to drain down Utsey's leg.

So Utsey waited. When his surgery was finally completed, he found Beckner Jr. waiting for him in the McElroy Sports Medicine Center.

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The two spent hours together on the training tables and machines, building their knees and each other back up to the level they were capable of.

"It was fun in here with them," Sharp said. "They were in here a lot together, which helped. ‌ I think it's created a pretty special bond between the two of them."

As the two moved forward in their strengthening process, they found another source of motivation besides seeing the field again. They both wanted to out-do the other.

"We were close before, but when we got injured, during the whole rehab process, we just were in there every day, working together and motivating each other," Utsey said. "It's just a lot of things that he does, and I just look at it like I can do those same things. Then he just motivated me, and we just stayed on each other and made sure we were doing things right."

As a result, the two stayed on schedule with their rehabilitation. When Beckner Jr. suited up for spring practice, Utsey was right alongside him.

However, the biggest impact Beckner Jr. had on Utsey wasn't physical. He instead focused on making sure Utsey didn't fall into the mindset trap he encountered during his first rehabilitation.

"I was an older guy, so I talked to him a little bit, told him what was going to happen, what he needed to take upon to make his leg better for him," Beckner Jr. said. "When that stuff happens to you, you're really going to get scared and not know what to do. I just told him little things here and there."

The bond between the two has lasted outside the sports medicine center. Now, instead of working together in gym shorts, the two look to benefit each other while wearing pads.

"Those guys are definitely connected at the hip, probably a little bit more than the rest of those guys, because they had the knee injury," defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross said. "It's a special bond, and I think those guys are looking forward to suiting up together."

Moving forward The end of the road for ACL rehabilitation usually comes around nine months after the surgeon made the initial cuts. By that point, the graft has taken hold in the knee and the patient has had enough time to strengthen the leg back up to its former shape.

However, the timeline can be altered drastically depending on the patient and his or her commitment to recovery. In an extreme case, Sharp managed to turn one of his first Missouri patients around in fewer than three months.

During spring practices in 1997, Barry Odom went down with a severed ACL. Sharp had arrived from Ball State a year earlier to take over as Missouri's head athletic trainer. When he found out he would be dealing with his first ACL tear in his new home, he immediately contacted the team physician, Pat Smith, with his proposition.

"I said, 'If you'll allow me, I would like the opportunity to have him ready by the fall,'" Sharp said. "He said, 'I'll let you try it. I don't look for that to succeed.' All I asked for was permission."

Within three months, Sharp and Odom completed the process of regaining full range of motion and strength to have the future Missouri coach back out on the field for Missouri's season opener. Twenty

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years later, Sharp has another key piece to the Tigers' defense ready to go for the start of Missouri's season. This time, he has had a longer period to work with the player and is confident that the defensive tackle will be in the best shape of his life heading into his junior season.

"I don't know if (Beckner Jr.'s) played any better — ever — than he is right now, and that's exciting for me," Sharp said.

But, the player taking the field in 2017 is not the same one who came back from injury his sophomore season or the high-profile recruit who arrived in Columbia in 2015. With two major knee injuries in two years, there will always be concern that another could be right around the corner.

But at this point, the last person who shares that concern is Beckner Jr. Everything he has gone through has forced him to become mentally tougher than he was when he arrived on campus. If he can apply the mental side with the physical side of his game, he will be able to live up to the expectations once placed upon him.

"It made me stronger without a doubt," Beckner Jr. said. "As far as mentally-wise, it made me so much stronger. Now I know that you've just got to push through."

Beckner Jr.'s repeated comebacks have inspired both his teammates and coaches. Cross hopes that the rest of the Missouri defense can emulate Beckner Jr. when it comes to overcoming adversity. "(I'm impressed by) his resilience to fight back, claw back, be positive," Cross said. "That's not easy to do. … He wants to be the best Tiger he can be right now. He's trying to get back and lead his team and his defense."

Tiger fans come prepared for new clear bag policy Sept. 2 Before she could unpack the donuts and drinks for her tailgate, Julie Abeln had to take out the bags.

This season, Missouri — along with the rest of the SEC — is implementing a clear bag policy. Fans are not allowed to bring in any covered bags, as well as any bag larger than 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches. The initiative is meant to create a safer fan environment.

As a result, Abeln and the rest of the Missouri parents had to find new means to bring their gear inside the stadium ahead of Saturday's season opener against Missouri State. Luckily, many SEC schools already had some type of clear-bag policy in place, meaning many of the parents already had a bag deemed appropriate. For the new parents, Abeln said the returning parents put in an order of bags.

"Mizzou was actually the only stadium we did not have to have clear bags," said Abeln, the mother of Missouri senior offensive lineman Alec Abeln. "We've known about it for a couple of years going to other SEC stadiums."

There was concern that the policy would make it harder for families with younger children to watch the games from the stands. Because of the size limitations, diaper bags and common totes will not be allowed inside the stadium, even if they are clear. However, Abeln doesn't think the sizing of bags will be an issue if families are able to pack reasonably. "(The Missouri parents) did offer the largest size (12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches) bag," Abeln said.

"That really is large enough to put everything you need as far as diapers and wipes and everything in there. It hasn't been an issue for those that have been aware ahead of time."

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Fans who hadn't experienced the policy at other stadiums were informed they needed to find different way to bring their gear into the stands through social media and large signs placed at every entrance to Memorial Stadium.

Chris Steuber, a Columbia resident who has been coming to Missouri games for 10 years, was not caught off guard when she arrived at the stadium Saturday morning. She said she came prepared thanks to Missouri "posting constantly" about the new requirements.

"I just picked one up at Hy-Vee this morning," Steuber said. "It was easy. It's not a huge deal, just a change."

However, the change was not as well known by Missouri students. Sophomore Courtney Cohan wouldn't have known about the change had she not seen one of the notification signs while walking to park her car.

"I just told everbody else about it," Cohan said. "We didn't really know. I'm hoping today goes okay and nobody's freaking out that their bag can't be used."

Students who are part of the Tiger's Lair — Missouri's official student section — were notified of the policy Wednesday. The group also held a clear-bag giveaway for students during Saturday's game.

When fans did come to the gates with covered bags, they were sent back to their cars to stow their gear.

The Missouri Athletics event staff declined to comment on the clear-bag policy.

Most fans avoided being turned away because they had a permitted bag before kickoff. The policy will run throughout the 2017 season.

"I'm on board," Steuber said. "Just a change, not a big deal, just grab a $10 bag. You can use it year after year."

Missouri's tight ends look to become a feature in the 2017 offense Sept. 4 Missouri’s collection of tight ends is a hard group to miss.

Each stands 6-foot-5 or taller and weighs somewhere in the neighborhood of 250 pounds. With helmets and pads, they look like men among boys on the field.

Missouri utilized three tight ends Saturday to good effect. The group caught a combined five passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns. That’s a stark contrast to what fans grew accustomed to in 2016.

Last season, the tight ends spent more time in the backfield blocking for quarterback Drew Lock than running down the field. The group had only 48 receptions and five touchdowns.

During the offseason, Missouri coaches identified tight end as a position group that could be improved. The Tigers are returning both Jason Reese and Kendall Blanton and have Albert Okwuegbunam ready to go after redshirting his true freshman season.

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“We were just trying to get those guys a little more involved,” tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley said. “They worked so hard on their route-running all offseason, and we feel they’ve earned the chance to catch the ball.”

Each of the tight ends brings something different to Missouri’s offense. When it comes to the locker room and time on the practice field, Reese is the one who sets the tempo.

Reese has been a regular fixture on Faurot Field since his redshirt sophomore season. In his fifth year as a Tiger, he is trying to impart some of the wisdom he has gained onto Missouri’s younger players.

“It’s not even about the physical part of my game,” Reese said. “My presence being out there and getting my guys going, I think that’s my biggest strength on this team.”

The main recipient of Reese’s mentorship has been Okwuegbunam. Reese thinks that if the redshirt freshman continues to improve, he could have a future playing on Sundays.

“Albert is going to be a phenomenal superstar in the future, here and in the NFL,” Reese said. “I took it as my goal to show that guy how to work, because if he works, his ceiling is so high. It’s to the moon.”

Reese’s mentorship showed when Okwuegbunam took the field for the first time Saturday. He looked at home, catching two passes, including a 27-yard touchdown.

Running routes and scoring comes naturally to Okwuegbunam. He was recruited out of high school as a wide receiver but moved to tight end during his true freshman season.

Okwuegbunam has transformed into a complete tight end. He has added weight and is comfortable anywhere on the field, whether split out wide as a receiver or paired next to the offensive line.

“Coach Finley and (offensive coordinator Josh) Heupel and the rest of the staff have done a really good job of making me a balanced tight end,” Okwuegbunam said. “I’m pretty comfortable anywhere they put me out there.”

The third part of the trio is Blanton, who led Missouri’s tight ends in touchdowns in 2017 with three.

While he was the lone tight end not to reach the end zone against Missouri State, Blanton was happy to see the tight ends share the wealth.

“I feel like we kind of just made the plays that came to us,” Blanton said. “They called some good plays, and we were just in the right spots. We made plays.”

The happiest person to have tight ends playing a more prominent role in the passing game is Lock. While he has many receivers at his disposal, the tight ends are too big to miss.

“It makes it a lot easier for me throwing to a 6-foot-6 guy,” Lock said. “You can put it anywhere in the vicinity of them, and they’re going to catch the ball.”

Opponent preview: Expect a lot of points from both teams when South Carolina comes to town Sept. 8 Take the over. Never mind that the over/under is 74 — take the over.

Columbia will be the epicenter of a showdown between two high-flying offenses Saturday when South Carolina squares off against Missouri. The two teams have been part of numerous close games in past years, but this game will be different because of the offensive firepower of which each side is capable.

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Unlike Missouri, South Carolina did not put up ridiculous numbers in its first game. The Gamecocks ran only 50 plays for 246 total yards. However, they were still able to put up 35 points against N.C. State and came out on top despite being doubled in nearly every offensive category by the Wolfpack.

Twenty-eight of those points came by way of sophomore quarterback Jake Bentley, redshirt junior receiver Deebo Samuel ... or some combination of the two. Bentley threw for three touchdowns, two of which went to Samuel, while South Carolina’s star receiver also added a 97-yard kickoff return to open up the game.

Samuel’s dominance is to be expected. Ben Breiner, the South Carolina football beat writer for The State in Columbia, South Carolina, believes Samuel has an intangible factor that makes him a tough assignment for opposing defensive backs.

“His straight-line speed is good, but it’s not unbelievable,” Breiner said. “But he plays faster than that.

He’s not the biggest dude, but he wins a lot of jump balls. He just sort of has these subtle ‘it’ factors.”

Breiner says Samuel is reminiscent of former South Carolina receiver Pharoh Cooper, who now plays for the Los Angeles Rams. The only difference between the two is Samuel has a highly talented quarterback throwing him the ball in what could be his final season for the Gamecocks.

Bentley left high school early to become South Carolina’s signal-caller. Midway through what should have been his senior year at Opelika High School in Opelika, Alabama, Bentley took over as the Gamecocks’ starting quarterback, eventually leading them to a 31-21 victory over Missouri.

Now, heading into his second season, Bentley has grown into his role and looked like a bona fide starter in South Carolina’s opening game. He was able to compensate for the Gamecocks’ lackluster running game with three touchdown passes and only one interception.

“There were a couple of plays that were just absurd,” Breiner said. “He’s capable of some really high-level stuff.”

The combination of Bentley and Samuel became even more concerning to Missouri coach Barry Odom after Saturday’s 72-43 win over Missouri State. The Tigers’ defensive backs were subject to multiple blown coverages, missed assignments and missed tackles, and the Bears were able to take the lead five times during the first half. “(I was) very impressed with (Bentley),” Odom said during Monday’s teleconference. “They’ve got playmakers all over the field. … Obviously, the quarterback makes them go, but I think Deebo Samuel is one of the best guys in the country.”

Samuel torched the Tigers with nine receptions for 125 yards the Gamecocks’ 2016 victory. He could post an even bigger stat line on Saturday if Missouri’s secondary doesn’t improve from its efforts in the Missouri State game.

On the other side of the ball, South Carolina is still unsure what to expect.

Like the Tigers, the Gamecocks are led by a defensive-minded head coach in Will Muschamp, but they are not expected to be strong defensively in 2017.

“They have a lot of new guys that they are trying to work in at a whole bunch of different positions,” Breiner said. “It’s pretty heavily ‘bend but don’t break.’ They make teams work down the field; they don’t give up big plays. It’s unclear if that’s the identity that they want or just the identity they have to have because the talent isn’t there.”

The bend-but-don’t-break mentality showed during the Gamecocks’ win

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over N.C. State. South Carolina gave up more than 500 yards of total offense but only allowed four touchdowns and broke up a pass that would have resulted in the game-tying touchdown with only seconds remaining in the game.

Something will have to give Saturday, as Missouri’s offense showcased its big-play potential numerous times against Missouri State. Five of Missouri’s touchdowns came from passes longer than 20 yards, and Damarea Crockett also had what would have been a 75-yard touchdown run wiped out because of excessive celebration.

“The corners were a big test for us a year ago and were competitive to the ball,” Missouri offensive coordinator Josh Heupel said during Monday’s teleconference. “They have quality players on all three levels — first-, second- and third-level players — and it’s going to be competitive in all facets of the game because of that.”

Missouri will have its work cut out when it takes the field against South Carolina. The Tigers will need to put up points — a lot of them. But, if they want to have a chance at winning, the defense will need to be able to find some way to make Bentley and the Gamecocks’ offense one dimensional.

“It’s a tough ask,” Breiner said of stopping the South Carolina offense. “Even though the USC run game had its share of issues, I think it’s got some potential. So I’ll be interested to see if Mizzou, like N.C. State, can keep a cap on that.”

Moore absent as Missouri offense sputters Sept. 9 J’Mon Moore was helpless.

The wide receiver was forced to watch from the sidelines as Missouri kicker Andrew Baggett doinked his game-tying field goal attempt off of the left upright from 24 yards out. The Tigers, then the fifth-ranked team in the country, let Moore’s first game against South Carolina slip away in double overtime.

Moore couldnt help in any part of the game that year, as he was under a redshirt in 2013. But, over the past five years, he has been part of a Missouri team that has played close game after close game against the Gamecocks.

“Personally, I like playing them,” Moore said Tuesday. “They’re a good team, it’s always been a good game. I’m looking forward to it a lot.”

However, in the years he has been eligible, Moore has not been able to crack the Gamecocks defense.

Leading up to Saturday’s matchup, Moore had only hauled in eight passes for 73 yards in the games he played.

He failed to buck the trend in his final appearance against South Carolina.

Missouri’s big play threat was all but neutralized by the Gamecocks, only hauling in three passes on eight targets for 29 yards. This lackluster performance came just one week after the redshirt senior caught four passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns.

“We’ve got to find ways to be more productive,” coach Barry Odom said after the loss. “If we’re able to vertically stretch the field, then we can open some things up running.”

Moore’s play was in line with Missouri’s offensive performance, as the unit appeared listless during Missouri’s 31-13 loss. Without Moore there to alleviate the pressure caused during running back Damarea Crockett’s second-half absence, Missouri looked lost.

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“I think we need more consistency out of all the wide receivers and all around,” receiver Emanuel Hall said.

Moore’s near-absence was reminiscent of a stretch during the 2016 season in which he only caught seven passes during the month of October. The streak caused Moore to temporarily lose his spot in Missouri’s starting receiver rotation.

During that same stretch, the Tigers only scored six times through the air and lost all four games. When Moore did catch a touchdown pass, the Tigers went 2-1.

The drastic gap between Moore’s successful games and those where he is a spectator has nothing to do with the defenders he faces. Rather, he is often his own defender. Unfortunately for the Tigers, his coverage is often the best when he goes up against the Gamecocks.

“You can’t take anything away from J’Mon. J’Mon will take it away from himself,” Lock said. “They maybe put a guy over the top of him two or three times tonight. We’ll still live by that. We’ll beat ourselves, and nobody’s going to beat us, and we beat ourselves tonight.”

Missouri fires defensive coordinator Cross Sept. 10 DeMontie Cross’ tenure at Missouri came to an end on Sunday afternoon when he was relieved of his duties as Missouri’s defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach, per a Missouri Athletics release.

The firing comes after Missouri’s 31-13 loss to South Carolina on Saturday. The Missouri defense has given up 74 points in two games to start the 2017 season.

Barry Odom hired Cross as the Tigers’ defensive coordinator after being named Missouri’s head coach in 2016. However, after the Missouri defense struggled early in the 2016 season, Odom took over playcalling duties from Cross midway through the year.

Since that time, Odom has remained in charge of defensive play calls. Cross’ main role with the 2017 Missouri team has been as its inside linebackers coach.

“I am very appreciative of all that DeMontie has done for Mizzou, and am sorry that this did not work out,” Odom said in a release. “However, after careful evaluation, I believe it is important to make this change now.”

Missouri has given up an average of 425.5 yards during the first two games of the 2017 season, with one game being against FCS opponent Missouri State. The Tigers’ next game is this upcoming Saturday against Purdue, a team that is averaging 36 points per game on the season.

Notebook: Linebackers ready to move forward following Cross' firing Sept. 12 Terez Hall is ready to move forward.

Until recently, Hall spent most of his days under the watch of DeMontie Cross, Missouri’s former defensive coordinator. That was until Cross was fired Sunday, leaving the inside linebackers without a position coach. Instead of allowing uncertainty to creep in, Hall and the rest of the position group are choosing to focus on the future.

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“I’m not really going to get in on that,” Hall said. “It’s just how it is. You’ve got to move on and move forward.”

Cross’ replacement is a familiar one to the linebackers, especially those who have been with the team since 2015. Before he was promoted to Missouri’s head coach, Barry Odom was the Tigers’ defensive coordinator and in charge of Missouri’s inside linebackers.

While Odom has been working with Missouri’s linebackers, his role is now much more intimate. Hall hasn’t noticed any major changes in how the group practices besides a few different drills. If anything, it’s a flashback to the way the group practiced in 2015 when the Tigers were one of the country’s premier defenses.

“It ain’t really nothing different,” Hall said. “He was coaching my group then, so it’s not really too much different. Coach Odom is coach Odom, he’s always coaching.”

The group has retained some consistency through the graduate assistants who remain from Cross’ tenure.

With their help, Odom’s additional role as Missouri’s inside linebackers coach has gone relatively smoothly in the immediate aftermath of Cross’ departure.

“They’ve all been involved, so it’s not like they’re just jumping in now,” Hall said. “They’ve been with the crew, so they know the defense.”

Injury update Despite being removed from Saturday’s game because of injury, both running back Damarea Crockett and offensive lineman Yasir Durant are expected to be back in action against Purdue.

Crockett attempted to come back into Saturday’s game after suffering a bruised tailbone in the second quarter, but was limited to two carries before leaving the game permanently.

“It was just an awkward fall,” Crockett said. “I tried to (go back out). It just wasn’t feeling too spiffy, so I had to go back out.”

Durant was taken out of the game after having his ankle rolled on during the second quarter. Despite the initial concern, Durant has been cleared to practice.

Offense recovers from dropping the ball Missouri’s receivers dropped the ball Sunday, both figuratively and literally.

Dropped passes happened all too often in 2016, but Missouri’s receivers and their coaches were confident that the days of letting positive plays slip out of reach were in the past. That was until Saturday when the Tigers relapsed, dropping three passes and letting other catchable balls fall to the turf.

“We hadn’t really had a day like that,” Odom said. “Not one day. For that to show up on Saturday was frustrating.”

In the practices since Saturday, the Tigers have renewed their commitment to securing the ball while it is in the air. Quarterback Drew Lock said he hopes the South Carolina game was just an anomaly when it comes to how Missouri’s passing game will look.

“We came out here today and dropped one ball,” Lock said. “We focus on it every single day, but I think it’s something we’ll focus on harder this week.”

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Five things to watch for as Missouri looks to bounce back against Purdue Sept. 14 Missouri and South Carolina appeared almost identical leading into this past Saturday's game. But, when both teams walked off Faurot Field for the final time, it was the Gamecocks who identified themselves as a team worthy of the spotlight.

The Tigers, on the other hand, looked to be having an identity crisis.

The performance was a near flip from their Week 1 win over Missouri State. Instead of the offense roaring for 72 points, the Tigers scored only 13. Meanwhile, Missouri's defense looked relatively sound in limiting South Carolina to 24 points — including seven when the unit was forced to defend from its own 20-yard line.

Barry Odom's team will look to play a more consistent game when Purdue (1-1) comes to Columbia for a 3 p.m. kickoff Saturday. Watch for these five things to see which team will have the edge.

Red zone offense The red zone might as well have been a hospice for the Missouri offense. It was where every Tiger drive went to die.

Missouri found itself inside South Carolina's 20-yard line three times on Saturday. However, each drive stalled, resulting in two field goals and one attempt that got blocked.

For the Tigers to have consistent success, they will need to be able to score from close and not just on explosive plays.

Missouri's middle linebackers When DeMontie Cross was fired this past Sunday, Missouri lost more than its defensive coordinator. The Tigers also lost its inside linebackers coach.

Odom has since taken over Cross' role and has been coaching Missouri's inside linebackers in the practices leading up to Saturday's game.

Odom has said the additional duties have not been a problem and do not hinder his other responsibilities as head coach.

Purdue coach Jeff Brohm is known for throwing many different formations and looks at opposing defenses. Missouri's inside linebackers will need to be focused despite having to deal with Cross' firing, or the Boilermakers will exploit them.

"They're explosive on offense," Odom said. "They're able to run the football, and they're making plays down the field. They do a great job of trying to find and expose the mismatches."

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Drew Lock's decision making Some of Drew Lock's errors were forced when his receivers failed to shake their defenders. Others, however, were just pure mental mistakes.

Missouri's junior quarterback threw two interceptions against the Gamecocks. One forced the Tiger defense up against a wall, as South Carolina only needed 20 yards for a touchdown. The other was thrown into triple coverage and effectively sealed South Carolina's victory.

Purdue only gave up 35 points to reigning Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson and 21 points to Ohio.

There is no reason to believe that Lock and the Missouri offense will be facing an easy defense on Saturday.

Purdue's quarterback situation Brohm has yet to name a starting quarterback heading into Saturday's matchup, with the starting position still up for grabs between the Boilermakers' 2016 starter David Blough and sophomore Elijah Sindelar.

Blough has been the more successful quarterback through Purdue’s two games, throwing for five touchdowns and 410 yards. Meanwhile, Sindelar has completed less than 50 percent of his passes but has thrown for three touchdowns and only one interception.

Either way, Purdue has not had an issue scoring early on in the 2017 season. The Boilermakers are coming off a 44-21 victory over Ohio, and scored 28 points against a ranked Louisville team.

"I would anticipate them both playing, and they both play pretty well," Odom said. "It doesn’t appear that they ask one guy to do something that they keep out for the other."

Wide receiver consistency It would be impossible to mention Missouri's offensive struggles against South Carolina without mentioning the showing, or lack thereof, from the Tiger receivers.

Missouri dropped three passes on Saturday, squandering chances to move the ball in crucial situations.

The Tigers’ top receiver, J'Mon Moore, was held to only three catches for 29 yards, while big-play threat Johnathon Johnson failed to record a single catch.

If Missouri's offense returns to its high-scoring ways, it will be because the receivers are contributing when they have the chance. If they are absent again, it will be a long day.

"It was very surprising to me," Drew Lock said of the drops against the Gamecocks. "That's not normal for us. … We did a fantastic job in camp and even that first game. To come out in the second game, you just kind of could tell when that started happening that we just weren’t necessarily on our game."

TODDLERS TO TIGERS: Pendleton danced his way to the center of attention In the immediate aftermath of the release of “U Remind Me” by Usher, Kevin Pendleton was dancing.

It didn’t matter who came over to the house or how long they had been around him — Pendleton made sure to show off his moves. Eventually, the 5-year-old was able to memorize all of the lyrics and combined them with his dancing, doing his best to impersonate the R&B singer.

“He would do that for everybody that came to the house,” Amy Walker, Pendleton’s sister, said. “You had to watch Kevin dance.”

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Pendleton’s displays were usually done to catch the eye of anyone who might be looking. As one of the middle children of the house, with three elder and four younger siblings, there wasn’t always enough attention to go around. Walker, who is 10 years older than Pendleton, remembers Pendleton as always vying for everyone’s eyes.

“He always loved to be the center of attention,” Walker said. “He loved music and sports. He was a little ham; he wanted everybody to pay attention to him.”

When he wasn’t dancing, Pendleton could be found playing football. By the time he was a toddler, he was already throwing a football with his dad.

He may have been playing backyard football whenever he could, but Pendleton didn’t actually start playing organized football until he started middle school. With so many kids already on her hands, Pendleton’s mother, Barbara Heizman, didn’t emphasize joining organized sports when her kids were younger.

When he did finally put on pads and a helmet, his coaches immediately knew they had a lineman on their hands.

“He was always a bigger kid,” Walker said. “I feel like he learned how to use his size to his advantage. … I think he tried a couple different positions. He tried defense at first, and then he kind of moved around the offensive line.”

Once he had his first taste of football, Pendleton always wanted more. His family never had a problem getting him to go to practice or games. If anything, they had to peel him away from the gridiron from time to time.

“I think he always looked forward to it,” Walker said. “Even in high school, he was always so hyped up for the games and has always been motivated to do it.”

Pendleton’s focus on football paid off, as the big kid turned into a big recruit, garnering attention from schools such as Arkansas, Kansas State and Nebraska.

During his senior season of high school, he helped lead Lee’s Summit West to a Missouri Class 5 state championship along with current Missouri defensive back Logan Cheadle.

Now Missouri’s starting left guard, Pendleton still enjoys grabbing attention.

When not practicing, he can often be heard cheering on teammates while they are talking to reporters or seen racing his fellow linemen off the field at the end of practice.

The only thing missing from his antics have been his dance moves. Missouri’s DJs typically stay away from Usher’s early-2000s hits, but if they ever decide to throw it back, look for big No. 71 laying everything out no matter who is watching.

Off the rails: Tigers outclassed in 35-3 loss to Purdue Sept. 16 As the Tigers sulked off the field, it was clear Missouri’s problem is bigger than the defensive coordinator.

One week after Missouri’s defense allowed only 24 points to South Carolina, an SEC foe that has proved so far in 2017 to have some legitimate offensive firepower, the Tigers gave up 28 points in a half to a team that went 3-9 in 2016. It didn’t get any better after most Missouri fans filed for the exits at halftime, as Missouri (1-2) lost 35-3 to Purdue (2-1).

With former defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross out of the picture, Missouri’s defensive woes fell straight on Barry Odom. Odom completely replaced Cross in preparation for Purdue, taking over defensive coordinator duties as well as coaching the inside linebackers.

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“Having the head coach in there is a higher magnitude,” linebacker Eric Beisel said. “The magnitude was through the roof this week.”

Although the coaching staff changed, the product on the field didn’t. Missouri’s defense still struggled with the same problems that have plagued the Tigers early in the 2017 season.

Purdue was consistently able to move the ball using misdirection plays, confusing the Missouri defense on where the ball was and catching the Tigers with their eyes in the wrong spots. As a result, Purdue was able to rack up 477 yards and five scores.

“We all have to step up and take some accountability for this team,” Beisel said. “We’ve got to try to hold teams to however many points it takes to win games.”

While the defense was bailed out in the first game of the season, the offense that scored 73 points against Missouri State has yet to return to Faurot Field.

The Tigers managed only 203 total yards on the day and never put the ball in the end zone. Missouri hasn’t scored a touchdown in 103 minutes, the longest streak in Josh Heupel’s brief tenure as MU offensive coordinator.

“We just have to match intensity,” quarterback Drew Lock said. “The most competitive team is going to win, and they outcompeted us today.”

The biggest step backward in the Tigers’ performance came in Missouri’s ground game. The MU tailbacks managed only 70 yards on the ground, down 108 yards from a week ago.

The struggles came despite running back Damarea Crockett returning to the field after sitting out the second half against South Carolina with a bruised tailbone. Crockett finished with only 19 yards on 10 carries.

“I don’t think he was 100 percent,” Odom said. “We didn’t have much room to run up front. It didn’t matter what back was in there.”

Despite the lackluster stats, Missouri’s run game was still more successful than anything the Tigers tried in the air. Lock had one of the worst games of his career Saturday, completing just 43 percent of his passes and throwing two interceptions to zero touchdowns.

“I think we’ve really got to indulge in this film tomorrow and watch it and see what happened,” Lock said.

As a team, Missouri finished with just 10 first downs and ran only 52 plays as they struggled to move the ball against a seemingly impermeable Purdue defense.

“I thought we got lined up and covered down and made them earn everything they got,” Purdue coach Jeff Brohm said after the game. “Because of that, (Missouri)didn’t earn a whole lot.”

The Tigers will face No. 15 Auburn at 6 or 6:30 p.m. on Saturday in Columbia.

Notebook: Missouri players try to stick together amid criticism Sept. 18 Fans’ concerns about the Missouri football team have not fallen on deaf ears.

Missouri coach Barry Odom says he and his team are aware of the salvo of criticism that have been launched at the team since Saturday’s 35-3 loss to Purdue. While Odom admitted that the harsh

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assessments were not unfounded, he is stressing to his players to control what they can and not worry about outside opinions.

“We’re 1-2, and we’re hearing probably how terrible we are,” Odom said. “There’s always a little bit of life in (this type of input) — never as good as it seems, never as bad as it seems.”

Despite the doomsaying, the Missouri locker room has been able to stay together. Odom said the team is still looking forward to future opportunities and is looking to bounce back.

“I like the way that we’ve responded the last couple weeks as far as practice and just the way it feels around the climate of the locker room,” Odom said. “We’re still in pretty good shape, and we also realize it’s Game 3 of a 12-week season.”

Heupel looks for balance in offense After scoring 72 points in Missouri’s opener, Josh Heupel’s offense has been anemic.

Over the past two games, the Tigers have managed only 16 points, haven’t scored a touchdown in more than six quarters and have turned the ball over six times. Heupel believes his unit is still searching for the balance that will allow it to be successful.

“At the end of the day, we have to be able to run the football,” Heupel said. “We are an offense that needs and strives for balance.”

Missouri’s ability to run the ball was severely diminished after running back Damarea Crockett suffered a tailbone injury against South Carolina. Crockett was forced to sit out the majority of the second half of that game and made little impact —10 carries for 19 yards — against Purdue. Since the injury, Missouri has managed to rush for just 131 yards.

One-on-one battles key against Auburn defense Missouri’s next offensive test will be against one of the best defenses in the SEC and the country when Auburn comes to Columbia for the first time.

The visitors arrive allowing only 10.3 points per game and are the country’s best defense when it comes to yards per play, only giving up 3.13.

To break the Auburn wall Heupel believes Missouri will need to come out on top when it comes to individual aspects of the game.

“At the end of the day, we’ve got to handle and win some of our one-on-one matchups,” Heupel said.

“That’s in pass protection. That’s out there throwing and catching it, as well.”

Saturday’s game officially set for 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU Missouri’s final game of its opening four-game homestand against No. 15 Auburn will officially kick off at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and will be televised on ESPNU, the SEC announced Monday.

Backup QB White dismissed from Auburn When Auburn comes to Columbia, it will be without quarterback Sean White. The backup was dismissed from the team on Monday after his arrest for public intoxication early Sunday morning.

White played in 16 games leading up to the 2017 campaign. He lost the starting job to Baylor transfer Jarrett Stidham heading into the this season and is coming off a two-game suspension.

Nate Howard lands at Austin Peay

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Former Missouri defensive end Nate Howard, who was dismissed from the team in Augustfollowing his June arrest on suspicion of drug possession and August arrest for allegedly failing to appear for a speeding charge, suited up for Austin Peay (FCS) in its game Saturday against Morehead State University.

Roster updates Wide receiver Emanuel Hall has been cleared to practice after being taken out of Saturday’s game with a right shoulder injury. ... Odom expects running back Damarea Crockett to return to normal participation after being limited in practice last week. ... Defensive lineman Walter Palmore is still being held out of practice because of a sprained knee.

Wilson steps up to lead secondary Sept. 20 At the start of the 2016 season, Thomas Wilson was excited.

The junior safety had a chance to crack the Missouri football team’s starting 11 for the first time in his career after the graduation of Ian Simon. The excitement turned into results, as Wilson started seven of Missouri’s 12 games, becoming one of MU’s most consistent defensive players in the process.

The start of the 2017 season was the polar opposite.

Entering his senior season, Wilson was passed by freshman Jordan Ulmer for the starting job at free safety. Wilson didn’t even make the depth chart for Missouri’s first game and only played a limited role in Missouri’s victory over Missouri State.

Wilson and his coaches were disappointed. In a year where the job should have been Wilson’s for the taking, both his coaches and Wilson believed his efforts on the practice field were not enough to earn him a regular spot on Saturdays.

The loss of a spot that was his for the taking was like a splash of cold water to the face. The senior realized he had more left in his tank to give.

“It just motivated me to keep going harder and keep getting better just to push the guys in front of me so I can get on the field,” Wilson said.

Since being left off the depth chart, Wilson has started in both of Missouri’s games. In that time, he has accounted for nine of Missouri’s tackles and an interception.

His statistics do not tell the full story of his impact on the field. Wilson has become a commanding presence in Missouri’s last line of defense, guiding the players in front of him into the correct positions and cleaning up any breakdowns before they happen.

“He’s become a leader back there,” coach Barry Odom said. “He has played some good football, and I expect him to have a productive week this week and really continue to help where we quite honestly need some help.”

Wilson’s leadership and consistency have become one of the few bright spots in what’s been a rollercoaster ride for the Missouri secondary early in the season. The Tigers are allowing nearly 270 yards through the air per game and have given up five passing touchdowns.

The Tigers are only allowing an average of 229.5 passing yards in the two games Wilson has started. The senior’s presence has helped more than just the Missouri safeties, contributing to the entire secondary’s improvement as a whole.

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“When Thomas is out there, I always feel good because I know everybody’s where they’re supposed to be,” defensive back Logan Cheadle said. “One of the biggest things is if you communicate really well before the play, everybody is calm when the ball is snapped and everybody knows what they’re supposed to do.”

Despite the difference Wilson has made through his leadership and limiting the blown coverages that plagued Missouri against Missouri State, the Tigers defense has not made any major improvements when it comes to keeping other teams out of the end zone. The senior knows its time for his actions to help pick up the team as a whole, not just the position group. “(We need to) bring the energy the first quarter, bring the energy first half,” Wilson said. “(We can’t) wait until the second half to play or step up or after our first couple drives. Just the first drive, come out and make a statement.”

Building Zeus: The assembling of Eric Beisel Sept. 22 As Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” rattled Rockwood Summit High School’s lockers, the one his teammates called Zeus sat upon a fold-up throne.

Zeus sat as a king, not of gods but of boys, each wearing the Falcons’ black and burgundy over their shoulder pads. He prepared to lead his subjects into battle with a bowed head. If there was fear behind Zeus’ red mane, it was suffocated by the confidence that came from his multitude of victories in the past.

Zeus never uttered a word as Ozzy Osbourne screamed lyrics of death and destruction, for he didn’t need to. He exuded energy with each breath, infecting the other 87 players in the room with the same intensity that crackled in his pale blue eyes.

This ritual happened every Friday night before Rockwood Summit’s games. There was no need for a rousing speech from its coach or the wild dancing that takes place in many high school locker rooms. Every player in the room mimicked their leader, sitting in quiet contemplation, trying to figure out the best way to make sure the opponent bowed before them as many others had before.

Hours later, when the Falcons would come back with their uniforms soiled and scratches covering their helmets, the locker room was a different scene. The screams and guitar riffs from “War Pigs” were replaced by the “HEY ... HEY! HEY! HEY! HEY! of “Macho Man” by the Village People.

Zeus, leading his comrades off the field as well as on it, would parade around the room. The Falcons would take a brief moment to celebrate before their captain refocused the team on the next foe that stood in their way.

Zeus’ real name is Eric Beisel, and in the years since his reign at Rockwood Summit, the redheaded linebacker has gone from special teams player to an outspoken senior leader for Missouri.

Missouri and Arkansas fans alike discovered Beisel after he purposely mispronounced Arkansas (emphasis on the Kansas) before registering eight total tackles in the Tigers’ 28-24 victory in the 2016 season finale. Beisel later doubled down on his trash talk at SEC Media Days, warning that any team that came to Faurot Field and took Missouri’s snacks and water would be punished to the fullest extent of his power.

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This is the character of Zeus, pushing the envelope and attempting to spark his team. His tactics can be brash, infuriating both opposing fans and teams alike.

But, for all of the boisterous claims and lofty expectations of himself laid out in his master plan, Beisel is much more than a loudmouthed jock. The person Beisel truly is lies underneath the calls for retribution that echo around his world.

Eric the worker It was impossible not to hear it while near Rockwood Summit’s football practices in the early 2010s.

Every few minutes, the screech of an air horn would sound, signaling to both coaches and players that it was time to change stations. The horn would sound throughout the Falcons’ practices, with players finding themselves more tired after every blast until one final call would ring out to give the players a respite until the next day.

However, the air horns would still have enough life in them for another half hour to sing out their loud notes after most players went home. That didn’t sit well with Beisel, who doesn’t like being outlasted by anything when it comes to perfecting his craft.

“After practice every day, Eric’s like, ‘Hey, coach, can I use that until it dies?’” said Jon Bunyard, Rockwood Summit’s defensive coordinator. “Every day after practice, he would be the only one.”

Beisel would stay, pushing a one-man sled back and forth, until the horn could only let out a whimper, and he would lie flat on his back, breathing heavily while knowing his work was done.

The same drive that killed many a Rockwood Summit air horn has continued at the Missouri practice fields and facilities. It is not uncommon to find Beisel fitting in an early-morning lift in the Mizzou Athletics Training Complex or running extra sprints while his teammates head for the ice baths after practice.

Beisel’s constant training is something his girlfriend, Jenna Herr, was forced to get used to as she started her relationship with the sparkplug from Fenton. Beisel’s rigorous schedule meant the couple wasn’t always able to do things common in relationships.

“During the week, I rarely got to see him until 10 p.m.,” Herr said. “We didn’t ever really get to spend a lot of time together during the week, but you can’t really be upset about it because he is so passionate about it.”

Despite the limits Beisel’s commitments put on their time together, Herr can’t help but admire his drive.

It is one of the reasons she has stuck with him for three years.

“He puts in so much work that goes unnoticed,” Herr said. “That’s something that I found really attractive about him, how driven he was and how passionate he was.”

Beisel’s incessant need to improve has rubbed off on some of his teammates during his time at Missouri.

Offensive lineman Adam Ploudre has been roommates with Beisel since his redshirt sophomore year and often joins Beisel in the weight room.

“We don’t take any days off,” Ploudre said. “When we’re not playing football, we’re either working out or watching film.”

It was Beisel’s work ethic that allowed his persona of Zeus to continue to thrive when he arrived at Missouri. Despite his teammates poking fun at him when he initially referred to himself as the god of the sky, he backed up his name by using the same drive that fueled afternoons spent dragging sleds across fields 118 miles east of Columbia.

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“Through all of us putting him down — like, ‘Shut up. You’re not Zeus’ — he would stick to it,” Ploudre said. “It’s funny how he never let it down.”

Eric the artist In Missouri’s Acting for Non-Majors course, students participate in a project in which each crafts a creative speech about whom he or she really is.

One student in the class stuck out from the others in the fall of 2016, towering over the rest, looking as though he had missed the bus to try out for the role of Tormund Giantsbane in “Game of Thrones.” But Eric Beisel was in his element as he walked toward the front of the class.

After a brief proclamation that he was not just a football player but actually an artist at heart, Beisel sat down at the piano. For the next few minutes, his fingers glided across the keys as he performed a flawless rendition of Five for Fighting’s “100 Years.” His peers got goosebumps, as someone known for brutality that comes from being a middle linebacker stunned them with the delicate touch he placed on each note.

Whether he was drawing, playing instruments or acting, Beisel’s interest in the arts has been apparent from the time he was a child. His mother, Cathy Beisel, can remember times where she did a double take after something that came out of her son’s mouth.

“He’s always been a visionary person with his ideas,” Cathy Beisel said. “He was always thinking about what could be.”

Eric Beisel’s artistic side led the family to take a cartoon drawing class together when they visited Disney World. The Beisels knew that their son would enjoy learning how to sketch Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck just as much as he would going out into the park and riding the attractions that usually catch the eye of most children.

As he has grown older, Beisel’s repertoire has expanded beyond his ability to draw Walt Disney’s creations. He has tried his hand at acting, composes comic book art and plays the piano, which is usually accompanied by his dog, Tucker, singing along.

The arts allow Beisel to escape for brief moments from his constant football crusade.

“I think when it’s just me and him or when it’s him or his family, that’s an opportunity to be himself and do those sorts of things,” Herr said.

Because his life grew more consumed by football as he grew older, Beisel had to find ways to exercise his creativity when he was unable to get himself over the keys or a sketchpad. Now, he designs drafts of a different type for different characters.

“He designs workout programs,” Cathy Beisel said. “He’s done that for years.”

It doesn’t matter if the person is looking to bulk up for a sport or trying to lose weight, Eric Beisel takes on all cases of all kinds. He draws on his own experiences (he hasn’t consumed soda since he was 9 years old and sticks to a strict diet of rice, chicken and broccoli) to craft specific plans for each person, releasing the creativity that used to come out while drawing characters in the form of calorie monitoring and deadlifts.

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Beisel is able to use workout plans as an outlet for his creativity, but his ideas do not come to fruition because he needs to let his mind loose. Rather, friends approach him for help because they know of the trait that can’t be hidden from the word by the linebacker’s words.

Ericter the character Before every Rockwood Summit home game, the Falcons walk past a rock.

The rock is the size of a person, weighs several tons and symbolizes the legacy of past players who have made that same walk onto the field. It is not a natural feature of the landscape, seemingly dropped from space and landing in the stadium entranceway like some sort of asteroid.

The rock was not a gift from the heavens. Rather, it was a gift from Zeus and some of his friends.

During their senior year, Beisel and some of his teammates were trying to think of a way to leave their mark on the school and the program. They knew they wanted to do something big but didn’t know if one gift could encompass all that they had sacrificed.

“We were sitting around one day and were like, ‘What would be an awesome way to be remembered?’” said Alex Armstrong, Beisel’s high school teammate and friend. “We said, ‘What if we found a big rock and we push it up a hill? Something symbolic.’”

For the next few weeks, Beisel set his sights on finding the right rock, informing his friends and Bunyard about different prospects almost daily. Eventually, with the help of Armstrong’s father’s landscaping company, Beisel and Armstrong fit the rock in the path from Rockwood Summit’s locker room to the stadium. It is something that symbolizes more than just the team’s hard work throughout the season. It also symbolizes how much Beisel cares about the community from which he hails and how loyal he is to those who have helped him along the way.

Before he became Zeus, Beisel was Ericter the Character. The name was bestowed upon him by his late grandmother, Martha Beisel, for how active he was in trying to make sure everyone had a good time with him around.

Ericter the Character is the one who makes goofy faces in all of the Beisel photo books to make sure everybody is laughing and the one who drove his family van around at 5 a.m. to pick up his high school teammates for morning weightlifting.

“He’s not one to leave anybody out,” Cathy Beisel said. “He always wants to be inclusive. From the time he was a little kid, he’s been a difference-maker.”

Eric Beisel doesn’t mind taking on the extra burden that comes with helping others out or making sure they are able to have the same opportunities he does.

Armstrong believes that his empathy for others is the reason he unleashes Zeus on the media and opposing teams. If he can get the focus to be on himself, rather than his teammates, Beisel figures his team has a better chance of coming out on top.

“He’s the ultimate team player,” Armstrong said. “They aren’t game-planning or worried about who’s going to cover who. They’re worried about kicking Eric’s teeth in. To Eric, that’s how his teammates can go out and have no extra pressure.”

So, although Zeus takes center stage, he would not be able to perform without all of the stagehands working behind the scenes to keep the show going. For without his lightning, Zeus is nothing but a god of air.

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Auburn fans invade Columbia for their first visit to Missouri Sept. 23 Some of the loudest cheers Faurot Field has heard this year erupted from the south end zone at 4:15 p.m.

Saturday.

The screams, however, were not for the Tigers wearing black and gold. Instead, chants of "War Eagle" rose above hundreds of blue and orange pompoms as No. 15 Auburn arrived at Memorial Stadium.

For many Auburn fans, Saturday marked their first trip north to Columbia. Auburn had never played a game at Memorial Stadium before, and the only two previous meetings between the teams (1973 Sun Bowl and the 2013 SEC Championship) were held at neutral sites.

But, despite having no prior experience at MU, Auburn's fans looked right at home in Columbia. The downtown area was filled with people in AU blue and orange in the days leading up to the game, and Auburn even managed to set up its own pregame "Tiger Walk."

Part of the reason Auburn fans were able to feel so comfortable in the new city had to do with the easygoing nature of their hosts.

"It's a little more laid-back than Georgia or LSU or somebody like that," Jim McMickin, an Auburn fan who lives in Georgia, said. "A little more friendly and relaxed atmosphere here."

The reception Auburn received is not one it is used to at conference away games. Most of Auburn's road trips throw fans into rowdy environments against SEC giants such as Alabama, Louisiana State and Texas A&M. Susan Waggoner, who graduated from Auburn in 2015 and has traveled to watch the Tigers face off against other SEC foes, was pleased when she arrived in Columbia and wasn't met with shouts of "Tiger Bait" like she heard when she visited Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

"Some fans can be a little hostile, and they haven't been (here)," Waggoner said. "No one has said anything yet."

The lack of trash talk could also be attributed to the low morale surrounding Missouri's 1-2 start to the season. During this past Saturday's 35-3 loss to Purdue, a large number of the 53,262 in attendance flocked for the exits from halftime onward.

Overall attendance numbers show Missouri fans have been some of the least intimidating in the conference. Through three home games, MU is averaging an attendance of 52,805. In comparison, Auburn has averaged close to 35,000 more patrons in its stands during its two home games thus far.

The disparity in fan interest was most visible as the stands started to fill Saturday. Auburn orange dominated the southwest corner of Faurot Field and splattered throughout the rest of the stands — mixing in with sprinklings of Missouri gold. Auburn's fans brought the same noise they had during the impromptu "Tiger Walk" when their team ran onto the field.

The noise level continued to rise as the game wore on, as Auburn continued to show the same dominance that inspires so many of its fans to travel hundreds of miles to watch its games. Meanwhile, Missouri continued to show the same spirit that has inspired so many fans to watch from home.

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Notebook: Auburn rushers burn through Missouri's defensive line Sept. 23 Defensive line coach Brick Haley wandered through stretching linemen before Saturday's game. He barked standard phrases at his players — "Let's go! Lock in!" — in an attempt to jumpstart a struggling Missouri squad.

Haley is in charge of perhaps the only good part of Missouri's defense so far this season. His linemen have been stout against the run this season.

"I think everything for us defensively starts up front," coach Barry Odom said during last week's SEC coaches' teleconference.

But, then came Auburn. Despite being without its leading rusher in Kamryn Pettaway, junior running back Kerryon Johnson carried on and found his way into the end zone from both the tailback position and as quarterback in the wildcat formation.

Johnson only rushed for 48 yards but was able to punch in five touchdowns — one shy of Carnell Williams' single-game Auburn record, which was set in 2003 — when he was handed the ball inside the 10-yard line.

"I was just trying to do my job, and the O-line created holes," Johnson said. "I think we did a good job; we came out on top."

Gus Malzahn had a goal to rush for 200 yards against Missouri's defensive line Saturday. It was a goal he accomplished, as Auburn steamrolled its way to a 51-14 victory.

Missouri's defensive line was forced to go up against both Auburn's talented running back corps and its quarterback, Jarrett Stidham. On the Saturday night, it proved to be too big of a task.

The Tigers from Columbia were torched for 263 yards, along with Johnson's five touchdowns, on the ground. No Auburn player rushed for over 100 yards, but the visiting Tigers had six players finish with double-digit rushing yards.

On a night where Missouri needed its defensive line to be successful to have a shot at winning, the line was not up to the task.

Injury report Quarterback Drew Lock was able to start Saturday's game despite breaking his nose during Tuesday's practice. He was forced to wear a face shield to prevent defenders' fingers from reaching inside his facemask.

Defensive tackle Walter Palmore was held out for the second straight week due to a strained knee.

MU receiver Johnson re-emerges Despite Missouri's offensive struggles, one Tiger saw loads of action for the first time in weeks.

Johnathon Johnson was Lock most-targeted receiver Saturday night. The redshirt-sophomore recorded a career-high 10 catches catches for 85 yards.

Johnson's performance is the first time he has had more the 50 yards receiving since Missouri's Week 1 win over Missouri State. In his past two games, Johnson only registered three catches. Still, the receiver remained subdued after the loss.

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"They were just catches," Johnson said. "I didn't do anything explosive, I didn't score. We all just have to get better and keep working."

Auburn capitalizes on big plays Missouri's season-long coverage and tackling woes were apparent Saturday night. Auburn consistently gashed the host Tigers on its way to the end zone.

Auburn had five plays longer than 30 yards, including a 57-yard touchdown pass from Jarrett Stidham.

The vast majority of these plays came from one-on-one matchups in which Missouri's defensive backs were forced to keep up with the Auburn receivers deep downfield while the Missouri pass rush couldn't penetrate the offensive line and pressure Stidham.

"It makes all the difference for us," Malzahn said. "When you can do that, it opens everything else up."

WR Mason dismissed from MU football team Sept. 30 Missouri’s offense took a major blow Saturday morning when it was reported that wide receiver Dimetrios Mason had left the team. Mason’s dismissal was first reported by PowerMizzou.com’s Gabe DeArmond and later confirmed to the Missourian.

Mason has caught 13 passes in his sophomore season for 119 yards. He has also been a key piece in the Tigers’ kick return game, taking back eight kickoffs for an average of 27.5 yards.

As a true freshman, Mason saw significant action and was one of Missouri’s top targets, catching 47 passes for 587 yards and three touchdowns. Emanuel Hall, who has been Mason’s backup early in the season, is expected to fill the spot left by the sophomore.

Mason is the third Missouri receiver to leave the team in the past year, with Keyon Dilosa being kicked off the team for domestic assault and DeSean Blair transferring.

Missouri loses linebacker commit The night before news broke that Mason was off the team, Missouri also received word that La’Dedric Jackson, a middle linebacker from Montgomery, Alabama, had opened his recruitment process back up and was no longer set on coming to Columbia.

In a note Jackson tweeted, the linebacker said he would be “looking at other options” and deciding on which school he will play for at a later date. Jackson is a three-star linebacker according to both Rivals.com and 247Sports.com.

Jackson goes to the same high school as quarterback James Foster, one of Missouri’s top-ranked recruits.

Missouri still has two linebackers planning on going to school at Missouri in Chad Bailey and Cameron Wilkins.

Mason's dismissal opens door for Hall, Brown Oct. 2 Missouri’s offense has yet to find any consistency in its performance this season, but fans could always count on who would be starting for the Tigers at wide receiver when Saturdays rolled around.

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That was until sophomore Dimetrios Mason was dismissed from the team on Saturday.

Mason had started every game for the Tigers in 2017 and was a major contributor in 2016. Junior Emanuel Hall will be the receiver tasked with filling Mason’s shoes. Hall has five receptions for 104 yards in the three games in which he has seen action. Hall caught 19 balls for 307 yards and two touchdowns in 2016.

“He’s ready to go,” offensive coordinator Josh Heupel said. “He’s chomping at the bit and ready to go play.”

Hall served as Mason’s backup for the opening month of Missouri’s season. With his promotion, Nate Brown climbed into the Missouri depth chart for the first time in 2017.

Brown was Missouri’s leading receiver in 2015 with 326 yards and four touchdowns. A high-ankle sprain forced him to sit out for the entirety of the 2016 season. Since his return to Missouri’s active roster, Brown has accounted for one catch, against Auburn.

Injury update Missouri’s receiving corps is still without redshirt sophomore Justin Smith, whose knee injury in camp limited his participation. Smith is still on crutches and is not practicing.

Drew Lock is still recovering from a broken nose suffered in the practices leading up to Missouri’s 51-14 loss to Auburn. The injury did not affect Lock’s participation, only forcing him to wear a face shield when he took the field.

Barry Odom said the rest of Missouri’s roster is in “good shape” as the team turns its attention to Kentucky, with no major injuries suffered during the bye week.

Odom focuses on future during bye week Just because his team wasn’t playing didn’t mean Odom missed watching his share of games on the gridiron.

Missouri’s coach traveled to Texas, Alabama, Mississippi and around Missouri to keep tabs on high school recruits who could one day wind up wearing black and gold. Odom was seen watching Rock Bridge running back and 2019 Missouri recruit Nate Peat on Saturday when the Bruins faced Helias in Jefferson City.

“We got a lot of work done with our team and also recruited for the future of our program,” Odom said. “It was good for our staff to be able to do it.”

Coaches try to tune out outside voices After Missouri’s loss to Auburn, Odom let Rock Bridge’s “third-string left tackle” know that he didn’t care about what was being said about him on Twitter.

Since then, Odom and Heupel have tried to ignore the social media echo chamber.

“For us, we need to focus on the task at hand,” Odom said. “Any spent time or emotion on opinions of others that are not in this program, good or bad, is wasted.”

Heupel echoed Odom’s sentiment, saying that the team shouldn’t think about any voices besides their own.

“Don’t pay attention to the outside noise, whether it’s going good or bad,” Heupel said. “Just go play ball.

You’re the same player, the same coach.”

Game time announced for Missouri-Georgia game

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Missouri is scheduled to play its third night game in a row when it visits No. 5 Georgia on Oct. 14. The game — set for 6:30 p.m. — will take place during Georgia’s homecoming weekend and will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

Consistent performances key to finding offensive success for Tigers Oct. 4, 2017 In college football, fast can work.

Some of the nation’s most prolific offenses in recent years have come from coordinators who like to push the tempo. The 2014-15 Oregon offense, which ran a play every 19 seconds, propelled its team all the way to the national championship game.

The Ducks went 13-2 that season by only holding onto the ball for an average of 27 minutes, 36 seconds per game. They didn’t need to keep the ball forever and scored nearly 43 points a game, despite their defense spending significantly more time on the field.

Oregon consistently produced massive score lines by putting the ball in the hands of its top playmakers one way or another. The Ducks involved their running backs in the pass game and allowed their receivers to get their share of touches by involving them in jet sweeps as well as catching the ball.

As a result, Oregon’s leading receiver was running back Byron Marshall, who tallied more than 1,000 yards receiving, while its wide receivers accounted for 13 rushing attempts for 131 yards on the year.

The Ducks’ speed and efficiency of 2014-15 are what Missouri second-year offensive coordinator Josh Heupel is striving for now. His offense has shown brief glimpses of being able to produce those video game numbers, scoring at least 30 points five times during his tenure.

But, through the first four games of 2017, Missouri’s offense has not consistently found ways to effectively involve its main playmakers. As a result, the unit, which averages 21:31 of possession per game, has combined to score just 30 points since its record-setting Week 1 performance against Missouri State.

J’Mon Moore, Missouri’s top wide receiver from a year ago, has only had the ball in his hands an average of three times per game thus far. Slot receiver Johnathon Johnson, another big-play threat for the Tigers, is seeing the ball more this year, but, as defenses have started to focus on him, his yards per catch have decreased by more than 5 yards from the 2016 campaign.

After former wide receiver Dimetrios Mason was dismissed from the team Saturday, Heupel said he would depend on Moore and Johnson as Missouri heads into the remainder of its season.

“Those are two guys that need to come out and play their best football to give ourselves a chance to be as capable as we can be on offense,” Heupel said.

Moore hopes his lack of participation is a thing of the past. The redshirt senior said Missouri used its bye week to make adjustments to the offense that will hopefully benefit him and the Tigers’ other key contributors.

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“We just worked on doing a lot of different things and trying to put people in better positions so we can make more plays,” Moore said.

Meanwhile, Heupel’s preseason expectations of involving the running backs in Missouri’s pass game have failed to come to fruition. The Tigers tailbacks have only recorded four catches on the year.

But, on drives in which the running backs have caught a pass of any type, Missouri has ended up in the red zone 50 percent of the time. One of those trips resulted in a touchdown, with the other a failed fourthdown conversion.

Missouri’s success hinges on its ability to involve its key contributors successfully. Heupel knows his offense can work, he just has to find a way to establish the consistency that yields those Oregon-type numbers.

“You believe in the things you’re trying to instill,” Heupel said. “You believe in your personality, your characteristics, your traits of what you’re trying to implement in the program. You stay true to that, and, sooner or later, things will take off.”

Opponent preview: Kentucky's consistency poses biggest threat to Missouri Oct. 5 Kentucky doesn't put up astronomical numbers on the scoreboard, nor does it have a stifling defense that shuts opposing offenses down from the opening kickoff.

But the Wildcats put up numbers in the area that counts the most: the wins column.

Since the 2016 season, Kentucky has gone from an SEC East fringe team to one of the most consistent performers in the conference. Since starting last season on an 0-2 skid, the Wildcats have gone 11-5, tied for the best record of any SEC East team in that stretch.

Kentucky's success starts in the running game. Despite losing running back Stanley "Boom" Williams, who declared early for the NFL Draft but was not signed by any team, the Wildcats still have a powerful runner in Benny Snell Jr. Snell has been Kentucky's workhorse through its first five games, carrying the ball 106 times for 413 yards and four touchdowns. Missouri fans will remember when Snell torched the Tigers as a freshman last fall, plowing his way for 192 yards and two touchdowns in Kentucky's 35-21 victory. However, the sophomore has not found the same success he did a year ago and is averaging just 3.8 yards per carry — nearly two yards less than last season. He has only rushed for 100 yards twice so far in 2017, against Eastern Kentucky and South Carolina.

"Mark Stoops said Monday that there is probably a little bit of frustration there, and Benny's got to deal with that," said Jon Hale, the Kentucky football writer for the Louisville Courier-Journal.

Despite his pedestrian performances early in the season, this weekend's matchup favors Snell Missouri ranks among the nation's worst defenses, allowing close to 195 yards per game and surrendering 14 touchdowns on the season to opposing rushers.

When Kentucky isn't moving the ball on the ground, it entrusts Stephen Johnson to deliver the ball to his receivers through the air.

Johnson has been consistently good through Kentucky's first five games but has yet to turn in a great performance. He has only thrown for over 200 yards once this year and has dished out just seven touchdown passes.

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Johnson doesn't light up the stat sheet, but he also doesn't make many mistakes. The senior has thrown only one interception on the year and is happy to tuck the ball and run if his receivers aren't open.

Johnson has rushed for 187 yards and two touchdowns this season.

Johnson's performance has exceeded expectations for many who followed his route to Kentucky. He transferred to Kentucky from College of the Desert, a junior college in California, and was listed as the backup quarterback for the Wildcats during his junior season.

But after starter Drew Barker went down early in Kentucky's 2016 season with an injury Johnson was thrust into the starting spot. He has held onto it ever since and is 9-5 as a starter.

"I think it's fair to say he was recruited as a backup," Hale said. "That being said, without Stephen Johnson, they don't go to a bowl game last year. Everyone (on) that team ... talks about how important he was as a calming influence."

On the other side of the ball, nothing about Kentucky's defense blows opposing teams away, but the Wildcats are always good enough at preventing scores to keep themselves in the game.

Although Kentucky's defense has been average when it comes to allowing touchdowns, with 13 given up on the season, it does not allow scores when its offense is struggling. The Wildcats have yet to win a game by more than 10 points this year, but when the offense has scored less than 24 points the defense has clamped down to allow an average of only 16.67 points.

Kentucky's focus on defense is stopping opponents' running games. It currently ranks third in the country in rushing yards per game, giving up only 74 yards along the ground.

When opponents turn to the pass game, they must be wary of safety Mike Edwards, who is currently tied for the most interceptions in the SEC with three. Opponents will have to deal with Kentucky's defensive line, which poses both pass-rushing and run-stopping threats.

"That defensive line still has things to prove, but there's no doubt they are way better than they were a year ago," Hale said. "They're getting more pressure on the quarterbacks. Their edge rushers, Denzil Ware, Josh Allen and freshman (Joshua) Paschal, are very good."

Perhaps the only weakness on the Kentucky team is the offensive line. The Wildcats lost three starters from a year ago because of graduation and injury. As a result, Kentucky has yet to find any consistency when it comes to run and pass blocking.

"They've tried two or three guys at center," Hale said. "They haven't quite clicked in terms of who is the best five. That's a big concern right now."

Despite Kentucky's inconsistency on its offensive line, Hale believes it will be able to fix some of the problems against Missouri's defense, which has struggled no matter whom it's faced.

"Considering Missouri's struggles on their own, I think this is a game where (Kentucky) is going to try and get that run game going," Hale said. "If they can get Bennie Snell to have a big game, if he can go out and have 150 yards, 175 yards rushing like he did a year ago, I think that would be the path to Kentucky having a pretty easy win."

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Basketball in the Bluegrass: Kentucky counting down to hoops season Oct. 7 Kentucky's football team is 4-1 on the season and is currently tied for second place in the SEC East. Yet, despite the success the Wildcats wearing pads have had in 2017, the team is still the little brother to the squad that will captivate the commonwealth come November.

Kentucky is a basketball school without question. Even in the hours leading up to the football team's kickoff against Missouri, fans had no problem talking about their love for their basketball team.

They have every right to look past football season. Kentucky basketball is the winningest program in college basketball history, victors in 2,237 games and owners of eight national titles.

Jeff Noffsinger has been watching Kentucky basketball since he was a child, going to see the Wildcats play in Memorial Coliseum before their move to Rupp Arena in 1976. In that time, he's seen four of Kentucky's national championship teams and has held season tickets for most of his adult life.

Growing up a Kentucky basketball fan and living in Lexington his whole life has immersed Noffsinger in the culture of Kentucky basketball. He knows that there is nothing like the atmosphere basketball brings to the state.

"It's over the top," Noffsinger said. "Folks just eat, breathe and sleep basketball."

When Kentucky fans can't get tickets to games, they always tune their TV's to whatever channel their basketball team is on. Although Hunter Utley has only been to three basketball games in his lifetime, he never misses a game, making sure to watch the Wildcats on his television.

Utley is a sophomore at Murray High School in Murray, Kentucky, and has yet to see a season where Kentucky has won fewer than 20 games. As a result, he doesn't get scared in the lead up to games, having never known the type of failure that afflicts other schools.

"We go into (SEC) games knowing we're going to win," Utley said.

A little of Kentucky's success can be attributed to the conference it plays in. In the past 30 years, only two other SEC teams besides Kentucky — Arkansas and Florida — have won a national championship.

However, times have changed, and the SEC appears to have more depth in basketball than it has had in recent memory. Not only is Missouri expected to rise up from the basement of the SEC with the recruitment of the Porter brothers, but schools like Alabama and South Carolina are also expected to present a challenge to the Wildcats.

Kentucky still looks past its conference foes, however, and circles one game on the calendar in particular.

"We hate Louisville," Noffsinger said. "I'd rather see anybody win other than Louisville."

That deep-rooted disgust resulted in great joy when Louisville came under its second scandal in as many years just weeks ago. The Cardinals are part of the FBI investigation concerning corruption, with many schools implicated for bribery in recruiting. Louisville coach Rick Pitino has been effectively fired as a result of the case.

"A lot of people are, I won't say thrilled with it, but you trust me I don't lose any sleep over their program going down because of all the scandals they've been a part of over the past few years," Noffsinger said.

Noffsinger didn't care to talk about Kentucky coach John Calipari, who was also been involved in numerous recruiting scandals during his time at both Massachusetts and Memphis.

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Fans clad in blue and white trickled into Kroger Field with 10 minutes before game time. The atmosphere was relaxed, with plenty of open seats still available. It was almost as though the fans who could have showed up for Kentucky's homecoming game were just saving their energy for November, when they would be fighting for space in Rupp Arena.

Make Room: Missouri uses 305-pound fullback Oct. 10 The media members in Kroger Field’s press box looked around at each other in utter confusion as Missouri readied for its first play from scrimmage.

The Tigers had departed from the starting lineup that was used for each of the first four games, leaving receiver J’Mon Moore on the bench in place of a player wearing No. 49. According to Missouri’s roster, freshman linebacker Alec Pierce is the only player who wears that number. The player who lined up in Missouri’s backfield looked like he could have eaten the 215-pound Pierce for breakfast and still been hungry afterward.

Missouri’s directors of strategic communications quickly confirmed that Pierce had not in fact added 90 pounds over the week and grown 2 inches. Instead, the unidentified player was Alec Abeln, a Missouri offensive lineman who took on the role of Missouri’s fullback.

Abeln started six games for the Tigers a year ago along the offensive line and made nine career starts for Missouri through his redshirt senior season. He had never lined up in the backfield in his career, until Saturday.

“I was a kicker in high school if that counts,” Abeln said.

The senior was on the field for a handful of snaps against the Wildcats, lining up in an offset formation a few steps behind the Missouri offensive line. The new position allowed Abeln to match up against Kentucky’s linebackers, giving him a sizable advantage and opening up gaping holes for Damarea Crockett and Ish Witter.

The use of a fullback is not part of the norm for Missouri’s offense. Offensive coordinator Josh Heupel often prefers to spread the field, lining up with four and even up to five wide receivers at a time.

Heupel still runs a balanced offense despite the large ratio of wide receivers to running backs, putting the ball on the ground on nearly 49 percent of Missouri’s snaps. But against Kentucky, which was the nation’s third-ranked run defense before facing the Tigers, Heupel decided he needed an extra body in the backfield to have success on the ground.

The only problem with this plan was that Missouri did not and still does not have a listed fullback on its roster. The Tigers had two weeks to find the extra blocker that is seldom used in college playbooks before their trip to Lexington.

The coaching staff searched through the bigger bodies on the roster for a player who could fulfill the role.

The answer was Abeln.

“He’s no marathon runner, but in the box, he’s got a little quickness,” coach Barry Odom said. “He’s powerful, understands the offense, and he’s a great member of our program that care’s about doing whatever he can.”

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When the coaches first tabbed Abeln as the team’s pseudo-fullback during Missouri’s fall camp, the lineman was asked to fill in on a drill that typically utilized defensive linemen in the backfield. Abeln performed well enough in the role to catch the eyes of offensive line coach Glen Elarbee and tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley, who believed that the lineman could have a future in the Missouri backfield.

“At first, I thought they were kidding,” Abeln said. “We started working on stuff around Purdue, so it’s been three weeks now that we’ve been working on it.”

The role Abeln played Saturday was similar to that of former Missouri defensive tackle Josh Augusta, who bashed and bruised his way into the end zone twice during his final season for the Tigers in what became known as the “Bone” package. Abeln didn’t have the chance to carry the ball for Missouri on Saturday, and he has no desire to do so in the future.

“I don’t think they’re going to be giving me the ball anytime soon,” Abeln said. “I’ve got the hands; I just don’t know if they trust me yet.”

Heupel said that Abeln is now back to his normal spot on the line but did not rule out using him in the backfield again in the future. If the opportunity does come again, Abeln will don the No. 49 without hesitation.

“However I can help out,” Abeln said. “Running and hitting people has always been fun, so being out there and helping this team is always going to be fun.”

Maintaining tradition: Georgia's hedges bring character to homecoming at Sanford Stadium Oct. 14 When Missouri walked into Sanford Stadium to face No. 4 Georgia on Saturday night, the Tigers found their entrance confined by an obstacle unlike any other in college football.

Jets of fire shooting into the air guide Missouri on its path to midfield ahead of home games at Memorial Stadium. On away trips, the Tigers are often forced to simply run out of the visitor's locker room entrance to the boos of opposing fans.

But, at Georgia, road teams are forced to make their way through a gap between Georgia's infamous hedges. Once inside, players and coaches are locked into a coliseum of 92,746 screaming red-and-blackclad fans and stare across the field at one of the most successful programs in college football history.

Georgia's success has been surrounded by the dark green, perfectly rectangular privet hedges since 1929.

The task of keeping the plants in as good of shape as the team they protect has been passed down through the decades and currently rests on the shoulders of Matt Hollan, Georgia's Director of Sports Turf and Grounds.

"I have a background in plants," Hollan said. "(I have) a couple different degrees in plant care, plant physiology; most of that was specialized in turf grass. So once I came here and now that I have the hedges, I have done hours and hours of reading and talking to local experts on the privet plant to learn more."

Hollan previously worked at the University of Southern California, where he was the Trojans' head groundskeeper at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. In his opinion, much of the work he does at Georgia overlaps with his time at USC. The only difference is that now he has to focus on more than the playing surface — maintaining the hedges doubles as keeping the character of Sanford Stadium intact.

Many of Hollan's practices for tending to college football's most famous hedges are similar to those of amateur groundskeepers just trying to keep their potted plants looking right. Georgia's groundskeeper will trim and prune the plants on a regular basis and will also conduct various soil tests.

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"The fun part is that it is pretty similar to your generic hedge clippers," Hollan said. "The big things we do are that we make sure our hedge clippers are well maintained, properly lubricated and have a sharp cutting edge."

Keeping up the hedges healthy and strong is a weekly job for Hollan, and he enlists a massive support staff to help him care for the hedges. Along with his regular grounds crew, Hollan consults five Georgia professors and enlists local contractors on a weekly-to-monthly basis.

The problems that can arise from the hedges usually aren't the kind that befuddle average garden owners.

If anything, the plants grow too much for their own good.

The hedges are a species of privet, which is known in some areas as an invasive species. Hollan doesn't know the exact variety of privet the hedges are, but he does know that they are hardy plants that are sometimes too tough for their own good.

"Privet itself is native to the wilderness," Hollan said. "But the privet grows very well in our climate. It's a native wild species, so the intensive care we give it is actually something new. There's not many people doing what we do to privet."

As the noise level in Sanford rose Saturday, the top-five Bulldogs stormed through the pristine hedges and onto the field. Fans and staffers on the turf before kickoff plucked leaves and sticks from the privets and put them in their pockets. Hollan watched proudly as the people took pieces of his work to remember the night by — he doesn't mind the robbery.

"That highlights the emphasis of the hedges, how special it is to people," Hollan said. "If they feel it's worth taking a souvenir, we've done our job correctly to make them the highlight of the stadium."

Five things to watch: Missouri looks to hit reset button against Idaho Oct. 20 The first half of Missouri's season did not go according to plan.

The Tigers reached the halfway point with a dismal 1-5 record, the team's worst through six games since the 1992 season, which ended in a 3-8 overall record.

Despite the abysmal start, the team is optimistic it can finish the season on a high note. The Tigers do not have any more teams with a record above .500 left on their schedule and play three teams that don't have more than three wins.

"Let's just start with a clean slate going into the second half," linebacker Brandon Lee said. "We feel that we can win out the last six games."

Missouri's quest to right its wrongs starts at 11 a.m. Saturday, when it takes on Idaho (2-4). Here are five things to watch in the Homecoming matchup: Will the defense improve against lesser competition?

Missouri's defense has been playing checkers while opposing offenses play chess all season long.

The Tigers rank near the bottom of every statistical category when it comes to stopping the other guys from getting into the end zone. They have yet to keep any opponent from scoring fewer than 30 points and are coming off a game in which they allowed nearly 700 total yards of offense to Georgia.

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Idaho hasn't lit up the scoreboard by any means this year, averaging just under 23 points per game. The weapons the Vandals have at their disposal also won't be nearly as lethal as those in the arsenals of Missouri's past opponents.

Still, Missouri's defense has shown it has the ability to be lit up by whomever, whether it be Auburn or Missouri State. The Tigers shouldn't have their hands quite as full as they have in past weeks, but it remains to be seen whether that will matter.

The Lock-to-Hall connection Two weeks ago, Missouri's offense was down-and-out.

Despite expectations that it would be one of the best units in the SEC, the Tigers offense seemed to be without teeth, combining to score only 30 points in losses to South Carolina, Purdue and Auburn. The problem was compounded when starting wide receiver Dimetrios Mason was kicked off the team.

Mason's replacement was Emanuel Hall. The junior had seen a decent amount of playing time as a backup, but, with defenses keying in on J'Mon Moore and Johnathon Johnson to break up Missouri's passing attack, Hall became heavily relied upon for the first time in his collegiate career.

Hall took the challenge in stride and has since torched defenses to a tune of 33.75 yards per catch and four touchdowns in the two games he has started. His speed has opened up the Missouri offense, which suddenly seems as potent as many expected it to be at the start of the season.

"I just really realized how I can utilize my talent as far as speed, angles to take and how Drew (Lock) is throwing the ball," Hall said. "I think on Saturday, it's almost identical to how we're practicing, and I think that's really helped me, Drew and just the whole offense in general."

Running back by committee Damarea Crockett hasn't quite been himself this season.

After suffering a bruised tailbone against South Carolina, Missouri's feature back has been in somewhat of a sophomore slump, seeing only limited action as he's recovered from the injury. His problem only got worse when he hurt his right shoulder against Georgia in the third quarter.

With Crockett's participation Saturday still up in the air, Missouri will look to the two other running backs that have seen significant playing time in 2017: Ish Witter and Larry Rountree III. Witter has been a steady presence for the Tigers during his senior season, taking on defenders a foot taller than him and still churning out 5.5 yards per carry.

Rountree III has made an instant impact as a freshman but has only run the ball more than 10 times during a game once this season and has yet to rush for more than 50 yards. He also has become Missouri's kick returner in the aftermath of Mason's dismissal, which would presumably limit his playing time early in Missouri's drives.

Will the target be lower?

The only way to describe Missouri's defense as high-flying would be when looking at where the Tigers try to tackle.

Missouri has had three players ejected because of targeting penalties during its first six games. First, it was Cam Hilton coming in high against Missouri State. Then DeMarkus Acy couldn't get his 6-foot-2 frame low enough and ended up head-butting a Kentucky ball carrier. And a week ago, Tavon Ross launched himself at the head of a Georgia's return man in an attempt to deliver a literal knockout blow.

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The amount of targeting penalties could be a concern for the Tigers going forward. The trend may continue against an Idaho offense for which there is only one regular contributor — quarterback excluded — over 6 feet tall.

Growth from the start of the season For the first time since its opening game, Missouri will face a non-Power 5 opponent. Idaho won't even be an FBS team next year; the program will move to the FCS, the same class as Missouri State.

Missouri's Week 1 win over the Bears sounded alarm bells for many, particularly when looking at the defense. Since that point, the Tigers have faced two of the SEC's top three offenses and competent scorers in Purdue and South Carolina and have been torched every time they've set foot on the field.

If there has been any improvement made over the first six games, it should be displayed on Saturday. The quality of competition will be marginally higher than that of the home opener, but the Vandals are closer to the Bears than they are to the Bulldogs when it comes to talent.

The second half of Missouri's season will start in a similar situation to where it was just seven weeks ago.

It will be a good measuring stick to see whether fans can expect a repeat performance in the second half ... or if Missouri can turn the ship around.

Missouri's defense leads way in Homecoming rout of Idaho Oct. 21 For a moment, it looked as though it was more of the same from Missouri’s defense.

After quarterback Drew Lock threw an interception on the first play of the game, the Tigers were forced to defend from their own 33-yard line. Four plays later, the Idaho Vandals were celebrating a touchdown while a groan spread amongst the Memorial Stadium crowd. Missouri’s defenders stood with hands on their hips, almost dumbfounded that they had let up another touchdown to start off the game.

Missouri has been among the country’s worst defenses in 2017, ranking near the bottom of every defensive statistical category and surrendering just fewer than 500 yards per game on average. With the Vandals breaking off a 26-yard run on their quest to find the north end zone, it was easy to assume another loaded stat sheet would be available after the game.

But then, with the throwback block “M” adorning each player’s helmet, the Missouri defense did its best impression of the defenses of old. For the rest of the game, Missouri’s defense locked down, rarely allowing Idaho’s offense to move the ball consistently, as it led the Tigers in cruising to a 68-21 victory, ending a five-game losing streak.

Throughout the season, Missouri’s defense has suffered from three ailments: missed tackles, failing to execute on third down and lack of pressure on the quarterback. On Saturday, it solved all three.

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Missouri’s tackling has been inconsistent no matter whom the Tigers play, as evidenced time and again by chunk plays that have almost always resulted in opposing touchdowns.

But against Idaho, Missouri allowed only one rush and two passes more than 20 yards.

“We were playing a lot more aggressive throughout the week of practice,” freshman defensive back Adam Sparks said. “That was probably the key thing. Of course it’s going to carry over to the game.”

The most notable improvement came from Missouri’s defensive backs. Both Kaleb Prewett and Sparks recorded more than five tackles, cleaning up plays when Idaho players got into space.

When it came to third down, Missouri implemented a new strategy that involved subbing out defensive linemen and linebackers for a surplus of defensive backs. In third-and-long situations, the Tigers often used three defensive ends and one defensive tackle ... or three defensive linemen and two linebackers. The rest of the field was almost entirely made up of defensive backs.

The result was unlike any Missouri (2-5) has seen this season. The Vandals (2-5) managed only 15 first downs during the game, three of which came against Missouri’s second-string players in the fourth quarter.

“You’ve got to study on, ‘What are they doing?’” Missouri coach Barry Odom said. “’What route concepts are you seeing on third down? What personnel grouping?’ Then you build the defense around that.”

Another reason the Tigers were able to consistently get off the field and pave the way for the offense’s outburst behind Lock passing for 467 yards and six touchdowns had to do with the Missouri pass rushers consistently making their way into the backfield.

The Tigers recorded a season-high five sacks, bruising Idaho quarterback Matt Linehan regularly. The team also recorded 12 tackles for loss.

The rushers were led by Terry Beckner Jr., who blasted his way through the interior of the Vandals line to record six tackles and two sacks. Tre Williams, Marcell Frazier and Cam Hilton also recorded sacks. “(Their offensive line was) a lot smaller than the ones I go against (normally)” Williams said. “Their arms are shorter. They’re not like Tyler Howell on our team.”

Overall, the defense allowed only 278 total yards to an Idaho offense that had averaged 409 yards in its two other road games this season. That’s the fewest total yards Missouri has allowed all season.

“It’s great if you draw it up on the board and it looks nice and clean,” Odom said. “But if you can’t teach it and get it implemented and our kids don’t do it, it’s of no value. ... (The defensive coaches) were great teachers this week, and our kids executed, which is fun to see.”

Rountree to step up in Crockett's absence Oct. 23 Dorian Clark knew he was in trouble as soon as he stepped into the path of Larry Rountree III. The Idaho defensive back tried to set his feet on the 20-yard line as Rountree plowed toward him. But, in the final seconds before the collision, Clark realized his impending doom and ducked his head, almost in a bow to concede defeat.

Rountree slammed Clark to the turf, causing the defender to lose his helmet in the process. Clark was forced to watch Rountree run for another 41 yards before finally being wrestled to the ground.

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Rountree’s physicality was on full display throughout Missouri’s 68-21 win Saturday over the Vandals.

Splitting time in the backfield with senior Ish Witter, the freshman from Raleigh, North Carolina, rushed for a season-high 97 yards on 12 carries and also impressed offensive coordinator Josh Heupel when he didn’t have the ball in his hands.

“He did some really positive things last week,” Heupel said of Rountree during a Monday news conference. “(He) ran hard, ran physical, competed extremely hard snap to whistle. Handled everything pretty well including protections, which is something you are always thinking about with a young running back.”

Rountree can expect a similar role this week, as the Tigers will be without sophomore Damarea Crockett.

On Monday, coach Barry Odom said Crockett, who sat out of the Homecoming win, got his injured right shoulder scoped over the weekend and is ruled out of Saturday’s game at Connecticut. Odom was hopeful the sophomore can return before the end of the season but said the team will prepare like he won’t be available.

Depth chart changes With Crockett out for the foreseeable future, Ish Witter will take over as the starting tailback. Rountree moved up to the second-string position, while walk-on Dawson Downing will serve as the team’s thirdstring running back.

Redshirt freshman Albert Okwuegbunam overtook senior Jason Reese as Missouri’s No. 1 tight end against Connecticut after his three-touchdown performance against Idaho.

Kicker Tucker McCann is also back as a starter after being suspended during Saturday’s game for a violation of team rules.

Tight ends continue to produce When Missouri’s tight ends catch the ball, good things seem to happen for the Tigers.

On Saturday, the position group was responsible for five catches, three of which resulted in touchdowns, and 119 receiving yards. Okwuegbunam had four of the five catches, and junior Kendall Blanton added a 62-yard reception that set up a touchdown in the second quarter.

The week before, Okwuegbunam and Reese each hauled in touchdowns against No. 3 Georgia.

Okwuegbunam, who has accounted for four of the five touchdowns over the past two weeks, has been the main contributor, but Heupel pointed out an area of his game that needs improvement.

“I thought Albert did a really good job in the pass-catching game,” Heupel said. “Obviously had some huge plays down the middle of the football field. I think he can be better than what he was in the run game.

That’s the challenge for him this week.”

DE Williams grows up For the first half of the season, redshirt freshman Tre Williams was found on the bench each time Missouri’s defense trotted onto the field.

Despite Williams’ 6-foot-5, 250-pound physical presence, which is in line with a prototypical SEC defensive end, Odom said the mentality it takes was not there. It took Williams until Week 7 against Idaho to make a true impact — four total tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack.

“He’s done a nice job in the last three weeks of growing up a little bit,” Odom said. “He’s got a long ways to go, it’s a new week.”

Williams, a Rock Bridge alum, is listed as a second-string defensive end, along with Nate Anderson.

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Okwuegbunam, Lock win awards With Missouri’s offensive outburst Saturday — the most points it’s scored against an FBS opponent since Sept. 13. 2008 — it is no surprise that two Tigers were given weekly awards following the performance.

Quarterback Drew Lock was named one of the eight Manning Award Stars of the Week. Lock threw for six touchdowns and 467 yards in the victory.

Okwuegbunam was named SEC Co-Freshman of the Week, joining Auburn defensive lineman Nick Coe, the conference announced Monday.

Florida game slated for 11 a.m. start Missouri will have to wake up early for another morning kickoff Nov. 4 when it takes on Florida in Columbia.

The game will kick off at 11 a.m. and will be nationally televised on ESPN2. It is Missouri’s third morning game of the season.

Turner's speed earns him playing time as a freshman Oct. 24 The interior of the trenches is no place to be small.

There is space on the edge of the line that allows players to compensate for a lack of size. An end can try to run around the outside of a slower moving tackle or use quick steps to shoot past the outstretched arms of a blocker into the backfield.

But truly going inside the trenches, where defensive tackles and offensive guards lay waste to each other, that’s a space where brute strength is almost always required to succeed.

Chris Turner is the exception.

Turner is by no means weak, weighing 250 pounds and squatting 530 pounds, according to his high school highlight tape. But 250 pounds does not put him in the same weight class as teammate Terry Beckner Jr., who outweighs Turner by 55 pounds.

On Saturday, however, Turner lined up just a few feet away from Beckner and squared off against Idaho guards with little room to maneuver. Missouri’s coaches decided Turner was the best option to move inside in the Tigers’ third-down package, despite larger defensive ends on the roster who could have filled the role.

“I was just focusing on getting off the field on third down,” Turner said. “I was going out there to get the sack I treat it the same as rushing off the edge.”

Even in high school, Turner never went inside the tackles. As a senior, he only weighed 225 pounds, making him small enough to where most recruiting sites listed him as an outside linebacker instead of a defensive end.

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But defensive line coach Brick Haley had different aspirations for Turner. Instead of seeing his size as a limitation, Haley believed if he could get Turner to Columbia and use Missouri’s nutrition system to put some weight on him while maintaining his speed, Turner could become the next great Missouri lineman.

Turner did exactly what Haley hoped for — adding 25 pounds before the start of the season while retaining the ability to burst past blockers. The result is Turner seeing considerable playing time as a freshman.

“He plays every snap full speed,” Haley said. “It’s been important to him. He’s taken time to study, to learn the playbook.”

The freshman’s effectiveness on the field forced his coaches to find more playing time for him. The result was plugging Turner into the defensive tackle position when the team faced a third-down play.

The idea paid off. Missouri’s defense had its most efficient performance of the year when it came to getting off the field. Despite finishing without a tackle, Turner was key in forcing the Idaho offense to speed up its decisions as plays developed downfield.

Haley believes Turner’s small stature will continue to help him as he works in tight spaces. The freshman will continue to go into the trenches, and Missouri’s defensive line coach expects him to emerge on the other side.

“The quickness in there and being able to go against a guard instead of those long-armed tackles gives him some advantages,” Haley said. “We felt like that was an opportunity for him to go in and give us some more quality minutes.”

Missouri loses commitment from top recruit Foster Oct. 26 James Foster is the latest Missouri recruit to go back on his commitment to playing for the Tigers.

Foster tweeted out that he was reopening his recruitment Thursday afternoon, a day after he received an official offer from LSU. The quarterback was one of the first players Missouri picked up for its 2018 recruiting class, giving the Tigers a verbal commitment in April.

Missouri has now lost all three of its Alabama commitments in the past month. La’Dedric Jackson, Foster’s teammate at Lanier High School, decided to look elsewhere in late September. Cam Taylor reopened his commitment just a day before Foster.

Foster is one of the nation’s top quarterback prospects. He was a finalist Elite 11 finalist, competing in the highly regarded skills camp with other top signal-callers, and is the No. 93 player in the ESPN 300.

The decommitment is also a loss for Missouri when it comes to recruiting other players. In the months after his commitment, Foster was vocal on Twitter in trying to get other prospects to join him in Columbia.

However, Foster was quiet in recent weeks, leading to speculation he was looking elsewhere. The speculation turned to reality Thursday.

With the loss of Foster, Missouri has 11 verbal commitments for 2018. The Tigers do not have another quarterback in the class.

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Tight ends continue to shine in MU's victory Oct.28 Josh Heupel won’t tell you this, but Missouri’s most effective play is pretty simple in concept. But for defenses, the perfect coverage is too complex to achieve.

When Heupel was asked about it Monday, he didn’t elaborate on what exactly went into the play, only saying Drew Lock has many variables at which to look. There is one main variable that is the key to making the play work, and on Saturday night, Lock identified it time and again as Missouri took down Connecticut 52-12.

Missouri’s formation is simple enough. The Tigers line up in their normal shotgun setup, with one running back, three receivers and then a tight end crouched behind the right tackle.

From there on, Lock has a pretty elementary task at hand. The play is a run-pass option, and he needs to see what the middle linebackers decide to do.

If the linebackers immediately backpedal away from the line of scrimmage, Lock hands the ball to his running back for a draw play. If the linebackers freeze in Lock’s gaze or crash in to stop the run, Lock pulls the ball away and, more often than not, Missouri scores a touchdown.

When the linebackers stop like deer in headlights, they allow Missouri’s tight ends to sneak behind them and into the void between the safeties. Even if the linebackers are able to somewhat recover, all Lock needs to do is throw it high enough for his tight ends, all of whom are 6-foot-5 or taller.

Lock found Albert Okwuegbunam twice on that play design Saturday night, with each throw resulting in a touchdown. Missouri (3-5) has scored off of that version of the run-pass option in each of its last three games.

The play has allowed Okwuegbunam to become the nation’s top tight end when it comes to scoring touchdowns. The redshirt-freshman now has seven touchdowns on the year, five coming in the past two games, and four of those on that RPO seam route.

Okwuegbunam’s two touchdowns, from 4 and 9 yards respectively, were part of another dominating performance from the Tigers, who scored almost at will against the Huskies (3-5). Since Missouri’s bye week, the Tigers have scored more than four touchdowns in each of their four games. In the four games before that, the Tigers only eclipsed that mark against Missouri State.

The majority of Missouri’s scoring has come from Lock’s right arm, and Saturday’s game was no different.

The junior threw a career-high 31 completions on 37 attempts for 377 yards and five touchdowns and has thrown 15 touchdowns in his last three games.

Lock’s other scoring strikes came to J’Mon Moore from 4 and 13 yards out and on a 72-yard catch-andrun effort to Johnathon Johnson.

Missouri’s defense gave the offense many opportunities to extend the lead through its solid play throughout the night. MU defenders allowed only 10 points on the night, its lowest total on the season, and racked up five sacks and nine tackles for loss.

Missouri’s offense will take on much more competent defenses in the upcoming weeks as it returns to SEC play — although not any of the league’s usual high caliber. However, don’t expect anything to change when it comes to Missouri’s recipe for scoring points. Josh Heupel has found a play that works no matter the situation and will keep running it until a defense proves it can be stopped.

“We’re getting better,” Barry Odom told the Tiger Radio Network after the game. “We’re getting close. ...

I’m proud of them sticking together and working through this stretch.”

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Beyond brothers: Rhoden raises Witter after mother's passing Nov. 2 Carol Witter was dying. Her son knew it.

She had been diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma, a cancer that affects soft tissues in the body. Within six months, she would be gone. At the time, 10-year-old Ish Witter happily brought his toys to his mother’s bedside, so long as he could spend time with her.

His mother couldn’t leave her bed or speak but still managed to provide Witter company as he acted out stories from his imagination. But even the mind of a 10-year-old can’t create a scenario in which his sole caretaker suddenly dies.

In the aftermath of Carol Witter’s passing, Witter wasn't able to stay with his father because of financial reasons. Instead, he went to stay with his half-brother Conrad Rhoden.

By the time Witter moved in with Rhoden, the elder brother already had a family of his own. Rhoden is 24 years older and had three kids by the time the sixth-grader moved into his new home.

“I tried to treat him the same as my kids so he didn’t feel out of place,” Rhoden said. “The same things I gave my kids, I gave to him. … Whatever, my kids got, he got the same.”

It was a familiar environment when Witter moved in. Rhoden had been Witter’s youth league football coach throughout his childhood and often hosted his youngest brother for sleepovers on weekends while Witter still lived with his mother.

Rhoden’s oldest son, Alante, is a year older than Witter and was Witter’s teammate from youth league through high school. Alante Rhoden spent most of his time as a defensive back and wide receiver and was instrumental in building Witter into an eventual college prospect.

“I call him my nephew, but I count him as my brother,” Witter said. “We were kind of competitive with each other, trying to see who could score the most touchdowns.”

The push to excel in football specifically hadn’t always been there when Witter was with his mother. While she was her son’s biggest fan, it scared her when her son was tackled.

“When Ish wanted to play football, she wasn’t all for it,” Rhoden said. “You know how moms are, don’t want their kids to get hurt.”

After his mom died, there were times when Witter didn’t want to play. While Conrad Rhoden said Witter was a hard worker, the boy would rather have stayed home watching cartoons and playing with his toys on some days.

But Witter’s brother saw potential and wasn’t having it. He continued to push Witter just as hard as he did his three other children.

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As Witter continued to progress on the field, opportunities he couldn’t have imagined popped up in his head. Early in his high school career, Witter realized he had the potential to play college football just before Rhoden bought him his first car.

The potential turned into reality when Witter chose to play Division I football at Missouri after a 10touchdown senior season, just like his brother thought.

“He’s basically kept me in football all my life,” Witter said. “He’s the reason I’m here now.”

The drive that allowed Witter to become Tigers’ starting running back midway through the 2017 season still gets its fuel from the woman who wanted to protect her son from tackles. Carol Witter still provides him company in the moments before games, even if she can’t talk or be seen moving.

“I definitely think about her a lot,” Witter said. “I’m sitting there before games, and she’ll pop up in my head. She still brings me joy.”

After suspension, Logan plays 'The Sacrifice' for Missouri's defensive line Nov. 3 A.J. Logan plays a position his teammates call “The Sacrifice.”

It isn’t the sexiest spot on the field. Logan hardly ever breaks into the backfield and sacks opposing quarterbacks. He registers an occasional tackle but has never accounted for more than three solo tackles in a game.

Just because the redshirt senior doesn’t see his name at the top of the stat sheet doesn’t mean he’s doing poorly at his job, though.

Logan is a 330-pound behemoth who typically lines up across from opposing centers — usually the smallest players on an offensive line. The obvious size mismatch forces teams to counter by bringing the center backup in the form of a guard, freeing up Missouri’s other defensive linemen to go one-on-one.

“I take up all the double-teams,” Logan said. “I’ll take up whatever needs to be taken up, eat some space up, just so my other guys like Terry (Beckner Jr.), Marcell (Frazier) and Jordan (Harold) can run free.

“If you do your job, good stuff happens,” he added. “I’m just trying to win and am glad to be back out there with my brothers.”

That formula has worked for Missouri since Logan’s return from his six-game suspension because of his involvement with an ongoing NCAA investigation into academic misconduct. In the two games he has played — both wins — the team has recorded 10 sacks and 21 tackles for loss. In the previous six games combined, Missouri had only 11 sacks and 39 tackles for loss.

“He frees up the ends, he frees up the nose tackle or defensive tackle. Whatever he’s not, he frees up a lot,” Harold said. “For him to come back and do the things he’s done, it’s meant a lot.”

During his suspension, Logan was only allowed to practice and served as a scout-team defensive lineman and — on a rare occasion — a makeshift offensive lineman. Both coaches and teammates were impressed with how he handled the punishment.

“I was really surprised about how he did handle it,” first-year defensive line coach Brick Haley said. “He came out in practice every day like he was going to play every week.”

Now, Logan is hoping to make the most of the remainder of his senior season. Like the rest of his team, he is aware the Tigers have an opportunity to turn their season around during the final four games. If that means just doing the dirty work so his teammates can make plays, so be it.

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Florida fans try to move past McElwain Nov. 4 Ten years ago, Charlie Pascual was in the middle of one of the most prosperous times in Florida history.

"The Swamp" was electric as the Gators repeatedly rolled over their opponents. Led by Tim Tebow, Florida won national championships in 2006 and 2008 and went 48-7 over the two-time Heisman winner's career. Pascual would drive up to Gainesville from Tampa every Saturday, seeing a win more often than not.

"It was a lot of fun," Pascual said. "It was the best you could hope for in college football."

But on Saturday, Pascual's mood matched the gray Columbia sky as his Gators took Faurot Field. He let out a cheer that would have been frowned upon by the surrounding fans had it come a decade earlier but is the norm for Florida football in 2017.

Florida football is in flux. The Gators are on a three-game losing streak and are 3-4 on the season. Despite going to back-to-back SEC Championships, Florida parted ways with coach Jim McElwain on Sunday and decided to go with defensive coordinator Randy Shannon as an interim coach for the rest of the season.

McElwain drew scrutiny when he claimed he and members of the Florida team received death threats in the week leading up to Florida's game with Georgia. However, McElwain did not turn over evidence to Florida's athletic department, putting himself at odds with Florida athletics staff and fans alike. The gap between the two sides was exacerbated when Georgia rolled over Florida 42-7.

"You can get away with the statements he made two weeks ago if you're 6-1; you can't when you're 3-4," Pascual said. "I don't think anybody is sorry to see him go."

McElwain's comments were the final straw for a coach who outstayed his welcome. Kay Stephens believes coaches can be afforded a bit of an ego when they get to a certain pedigree. Two SEC Championship losses and no major bowl wins do not meet her qualifications.

In the wake of McElwain's firing, Florida's fans are surprisingly optimistic for the rest of the season. It's almost as though they received news that the team, although still looking meek, was cured from a sickness.

Now, Florida fans hope the team can return to the days of old. The team is not without talent, as it pulls in some of the nation's top recruits each year. The question is whether Florida can find a helmsman to steer the ship back to the waters to which Gators fans are accustomed.

"We just erase and move on," Stephens said.

Beckner Jr. finds his stride during second half of season Nov. 9 Malik Zaire never stood a chance.

The Florida quarterback took the snap and looked to his left to fake a screen pass. When he turned his head back downfield in hopes of finding a running lane, he instead found himself staring directly into the eyes of Terry Beckner Jr.

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Beckner enveloped Zaire and slammed the quarterback to the ground on Missouri’s 19-yard line. When the 305-pound defensive tackle lifted himself off the flattened Zaire, he stomped toward the Missouri sideline before throwing his right hand haymaker-punch style.

The sack was Beckner’s fourth in the past three games and sixth on the year. Missouri as a team is 4-1 on the season when Beckner introduces himself to opposing quarterbacks.

This Beckner is the one Missouri thought it was getting in 2015, when the East St. Louis, Illinois, product committed to the Tigers as one of the nation’s top recruits. After two ACL tears in two seasons, however, the gem of Missouri’s 2015 recruiting class seemed to have lost some of his shine.

After needing some time to readjust to the game, Beckner is back at full speed. Over the second half of the season, he is averaging five tackles and 1.25 sacks per game.

“It’s always been there,” defensive line coach Brick Haley said. “It’s just a matter of him getting himself back into shape, working himself into condition and doing the little things he needs to do to make himself right.”

Now, Beckner has become Missouri’s top defensive lineman when it comes to tackles, tackles for loss and sacks. Past Missouri defensive linemen to accomplish the same feat — Charles Harris and Sheldon Richardson — are playing in the NFL now.

What sets Beckner apart from average defensive tackles is his speed. The ACL repairs slowed him down for a short time, but he has regained quickness that is not normal for a 300-plus-pound person.

The result is a vast toolkit for Beckner to pick and choose from on any given play.

He is able to shoot into gaps if the linemen tasked with blocking him hunker down to stop a bull rush, or shove his way past linemen if he catches them leaning one way or another.

“It’s usually whatever works for me that day,” Beckner said. “It can depend on the scheme, but usually, I just go.”

Beckner’s success has put him back on the map as one of the Tigers who could leave school early to pursue careers in the NFL. But he says he isn’t looking that far into the future at this point and is focused on what he can do to help Missouri during its final three games.

“I just try to contribute as much as I can to this team,” Beckner said. “I’m just trying to work.”

That work could mean more pain for opposing quarterbacks.

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Opponent Preview: Tigers look to capitalize against skidding Tennessee Nov. 10 In both of the past two seasons, Missouri encountered Tennessee at the wrong time.

The Volunteers were in the midst of winning streaks when they faced the Tigers in both 2015 and 2016.

On each occasion, Tennessee extended its winning streak, with a 19-8 then 63-37 victory.

But in 2017, the roles are reversed.

This time, it is Missouri that finds itself in the midst of a winning streak, which currently sits at three games thanks to blowout wins over Idaho, Connecticut and Florida. Meanwhile, Tennessee has lost four of its past five games, with the sole victory coming against Southern Mississippi.

Tennessee is not the threat it once was. The Volunteers lost defensive end Derek Barnett and running back Alvin Kamara to the NFL Draft, while dual-threat quarterback Josh Dobbs graduated. Those losses alone would have been enough to set the team back, but a multitude of injuries since the start of the new season has the roster looking like a skeleton of what it was in 2016. The Vols are missing two starting receivers, one starting offensive lineman, their original starting quarterback, two linebackers and two safeties.

Missouri should have an easier time defending Tennessee than it did a year ago because of the injuries.

Now, instead of worrying about the different ways that Dobbs could attack, the Tigers need look no further than running back John Kelly.

Kelly is one of the few playmakers to have returned for the Volunteers and has performed well as the main running back. The junior is on his way to a 1,000-yard season, with 730 rushing yards in eight games to go along with eight touchdowns.

With a team-high 27 catches, Kelly is also Tennessee’s main contributor in the passing game. Looking past him, there aren’t many pieces of Tennessee’s offense that pose a significant threat to the Tigers.

Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano has struggled with consistency since he took over the starting quarterback job after Quinten Dormady was injured and forced to have season-ending shoulder surgery.

In seven games — four starts — Guarantano has thrown for only 575 yards and one touchdown, along with one interception.

The redshirt freshman is starting to adjust to his role. While Guarantano was not quite ready earlier in the season, Blake Toppmeyer of the Knoxville News Sentinel believes Guarantano is starting to acclimate himself to playing at the college level.

“I thought his first two starts, he was prone to scramble at the first sign of trouble or he held the ball way too long and took a sack,” said Toppmeyer, who most recently covered the MU football beat for the Columbia Daily Tribune. “In his last couple starts, he’s seemed a lot more comfortable in the pocket. He’s given his plays a chance, still scrambles when he needs to but isn’t taking off and running before the play develops.”

Guarantano’s scrambling ability may be limited on Saturday, as he is coming off of an ankle injury he suffered against Southern Mississippi. True freshman Will McBride was forced to play in his place, burning what many expected to be his redshirt season in the process.

The decision to throw McBride’s redshirt out the window was just another bullet point on the laundry list of reasons why many in Tennessee are calling for coach Butch Jones to lose his job. Schemes such as the unsuccessful #EmptyNeyland movement, where fans were hypothetically boycotting games while Jones is still coach, have been concocted in what is likely Jones’ final year at the helm of Tennessee.

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Perhaps to the joy of Missouri fans, however, there is no reason to believe Jones will be anywhere other than on the Tennessee sidelines Saturday night.

“The strongest argument for why he’s still there is, ‘What is the benefit of a midseason coaching change?’”

Toppmeyer said. “I think Tennessee evaluated that a midseason change wasn’t worth it.”

The only bright spots of this Tennessee team have been its defensive backs. The Volunteers are allowing only 150 yards through the air per game on average and have four interceptions on the season. That group will face its biggest test of the season in MU junior Drew Lock, who currently leads all FBS quarterbacks in touchdown passes with 31.

“They play with confidence,” Missouri offensive coordinator Josh Heupel said of the Vols’ pass defense.

“They have good players on the outside, guys with speed.”

Still, the Tennessee defense doesn’t appear to pose a major threat to Missouri’s white-hot offense.

Toppmeyer believes that, so long as Missouri doesn’t beat itself, there is little chance Jones and company leave Columbia with their third straight win over the Tigers.

“Tennessee’s best chance is converting a bunch of turnovers into points because its offense is so limited right now,” Toppmeyer said. “Tennessee has forced six turnovers in its last two games. I think that’s the biggest key for Missouri: cut down on turnovers, and don’t give Tennessee a lot of short-field situations.”

Good Ish: Witter has career game in senior night rout Nov. 11 The biggest cheers came for the smallest senior.

Ish Witter looked up from Barry Odom's embrace toward the stands of Memorial Stadium for the final time of his career. Then, to the roars of the 50,637 fans in attendance, Witter glided through a tunnel of his teammates.

Then, the senior dominated senior night with a career-best 216 yards and a touchdown to lead Missouri (5-5, 2-4 SEC) to a 50-17 crushing of Tennessee. During the game, Witter ran with almost the same ease that he had while striding toward midfield with yellow roses in his hand before kickoff.

Witter's gashing of the Volunteers (4-6, 0-6) started on Missouri's second drive. The 5-foot-9 running back churned his legs for runs of 10, 23, 9 and 14 yards before lunging into the end zone on a 7-yard run.

With 9:15 to go in the first quarter, Witter already had 76 yards.

Witter has come into his own during the second half of the season. Since he took over Missouri's starting running back role after sophomore Damarea Crockett went down with a shoulder injury during an Oct. 14 loss to Georgia, Witter has run for 415 yards.

"Ish is as much of a team guy as we have," offensive coordinator Josh Heupel said Monday. "He comes to compete every single day, and that's why he plays the way he does."

Witter continued to dominate in the second half. Midway through the third quarter, he broke off the longest run of his career with a 52-yard scamper. The drive, which ended in a Missouri touchdown, also saw Witter go over 2,000 rushing yards for his collegiate career.

"He is a heck of a competitor," Odom said. "When you talk about being a great teammate, if you could paint a picture, it would be him. He's done a great job."

Witter's position will be left in good hands when he walks off the field for the final time. Freshman Larry Rountree III also rushed for 155 yards and one touchdown.

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"I take some of the stuff I see from (Witter) and put it in my game," Rountree said. "I'm just glad all the seniors had a good day."

In the moments after the final whistle, Witter walked instead of ran off the field. Instead of roses, he carried a white rock from the north end zone.

But, in a way, Witter left the field the same way he entered. He remained focused on those around him, choosing to spend time with his family instead of participate in the postgame news conference. There were no big cheers this time, just smiles all around.

One-game-at-a-time mentality has MU one game away from bowl Nov. 13 Barry Odom has said his team is taking it one game at a time throughout the season. This time, however, there is no reason for Missouri to look past Saturday.

With a win over Vanderbilt, Missouri can achieve bowl eligibility for the first time since 2014. It has been an incredible turnaround for a team that started the season 1-5, with most losses coming in double digits.

In recent bowl projections, the Tigers have been tied to the Dec. 29 Belk Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina, against Louisville (by Sporting News’ Bill Bender) and two Dec. 30 bowls: the TaxSlayer Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida, against Northwestern (by ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura) and the AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis against Texas (by ESPN’s David M. Hale) or West Virginia (by Sports Illustrated’s Eric Single).

Liberty Bowl representatives attended Saturday’s win over Tennessee and circulated flyers about the bowl around the Memorial Stadium press box.

The opportunity to be a head coach in the postseason for the first time is not lost on Odom. He knows how much it would mean to his team, especially the seniors, who could could have their final season of football extended.

“They’ve been through a lot,” Odom said. “That was one of our goals that we talked about, having a chance to play after the regular season is over. You get to 1-0 this week, and that opens a whole other world of opportunities for us.”

Witter earns high praise after big game Ish Witter has never played better than he has in the final games of his career.

The senior broke a personal record Saturday night when he rushed for 216 yards and is only 21 yards away from breaking his season high of 750 yards with two games left. During Missouri’s four-game winning streak, he’s combined for 413 yards and five total touchdowns.

At 5-foot-10, Witter doesn’t have the same stature as fellow backs Damarea Crockett and Larry Rountree III, but he has been just as effective as both when given the ball. Offensive coordinator Josh Heupel heaped praise on his smaller back after Witter’s career night.

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“Some of the best runners I’ve been around have been smaller in stature, but they all have strength,” Heupel said. “You don’t have to be the biggest guy, but you do have to have a physical presence about you.”

Heupel disappointed with mistakes in passing game Despite four touchdown passes from junior quarterback Drew Lock — of 31, 50, 23 and 20 yards, respectively — and a second straight 100-yard receiving effort from Emanuel Hall, Heupel wasn’t satisfied with the Tigers’ passing attack against the Volunteers on Monday.

“We didn’t throw and catch it well enough,” Heupel said. “That was extremely disappointing. Emanuel with the drops, but other guys, as well, and Drew maybe not as accurate as he’s capable of being, as well, at times. So (that will) bring our guys back down to earth maybe a little bit, and hopefully we’ll push forward and go execute at a much higher level this week.”

Tennessee entered Saturday’s game with the No. 4 pass defense in the country, but Missouri’s receiving corps hurt its own cause with more than a handful of drops. Seven players registered catches, but Hall (five catches), J’Mon Moore (three catches) and Johnathon Johnson (two catches) were the only Tigers to have more than one. Lock finished with 217 yards but completed just 46 percent of his passes.

Tigers earn accolades after Tennessee thrashing Two Missouri players earned SEC awards in the wake of the Tigers’ 50-17 victory over Tennessee.

Marcell Frazier was named the SEC Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week after sacking Tennessee’s Will McBride twice Saturday. Frazier, who shared the award with Kentucky’s Denzil Ware, has 5½ sacks on the season.

Rountree was the other Tiger to earn an award, as he was named the SEC Co-Freshman of the Week.

Rountree, who shared the award with Texas A&M quarterback Nick Starkel, ran wild for 155 yards against Tennessee and currently leads all SEC freshman in rushing touchdowns with five.

While Rountree has been able to put up impressive stats for a freshman, Heupel is proud of his running back for improving his game when he isn’t personally trying to score touchdowns.

“He continues to get more and more comfortable and more and more confident with every play, every game,” Heupel said. “He played his best football without the ball in his hands this Saturday, and as a young running back, those are things that are tough to pick up early in your career.”

Anchors aweigh! MU clinches bowl eligibility with win at Vandy Nov. 18 NASHVILE, Tenn. — Drew Lock looked left. Drew Lock looked right. Drew Lock threw short. Drew Lock threw long.

Drew Lock threw three touchdowns to lead Missouri (6-5, 3-4 SEC) to a 45-17 win over Vanderbilt. The victory over the Commodores (4-7, 0-7) clinched bowl eligibility for the Tigers.

Missouri’s return to bowl status would not have been possible without Lock’s performances in the second half of the season. Since Missouri’s Week 4 loss to Auburn, Lock has yet to throw for fewer than three touchdowns in a game. As a result, he is two touchdowns away from breaking Missouri’s single-season touchdown record and three touchdowns away from breaking the SEC single-season passing TD mark.

Lock’s first touchdown came after Missouri easily marched its way down the field on its first drive of the game. After MU went the initial 64 yards, Lock lofted a pass to Albert Okwuegbunam in the corner of the end zone to put Missouri up 7-0.

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The Missouri passing game went back to the outside of the field in the second quarter when Lock found Richaud Floyd wide open along the sideline for a 30-yard score. Lock’s final touchdown came on a 57-yard dart to Okwuegbunam down the middle of the field. That final TD pass gave Lock 39 accounted for overall and 38 passing TDs on the season, leaving him one behind Chase Daniel in both categories in a season at MU (2008) and two back of Kentucky’s Andre Woodson for the SEC record for passing TDs in season (2007). “(Associate head coach/wide receivers) Coach (Andy) Hill preaches never run out of bounds in practice and field sessions,” Floyd said. “I was so close to the end zone, so I just had to get in there.”

The junior quarterback’s arm also set up another Missouri score when he connected with J’Mon Moore for a 71-yard gain in the second quarter. After Moore was caught at the Vanderbilt 12-yard line, Larry Rountree III ran the ball into the end zone on the ensuing play.

Despite scoring through the air multiple times, Missouri’s passing attack was not without its flaws. The Tigers dropped multiple passes on the night, with the majority coming from Emanuel Hall. As a result, Lock was only 10-for-25 on the night for 235 yards.

“I think it takes our guys being men enough to know that they made a mistake and they need to bounce back from it to help us succeed,” Lock said.

However, not all of Missouri’s scores came by way of Missouri’s offense.

Missouri’s special teams also contributed to the Tigers’ scoring on Saturday. Floyd returned a second punt for a touchdown this season when he picked up a bounding boot and scampered 74 yards to the end zone late in the second quarter.

Even Missouri’s defense found its way to the end zone. Midway through the second quarter, linebacker Brandon Lee stepped in front of a Kyle Shurmur pass for Missouri’s second interception of the night. After a block from defensive end Chris Turner, Lee made his way into the end zone for Missouri’s first pick-six of the season.

“I did exactly as the coaches told me to do, and things unfolded for me well,” Lee said. “My teammates picked up the block on the quarterback and left one guy for me to beat.”

Terry Beckner Jr. and Adam Sparks also intercepted Shurmur on the night. The three interceptions were the most Missouri has had in a game this season.

Missouri weathered a 17-0 Vanderbilt run during the third quarter to win its fifth game in a row. The winning streak has allowed Missouri to become just the 14th team in history to start a season 1-5 and still achieve bowl eligibility. The Tigers are the only SEC team to do it since Ole Miss accomplished the feat in 1986.

Possible destinations for the Tigers include the TaxSlayer Bowl, the Texas Bowl and the Liberty Bowl.

Representatives from the Liberty Bowl have been in attendance for Missouri’s last two games.

“This is another step in the right direction for our program,” Barry Odom said. “We’ll see if we can go 1-0 this week and go from there.”

Missouri adds Georgia receiver to 2018 recruiting class Nov. 23, 2017 After suffering losses in recent months, Missouri’s 2018 recruiting class just got a little deeper with the commitment of Khmari Thompson.

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The consensus three-star wide receiver from Lawrenceville, Georgia, announced his commitment to the Tigers on Thanksgiving Day. He is the fourth wide receiver in Missouri’s recruiting class.

Thompson was on hand for Missouri’s 45-17 victory over Vanderbilt this past Saturday. He also had offers from Purdue and Kansas State.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Thompson posted a massive senior season, catching 82 passes for 1,131 yards and 12 touchdowns in 10 games, according to MaxPreps.com. With his commitment, Missouri now has 14 new players scheduled to come to Columbia in 2018.

MU to face old Big 12 foe Texas in Texas Bowl Dec. 3 Missouri’s return to bowl season will feature another staple of the past as the Tigers will take on old Big 12 foe Texas in the Texas Bowl.

The two teams will square off for the first time since Missouri left for the SEC after the 2011 season at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 27, in Houston. Texas leads the all-time series 17-6.

Former Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds stirred up controversy between the two schools in 2013 when he took a shot at the Tigers after Texas went 9-4 in the 2012 season.

“Our bad years are not that bad,” Dodds told the Austin American-Statesman. “Take a school like Missouri. Our bad years are better than their good years.”

When asked about the comments and the history between the two schools on Sunday night, Barry Odom said that he will educate his team on the past rivalry.

“We’ve got respect for everybody that we play,” Odom said, “but there will be plenty of information that our team receives.”

Texas (6-6, 5-4) was unable to come out on top against any of its four currently ranked opponents.

However, the Longhorns only lost to a ranked team by double digits once (24-7 to TCU).

Tom Herman’s team will travel down to Houston without two key players. Both starting left tackle Connor Williams and starting safety DeShon Elliott will skip the bowl to prepare for the NFL Draft.

Elliott was responsible for 50 of Texas’ tackles, second-most on the team, and also led the Longhorns with six interceptions. Williams only played in five games for Texas this season after suffering a knee injury in the third week of the season but earned first-team All-America honors during his sophomore season.

Odom doesn’t expect his side to be without any key contributors when game day rolls around.

“I think without question our guys will be excited to go compete together one more time,” Odom said.

“We’ve had a number of conversations about what we need to do to finish the right way, and they’re a pretty determined group.”

The game will be played at NRG Stadium. Missouri is allotted 8,000 tickets for the game.

Missouri picks up wide receiver for 2018 recruiting class Dec. 3 While Missouri fans were discussing their next stop in Houston for the Texas Bowl, the Tigers quietly added another recruit to their 2018 class in wide receiver Dominic Gicinto.

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Gicinto, an unranked wide receiver from Raytown, is somewhat of a late bloomer. He more than doubled his career reception total during his senior season, as he hauled in 85 catches for 1,341 yards and 11 touchdowns. Gicinto only had 34 combined receptions in his previous two seasons.

The commitment comes after Gicinto’s visit to MI, where he toured the school and facilities in a group of Missouri targets and previous commits such as Harry Ballard III and Jalen Knox.

With Gicinto’s commitment, Missouri now has five wide receiver recruits in its 2018 class. The class as a whole sits at 15 commitments.

The (possible) replacements for offensive coordinator Heupel Dec. 5 Missouri football fans expected to have a coaching search on their hands two months ago after the Tigers opened the season 1-5.

Well, expectations have turned to reality, only the Tigers will be seeking out an offensive coordinator instead of a head coach. Josh Heupel announced Tuesday that he’ll be leaving Columbia to become the head coach at UCF after orchestrating an offense that sparked a six-game winning streak and got Missouri into a bowl game for the first time since 2014. It’s highly unlikely Missouri’s coordinator-to-be will not be coaching in the Texas Bowl, but the Tigers will want to hire a new coach quickly to settle fans’ and recruits’ nerves. Here are a few names fans should keep in mind during the search: Graham Harrell: Offensive Coordinator, North Texas Why It Will Happen: Harrell’s upside is huge, making him a hot commodity in the world of college football. Like Heupel, he took over an offense coming off a down year, in which North Texas finished 118th nationally in total offense for 2015, and the former Texas Tech quarterback led the Mean Green to become the nation’s No. 18 offense, averaging 467 yards per game. Harrell briefly overlapped with linebackers coach Brian Odom during his time at Washington State. Wren Baker, North Texas’ athletic director, also has extensive ties to Missouri.

Why It Won’t: It will not come as a surprise if Harrell decides to leave North Texas for greener pastures, the question is where he will go. There will be many buyers on the market vying for his signature. The biggest questions will be: What other schools are in need of an offensive coordinator? What schools offer better options?

Andy Hill: Wide Receivers Coach, Missouri Why It Will Happen: If Missouri decides to make an internal hire, Hill makes the most sense. He’s been with the Tigers for 22 years and plays a major role in Barry Odom’s recruitment efforts. Many of Missouri’s offensive recruits expressed disappointment that Heupel was leaving Columbia. Promoting Hill would help maintain stability within the Tigers’ offense. It might also be the best way to keep Drew Lock, whom Hill worked with in 2015 when he was Missouri’s quarterbacks coach, in Columbia instead of declaring for the NFL Draft.

Why It Won’t: If Hill has been with Missouri for so long, why hasn’t he already tried being its full-time offensive coordinator? Missouri can retain its offensive scheme by bringing in another coordinator who runs a

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similar offense. Hill is hurt by the fact that he hasn’t been the one calling the shots on offense, while other candidates have experience.

Sterlin Gilbert: Offensive Coordinator, South Florida Why It Will Happen: Gilbert runs a similar offense to Heupel and would be a good fit to pick up where Missouri’s former offensive coordinator left off. Gilbert specializes in coaching quarterbacks, which also happened to be Heupel’s task aside from controlling the offense. The South Florida coordinator has a strong track record, ranging from his time as the offensive coordinator at Tulsa to his time in the same role at Texas.

Why It Won’t: Gilbert followed Charlie Strong to South Florida after his firing from Texas, so it could be tough to lure Gilbert away from his partner of two years. Taking the Missouri job would also be Gilbert’s fifth job in as many years. It wouldn’t be the easiest task to convince him to leave again.

Brian Wright: Offensive Coordinator, Toledo Why It Will Happen: The last time Missouri hired a coach from Toledo, it worked out pretty well with Gary Pinkel becoming the Tigers’ all-time winningest coach. Wright’s versatility when it comes to using different position groups on offense is very similar to Heupel’s, too. In 2016, Toledo’s tight end led the nation in touchdowns, its leading receiver had over 1,000 yards and its top running back broke 1,000 rushing yards with ease. Wright is another candidate who could presumably pick up where Heupel left off.

Why It Won’t: Wright doesn’t have any past connection to Missouri. If this hire were made, it would be because Wright was the most qualified, not because of having a history with Odom or the Missouri athletics department.

Rhett Lashlee: Offensive Coordinator, Connecticut Why It Will Happen: Lashlee broke off from Auburn coach Gus Malzahn earlier this year to try his hand at being the chief playcaller as well as the offensive coordinator at Connecticut. During his time at Auburn, Lashlee oversaw the Tigers’ offense and was Malzahn’s right-hand-man but ceded play-calling duties to the head coach.

Lashlee has experience coaching and recruiting in the SEC and would man the controls of Missouri’s offense should he come to Columbia.

Why It Won’t: Lashlee’s move to Connecticut was largely seen as an attempt to qualify himself as a head coaching candidate in the future. Seeing as Missouri would be a lateral move in his coaching career, Lashlee may want to stay in Connecticut and grow his brand there.

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Four Tigers named to SEC All-Freshman team; Heupel earns top coordinator award from 247sports.com Dec. 7 For the second year in a row, Missouri led the SEC in freshmen named to the All-SEC Freshman team.

Center Trystan Castillo, running back Larry Rountree III, tight end Albert Okwuegbunam and defensive end Tre Williams were among those honored when the all-conference list was announced by the SEC on Thursday. In all, the freshmen accounted for five spots on the team, with Rountree listed at both the allpurpose and return specialist spots. Georgia and LSU also had four freshmen on the list, but schools only accounted for four spots each.

Rountree led Missouri in all-purpose yards with 1,106 and also scored six touchdowns. After taking over kickoff return duties against Kentucky, he averaged 21.76 yards per return.

Okwuegbunam led the nation in receiving touchdowns by both a freshman and a tight end with 11.

Okwuegbunam caught 25 passes on the year, the most out of Missouri’s tight ends.

Castillo started every game for Missouri after beating out Jonah Dubinski for the starting spot in fall camp. He is the first Missouri freshman to start all 12 games since Evan Boehm, now with the Arizona Cardinals, accomplished the same feat in 2012.

Despite not playing against South Carolina or Purdue, Williams was still able to compile a respectable season. The Rock Bridge product accounted for three sacks and 16 tackles while having his playing time confined mostly to Missouri’s third-down package.

Heupel honored by 247Sports.com Josh Heupel was also named Offensive Coordinator of the Yearby 247Sports.com on Thursday. Before taking over as Central Florida’s head coach, Heupel transformed the Missouri offense into one of the nation’s elite units, averaging 511.5 yards per game.

Past winners of the award include current Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley and current Texas head coach Tom Herman.

OL coach Elarbee to join Heupel in Orlando Dec. 8 Josh Heupel's leaving, and he's not going to be alone. Now-former Missouri offensive line coach Glen Elarbee will be joining him in Orlando, Florida, as part of Heupel's coaching staff for UCF. Elarbee was Missouri's offensive line coach for the last two years, transforming a group that gave up 30 sacks in 2015 to a line that only allowed its quarterback to be dropped 12 times during the 2017 regular season.

The news of Elarbee's departure took everyone in the program by surprise, from players all the way up to Barry Odom. The head coach was notified that he would be without an offensive line coach at 5:30 a.m.

Friday morning.

"There's ways to handle things in this business, and there's ways not," Odom said. "I was surprised (the players) learned the way that they did."

Odom said he met with the offensive line to inform them they were without a position coach at 2:30 p.m.

Friday. Players were not made available after practice.

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Neither Heupel nor Elarbee will coach with the team for the Texas Bowl. Both have already started laying groundwork for UCF's winter recruiting period.

"I'm happy for Coach Heupel getting the job that he did," Odom said. "Then Glen Elarbee made the decision to go with him, and I'm a little indifferent about that one."

Offensive coordinator by committee As Missouri prepares to move forward without Heupel or Elarbee, Odom said the remaining offensive staff would share offensive coordinator duties for the Texas Bowl.

"Everybody's going to step up and play a little more active role," Odom said. "I want to keep the continuity of how we're doing things together."

Tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley is one of the staff members who will play a large roll in maintaining Missouri's offense, along with wide receivers coach Andy Hill and running backs coach Cornell Ford.

"I'm excited to move forward with the guys we have," Finley said. "We're all going to work together as a staff. We're basically just going to continue to do our job."

Offensive analyst Jon Cooper will fill Elarbee's shoes in the lead-up to the Texas Bowl. Cooper was an offensive lineman at Oklahoma from 2005-08 before playing in the NFL for four seasons.

After the bowl, Odom said the team will look to hire an offensive coordinator that runs a scheme consistent to the one Missouri ran under Heupel. He will look at coaches both outside the program and within his own when making the hire.

Walters named defensive coordinator Missouri was briefly without both an offensive coordinator and a defensive coordinator when Heupel left the team Tuesday. Odom fixed that problem Friday by naming Ryan Walters the team's permanent defensive coordinator.

"He's going to do an outstanding job," Odom said. "This year, really towards the last half of the season, he had that roll anyway."

Walters has coached Missouri's defensive backs since 2015 and was with Odom in 2014 at Memphis in the same roll. He was named co-defensive coordinator in the wake of DeMontie Cross' firing.

"It's a huge honor to work with a great staff at a great university for a great program with a great group of guys," Walters said. "I couldn't be happier."

Crockett back in practice, expected to play in bowl Missouri's potent running attack just got a little deeper.

Damarea Crockett was back out on the practice field in full pads Friday. Crockett has not played since he was injured against Georgia.

It remains to be seen if Crockett's role will be diminished thanks to the growth of Larry Rountree III. Odom did not say how many carries he expects Crockett to receive against Texas.

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Foster expands Missouri commitment list to 17 Dec. 11 Missouri picked up its first commitment from a big recruiting weekend on Monday when Javon Foster announced his intentions to wear black and gold in college.

Foster is a three-star offensive tackle, according to 247sports.com, from West Bloomfield, Michigan. He is the second offensive lineman to choose Missouri after Mike Ruth committed to the Tigers in July.

The commitment comes despite the loss of former offensive line coach, Glen Elarbee, on Friday, the day Missouri's recruiting weekend started. Foster was part of a large group that included high-profile targets such as Michael Thompson and Ronnie Perkins.

Missouri now has 17 commitments in its 2018 class prior to earlier signing period, which begins Dec. 20.

Finley to take over play-calling duties in the Texas Bowl Dec. 26 HOUSTON — Joe Jon Finley will be the third offensive coordinator Drew Lock has had in his three years at Missouri.

Barry Odom announced Finley will be calling Missouri’s offensive plays Wednesday in the Texas Bowl, taking over the spot vacated by Josh Heupel. It will be Finley’s first time having full control of an offense in his coaching career.

“Coach Finley, who was brought up in this system, will make the play calls tomorrow,” Odom said. “He has for the last couple weeks in practice. Credit to (the offensive coaching staff), they’ve done a heck of a job stepping up.”

Finley’s transition has been made easier by the fact that Missouri’s entire offensive coaching staff has taken on additional roles in the offense. Odom emphasized that, while Finley is calling the plays, it will still be a team effort when it comes to Missouri’s overall offensive performance.

As well as calling plays in practice, Missouri’s tight ends coach has had to assume some of Heupel’s old responsibilities, including sitting in with the quarterbacks during their position group meetings.

To help his transition, the entire quarterback group has become more vocal, becoming each other’s coaches as well as teammates.

“We’ve really gotten to the point where the whole quarterback room, when we meet together, has become very vocal,” Lock said. “It’s not just me talking. It’s all the minds and all the heads in there working together to develop a good plan.”

Despite the changing of the guard so close to the bowl game, Missouri’s players are confident that they will pick up where they left off to end the season. If anything, they have more motivation to play for those who remained after the acrimonious departure of Heupel and the Tigers’ former offensive line coach, Glen Elarbee.

“There’s a little different energy after some of the departures of coaches,” said offensive lineman Paul Adams. “I think we’ve got the right guys that truly care for us right now.”

Heupel’s departure did nothing to change how Texas coach Tom Herman prepared for Wednesday’s game. When asked what he saw when he watched Missouri’s film, his answer was simple: “Touchdowns.”

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“They’re averaging 52 points a game in their past six games,” Herman said. “There’s going to be some adversity in this game and how we respond to it will be a big key (for) our development.”

Despite being down multiple starters, Texas’ defense is still among the nation’s best. It ranked behind only TCU in the Big 12 in terms of total defense and is tied for 20th in the country with 15 interceptions.

Like their coach, the Longhorns players are unconcerned with Missouri’s coaching change. Instead, they’re more occupied with the task of limiting Missouri’s offensive playmakers.

“We’ve got to stop the run,” said defensive tackle Poona Ford. “We’ve got to take away their deep threat.

They have pretty fast, skilled receivers and their tight ends are pretty good, too.”

It remains to be seen if the offense the Longhorns have watched on film will experience any major changes under Finley. The players don’t expect to go through any, and are looking forward to making their newest offensive coordinator look just as dangerous as their old one. “(Finley) is really excited to go out and play the Texas Longhorns team he’s been playing his whole life,” Lock said. “We’re ready to put on a good display of what he’s been coaching, how he’s been coaching for him, because we really like Coach Finley.”

Dickson pins Missouri to lead Texas to 33-16 win Dec. 27 HOUSTON — Texas junior Michael Dickson won the Ray Guy Award, given to the nation’s best punter, for a reason.

On Wednesday night, Missouri experienced why.

Thanks to Dickson, the Tigers only found themselves starting a drive past their own 25-yard line once during the first half. The Sydney, Australia, native knocked the ball inside Missouri’s 20-yard line six times before the halftime whistle blew.

"I've never seen (a punter) affect the game he did tonight, and I'm glad he's on our team," Herman said of Dickson.

The placement of his punts were crucial, contributing to the conservative nature of Missouri’s offensive play-calling for much of the first half. The Tigers were forced to run the ball to inch away from their own

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goal line, stalling out on drives in the process. The result was Missouri (7-6, 4-4 SEC) having its lowest offensive output in three months, as the Tigers fell 33-16 to Texas (7-6, 5-4 Big 12).

Dickson continued his performance in the second half when he evaded a Missouri rusher before dropping the ball at the Tigers’ 2-yard line. He finished the game with 10 punts inside the 20-yard line and zero touchbacks.

The Aussie’s efforts earned him the Texas Bowl Most Valuable Player Award.

"I didn't believe it when they told me at first," Dickson said about winning MVP. "It's still kind of sinking in now."

Witter goes over 1,000 rushing yards Diminutive Missouri running back Ish Witter eclipsed a massive mark in his final game.

For the first time in his career, he ran for more than 1,000 yards in a season. He ends the 2017 campaign with 1,049 yards rushing.

Lock sets Texas Bowl record For the majority of the first half, Missouri didn’t use its most potent weapon: the deep ball. Joe Jon Finley, the Tigers’ tight ends coach who assumed play-calling duties with Josh Heupel departed for UCF, and Drew Lock changed that trend with the first play of the second half.

The Missouri quarterback unleashed a perfectly placed pass down the middle of the field into the outstretched hands of Johnathon Johnson, who ran the ball into the end zone for a 79-yard score. The play was the longest touchdown in Texas Bowl history.

Herman, Texas players mock Lock’s celebration After said longest touchdown in Texas Bowl history, Lock celebrated by pulling an imaginary backpack over his back and securing the straps. It’s a celebration known as “securing the bag.”

After Texas’ Davante Davis intercepted Lock with just more than three minutes to go in the fourth quarter, he and several members of the Longhorns defense ran to midfield and mocked the QB’s celebration. After wide receiver Armanti Foreman scored the game’s final touchdown with less than two minutes to go, Texas coach Tom Herman joined in on the sidelines, too.

Garrett surpasses 100 tackles Missouri’s defense remained stout for the entire game, thanks to its centerpiece in sophomore Cale Garrett.

The middle linebacker was impressive against the Longhorns, making 11 total tackles — five solo — on his way to a 100-tackle season. He is the first Missouri player to account for 100 tackles since Kentrell Brothers accomplished the feat in 2015.

"I've come a long way, and I think I've done well for what our defense ask us to do, but really I'm just trying to play my part," Garrett said after the game. "I mean, if a middle linebacker doesn't have the most tackles on the team, he's kinda doing his job wrong."

Longhorns defense continues streak against top quarterbacks Being in the Big 12 means facing numerous quarterbacks who put up big numbers on a weekly basis.

However, those numbers tend to take a hit against Texas.

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The Longhorns faced four quarterbacks who threw more than 30 touchdowns during the regular season.

Those four only accounted for four passing touchdowns against the them. Lock became their latest victim in the Texas Bowl.

The nation’s leader in touchdown passes only mustered one touchdown Wednesday night. It was the first time since Missouri played Auburn on Sept. 23 that Lock failed to throw for over two touchdowns.

Missouri goes winless against winning teams The Texas Bowl was Missouri’s chance to show critics that the win streak wasn’t a fluke. It was a chance wasted.

Missouri ends the season with a 7-6 record. All six losses came against teams with winning records, while all of MU’s wins came against teams with losing marks.

Traveling for the holidays: Missouri families adapt to Christmas in Houston Dec. 27 HOUSTON — For some families on the Missouri football team, there was no such thing as home for the holidays.

With the Texas Bowl falling on Dec. 27, two days after Christmas, the Tigers traveled down to Houston on Dec. 22 to continue their game preparations. That meant any family not close to the Houston area had to make one of two choices: head to Texas and sacrifice the holidays at home or stay at home with a portion of the family absent.

While some like the Abelns, who are a self-professed “Christmas family,” chose the latter, there were a few families who went down to visit their sons for the holidays. The Lock family brought a small Christmas tree for their hotel room and celebrated the holidays more than 700 miles away from their home of Lee’s Summit.

The travel brought many new hurdles into the lives of the Missouri football families. The Tigers haven’t played in a bowl since the 2014-15 season, so all Missouri underclassmen have never traveled during Christmastime to suit up in black and gold.

“We’ve never missed a Christmas with our family,” said Maddy McCann, sister of sophomore kicker Tucker McCann.

This Christmas broke the McCanns’ streak, as the family flew from St. Louis to Houston on Monday afternoon. They saw Tucker McCann that night for a family dinner but did not celebrate. Instead, the McCanns will celebrate Christmas on Friday, when the entire family is back in O’Fallon, Illinois.

Like the McCanns, the Prewett family flew from Kansas City to Houston on Christmas afternoon.

The travel caused by the bowl resulted in a

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major shift in the family’s usual schedule.

“Typically, we open gifts on Christmas Day, but, due to our flight plans, we needed to get out of town earlier,” said Rance Prewett, Kaleb Prewett’s father. “So we opened all of our gifts Christmas Eve and then did all of our stockings Christmas Day.” Kaleb Prewett ventured home to open his presents by himself the weekend before Missouri flew to Houston. Then, he, his brother and his father went to watch the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Los Angeles Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium. The whole trip took less than 24 hours.

Despite the travel, the families who made the trip to Houston did see some perks to missing Christmas at home. They were able to see their sons after Missouri’s practice at Rice University. Even if they were far from friends, some part of Christmas was spent with family.

“We’re just so excited to be here,” said Jill Prewett, Kaleb Prewett’s mother. “That’s unusual that we can all do that on Christmas night, because it hasn’t been that way for the last few years with football.”

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Brooks Holton CLASS: Graduate student HOMETOWN: Louisville, Kentucky

POSITION: Football editor and features writer BEFORE MISSOURI: English student and football player at Centre College

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With his mind on football, Odom hopes to 'go fix' MU in 2017 July 12 HOOVER, Ala. — It’s not every day that a college football coach welcomes talk of what went wrong during a 4-8 season, but most college football coaches didn’t have to go through what Barry Odom did during his first trip to SEC Media Days in 2016.

"Being here last year, obviously there was a lot of focus on a number of things that weren’t really footballrelated. Now, maybe this year, we get to talk about why we weren’t very good in football," Odom said with a laugh to a table of reporters ahead of his news conference on the main stage on Wednesday. "But I welcome that."

Odom has put his Media Days debut in the past. When he got to the lectern Wednesday morning, he wasn’t overshadowed by the news of former Missouri athletics director Mack Rhoades’ departure for Baylor or lingering questions from the team’s 2015 protest but rather admitted to mistaking the buzz around the Hyatt Regency Birmingham for anticipation to hear him speak.

"I was sitting in the back, and there was a loud buzz. You could feel it," Odom said. "And I thought it was for me in the room, but I was quickly reminded that Nick (Saban) was before me."

As much as Odom might wish he had Saban’s task of following up a trip to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, and despite the leeway he still has as a second-year head coach and former Tiger who’s had success at his alma mater as a defensive coordinator, he said he’s never not felt some form of pressure since he started coaching.

"I understand that it’s a results-driven business," Odom said. "At this point, I’d like to be judged from when I got the job until today and continue to build on what we have.

"The proverbial hot seat, I put that on myself," he added. "When I started as a (graduate assistant) with Coach (Gary) Pinkel in 2002, I felt like I was on a job interview every day of my working life. I’ve continued that approach every day."

In front of the SEC Media Days horde, Odom reflected on how that pressure affected him during his first season.

"When you win four games, guys, believe me, it hurts your soul," Odom said. "And that's where I was at.

So you figure out how to fix it, whether you inherited the problems or you had the problems on your watch. That's the job of a coach. That's why they call you Coach. Go fix it."

It’s not unrealistic to say that Odom has the pieces capable of fixing the Tigers’ 2016 woes already in place in Columbia. The offense returns all but one starter (Sean Culkin at tight end) and features the triple threat of Drew Lock at quarterback, Damarea Crockett at running back and J’Mon Moore at wide receiver.

The defense lost key leaders such as Michael Scherer, Charles Harris, Donavin Newsom and Aarion Penton but returns game-tested players who feel more confident entering the second season under defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross.

"It helps a ton," senior linebacker Eric Beisel said of having a year of Cross’ system under his belt. "We’re running a lot of things this year; we’re throwing some old stuff back into the system, too. And I know all of it. I’ve studied it, I’ve mastered it, and I’m excited to put the product on the field."

When Missouri gets to take the field for fall camp in August, Odom said he’s going to change some aspects of the team’s preseason preparation.

"I grinded those guys last year," Odom said. "I think, for a number of reasons, we didn’t play very good early on in the year. But at the end of the day, I didn’t do a good enough job of getting these guys ready to go play their best. The air is cleaner. I like our staff. I like our locker room, and I’m excited about our team."

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As far as how Odom has changed from Year 1 to Year 2, Moore said he hasn’t seen much difference but rather a continuation of the mindset Odom has pushed since he took over.

"He just reminds us day in and day out that we’re no different than anybody else," Moore said. "We've gotta work harder. We really want to win here, and he’s practiced that a lot: telling us that we’re going to win and we’re not going to accept losing around here. It’s not a losing culture. He’s a competitor himself, so he’s embedded that competitive edge in us."

Howard suspended indefinitely Odom said Wednesday that junior defensive lineman Nate Howard remains suspended indefinitely after his arrest on drug possession in June.

"We’ll see what is best for Nate on what he can do," Odom said. "But we’re still internally handling it.

Hopefully, we can get to a conclusion sooner than later."

Tigers enter camp healthy Quite possibly the most positive takeaway from Missouri’s turn at SEC Media Days was Odom reporting the team enters fall practice without anyone who hasn’t been cleared to play because of injuries.

Odom said junior defensive lineman Terry Beckner Jr., who suffered a torn ACL against Middle Tennessee last fall, has been "cleared 100 percent" and that junior tight end Kendall Blanton, who missed spring practice with an ankle injury, "looks better than he’s ever looked."

Odom was also excited to have redshirt junior wide receiver Nate Brown, who missed all of 2016 with an ankle injury, back on the field.

"Yeah, it’s crazy," Odom said of his good fortunes on the injury front. "It’s been a relatively quiet summer, and I hate to even say that out loud because I know what usually happens after I say something like that.

I’m excited."

Odom talked with Frazier before and after his decision to not be available to local media "I don’t get a heads-up on every tweet that 118 guys send out," Odom said. "The age of social media is obviously difficult for you guys, and it’s difficult for everybody. To get the breaking story or the news or the inside information, it’s hard to get now. There have been many times I’ve had similar thoughts, not to what Marcell was thinking, but I don’t put it on social media. There are teaching moments and opportunities to continue to work with guys — 17-, 18-, 19-, 20-year-old guys — on ways to handle things.

Marcell is a smart guy. He’s intelligent. He’s going to be a great player for us. Mizzou had a guy who did this a couple years ago (Michael Sam). I think it happens across the country. Everybody’s got opinions.

Unfortunately, now those opinions are very accessible."

When asked about his fellow senior’s decision, which Frazier tweeted out in June, Moore said the defensive lineman might just be wanting to block out distractions ahead of his final year of college football. "He just wants to focus on himself. I don’t think it was a negative thing or him just feeling some type of way towards you guys — 'cause we love y’all," Moore said. "But I just feel like it’s a focus thing for him, him trying to get his mind right for the season. It’s going to be a big season for him. He’s tuning a lot of things out."

Odom joins Bielema in support of Missouri-Arkansas prep all-star game Despite the rivalry between Missouri and Arkansas and the "flame-stoking" that went down at Media Days, Odom said Wednesday that he stays in regular contact with Razorbacks coach Bret Bielema and would be in favor of a high school all-star game between the border states to help bring more attention to the collegiate game.

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"It would be awesome," Odom said. "You'd have to look at different timing than normally is out there for the traditional high school all-star games.

"There’s a lot of different states that do it. You’d have to do it early on, in my opinion. January or February — probably January. If you’ve got a couple Arkansas guys committed to Mizzou and maybe vice versa, it’s a little different dynamic on how that will all play. But everything we can do to draw attention to that game, we’ll do our part."

Fatony named a candidate for Ray Guy Award On Wednesday, Missouri junior punter Corey Fatony was one of 29 punters named to the list of preseason candidates for the Ray Guy Award, given annually to the nation's top punter.

Fatony, a 2015 Freshman All-American from Franklin, Tennessee, ranked 20th in the country (fifth in the SEC) with an average of 43.8 yards per punt during the 2016 season (66 punts for 2,894 yards). His 25 punts downed inside the 20-yard line last season were the fifth-most during a season in Tigers history.

Beisel was a gladiator, but trash-talking middle linebacker suits this life just fine July 12 HOOVER, Ala. — Eric Beisel isn't fazed by death threats. That's probably because, in his past life, he stared death in the face for the entertainment of a Colosseum full of Romans.

"I truly believe that I was reincarnated. I lived a past life as a gladiator, and I like to completely live that out," Beisel said Wednesday at SEC Media Days. "I step into the arena every Saturday with just tons of fans, crazy fans, wanting to see bloodshed, and I’m happy to give it to them. I just know it; it’s one of those things you know. I don’t know how exactly it went down, but I was definitely a gladiator in a past life fighting for my life, and I take that onto the football field. To save your own life, you might have to take another life.

That’s the sad truth of gladiators: If you wanted to live another day, you might have had to end someone else’s life."

Beisel's performance at Media Days was part senior leader, part professional wrestler (the closest WWE comparison would be Sheamus) and part Sun Tzu's "The Art of War." His confidence has only grown since he took over at middle linebacker for the final five games of 2016 and his "ArKansas" comments were backed up with Missouri's victory in the Battle Line Rivalry game.

"I’m in control of my destiny, and me being in control of my destiny makes me responsible for everyone’s destinies around me," Beisel said. "It makes me responsible for each of your destinies, 'cause you wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t. We’re going to control the outcome of this season, and that’s also in my destiny."

The senior from Fenton, who also goes by the nickname Zeus (given to him by a coach at Rockwood Summit High School), had plenty to say in Hoover. He started his recollection of the events that unfolded after he told the Razorbacks it'd be a "huge mistake" for them to show up for their game against the Tigers last fall, however, with some nice things to say about Arkansas.

"Obviously, that state down south has such an amazing fan base. I mean, seriously, hats off to them," Beisel said. "They deserve it. They have an incredible coach in Coach (Bret) Bielema, incredible staff, incredible players. They’re a great team."

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But when he checked Twitter the day after his trash-talking escapade, the comments about him weren't so kind.

"You know, small things like death threats, things like that. Nothing I couldn’t handle.

"It’s just a silly thing that I did, and I was hoping they’d be thinking about it all week," he added. "But after I said it, I’m in the playbook, I’m game-planning, 'cause now we've gotta win this game."

Senior wide receiver J'Mon Moore has been calling Beisel "Zeus" since the two met their freshman year.

On Wednesday, Moore laughed when the nickname was brought up and said Beisel, who was given the honor of carrying the Missouri state flag onto the field as the team exited its locker room last season by Tigers' head coach Barry Odom, has earned it.

"I’ve been calling him that ever since," Moore said. "He’s definitely a respected leader on this team, he’s the voice of this team, because everything that he preaches he practices. He leads by example. He does everything right. He’s always at MATC (Mizzou Athletics Training Complex). He’s there early; he’s the last one to leave. He’s a good guy on and off the field who makes good decisions. So I don’t mind calling him Zeus. I like it. I thought it was actually kind of dope that somebody called him Zeus, so I wasn’t going to be the person to break it."

Beisel said he saw himself at Media Days when he was a fourth-string linebacker as a freshman and that Wednesday was all a part of the "master plan" he has in the back of his mind. When asked if he knows what's in store for him when he reincarnates into his next life, the senior had a perfect Sun Tzu-like answer.

"I'm just focused on this life right now," Beisel said. "I'm just focused on each day at a time, winning each day, attacking the line and advancing this legacy of Mizzou football."

He won't really know what the Tigers have in store for them until the team suits up for fall practice in August or takes the field against Missouri State on Sept. 2, but on Wednesday he made his best pitch to keep teams away from Faurot Field this season.

"Any team that thinks they’re gonna come in our house, step on our field, run the ball against us, pass the ball against us, stop our offense returning 10 starters — Drew Lock leading the pack — that’s disrespect," he said. "Don’t come to our field and think you’re coming out with a win. Any team that does that, they’ll pay for it."

Lock and Adams bond over Smashville fever Junior quarterback Drew Lock might know why the Nashville Predators didn't win the Stanley Cup Final this season: Paul Adams didn't come over to watch some of the games at his place in Columbia.

Lock said Wednesday that Adams, a junior offensive lineman from Nashville, Tennessee, and he spent the summer watching the Predators' run to the championship series together (catfish not included). The two are neighbors, and Lock believes that his house might have been a good luck charm.

"Every night that they played that he came to our house and watched the game, they won," Lock said.

"And, in that last series, he didn’t come over a couple of times — same nights they lost. He was super upset about it. Next year he better be coming back."

Adams might have come just shy of watching his hometown team hoist the Stanley Cup, but he can at least take some comfort in knowing that he took Lock's pop-culture game up a notch.

"I didn’t realize Carrie Underwood’s husband (Mike Fisher) plays for the Predators," Lock said.

Missouri embraces urgency on Day 1 of fall practice Aug. 1 76

The Missouri football team began preseason camp on a cloudy, muggy Tuesday morning by going through calisthenics on the Mizzou Athletics Training Center field to Drake and Young Thug's "Ice Melts" bumping through the speakers.

Barry Odom doesn't share too many similarities with Drake, but he can at least relate to a line the Canadian superstar repeats throughout the song as the calendar turns to August and the 2017 season opener against Missouri State lingers 31 days in the distance: "A little less talk and a little more action."

Football is back, and Odom and his staff return to the grind with a sense of urgency to prove that the struggles of 2016 can and will be — to borrow from the coach's SEC Media Days news conference last month — fixed.

"I'm excited to have a chance to coach these guys, because I know what they've done in the last six months, the investment they've put in," Odom said to the first postpractice media scrum of the fall after Day 1 of the 24-day preseason period. "I'm pretty fired up.

"It's one day in, but I like where we're at."

Both Odom and defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross said the 2017 senior class, citing the vocal leadership of players such as Eric Beisel and J'Mon Moore, is responsible for producing the urgency surrounding the team, which Cross said has been "unmatched to anything we came close to last year."

"They really have changed the dynamics of what we're looking for out of our team, and we're just the guys now that are monitoring what they do," Cross said. "They actually do a lot of team meetings on their own and discuss a lot of things, and it's all been in the right direction."

The seniors' attitude toward the season showed when senior offensive tackle Tyler Howell was asked about the position group's expectations after its breakout 2016 campaign. Howell, who was one of three offensive linemen to start every game last fall, couldn’t wait for the question to end before bluntly giving his answer.

"High. Ten times higher than last year," Howell said. "Last year was nothing. We've got to get better, just keep building on it.

"Personally, I think I played like trash," he added. "We've just got to get better."

Howell also acknowledged that the internal countdown clock that sets in at the beginning of senior year has been one of his biggest motivators to push past what the position group accomplished last fall.

"Fully selling out," Howell said. "You can do that every year, but when it’s your last year guaranteed, you just start to think about it differently, like, 'This is all you've got, so you've got to make the most of it.'"

One of the most encouraging sights at Tuesday's practice was junior defensive lineman Terry Beckner Jr. returning to the field after tearing his ACL against Middle Tennessee State in Week 7 and missing the remainder of last season. Beckner — who also made the switch from No. 79 to a slimming, single-digit No. 5 — worked his way through the standard Day 1 agility drills and sled work and joined the rest of his fellow defensive linemen in sporting black-and-gold knee braces.

After practice, Odom said both the coaching staff and Rex Sharp, associate athletic director and director of the Dr. Glenn L. McElroy M.D. Sports Medicine Center, would continue to monitor Beckner's condition during camp and limit reps if need be.

"I want him to focus on not trying to do too much and just go be yourself," Odom said.

Cross was confident in Beckner Jr.'s condition but also stressed urgency with regard to the development of the defensive line into a cohesive unit.

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"He understands where he's at at this point," Cross said. "The live action (when the team gets pads on) really will be a true test for him, but he's excited.

"Those guys (the members of the defensive line) have been the heartbeat of the program for a while and (have) got to figure out a way to come together through this camp," he added, "because we rely on them to lead us up front."

Senior defensive lineman Jordan Harold, who joins fellow senior Marcell Frazier as the two most experienced returning players on the line, said Becker Jr. has struggled getting back into the swing of things at times but has a hunger to start making an impact again.

"It kinda got a little tough for him, but sometimes I just look at him and say, 'Terry, I need you,' and he'll just pull it together," Harold said.

A successful reimmersion into the trenches for Becker Jr. will be crucial for Missouri entering the 2017 season. The Tigers' defensive line will have to account for the loss of standout Charles Harris to the NFL and is currently operating without Nate Howard, who was suspended indefinitely from the team after his arrest for drug possession in July, and junior college transfers Walter Palmore and Malik Young. Odom said Palmore would be at practice Wednesday and Young is waiting to be cleared academically before he can join the team. Sophomore Markell Utsey is going through the acclimation period with Beckner Jr. after he, too, had a season-ending ACL injury in 2016.

That's a lot, especially for a position group that allowed an average of 233 rushing yards per game last season and is also transitioning from Jackie Shipp to new defensive line coach Brick Haley.

"It's a lot of urgency, especially with all the moving around and people leaving," Harold said. "It puts a chip on everybody's shoulder in the room because of the doubt from outside and also lets us know internally to compete.

"A lot of people have been doubting us, especially how the last three years (have) been with the whole 'DLine Zou' thing. We plan to shock the world. With everybody we've got coming in, everybody we have, we plan to produce."

Missouri will have a closed practice Wednesday then re-open practice to the media on Thursday morning.

'Sky's the limit' for Missouri TE Blanton Aug. 3 Paul Adams jokingly told roommate Kendall Blanton that if he doesn't watch the late-night protein shakes, the 268-pound redshirt junior tight end would soon forfeit his route-running privileges and join him full time on the offensive line.

If Blanton keeps making one-handed touchdown catches on the run like he did in Missouri's Homecoming loss to Middle Tennessee State last fall, though, that won't be happening anytime soon.

"The sky’s the limit for him," Adams said of Blanton after Day 3 of fall practice. "We talk about it all the time. He wants to do the most that any tight end has ever done here, and I think he can."

Blanton, who is coming off an ankle injury suffered during offseason workouts that sidelined him during the spring, and senior tight end Jason Reese have the distinction of being the only nonreturning starters on the Tigers' offense, but that's not exactly fair to either player. Sure, Missouri will miss three-year

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starter Sean Culkin, who posted career-highs in receptions (24) and receiving yards (282) during the 2016 season, but Blanton and Reese combined for five touchdowns to Culkin's zero. Blanton played in every game of the Tigers' 4-8 campaign, while Reese saw the field in 11 of 12.

There's no worrying about drop-off at the position, but rather there's excitement of what the duo can add to an offense that returns playmakers across the board.

"I kind of got my name out there a little bit last year, but I really just knocked on the door," Blanton said. "I feel like there’s a lot more I can do."

Blanton said he spent the first few days after his ankle surgery sulking but then realized he needed to shake it off. He said he spent the summer "perfecting my craft" with Reese and senior wideout J'Mon Moore, who knows a few things about getting in the end zone, and Adams has been so impressed with his roommate since fall camp started that he forgot Blanton missed spring practice.

"His confidence has gone through the roof, which is awesome. It’s exactly what he needed," said Adams, who brought up Blanton's prolific high school basketball career (he holds the Missouri record for blocked shots) as evidence of his freak athleticism.

"His catching radius is ridiculous, and we can use that to our advantage this year."

Blanton, from Blue Springs, said he's excited about the possibility of the tight ends seeing more targets in the passing game. He's been watching footage of Chiefs legend and fellow basketball convert Tony Gonzalez, from Kansas City's 13-3 2003 season specifically, for inspiration. But second-year tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley said playing time will go to those who can help get the Tigers' running game going first.

"You have to be able to block in this offense, because we’re going to start with the run," Finley said. "If you’re not willing to compete in that part of the game, you’re going to have a hard time getting on the field."

That doesn't seem to be a problem for Blanton, who said he "loves to block" (defensive lineman and shots) and whose roommate said he's a few protein shakes away from the trenches, anyway. Where that could pose a problem, however, is in his competition with Reese for who can get the most touchdowns in 2017.

Blanton edged out his "big brother" by one last year and isn't mad about having the senior leader pushing him to be better for another fall.

"He’s a tremendous leader," Blanton said of Reese. "Every time we do workouts or something like that, he’s picking guys up. If I’m slacking, he’s on my head. He’s stepped up a lot and filled the shoes of Sean."

Beckner Jr. back to 'Terry of old' Both Odom and junior offensive guard Kevin Pendleton have been impressed by what they've seen from defensive lineman Terry Beckner Jr.'s return to the field after a second straight season-ending anterior cruciate ligament tear.

Odom said the junior East St. Louis product looks to have regained his quickness and that Wednesday's practice was "his best day since I've been here," while Pendleton praised the maturation he's seen from Beckner Jr. since he was faced with the second ACL tear/rehabilitation process in as many years.

"He's looking like the Terry of old," Pendleton said. "He has that ferocious growl when he comes off the ball, and he's spitting everywhere, and his hands are going, so I'm liking what I'm seeing for sure. It's hard to block, and it sucks, but I'm glad he's on our team."

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Beckner was made available to the media after Thursday's practice, the first in which the team wore shoulder pads, and admitted to still feeling some lingering pain, but he said that's just part of the process of getting comfortable on the field again.

"Coming back from that type of injury, that first day you're going to feel a little something. It's not going to feel the same," Beckner Jr. said. "You've just gotta get back in action. After that first day, everything will translate better because your body's back into it."

Roster updates Walter Palmore is in Columbia, but he did not practice Thursday. The transfer defensive lineman underwent a physical, and Odom said after practice that they're waiting on the final OK from the NCAA before he will take the field.

Junior wide receiver Ray Wingo has not practiced thus far during camp and is not listed on the 2017 fall camp roster, and Odom said Thursday that he has yet to finish a summer class and will remain ineligible until that's taken care of. In eight games last season, Wingo had five receptions for 143 yards and two touchdowns.

Odom said Thursday that freshman wide receiver O'shae Clark is transferring without playing a down at Missouri and that the program planned on helping him find out where he wanted to go.

Running backs coach Cornell Ford said walk-on redshirt freshman Dawson Downing would be the No. 3 running back behind sophomore Damarea Crockett and senior Ish Witter if the season started Thursday.

Missouri passing attack wants to leave nothing on the field in 2017 Aug. 5 Dimetrios Mason had the most successful season for a Missouri freshman receiver since Jeremy Maclin's 1,055-yard 2007 campaign but said Friday that he wasn't completely sold on the position heading into the fall.

The reason why? The two-way player from Loganville, Georgia, still had thoughts of playing corner, the position at which he entered 2016 preseason camp.

"It took me a while to really buy into being a receiver and fully do everything that a receiver would do and have a receiver mindset," Mason said. "Once I got that receiver mindset, I'm more about attacking the ball.

"I was very surprised by what I did (last season), but at the same time I know I could do better," he added.

"This year, I've been dialed in and focused on the offense and the coaches and just understanding Drew (Lock) and being on the same page as him."

Lock, who also talked to reporters after Friday's practice, shared in Mason's expectations for even better production from the Tigers' passing game and said it starts with cutting down on mistakes. Junior offensive lineman Paul Adams said Thursday that his goal was for Lock to throw for 4,000 yards behind an offensive line that returns seven game-tested players gunning for five starting spots, but Lock said the only numbers he's going to care about in 2017 are wins and completion percentage.

"We talked about balls going out of bounds or me leaving them short," Lock said. "We left 1,000-plus yards and double-digit touchdowns out there, so if I can be better with my completion percentage, there's really no telling how many I can throw this year."

The junior quarterback has his 2016 completion percentage pretty much memorized, in case you were wondering just how much it's been weighing on him.

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"I think I was like 54 percent last year, which is horse poop now that I'm thinking about it."

The 2016 completion rate was 54.61 percent — the 12th-best in the SEC. Lock said Friday his goal for 2017 is to get that percentage into the 64 to 65 range (Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield led the country at 70 percent last season, while Auburn's Sean White led SEC quarterbacks at 63.9 percent) and for the the offense to build consistency by stringing together successful practices during camp. He knows that his completion percentage is often a two-way street between his efficiency and his receivers' ability to catch the ball but, as quarterback, said he takes full responsibility for the number.

Senior J'Mon Moore disagreed.

"As a receiver, you have to catch everything. It doesn't matter if it's looking like it's going out of bounds or it's low, it's behind you, it's overthrown. As a receiver, you have to catch the ball, period," Moore said.

"What we say in our room is, 'QBs throw; we catch.' I don't even blame Drew for his completion rate or how many yards or TDs he left out there. I blame it on me and the wide receiver corps.

"That's timing. That's relationships. You've gotta work on that. It doesn't just happen," he added.

Moore said he felt the chemistry between the receivers and quarterbacks was there last season. At SEC Media Days in July, he said he was "thankful" to have Lock and called the ability to build a relationship with his quarterback "a blessing." But he took the offseason and his status as a senior leader as an opportunity to build upon that foundation by having inside and outside receivers meet separately with the quarterbacks to go over routes and become more in sync.

He also watched Missouri's cringe-worthy offensive performances at Florida (Moore had one reception for 15 yards) and LSU (one reception for 16 yards) to learn what went wrong against some of the conference's best secondaries.

"You definitely want to watch those games where you struggle," Moore said. "I feel like, when you watch where you did everything right and you were successful, that doesn't really help you. You want to watch the games when you made the most mistakes, and you won't make those mistakes again."

Mason complimented Moore's development into the position group leader ahead of his final season with the Tigers and said having the SEC's leading returning receiver to push him on the field every day has only helped him embrace the wideout mentality.

"He'll be doing extra stuff, then I'll be like, 'Aw, man, I've gotta go work just to be better than him,'" said Mason, who doubted his tackling ability at the corner position but laughed and nodded when asked if he could cover his All-SEC teammate.

What's Moore been pushing for more than anything? Catching the ball. It sounds simple, but Moore takes it seriously.

"Look (the ball) all the way into the tuck," Moore said, "and really just overemphasize looking that ball in first before you do anything else."

If that happens, expect Lock's completion percentage to look less horse-poopy, more yards in the box score and more points under "Mizzou" on the Memorial Stadium scoreboard.

'Odom trait': Brian Odom joins brother in bringing intensity to Tigers Aug. 7 The Odom brothers have the Missouri football team seeing double this preseason.

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"Man, they're the same person," sophomore linebacker Terez Hall said of Barry and first-year linebackers coach Brian Odom. "They go hard. They're the same coaches, basically. They're real tough on you. They're going to coach you hard. They're real straightforward — they going to tell you exactly what you need to work on. You know them brothers, you know how they are."

Brian Odom, formerly a defensive quality control assistant coach at Washington State, was hired onto his older brother's staff in February to fill the void of secondary coach Greg Brown but said that the two have talked about working together since they were kids.

Their professional paths crossed for a short time in 2005 under Gary Pinkel — Barry Odom was Missouri's director of football recruiting, and Brian Odom was an administrative and defensive graduate assistant coach — but now the boys from Maysville and Ada, Oklahoma, have climbed the coaching ladder and have a chance to translate the competitive atmosphere of their childhood into the Tigers' locker room.

"I've got a lot of respect for the way he carries himself, and that's from the time we were kids," Brian Odom said after Monday's practice. "Always wanted to work together. Feel like there's no other person you trust more than your brother. Especially when times get tough, there's people that you're going to lean on, and I'm going to war with him ... , and we'll see what happens."

At Washington State, Brian Odom worked under defensive coordinator Alex Grinch — who coached safeties for three seasons at Missouri under uncle Pinkel — and helped the Cougars turn a 3-9 finish to the 2014 season into 9-4 and 8-5 records in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Before that, he spent three seasons working as the football strength and conditioning coordinator at Houston and another seven before that as an associate strength/performance coordinator at Arizona.

Making the transition from strength coordinator to football coach was always on his mind, and running the strength program at Houston showed he had the capacity to lead a team through a different type of season: offseason workouts.

"From the months of January through August, you're kind of in charge of the team," Brian Odom said.

Working in Grinch's defense at Washington State, which shares a lot of similarities to what Barry Odom and DeMontie Cross have installed at MU, has made the younger Odom feel more comfortable in his new job. Redshirt junior defensive back Kaleb Prewett, who may have to change his title after spending most of camp working with Brian Odom as an outside linebacker/safety hybrid, said he's benefitted from the new coach's leadership.

"He's super enthusiastic every day. If I come in and I'm not enthusiastic, I better get with the program or I better get out," Prewett said. "Super intense, super hands-on. If I don't have something, he's going to drill it into my head until I figure it out, which is cool, and I like it because I like that hands-on, full-go mentality."

Does Prewett see the family resemblance?

"Pretty much the same person," Prewett said. "You can definitely tell that they're brothers."

"They both got the same type of personality," new defensive line coach Brick Haley added. "It's full speed all the time, so I guess it's just the Odom trait."

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As is the case with most brotherly love, Brian Odom admitted that he often fell victim to his older brother picking on him but that things changed with time and physical growth — the classic "not-so-much littlebrother-anymore" phase. As co-workers, he said he expects the same treatment as any other member of the staff.

"When he's demanding (of) his coaches, he's demanding (of) his coaches, and I'm going to be one of the coaches, and he's going to be demanding of me," Brian Odom said.

"I think we're both old enough and professional enough that whenever we walk into that door, it's business," he added. "We've both done it for a long time. We've both worked with a lot of people, so within those walls, it's business, and we all know what the common goal is. I know he doesn't have any problem getting after me. I don't have any problem taking it. I respect the process."

Tigers return with physicality after NCAA-mandated day off Per a new NCAA rule, Missouri had Sunday off from football activities. Barry Odom praised his team's physical return to the field, highlighted by a 15-play inside-run drill.

"The most physical inside run I've seen in a really, really long time," Odom said.

Odom also continued to stress the competitive nature of fall practice as the team checked off Day 6 of the 24-day camp.

"If you're not ready to go once the horn blows with period No. 1, you're going to get exposed pretty quickly," Odom said, "because there's competition everywhere, and it's a lot of fun."

Injuries/roster updates Hall (lower leg) and Prewett (hip flexor) both practiced in the precautionary red jerseys on Monday, but Odom said after practice that the injured players needed to know when to tone down the physicality a bit.

"We've got to learn how to practice when you've got a red pullover on," Odom said. "You're supposed to be protected a little bit, but they were out there trying to run through guys, so we'll learn from that."

Sophomore defensive lineman Markell Utsey suffered a shoulder strain on Saturday and was limited in practice Monday. Redshirt sophomore Justin Smith was also limited in practice after injuring his knee during red zone one-on-one drills on Saturday. Odom said the staff would take the necessary measures to ensure healthy returns to the field but that both Utsey and Smith likely wouldn't miss much time.

Junior college defensive line transfer Walter Palmore has begun practicing with the team after needing a final clearance from the NCAA to be fully eligible. Odom praised the rising junior, who transferred from Eastern Arizona College, for his early contributions, but defensive line coach Brick Haley said Palmore was out of shape and needed to lose about 10 pounds. Haley believes that Palmore "has an opportunity to be a big run-stopper" at a position that needs all the depth it can get, though.

The Tigers are still waiting on two more JUCO defensive linemen, Rashad Brandon and Malik Young, to be cleared by the NCAA. Brown chooses Nebraska over Missouri Four-star wide receiver Cameron Brown — part of the strong group of in-state recruits dubbed the "Tiger 10" — committed to Nebraska on Monday afternoon. He chose the Cornhuskers over Missouri, Ohio State, Georgia and Alabama.

Brown is the fourth member of the Tiger 10 to commit. Defensive lineman Daniel Parker announced his commitment to Missouri in July, and four-star recruits Mario Goodrich and Ayodele Adeoye have pledged to attend Nebraska and Texas, respectively.

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He's lovin' it: Through faking job at McDonald's, 'swiggles,' falling TVs, MU's Williams thrives Aug. 17 Tre Williams preferred basketball to football for the majority of his young life. During his freshman and sophomore years at Moberly High School, he described his role on the football team as a "cheerleader" who would never leave the sidelines on Friday nights.

After moving to Columbia ahead of his junior year and meeting then-Rock Bridge coach A.J. Ofodile, however, Williams wanted to play football so bad he mowed yards to save up enough money to buy a pair of turf cleats and faked having a job at McDonald's. His elaborate plan included an official McDonald's employee shirt, which he bought from one of the chain's Columbia locations, black slacks and a pair of black work shoes.

His mom, Teresa Williams-Crews, wanted him to get a job instead of playing football. Williams said she worked night shifts and couldn't make some of his games and almost bought the charade, too. The only problem? Williams was too good and caught the attention of a local TV news station during a Rock Bridge practice one afternoon.

"After practice, I put the (McDonald's) suit on," Williams recalled after Missouri's practice Thursday. "I'm all sweaty and clammy. I go home, and I'm like, 'Whew, Mom — they working me crazy today.' She's like, 'That's good that you're becoming a man and doing all of this.' The next thing you know, I'm on TV. She's like, 'What the … ? How the … ? Tre, come here. Come upstairs.'

"I'm thinking that she wants me to do something like go to the store," he continued. "I go upstairs, and the next thing you know, she's like, 'What is this?' She was mad that I lied, but she was proud that I was doing good."

The redshirt freshman defensive end didn't hide anything when he chose Missouri over schools such as Arizona State, Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska and TCU. He put his goals out there for everyone to see.

"The reason they call it 'D-Line Zou' is because they produce some of the greatest defensive ends," Williams said when he committed to the Tigers on Feb. 3, 2016. "I just want to be the greatest, if that is possible."

Having befriended Tigers standout Charles Harris over haircuts at JT's Cutz in 2014, Williams was ready to thrive under the tutelage of his "big brother" and contribute from the get-go. At 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, though, his lanky, undersized frame made that nearly impossible, and Williams had to redshirt.

"Anybody coming in with that chip on their shoulder, being a hometown kid, anybody would say, 'I'm ready to play! I'm ready to play!'" Williams said. "But you come in (at) 225 (pounds), summer goes by a little bit, you get 10 pounds on — still not big enough. You're getting thrown around out there. You're not big enough to actually play in the SEC. Being redshirted, I was kind of poop-faced — kinda salty — but I got through it."

A year later, Williams is weighing in in the 250- to 255-pound range and is competing with redshirt sophomore Franklin Agbasimere and freshman Chris Turner for a No. 2 spot at defensive end. First-year defensive line coach Brick Haley praised Williams' quickness and potential as an edge player but said the redshirt freshman still has a lot of work to do in terms of understanding the defense.

"We've got to get him to where he can mature and understand the scheme and start playing within the scheme and start giving us some valuable minutes," Haley said after an Aug. 7 practice.

Haley and Williams also have gone back and forth over the defensive end's tendency to celebrate after he's made a play. Williams said the celebrations — "swiggles" — are a product of his goofy nature and a way he

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gets into opposing players' heads, but he knows there's a point when his coach will tell him to tone down the swiggles.

"If I make a play, (Coach Haley)'s like, 'Get yo' butt back on that line,'" Williams said before doing his best Haley impersonation to demonstrate his internal response to the coaching. "And me, in my head, I'm like, 'Get yo' butt back on that line,' so I'll be playful with it still. But now when I'm out there, I'm focused on my assignments."

Another area in which Williams could use more focus: dodging falling TVs. During the second week of fall practices, Williams said his mom called him home to help an older brother move a "big" TV. While Williams was trying to lift the TV, he said his brother, who already had it in his arms, was cracking jokes about his not-so-little little brother's "mannequin arms." His older brother took a step forward, and the TV fell, landing on Williams' foot.

There couldn't have been worse timing, either, as Williams said he was working with the first-team rotation when the accident occurred.

"I’ve been limping ever since," Williams said.

For all of the maturing the defensive end said he's done over the past year, Williams' confidence is fragile.

A bum foot and getting bumped down on the preseason depth chart hurt, but Haley's encouragement was all the motivation he needed to get going again.

"Coach was like, 'You've gotta dig yourself up,'" Williams said. "'I’m not going to give you anything you didn’t earn.'"

Self-starting Tigers DE Harold embracing role as team captain Aug. 23 The first thing opposing offensive linemen may notice about Jordan Harold when he lines up across from them this season is the growling tiger tattoo on his left hand. When Harold covers his mouth with said hand, it looks as if he’s a tiger, too.

“It’s like another side (to me),” Harold said after an Aug. 14 practice. “I look down and realize that’s what I let out on the field.

“Another thing is,” he added, “I have aspirations to be my own boss, so that’s part of the reason why I got it.”

That Harold, a redshirt senior from St. Louis who left behind a scholarship at six-time Division II national champion Northwest Missouri State and made the Tigers’ roster as a walk-on in 2015, aspires to be a selfstarter should come as no surprise. Not only did he will his way from DII football to becoming one of four captains of Missouri’s 2017 team — announced Tuesday — but ambition also runs in the family.

Harold’s mother, Aleshia Jordan, runs Virtualocity, a St. Louis-based consulting agency that offers training in project management and Six Sigma — a data-driven approach and methodology for eliminating defects.

“Basically, you go inside a business, figure out what’s going on with it, what’s wrong with it, what you can do to improve,” Harold said. “Another thing she’s doing is teaching classes, so Six Sigma black-belt certification. So she’s giving people education to be successful.”

Harold cited his mother and his girlfriend, an MU student whom he dated and visited while at Northwest Missouri State, as the people who pushed him most to make the leap of faith from DII to the SEC, but he

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had the conviction to make it here from the get-go. On one of his visits to Columbia during his time at Northwest Missouri State, Harold told his girlfriend, “I deserve this stage.”

Her response: “You can have it if you go get it.”

Harold got the stage, but he has yet to truly capitalize on it. He didn’t register an in-game snap in 2015 and totaled just 11 tackles in 2016 (he appeared in all 12 games but started only two). He posted the picture of his tiger tattoo on Instagram just two days after Missouri’s 28-24 comeback win over Arkansas to end its 4-8 2016 campaign, and in a way that moment represented the beginning of the next chapter in Harold’s journey as a self-starter — from minor contributor to senior leader and team captain.

It started with offseason workouts and a meeting with first-year defensive line coach Brick Haley this summer.

“He told me he’s going to put a lot more on me,” Harold said. “He’s going to put more on me because he thinks I can handle it. So that coming from him already set the standard for where I need to be and what I need to do and where I need to go.”

Tigers coach Barry Odom also noticed growth in Harold during the preparation for the upcoming season and said the defensive end is a candidate for “the best camp out of anybody.” Odom attributed the inconsistency Harold showed on the field in 2016 to needing to adjust to game environments and said the senior will only benefit from the experience he gained through past struggles.

“I think, for Jordan specifically and for anyone, the difference between doing a 24-period practice and the calm of practice translating that over to game day is a different world, obviously,” Odom said after this past Thursday’s practice.

“He did some really good things during preseason camp last year. Played solid at times last year also during the season, but consistency wasn’t there. I think another year for him experience-wise and understanding who we’re going against and how that plays out on Saturdays, he’s going to have a big year.”

The expectations for Harold are not just to produce on the field for a position group that struggled in 2016 but to lead off of it. With the loss of Charles Harris to the NFL Draft, and with fellow seniors Marcell Frazier and A.J. Logan’s boycott of local media that has lasted through fall practice, Harold and junior defensive lineman Terry Beckner Jr. have had to handle the bulk of the “D-Line Zou” spotlight.

Harold is learning to embrace that responsibility, and members of the defensive line have already seen him taking a more vocal approach. Redshirt freshman Tre Williams, who considered Harris his “big brother,” mentioned Harold specifically when asked who has stepped up to fill the void left by the Miami Dolphins’ first-round pick.

Harold said he prefers to lead with actions, but he said he’ll make more of an effort to be outspoken with his teammates now that he’s a captain.

“The majority of the time I lead by example, but when something needs to be said, I’ll say it,” Harold said.

“I’m not the type of guy who just speaks to speak; I let it come from the heart.”

After Missouri’s first practice of fall camp, Harold was asked about the team’s 2017 motto — “First to finish, last to fall.” He said fellow senior Eric Beisel — gladiator incarnate — was the main inspiration

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behind the chariot-race-themed motto, but the conviction with which Harold spoke about the motto showed his dedication to his final season as a Tiger.

“It’s about winning, basically,” Harold said on Aug. 1. “Be the first to finish but the last to fall. Even though we’re in the back, we’re coming from underdog territory, and we’re trying to get to where we want to be.”

Two years ago, Harold was in underdog territory but knew where he wanted to be and got there. Now, the Tigers are putting their faith in him as a captain to get them where they want to be.

“It’s a triumph for me,” Harold said after Tuesday’s practice. “It touches me emotionally to have those guys put their trust into me and vote me as a captain. For that to happen, I mean, their expectations of me, I’m sure they’re high. And my expectations for them are high, too. I’ll give them everything I’ve got, and they’ll give me everything they’ve got.”

Once doubted, Dubinski embraces hard work on the road to a scholarship Sept. 1 On Aug. 20, Oregon junior walk-on linebacker Kaulana Apelu lined up for a drill on the turf of Rich Brooks Field in Eugene, Oregon. Before the ball could be snapped, Ducks coach Willie Taggart whistled the play dead and directed Apelu's attention to the Autzen Stadium video board.

There was Apelu's mother in a green Oregon shirt. She began talking about how all his hard work and dedication over the past two seasons had not gone unnoticed.

Apelu's teammates started to creep in around him and waited for his mom to say, "Congratulations, you have been offered a full scholarship," before mobbing their newest scholarship athlete with cheers.

The video of the scholarship announcement was posted to the team's Instagram account, and it went viral with 99,300 views as of Sunday.

A couple of weeks earlier and 1,937 miles to the southeast, Missouri redshirt sophomore center Jonah Dubinski was walking into breakfast at the Missouri Athletics Training Complex when Barry Odom called the walk-on outside. Director of Football Operations Mike McHugh was waiting.

"They pretended like I was in trouble for a second, and I knew I didn't do anything wrong, so I was kind of confused," Dubinski said. "It was just kind of a low-key thing. I had a feeling of what he was going to tell me and started smiling, and (Odom) told me he was going to put me on scholarship."

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With no video boards, no sentimental message from his mom and no mob of teammates waiting to celebrate with the Columbia kid and Rock Bridge alum, Dubinski walked back into the training center to eat. Redshirt junior Samson Bailey — who had seen his fellow offensive lineman talking outside with Odom — asked Dubinski, "Was it a good day today?"

"Yeah, it was a really good day today," Dubinski answered, ready to clock in for another practice but unable to hide the big smile on his face until he went back home later in the day, told his mom the news and gave her a hug.

It was a fitting moment of unassuming celebration for the former walk-on, who, after playing in seven games during the 2016 season and earning the starting center spot for the season's final two games, already considered himself on scholarship. But in the midst of position battles across an offensive line — center included — looking to realize its full potential and double its offensive production if the Tigers want to have a chance of making some noise in the SEC East Division, Dubinski had no choice but to treat the accomplishment as a minor milestone on the way to a greater purpose.

"It's really cool when hard work pays off, but there's still so much more on my mind that we still have to do," Dubinski said. "Just kinda on to the next thing."

Meticulous and motivated Dubinski's father, John Dubinski, said his son has been detail-oriented from a young age.

"If it's something (Jonah's) interested in and enjoys, he is all in," John Dubinski said. "He likes to master something and understand the intricacies of it and the little things that separate you from other people."

That disposition, combined with the hyper-competitiveness bred amongst Dubinski and brothers, Hudson and Jackson, continues to translate well on the offensive line, a position that rewards a meticulous approach to technique more often than it does flash and talent.

"We talk about it in the offensive line room, if we had 11 Jonah Dubinski's on our offense, we'd probably be one of the hardest-nosed offenses of all time," junior tackle Paul Adams said. "He's one of those guys that's going to grit his teeth; he doesn't care who he's going against— he's just going to go and give it his all. He gets pissed off when he makes the wrong step, whether it's an inch or 2 to the right. He just strives for greatness."

Under former Rock Bridge coach A.J. Ofodile, now Barry Odom's director of recruiting, Dubinski held his own at the varsity level against top in-state and out-of-state teams for the Bruins as a sophomore onward.

John Dubinski said his son competing and succeeding against Division I prospects is what started making a football career at Missouri look like more of a possibility.

"The kids know ahead of time, 'Hey, I'm going against this kid. I'm blocking a guy, and he's playing at Florida State next year.' Or, 'I'm going against this guy, and he's going to Clemson,'" John Dubinski said.

"I think he started to understand, 'If I can do these things, get a little bit bigger and stronger — work on these things — I feel like I can go and play on (the Division I) level.'"

But his 6-foot-2 frame attracted offers from only Austin Peay — a Division I FCS program — Air Force and Division II schools. Both Dubinski and his parents raved about the Air Force Academy when they took a recruiting visit to Colorado Springs, Colorado, during his senior year at Rock Bridge, but it was during the final dinner of the visit that Dubinski told his mom and dad he wanted to walk on at his hometown university.

It came as a surprise to John Dubinski. He thought taking the scholarship at Air Force made sense financially and would set his son up for a better chance at seeing the field versus the uphill battle that usually awaits any walk-on competing for playing time. "(Air Force) just seemed like that was the most solid offer, and so I just assumed, 'Hey, this is where you're going,'" John Dubinski said. "He had talked to me about (walking on at Missouri); he and I

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definitely just did not have detailed discussions about it. It could be that he was just trying to feel me out and be a people-pleaser, as well. If your family's not behind you, you don't want to turn around and say, 'This is what I'm doing. It's totally different than what everybody thinks.'"

Ultimately, John Dubinski said he knew the decision was his son's to make, and he supported the decision to stay in Columbia. And between seeing former Rock Bridge players on Missouri's roster, talking over his walk-on potential with Ofodile and hearing firsthand testimony from Tigers wide receivers coach Andy Hill — who walked on at Missouri in 1980 and earned a scholarship during his time with the program — Jonah Dubinski was more than sold on following the #MizzouMade track set before him.

"There had been a history of some guys like Max Copeland doing well walking on," Jonah Dubinski said. "(Brandon) Gerau from Rock Bridge walked on here. There's been success, and (Hill) was like, 'It's all about your attitude.' That kind of got me on board. I was like, 'I've got the attitude to do it. I think I'll be just fine.'

"Something," he added, "was telling me to come here."

Hanging sheetrock and breaking into the starting lineup Dubinski excelled at maintaining an indifference to his status as a walk-on when competing against Missouri's scholarship players, but his arrival to college football was't without some setbacks.

After playing every other position on the offensive line at Rock Bridge and learning their intricacies, he had to master a new position: center. He tore a meniscus during his freshman season then fell ill and lost weight during a time where he needed to be packing on the pounds if he wanted a shot at playing in the SEC. For the first time since his freshman year at Rock Bridge, he didn't contribute on the field when it mattered.

On top of that, to help contribute toward his school bills when he began at Missouri, he took a bigger role in helping run Dubinski Drywall Company, the family construction business. This was on top of balancing class and football.

Having his father for a boss worked in Dubinski's favor in scheduling shifts around workouts, practice and film, but it also meant that there were times he'd have to sacrifice a break from the physical and mental demands of Division I football and go hang sheetrock, set up scaffolds and paint.

Getting to stay at home for school, though, has been worth the obstacles.

"I really don't know sometimes how the (out-of-town) guys do it," Dubinski said. "I get to go home every day to my family and see all the people I love. It's a great support system. Can't say enough about it. I have a great girlfriend, I have great parents, great grandparents, great brothers.

It's the best environment I could be in."

When he finally got the call to make his first collegiate start, however, the environment couldn't have been any more hostile. Missouri was set to face Tennessee at Neyland Stadium, and the Tigers were without Bailey and then-redshirt junior Alec Abeln, who were both injured.

Dubinski admitted to feeling some nerves before the offense hung 740 total yards on the Volunteers in a 63-37 loss. But he said his teammates and position group provided all the reassurance he needed to get amped up in the moments before the team left the locker room and entered a stadium full of 101,012 mostly orange-clad fans.

"The 10 other dudes around me, especially the four other guys on the offensive line," Dubinski said, "they were like, 'Hey, you've practiced for this all year. You got this. You've done this in practice. You've ran this play X amount of times.' Eventually, you get comfortable within the game."

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Dubinski was the next man up and snapped the ball for all 110 of Missouri's plays from scrimmage. The Tigers' offensive line paved the way for Damarea Crockett to rush for 226 yards and break the school's freshman single-season rushing yards record, while Ish Witter added 163 yards on the ground. Drew Lock threw for 320 yards and was only sacked once.

Afterward, Dubinski texted older brother Jackson saying he never had been more tired after a game in his life.

Now more than ever, nothing is guaranteed Dubinski is on scholarship now, but with seven linemen who saw the field in 2016 — plus redshirt freshman center Trystan Castillo —competing to fill five starting spots ahead of Saturday's season opener against Missouri State, nothing is guaranteed, and there was little time for celebration.

"I knew coming into (camp) that if you focus on (a scholarship), it's just going to be a distraction," Dubinski said. "I really just wanted to be able to focus on fighting for the center position and us getting as good as we can get as fast as we can get. It really wasn't something I was too worried about. I had faith in all my coaches, and I really do think, if you do the right thing in life, good things will happen to you."

That's why he waited to tell his teammates, and Odom eventually confirmed the scholarship to local media with a simple, "Yeah, (Jonah's) on aid," after an Aug. 14 practice. When Dubinski did finally break the news to the offensive line, he said his teammates showed more outward excitement than he did.

"We were like, 'Hell yeah, Jonah. That's what I'm talking about. We were wanting this for a long time for you,'" Adams said. "There's not another man on the offensive line who deserves it more."

On Monday, Castillo edged out Dubinski for the No. 1 spot on the Week 1 depth chart, but both Odom and offensive line coach Glen Elarbee said the redshirt sophomore impressed throughout camp and would have his chances at seeing the field this fall.

"He's the same guy every single day," Elarbee said. "He has not stopped competing one second. He's still right there. I think, (if) for some reason you had a guy fall off, he'd be right there jumping in the fight.

That's probably the most respectable thing about him: He's just on all the time."

Dubinski said the competition with Castillo is as friendly as the battles waged at other positions across the line and throughout the team. The two bonded during the 2016 fall camp and continue to help each other learn the position, and they understand Elarbee's mantra: "Best man plays."

"The great thing about it, with people competing so closely, every single rep matters," Dubinski said. "You have to take every single rep seriously, so you can't come and be like, 'You know what, I don't want to practice today, so I'm just going to be lazy.' 'Cause if you do that, there you go — your job's gone."

Dubinski will start 2017 on the sidelines cheering on Castillo in his first start and waiting to get his turn on the field to prove why he should be the Week 2 starter when South Carolina comes into his hometown to open conference play. Regardless, he's right where he belongs: as scholarship player representing a place he commemorated with a tattoo on his upper right arm.

It's a big, black outline of the Show-Me State with "Dulcis" written above it and "Domus" underneath.

Translation, from Latin: "Sweet home Missouri."

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Sports nutrition adds to collegiate arms race, but what does Missouri bring to the table?

Sept. 15 It’s 6:15 a.m. on Aug. 18, and as groggy Missouri football players walk into the Mizzou Athletics Training Complex to begin another day of fall camp, I’m following director of sports nutrition Claire McDaniel as she fast-walks between her office in the MATC weight room and the student-athlete dining hall at such a pace that it’s surprising she hasn’t worn a tread into the wood tile flooring.

She’s made a tray of blueberry smoothies and transports them into the dining hall, stopping only to admire the bright orange clementines sitting on ice at the fruit bar. Now, she’s visiting football players’ tables to comment on breakfast choices and remind those with sickle cell anemia to fill out forms to monitor their daily eating habits.

Walking down the hallway toward the weight room again, McDaniel — empty smoothie tray in hand — lets out a “BEEP BEEP” to get a couple of linemen walking in front of her to let her through before complimenting redshirt senior linebacker Eric Beisel on his light blue Nike T-shirt as the two cross paths.

In a supply room next door to her office in the weight room, she surveys plans for a new salad bar that’s to be installed in the MATC dining hall with manager Jeff Melegrito. Minutes later, she’s going into the training room to make sure a member of the athletic training staff is in the locker room to weigh players before they head out to the practice fields.

“I’m always going in different directions,” McDaniel said. “All the football position coaches know to stay out of my way.”

McDaniel, who swam for the University of Georgia from 2003-07, is passionate about sports nutrition because of the positive impact it had on her athletic career. After making minor contributions to the team her first season with the Bulldogs, she said she decided to become more conscious about her health. It paid off in the form of receiving women’s All-American honors during her final three seasons, winning the 2006 NCAA title in the 800-yard freestyle relay and posting a Georgia top-10 time in the 500 freestyle.

“The (UGA) coaches love that story, because I worked my ass off and I have no regrets because I did everything I could to be as good as I could,” said McDaniel, who moved to Columbia with her husband, a Missouri native, after working at the University of Denver as a sports dietician and swim coach. She wasn’t planning on taking the director job at Missouri but saw the opening posted online and described the feeling as, “weird, eclipse-type, meant to be.”

Just over a month into her first stint as a collegiate director of sports nutrition, which oversees every one of Missouri’s 18 varsity sports, McDaniel’s plate stays full. As the only full-time staff member in MU’s sports nutrition department, she said she spends 70 to 80 hours a week in the MATC working with a rotating staff of 23 unpaid student interns to efficiently fuel and educate all Tiger athletes on proper nutritional habits. While some coaches will get their offseason at the end of the fall, the director of sports nutrition gets a new set of athletes and coaches to work with and new routines to keep.

But McDaniel won’t make it that far. Twelve days after shadowing her during Missouri fall camp, I’m called back to the MATC and enter McDaniel’s office. It’s midafternoon, and the director of sports nutrition is quietly sitting at her desk. McDaniel had acknowledged the reservations she had about the job’s time commitment during our first encounter, but it’s evident now that long weeks spent in the MATC — a place she jokingly compared to New York City because “it never sleeps” — have been wearing her down.

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McDaniel announced her resignation as the director of sports nutrition, effective Friday, on Aug. 29 to Missouri Athletics. Despite pointing out that the Tigers are outmanned by other SEC sports nutrition programs, McDaniel praised the athletic department for allowing her to make the headway she could in such little time and said she simply wasn’t the person for the position.

“I totally think that if someone else had come into this position, they could have duked it out,” McDaniel said. “I just have different priorities in my life. The work-life balance is more important than a career, so for me, when I say, ‘I’m not the right person for the position,’ that’s very much on me.”

College athletic programs are in the midst of a facilities arms race the likes of which have not been seen before — see Clemson’s $55 million football operations center that includes a barber shop and wiffle ball field or Iowa and Iowa State’s football teams combining to allocate $3 million to supply meals, snacks and supplements for their players for the 2017 fiscal year. Sports nutrition adds yet another landscape for schools to gain a competitive edge in both preparing student-athletes for peak performance and appealing to recruits looking to make their collegiate decisions.

McDaniel may have built a solid foundation for Missouri’s program to build upon with the mindset of doing more with less, but, with a skeleton crew compared to the rest of the SEC, whoever takes over as the Tigers’ next director of sports nutrition will continue to have his/her work cut out for him/her.

A job of all trades One of the biggest surprises McDaniel faced when she took the job was just how many responsibilities fell under her jurisdiction. She had had plenty of experience working with individual student-athletes and teams as a dietitian and coach, but the director job added administrative duties, such as the ordering and arranging of meals and supplements, ordering more Gatorade dispensers for the MATC and coordinating the department’s student intern program.

And, with the NCAA Legislative Council’s decision to grant student-athletes, both walk-ons and those on scholarship, unlimited meals and snacks in April 2014, the director of sports nutrition has also had to continue playing a hands-on role in the department’s daily operations.

Fueling stations in the MATC weight room containing a plethora of grab-and-go snacks — from Ritz peanut butter crackers, to Fig Newtons and every sort of protein/performance bar imaginable — need frequent stocking and upkeep. Ingredients needed to make Hydration Jell-O’s, the popular pre-practice choice of Drew Lock and the Missouri men’s basketball team, are always going more quickly than they are bought. Post-practice spreads, which include iced-down Gatorades, freshly cut watermelon and the beloved Sqwincher Sqweeze hydration freeze pops, need to be at the ready to quench the thirsts of devoted followers Damarea Crockett and J’Mon Moore, who put back four to five freeze pops after a day’s work on the field.

Between stocking fueling stations when she arrives at the MATC around 6 a.m. and overseeing the football team’s evening snack when film sessions wrap up around 9 p.m., Missouri’s director of sports nutrition must also take the role of teacher. McDaniel began scheduling one-on-one meetings with every MU student-athlete to help set personal nutrition and fitness goals for the fall. During fall camp, she would give brief nutrition talks to the football team after players wrapped up their afternoon lifts. On Aug. 30, she addressed the entire Missouri swimming and diving team at the Mizzou Aquatic Center.

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“There’s all these different things a department does, and a department of one cannot do it very well,” McDaniel said. “And I only do things very well, so I’m tired, because I can’t just say, ‘Oh, I’ll do it tomorrow.’ Some things I have to push back because there just aren’t enough hours of the day.”

At mealtimes, she circulates the MATC dining hall and will often walk players through how to prepare optimal plates: from protein-packed bowls of oatmeal for breakfast to colorful, healthy salads at lunch and dinner.

“Sometimes you have to go to three places in the dining hall to get one good, healthy meal,” McDaniel said. “It’s not always all in one place.”

The director of sports nutrition, like a coach, also has to monitor performance. Every Missouri football player is weighed before and after practice to monitor fluid loss. Urine is tested with a refractometer, a handheld device that measures the concentration of the bodily fluid and the amount of water present, and McDaniel prepares slips so players can see how their hydration level scores each day and what that entails for their performance on the field. The goal is for student-athletes to have a better understanding of the way their bodies lose fluid during strenuous physical activity so they know just how much they should be replacing during games. Fourth-quarter cramps are the enemy.

“Then you’re not a plus to your team,” said Moore, who usually limits himself to drinking water only by Wednesdays of game weeks. “You’re a negative because you can’t play. I take that real serious.”

At times, however, like after a poor showing on a hydration check following an off day during camp, McDaniel has had to call players out to pick up the slack. It’s worked.

“They didn’t have any practice on Sunday, and they had bad hydration results when we tested them,” McDaniel said on Aug. 18. “On Monday, I was like, ‘Guys! We’ve gotta do better.’ And then next Sunday, they were better.”

As a former coach, McDaniel understands the double-edged pressure that can exist on her MU colleagues to deliver results.

“If they want to keep their job, they better win, but it’s up to the athletes whether they win or not; you can only affect that so much,” McDaniel said.

A similar comparison could be made to Missouri’s sports nutrition department with regard to how the Tigers stack up against their SEC competition. McDaniel was able to make foundational changes to the MU sports nutrition culture, but, with programs throughout the conference making major investments on the field, it will take a larger administrative effort to get MU up to speed.

‘More with less’ A survey of the SEC’s sports nutrition landscape is lined out in a PowerPoint presentation put together in March 2017 by members of the sports nutrition staff at the University of South Carolina. At the time, MU director of sports nutrition Ryan Reist (salary of $85,000 according to the MU 2016-17 salary database) oversaw two department employees: clinical dietician Samantha Therry (salary of $50,000) and intern Nicolette Newquist (hourly rate of $20.60). The department of three, along with Vanderbilt’s, were the only programs in the conference to chose not to participate in the survey.

Reist, who had been with Missouri Athletics since 2015, and Therry were fired this summer. Newquist kept the department afloat until McDaniel was hired in late July and now works as the New York Jets’ team dietician.

With the department overhaul, the Tigers’ program is below the SEC average of 2.4 full-time sports dietitians working in athletics. Florida leads all schools in the conference with six. Georgia is the only other program close, with five.

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The Gators even have a sports dietician dedicated solely to working with their football team. So does South Carolina. McDaniel believes Missouri should follow a similar strategy in the future, because the team significantly outnumbers the 17 other varsity sports in terms of roster size.

“Every team should have (its own nutritionist), just like every team has their own strength and conditioning coach,” McDaniel said. “Maybe that coach works with a couple of different teams, because you only lift once a day, where you eat five or six times a day.” It’s a field that’s growing extremely fast, because people are recognizing how nutrition affects health and therefore performance.”

Missouri is one of five SEC programs — Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi and Mississippi State — that employs one full-time sports dietician in its athletic department. But the Razorbacks, Wildcats and Rebels all employ two part-time sports dietitians, while the Tigers and the Bulldogs leave one full-time employee to run the show.

Like the majority of the conference, however, McDaniel has volunteer interns — 23 of them, 15 of whom predate her arrival to Columbia — at her disposal. She schedules the students, undergrads of sophomore standing or higher in majors such as nutrition and fitness, dietetics and nutrition science, in rotating shifts from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

So, technically, she isn’t alone. The interns’ presence in the department’s day-to-day operations has at times freed McDaniel up to dig into scholarly research (another responsibility that falls to her as the lone full-time dietician on staff) that could prove beneficial to student-athletes. But volunteers who are still learning the field of sports nutrition need more guidance than professional dietitians, and McDaniel more often than not has to join them in the manual labor necessary to make the department run as efficiently as possible.

McDaniel stressed the need to enlist grad students in the internship program and to further empower interns to pursue bigger projects. Specifically, she hopes MU can revamp the department’s social media presence to advertise the changes that have been made to the MATC dining hall and provide another outlet for student-athletes to learn proper nutrition.

“That’s what you want, because then the athletes are coming in, they’re interacting with other athletes, and it’s just a family,” McDaniel said. “It’s a powerful experience.”

McDaniel has had nothing but good things to say about the way MU student-athletes have welcomed her into the new position. That doesn’t change MU’s whopping 1-to-approximately-500 ratio of sports dietitians to student-athletes. It’s the largest in the conference by far, with Mississippi State posting the next-highest ratio at 1-369, according to the presentation put together by South Carolina’s staff. “‘Mizzou — you try to do more with less.’ That’s like the motto, right?” McDaniel said. “But then you have people working really long hours.”

An open records request showed Missouri athletics allocated $404,594 of its $90,455,909 revenue budget for the 2017 fiscal year to the sports nutrition program. The department is projected to allocate $408,915.10 to the department for the 2018 fiscal year. The Missourian reached out to associate athletic director Brian Brown, who oversees the department, for comment, but Brown declined to comment until a replacement for McDaniel has been named.

McDaniel said she hoped her short time in Columbia combined with her departure would serve as a catalyst for MU to move the department in the right direction. If the athletic department decides to not bring on additional department members to alleviate the workload that falls to the new director of sports nutrition, it could mean that whoever gets the job will face the same demanding schedule that burnt McDaniel out of the gig before she could get three full months under her belt.

Building a foundation Toward the end of my Aug. 30 interview with McDaniel — the day after she announced her resignation — she describes the role the director of sports nutrition plays in the buildup to Missouri’s season opener

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against Missouri State. She realizes that, barring an unforeseen team-wide case race Friday night or players eating five Big Macs for breakfast Saturday, she’s done about all she can do to prepare the Tigers for game day.

“Part of it, I’m like, ‘They’re going to be out there playing their hearts out no matter what food is in their body,’” said McDaniel, who will be moving to Canada with her husband to pursue her private dietician practice.

“In my opinion, what’s been done one week, three weeks, five weeks, six months before the game is going to affect their performance more than (what they’re doing the week of), except if they’ve totally messed up.”

Her run in Columbia may have been short-lived, but what McDaniel leaves behind is a solid foundation made through simple changes in program culture. She’s provided studentathletes with the nutritional information they need to understand why they should make healthier decisions. She’s worked with the MATC staff to upgrade the unlimited dining hall so it provides fresh and tasty options on a consistent basis. She’s empowered student-athletes with hands-on learning and by showing a genuine excitement toward steps being made in the right direction.

In return, McDaniel has seen the student-athletes buying in.

“When they see you excited about it, just like in coaching, it’s contagious,” McDaniel said.

Football players will always love to pig out, but talk with members of Missouri’s offensive line — average weight of 326 pounds — and you’ll see healthy eating is catching on. Where members of the position group admitted to avoiding the vegetable section of the MATC dining hall last season, opting instead for pizza and to-go boxes stuffed to the brim with macaroni and cheese, Kevin Pendleton and Tyler Howell said the group has been embracing the healthier options in the MATC recommended by McDaniel: cinnamon in oatmeal and flax seeds, chia seeds and chickpeas as salad toppings. “‘Try it.’ That was her whole approach. ‘You never know until you try it,’” Pendleton said. “She tries to make it relatable, have guys talk about stuff like, ‘Hey, there are some olives over at the salad bar.’ Just little stuff.”

“They’re fresh,” adds Howell, who flashes his best TV-commercial smile to amplify the olive co-sign.

When McDaniel leaves the MATC for the final time on Friday, she’ll leave behind a group of nutritionconscious athletes. The question is, will Missouri athletics capitalize on the movement while it’s fresh on their minds?

'Hydration Jell-O's' fuel Missouri student-athletes Sept. 15

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What's the one thing Missouri quarterback Drew Lock can't go without before he takes the field for a day of practice? A purple Jell-O shot.

"I started doing it, put a good practice together. Did it again, and put another good practice together," Lock said. "It became one of those things where I'm like, 'Alright, I gotta have a Jell-O shot before I go out to practice. Because if not, it's going to be a bad day."

It's not what you think — promise.

The Jell-O shots, dubbed "Hydration Jell-O's" by Missouri director of sports nutrition Claire McDaniel, have become a staple of Tigers athletics since she arrived in Columbia and took over the position in July.

Rows upon rows of the colorful — and sometimes clear — miniature plastic cups await football players both on a counter outside the Mizzou Athletics Training Complex dining hall before practice and on foldout tables near the ice baths afterward. The men's basketball team has its own sports nutrition intern make a batch of Hydration Jell-O's before every practice, too.

It doesn't quite slide down with the ease of the gelatin from your grade school lunch or long nights at Snapper's, though.

"When you try it, you're like, 'This isn't the Jell-O I had as a kid,'" McDaniel said. "It's really thick, because the whole point is getting gelatin, which is collagen, into the system."

Collagen can help strengthen joints and tendons by reinforcing what's known as the extracellular matrix, described by McDaniel as "the steel bars in reinforced concrete that increase the strength and ductility of the material." Recent studies by Keith Baar, a professor in residence at University of California, Davis' Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, suggest gelatin be consumed before practice so the increased blood flow that accompanies physical activity can work the collagen into key soft-tissue areas.

The goal, Baar writes, is to prevent the musculoskeletal injuries — injuries involving soft-tissue muscles, tendons and ligaments — that account for more than 70 percent of injury time away from sports.

And, because the irony isn't lost on McDaniel that she's fueling student-athletes with a concoction commonly used to fuel boozy nights out on the town, she let's the team know where she stands on alcohol use from the get-go.

"I make it very clear that alcohol will completely, 100 percent sabotage everything you're trying to do," McDaniel said.

If Jell-O just isn't your thing, it's OK — you're not alone. Missouri coach Barry Odom said during fall camp he didn't know the Hydration Jell-O's existed and that he'll "stick to good old H2O." What Odom did endorse, however, was the job McDaniel has done since taking over as the director of sports nutrition.

"She's very knowledgeable, and I admire her work ethic and the way that she works to build relationships," Odom said. "She cares about the attention to detail and the habits of making sure (nutrition) is an advantage for our program."

McDaniel, however, announced her resignation from the position in late August, and Friday will be her last day in office. Rest assured, though — the 23 student interns who help with the department's day-today operations have been given the recipe and will be cranking out Hydration Jell-O's like nobody's business until Missouri Athletics names McDaniel's replacement.

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New-look Missouri brings energy, physicality and attitude, but 'there's no such thing as a moral victory' Oct. 7 LEXINGTON, Ky. — While Kentucky fans jumped up and down to Zombie Nation’s “Kernkraft 400” — that “ohhohhohhohh, oh, ohhohhohhohhohhohh, ohhoh, ohhoh” song you hear at almost every sporting event — ahead of kickoff Saturday, Missouri players joined in on the opposing sideline. When the Tigers ran out for the second half down 20-14, a few players motioned their arms up and down in an attempt to pump up Kroger Field.

“We were trying to change something,” Paul Adams said. “Obviously, what we’ve been doing in the past hasn’t been working.”

The Tigers fed off the energy of their first trip to an opposing stadium and made some of their own, and it produced the best game they’ve played all season. Regardless, Missouri will leave Lexington, Kentucky, winless in conference road games since Nov. 22, 2014.

Missouri tried everything it could to show fans it wasn’t the same team that disappointed for three straight weeks at Memorial Stadium — even down to the bare-bones optics.

The Tigers donned new white uniforms and black helmets and debuted offensive packages that ranged from offensive lineman Alec Abeln at fullback to Drew Lock motioning out to wide receiver and Damarea Crockett taking snaps out of the wildcat formation. Terez Hall and other members of the defense celebrated key tackles and big hits with swagger (and had a close enough game to back up the showboating). Lock made it through an entire game without throwing an interception, Ish Witter had his first 100-yard rushing game of the season and the wide receiving corps looked better than it has all season a week after sophomore Dimetrios Mason was dismissed from the team.

But even on a night where one could argue more things went right than even Missouri’s 72-point performance against Missouri State in Week 1, a high snap caused Tuck McCann’s game-tying field goal attempt to be blocked and the Kentucky offense ran through the Tigers’ defense en route to what proved to be the game-clinching field goal.

You know what they say about the more things change.

“Close doesn’t cut it,” Barry Odom said.

Earlier this week, senior tight end Jason Reese referenced the Tigers’ 2016 31-21 loss at South Carolina to explain the attitude they needed to bring to Lexington. There were no bottles of “water” chugged by Lock, but Missouri asserted itself physically for four quarters and played with an attitude that wasn’t present often during the season-opening homestand.

Case in point: Kevin Pendleton was flagged for a personal foul in the second quarter after he kept pushing a Kentucky lineman — bulldozing him into the ground — after the play had been whistled dead and appeared, for lack of a better word, visibly pissed off at the call.

“Should have focused on the whistle; I didn’t hear the whistle,” Pendleton said. “That’s something we do in practice. (Offensive line) coach (Glen) Elarbee wants us to be a physical bunch, but we’re not a dirty bunch. That was borderline dirty. That was dumb.”

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Dumb, yes. But it was a message that needed to be sent.

“It kinda shows were not going to back down from anything right now,” Adams said of his teammate’s play. “We’re going to go as hard as we can.”

Pendleton’s attitude was indicative of the physicality with which the offense played all night. Against a run defense that ranked third in the country entering Saturday, the line paved the way for Ish Witter, Crockett and (surprise!) Lock, who combined to average 4.8 yards per carry and totaled 213 yards and a touchdown — Lock’s first via his legs this season.

“Guys held their one-on-one battle; guys were focused,” Pendleton said. “We attacked the bye week, and we attacked last week with the mindset of, ‘We need to get the ball going on the ground.’”

The physicality and spirit were matched by the defense. Hall had a double-digit, 2½-sack game, and for the majority of the first half, Missouri’s run defense locked down Kentucky’s Benny Snell Jr., who torched the unit for 192 yards and two touchdowns during the 2016 contest in Columbia. Until Snell’s 71-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, Kentucky had amassed just 20 yards on 13 carries.

Hall said getting out of Columbia wasn’t the biggest motivator for the attitude change. Instead, it was how tired the team is of losing.

“We ain’t finna keep losing, man,” Hall said.

Perhaps the most positive takeaway from the loss, though, was the lack of head-hanging on the Tigers’ sideline throughout the game — except for when the clock hit zero and Lock’s final heave to Albert Okwuegbunam hit the turf.

After Missouri allowed the Wildcats’ longest pass play of the season — a 64-yard pass from Stephen Johnson to Garrett Johnson that put Kentucky up 34-27 in the fourth quarter — members of the Missouri offense bopped to Waka Flocka Flame’s “Grove Street Party” along with the rest of Kroger Field celebrating the score. Redshirt freshman Trystan Castillo was so eager to get back on the field, his hopping covered 5 yards.

Three plays later, Lock and Johnathon Johnson connected for a 75-yard, game-tying touchdown.

If Missouri can continue to bring this new energetic, physical, bounce-back mentality it showed Saturday, fans should embrace the competitive product that’ll be put out on the field. At the end of the day, though, the more things change … .

“There’s no such thing as a moral victory. We lost; that’s it,” Pendleton said. “We’re 1-4. At the end of the day, that’s who we are.”

Idaho's Lashley, linebacker and father of four, celebrates a homecoming of his own Oct. 21 Idaho linebacker Tony Lashley was on the wrong end of a 68-21 loss to Missouri on his homecoming, but he couldn’t help but smile at the thought of taking his kids trampolining.

Planet 3 is an “Extreme Air Park” in Moscow, Idaho, and when the 22-year-old from Kansas City isn’t devouring ball carriers on the field or helping his wife, Jessica, around the house, you can find him there jumping into foam pits with daughters Tara and Kaylee, both 7. His 3-year-old daughter, Mia, and 1-yearold son, A.J., might be too young to join in on the fun, but Mia’s been getting into dance recently, and the linebacker’s patiently awaiting her next performance.

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That’s right: Lashley, a junior in college, is married with four kids. An even bigger surprise? He doesn’t seem fazed by having to balance being an accounting student, the Vandals’ leading tackler — 18 more tackles than Missouri’s best — and a father.

“There’s much harder things in life,” Lashley said. “My wife plays a big role in helping me with that, so I’m always able to focus on football and then go home and be a dad. It’s really nice.”

Take a few seconds to think about what your maturity level was like as a 22-year old ... then realize how improbable Lashley’s journey to his seven-tackle performance Saturday on Faurot Field truly has been.

Lashley’s knack for wrapping up ball carriers could be attributed to the fact that his parents, Eugene and Katrina Young, got him into tackle football by the time he was 5. His coaches on the Cowboys of the South Suburban Youth Football League told the Youngs to make sure their son chose a high school with a good football program.

The potential was there.

So Lashley went to Rockhurst — a nine-time MSHSAA Class 6 state champion and six-time state runnerup — and registered 54 tackles and three sacks as a junior. He attended prospect combines hosted by Missouri in Kansas City and Columbia, made an unofficial visit to MU in March 2012 and attracted interest from Arkansas and Nebraska.

The scholarship offers, however, never came.

If anything, the rejection made Lashley work harder, and he spent a year at Milford Academy prep school in New Berlin, New York. He recorded 51 total tackles, 11 for loss, for the Falcons in 2013.

“That’s basically how Tony is. When somebody tells him no, it motivates him … it wouldn’t hold him down,” Katrina Young said.

The Razorbacks chose to sign junior college transfers over Lashley, but Idaho coach Paul Petrino, then an Arkansas assistant assigned to recruit the Kansas City area, was impressed with Lashley. Petrino made stops at Rockhurst practices, and the linebacker made a visit to Arkansas’ campus for a summer prospect camp. The two kept in touch during the year Lashley spent at Milford Academy, and, when Petrino accepted the head-coaching position with the Vandals in 2013, he gave Lashley his chance.

Lashley met Jessica, now a sophomore at Idaho, through mutual friends after his final year at Rockhurst.

They got married before they left for Idaho. He inherited Tara and Kaylee as his daughters when the two married, and the couple had Mia and A.J. after they headed northwest for school.

The reaction from his parents upon learning their son was seeing a woman with two kids?

“Eyebrows went up,” Eugene Young said.

“It’s good now,” Katrina Young added. “Tony’s actually got a drive. He knows where he wants to go, and he’s working hard as far as grades, home. … We’re so happy that we have a child that works not just in football but in grades and (with) his kids. He’s just so loved by the team; he’s so positive. He’s an uplifter.”

Having his wife and kids around during the entirety of his collegiate career grounded Lashley as he adapted to long winters and made the transition from city kid to a college man with significantly more responsibilities than his teammates. This summer, he worked 40 hours a week at a warehouse job the Idaho coaching staff helped arrange for him. When he wasn’t carrying boxes, he was training to follow up his 107-tackle 2016 campaign and preparing for the Vandals’ final season as an FBS team.

He experienced some culture shock in the small town of Moscow as a newcomer. But, now a captain of the one college football team that wanted him, Lashley has learned one thing above all others during his time out west: “Smaller communities are really tight."

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“I found a home, and I’m happy to be a Vandal,” he said.

As the final seconds before kickoff ticked off the scoreboard Saturday, Lashley made his way through the bowels of Memorial Stadium with his fellow captains. He was silent, all business. After visiting with his parents at the team hotel Friday night, he appeared at peace as he walked onto Faurot Field with his helmet off — letting the crowd gathered in his home state see his face. Whether or not they recognized the linebacker playing for the most obscure FBS team on Missouri’s schedule was beside the point.

He was here. Home.

FAST FIVE: Downing explains his nickname, talks Halloween and facing his father on the gridiron Nov. 3 If you didn’t know redshirt freshman running back Dawson Downing’s name before Missouri’s 52-12 win over Connecticut, the walk-on from Mission, Kansas, made one heck of a first impression on a 29-yard run late in the fourth quarter.

The Missourian caught up with Downing, known to teammates as the “Vanilla Gorilla,” for this week’s edition of “Fast Five.”

How/when did you earn the “Vanilla Gorilla” nickname?

“Guys started calling me that at a scrimmage, I think in the spring. So they’ve thrown that around, or ‘Ghost’ or other things, (since).”

What’s the best costume you’ve ever worn on Halloween?

“To be honest, I went as a football player a lot of years, which sounds kinda stupid. But I think maybe the best one was probably when I was an old man (during grade school). (I) had some mask and a cane and stuff.”

What’s your least favorite candy to get on Halloween and why?

“Licorice, like black licorice. There’s all kinds of candy, and you get the gross one. That’s just no fun.”

Who would win in an Oklahoma drill, you or your dad (Ken Downing, an all-conference cornerback for MU during the mid-’70s who went on to play in the NFL) in his prime?

“I mean, I’m going to say myself — of course — but he might have something different to say about that.”

Did you have a favorite pet growing up?

“I had a turtle when I was a little kid. His name was Bert, (like) Bert and Ernie off of ‘Sesame Street.’ My grandpa bought it while my parents were out of town, and they came back to that surprise, which they were not too happy with. But I got to keep him.”

'Scooter Gang' revisited: A new group of Tigers revel in the convenience of mopeds Nov. 10 Redshirt junior safety Kaleb Prewett felt the need for speed — OK, maybe just fuel economy and convenience — first. Then freshmen Adam Sparks, Aubrey Miller Jr. and Tyree Gillespie.

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Megan O’Gorman expected a spike in business at Affordable ATVs as students headed back to Columbia around the start of the fall semester, but she had no idea she was outfitting the newest members of Missouri football’s “Scooter Gang.”

Or that one sale to Prewett would turn into a truckload of excited freshmen pulling up to her business — a midsize showroom 18 minutes east of town on I-70 packed with mopeds, four-wheelers, minibikes, UTVs and even a motorized tank for kids — looking for a set of wheels.

“They all came (to the store) together every single time,” O’Gorman said.

Sparks and his teammates know a good idea when they see it.

“I’m like 20 minutes early to everything now,” Sparks said, “so it was a good buy.”

For those willing to take the plunge, scooters have been the ideal mode of transportation for Missouri football players since at least, according to previous Missourian reporting, former safety William Moore started riding one during his time in Columbia (2004-09). A 2011 article by former football beat writer Harry Plumer details the origins of the Scooter Gang that carried on Moore’s legacy — defensive linemen Brad Madison and Corey Sudhoff, long snapper Beau Brinkley and wide receiver T.J. Moe. One look at the bike — scooter — racks outside the Mizzou Athletics Training Complex at any hour of the day, and you’ll see mopeds are more popular than ever among student-athletes at MU. The faces have changed, but the vehicle’s benefits and the enticing feeling of cruising past the Columns on a sunny day remain the same.

The standard, most affordable scooter offered at Affordable ATVs, what O’Gorman said has been the go-to choice for the newest members of the Scooter Gang, is the TaoTao ATM 50cc. It’s got a sticker price of $699, comes in seven different colors and includes a six-month warranty. Topping out at around 32 miles per hour, the scooters, O’Gorman said, are considered motorized bikes by state law.

Prewett calls his something else: a lifesaver.

Compared to the truck the players used to get to Affordable ATVs, the TaoTao gets at least 100 more miles to the gallon. It can quickly cut through campus and be parked for free on bike racks in front of academic buildings, so players don’t have to worry about tickets piling up. It’s a similar, if not an easier, drive than the dirt bikes Sparks used to ride in his hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and maintenance is straightforward — adjusting the carburetor here and there, making sure the vehicle receives a healthy dose of gas and oil, and storing it in a safe place.

“It’s just, ‘Drive,’” O’Gorman said. “You just go.”

If they do have any technical needs, the new members of the Scooter Gang can always seek guidance from defensive back Finis Stribling IV, the tinkering sage.

Stribling, a redshirt junior physics major with a mechanical mind, has been through three scooters since he arrived at MU as a freshman in 2014. Much to the anxiety of his parents and coaches, the first two were lost to accidents — the latter when he hit an ice patch during the winter — but Stribling has walked away injury-free both times, and his love of mopeds hasn’t waned.

“The breeze when you’re riding it is beautiful,” Stribling said.

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He’ll pass time during the summer improving the performance of his scooter by watching how-to mechanic videos on YouTube. He’s given his ride a new intake system and has souped up his engine to peak at 55 to 60 miles per hour.

If hearing that makes you worried about players’ safety while riding the scooters, just remember the football field is equally as dangerous — and coaches make sure helmets are worn in both instances.

As long as they don’t pull a 2012 Maty Mauk, they should be OK. In September, Miller broke his left fibula. Not from a scooter accident, but during a Wednesday practice.

The freshman linebacker, who contributed on special teams and was a vocal presence during a playersonly meeting after a blowout loss to Purdue, was slated to miss four to six weeks. To add to the poor timing of the injury, he had just ordered his scooter through Affordable ATVs’ online store and had to break the news to O’Gorman when he accompanied Sparks to pick up his blue TaoTao. At least temporarily, he was sidelined from the Scooter Gang. But he’s returned to the field now, and his brothers behind the wheel have welcomed him back with open arms.

Opponent preview: Despite five-game skid, Vanderbilt has plenty to get up for against Missouri Nov. 16 Derek Mason had quite the closing line in his SEC Media Days “state of the program” address. ”Right now, we feel we’re in the midst of a renaissance,” the Vanderbilt coach said. “Let’s have some fun.”

Four months later, maybe a better word is regression.

The Commodores (4-6, 0-6 SEC) got torched by Kentucky last week 44-21 for their sixth loss in seven games, and the small crowd at Vanderbilt Stadium was dominated by those wearing Wildcat blue. This is after the team upset then-No. 18 Kansas State to start the season 3-0, and defensive lineman Nifae Leala told No. 1 Alabama it was going to be the next to fall when the Crimson Tide visited Nashville, Tennessee, the following week.

“A certain radio host in Nashville even ran a poll on Vanderbilt’s (College Football) Playoff chances if they beat Alabama,” said Cutler Klein, sports editor of The Vanderbilt Hustler. “Everything since then can be best described as the pit of despair.”

Morale hasn’t been the highest since the Commodores’ hot start went south in a hurry, but Missouri should expect to enter a charged atmosphere Saturday night for a number of reasons.

First and foremost, Vanderbilt wants revenge for last season’s 11-point loss in Columbia, which hurt the team’s chances of making a more high-profile bowl game than the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Secondly, the Commodores need to win their final two games to become bowl eligible in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2011-12.

And third, because senior Ralph Webb, the best running back in school history and one of the greatest to ever play in the SEC, will be making his final start at home. Klein expects an emotional crowd Saturday to send the Vandy legend off. Mason was moved to tears during a Nov. 4 postgame news conference when asked about Webb’s impact on the program — see the exchange starting at the 8:20 mark below.

“Nobody knew his name when he walked in here, everybody’s going to know his name when he leaves,”

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Mason said. “And that’s what’s special.”

After his 70-yard performance against Kentucky last week, Webb overtook NFL legend and Florida alumnus Emmitt Smith for 10th in the SEC with 3960 career rushing yards. He has cemented his college football legacy, but Klein said some nagging injuries and poor offensive line play have hurt his 2017 production — with two games remaining, Webb is six touchdowns and 670 yards behind his 2016 numbers. Regardless, he’ll want to cap off his Vanderbilt career with a strong showing against Missouri on senior night.

Webb’s counterpart in the backfield, junior quarterback Kyle Shurmur, is also looking for a bounce-back performance from a disastrous, four-interception game against Kentucky. Klein said Shurmur, who had thrown for 20 touchdowns and just three interceptions before last week’s loss, has been a model of consistency all season otherwise. He’ll be the best QB the Tigers have faced since Georgia’s Jake Fromm in Week 6.

His top targets: senior receiver Trent Sherfield, who’s pulled in 40 receptions for 621 yards and three touchdowns, and sophomore Kalija Lipscomb, who’s caught 28 passes for 474 yards and seven touchdowns.

On defense, Klein said redshirt seniors Oren Burks, a linebacker, and Ryan White, a safety, have filled the leadership role left by linebacker Zach Cunningham, who graduated as one of the most decorated defensive players in school history. But the unit has allowed an average of 30.7 points per game and, as recent weeks have shown, is capable of surrendering big plays.

“The tackling has been nonexistent, and at certain points, Vanderbilt really looks like they miss Cunningham’s insane athletic ability and his jump-starting the defense,” Klein said. “This unit needs to step up and make tackles using more of their bodies than just their arms. If they play like they did against Kentucky, Mizzou might put 70 points up on Vanderbilt.”

Klein said the key to a Commodores victory is their defense getting off the field on third downs, which has been an issue of late. If the unit can shut down a few of Missouri’s early drives, Shurmur, Webb and the offense could hang tight for a while, and the game could turn into an offensive battle.

Regardless if the game turns into a shootout or not, Klein thinks the Tigers have built up too much momentum over the past four games and should pull off a big win to reach bowl eligibility — and end Vandy’s chances of doing the same.

“If (Missouri) can do the same things they’ve done in recent weeks,” Klein said, “they’ll dominate.”

Notebook: A drained Odom revels in comeback win, while an underachieving Bielema is fired Nov. 24 FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — You could hear Barry Odom’s team celebrating through the bleak white walls of the visitor’s media room in the bowels of Donald W. Reynolds Stadium. Whatever adrenaline players hadn’t used up in Friday’s 48-45 comeback victory over Arkansas oozed out with every yell, whoop and holler.

Their happy but drained coach, meanwhile, looked as if he was ready for a Thanksgiving nap he didn’t get.

At the lectern, he smiled and showed off his shirtless nephew Ben’s game-day attire — a black cape over a bare upper body and black camouflage pants. He reveled in the growth his team has shown over the course of its six-game winning streak and how players responded to adversity throughout. But the lastminute rivalry win in Fayetteville, Arkansas, left him drained.

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“I like the uncompetitive ones, you know?” Odom said, which prompted laughs from his audience. “I’m tired, and I know our football team is.”

Before Friday’s game, Odom walked down Frank Broyles Field alone. He stopped for a moment of solitude in the north end zone before returning to the sideline. Maybe he was pondering just how much has changed over the course of two months or how different things would be if he hadn’t delivered on his Sept.

23 turnaround promise after a 51-14 loss to Auburn.

Maybe he’d be in the same shoes as the coach who opposed him Friday.

Minutes after a Tucker McCann field goal gave the Tigers a three-point win over the Razorbacks, a release surfaced from the Arkansas athletic department announcing the firing of coach Bret Bielema.

“During the course of the past five seasons, we have not been able to sustain the success on the field that is expected and required at the University of Arkansas,” interim athletic director Julie Cromer Peoples said in the release. “There is no question that Coach Bielema has been a valued and respected member of our department and has made a positive impact on the lives of our student-athletes. … We wish him the very best both personally and professionally.”

Bielema finished his time at Arkansas, five complete seasons, with an overall record of 29-34. Cromer broke the dismissal news to him in the coach’s private office inside the stadium after Friday’s loss, but Bielema said the interim athletic director told him it wasn’t her call to fire him.

“My only wish is I wish the people that ultimately pulled the trigger, I wish I would have known who they were or been around them a little bit,” Bielema said in his postgame news conference. “I wish they could see how we work and how we do things and the emphasis on the entire product that we put out there.”

Okwuegbunam breaks record, scores key TD Much was made of junior QB Drew Lock’s record-breaking performance Friday, but freshman tight end Albert Okwuegbunam passed former Missouri standout Jeremy Maclin for the MU freshman singleseason receiving touchdown record with his 10th of 2017 on a 10-yard pass from Lock during the second quarter.

But he said his 11th on the year — an 8-yard, full-extension TD grab that put the Tigers up 38-35 in the fourth quarter— meant much more. “(The record)’s not really what I came into the game focused on; it was just helping my team win,” Okwuegbunam said. “I think that’s exactly what I did.”

He turned a lot of heads while doing it.

Okwuegbunam said he’s practiced catches like that — where it looks as if he can’t physically extend his entire body any further — more than 100 times. His success rate in practice?

“Probably like 70, 80 (percent),” Okwuegbunam said.

It just takes one, though.

Okwuegbunam, from Springfield, Illinois, finished the game with five receptions for 63 yards. Over the final seven games of the regular season, the freshman racked up 11 touchdowns and 270 yards on 20 receptions.

Battle Line bad blood After a brief scrum between the Tigers and the Razorbacks during the first half, Arkansas freshman linebacker Derrick Munson’s helmet-to-helmet hit on MU’s Cam Hilton on the opening kickoff of the third quarter was ruled targeting, and Munson was ejected. During a video review of the targeting call,

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Missouri sophomore defensive back DeMarkus Acy went over the the Razorbacks’ sideline and had to be separated from Arkansas players.

“We just took a lot of pride in this game,” Acy said afterward. “We knew they weren’t going to lay down, so things were getting a little heated up, but we just have to keep our composure. The fans were giving us a lot of stuff, so we just went in there and handed them an L.” After the final horn signaled the Tigers’ victory, you could find Acy sprinting down the field waving goodbye and blowing kisses to Razorbacks fans.

Tigers’ first-quarter woes resurface against Razorbacks Arkansas’ 21 points in the first quarter were the most points the Missouri defense has allowed during an opening period since it gave up 21 to Missouri State, an FCS team, in Week 1.

Austin Allen, the Razorbacks’ senior starting QB, threw for 144 yards during the period, his highest passing-yard total since he threw for 264 yards in a Sept. 30 win over New Mexico State. He burned the Tigers’ defense with two passes of 50-plus yards — one set up a touchdown, and the other was for a score.

“It was an earlier game; that’s no excuse, but they came out swinging,” said defensive lineman Marcell Frazier, a senior. “They played their absolute best game. I expected it, personally. I don’t know if the younger guys did, but I knew they were going to come out like we did against them last year.”

After getting outscored 59-37 in the first quarter of its first five games, Missouri had rebounded to outscore each of its previous five opponents during the opening period until Friday. Defensive lineman Terry Beckner Jr. said the early deficit made the unit tighten up its play as the game progressed, and it showed during a few timely stops in the fourth quarter.

On offense, the Tigers came up scoreless on yet another game-opening drive when Drew Lock threw an interception on the fourth play from scrimmage. On the season, Missouri scored points on just three of its opening drives — touchdowns against Missouri State and Vanderbilt, and a field goal against South Carolina. Otherwise, the drives ended in four punts, four turnovers and a safety.

Frazier, Sparks make an impact on defense Frazier and freshman defensive back Adam Sparks had huge contributions in Friday’s win. Frazier tied redshirt senior defensive back Anthony Sherrils with a team-leading eight total tackles — five solo, 3½ for loss — a sack and three pass breakups.

“Plays are coming to him,” Beckner said of Frazier’s performance over the past few weeks, which has included a two-sack game against Tennessee and 1½ tackles for loss against Vanderbilt.

Sparks tallied an interception in a second straight game when he picked off Allen during the second quarter. His two picks tie Sherrils and sophomore linebacker Cale Garrett for the team lead.

Flags fly Missouri and Arkansas combined for 18 penalties for 153 yards.

Injury report Junior receiver Emanuel Hall left Friday’s game with a hamstring injury he suffered while catching a 56yard touchdown pass during the second quarter. Hall finished the afternoon with two catches — both touchdowns — for 111 yards. After the game, the junior said he was still in pain.

Missouri freshmen leave their mark on eventful, successful first season 105

Dec. 19 Coach Barry Odom’s fiery “turnaround” speech after a 51-14 blowout loss to Auburn on Sept. 23 marked a turning point in the Missouri football team’s season, but an equally important moment happened the week before.

The day after an embarrassing 35-3 loss to Purdue, freshman linebacker Aubrey Miller Jr. stood in front of his teammates at a players-only meeting and voiced his displeasure with the product that had been put on the field during the Tigers’ 1-3 start to the season.

Defensive end Tre Williams, a redshirt freshman, sat with fellow underclassmen in the team room and watched Miller — a newcomer from Memphis, Tennessee, with no more than a couple of months in Columbia under his belt — call out seniors who stood at the front of the room.

“He set the room on fire,” Williams said. “That was on my mind for like three days.”

The mood at practice and around the locker room changed after that meeting. How could Williams tell?

“Positive vibes, man. Everyone was on their stuff,” he said in a Dec. 10 interview. “You’d see someone looking at the playbook. I don’t remember the last time I saw people looking at plays.”

Maybe Miller’s speech is what gave Odom the idea for the lighter fluid schtick a few weeks later.

Regardless, the seniors took note of the freshman’s intensity and desire to right the ship.

“This is our team, and if we want to change, it goes through us first,” redshirt senior tight end Jason Reese said Sept. 19, the Tuesday after the players-only meeting. “(We were) talking too much and not doing a lot.”

Looking back on Miller’s address, Reese said having a freshman take charge when things looked bleak helped get the team on track for its six-game winning streak to clinch a bowl berth.

“It meant a lot,” he said. “Our team was in crisis mode, which is not necessarily a bad thing, especially the way our season played out. To me, that was kind of like the turning point, and it took a couple games for us to get it going like we wanted to, but it was good. For the freshmen to go to a bowl game lays the foundation for what we want Mizzou to be in the future.”

The tight end from Euless, Texas, would know. He and the rest of the 2017 senior class were newcomers in 2013 and 2014 — the last two times the Tigers made the postseason.

Reese said the 2017 freshman class has been outgoing since players arrived on campus this summer.

Redshirt junior linebacker Brandon Lee praised the respect he’s seen the freshmen show as they grew more comfortable and confident on the team. Unlike other freshman classes, this one doesn’t appear to have any cliques, Lee said. This one also has vocal leaders.

Over the course of Missouri’s second-half turnaround, the freshmen proved they could have a larger impact than some rah-rah speech at a players-only meeting. For the second straight year, the Tigers led the SEC in representatives on the All-Freshman team, with four players named to five roster spots.

First, there’s All-Freshman all-purpose back and return specialist Larry Rountree III. Behind AllFreshman center Trystan Castillo and the Tigers’ offensive line, he rushed for 629 yards and six touchdowns as a solid and sometimes dominant complement to senior Ish Witter when sophomore Damarea Crockett underwent shoulder surgery in October.

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Rountree is already fielding questions about whether he and Crockett can become a backfield duo that rivals Georgia’s senior tandem of Nick Chubb and Sony Michel.

Then there’s Williams, who worked his way into the starting rotation after he finished the regular season tied with linebacker Cale Garrett for second-most sacks on the team with three.

There’s also All-Freshman and All-SEC tight end Albert Okwuegbunam, whose 11 touchdown receptions broke Jeremy Maclin’s single-season freshman TD record and led all Division I tight ends.

Reese might have taken a back seat to his “little brother” during an injury-prone final season with the Tigers, but by the way he smiles and laughs about helping Okwuegbunam progress from a 215-pound receiver with a buzz cut to a 260-pound matchup nightmare, the redshirt senior has enjoyed every second.

“I’m just genuinely happy for that guy, because he has three years left here, so I just can’t wait to see what type of player he (becomes),” Reese said.

Freshman defensive back Adam Sparks isn’t used to being away from his hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for the holidays. First Thanksgiving. Now Christmas. Being on a nearly empty campus is a new experience, but having no classes means more downtime for the freshmen to hold “Madden” and “NBA 2K” tournaments.

Sparks is tied for the team lead in interceptions and has the 10th-most total tackles while appearing in 10 of 12 regular-season games. Between having extra practice ahead of the Texas Bowl and lessons from the 2017 senior class, he said the experience will be invaluable as newcomers become sophomores tasked with pushing a new class of Tigers — and potentially having that new class push them — toward the standard that’s now in place.

“It’s going to drive us a lot more for the next couple years,” Sparks said. “We’re going to be able to tell the freshmen next year what to expect and how to get things right.”

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Anne Rogers

CLASS: Junior HOMETOWN: Johnston, Iowa POSITION: Missouri football beat writer PREVIOUS MISSOURIAN BEATS: Rock Bridge athletics, Columbia College athletics

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Missouri's Palmore ready for 'intense' football Aug. 10 Walter Palmore played just one season of high school football.

Three years later, the nation's No. 85 juco prospect, from Eastern Arizona College, is looking to be set in the rotation for Missouri.

Because of grades, Palmore could only play his senior season at Hardaway High School in Columbus, Georgia, but he drew collegiate interest that year. He spent his redshirt season at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas before playing two seasons at EAC. In 2016, Palmore had 35 total tackles with three quarterback sacks, 1½ tackles for loss and a forced fumble.

"This year is only my fourth year playing real, intense football, and it's my first year playing in the (Southeastern Conference), which is a whole new meaning of intense," Palmore said. "It just shows I'm a hard worker and I'll do anything to play at the top level. I don't think only playing one year in high school has put me at a disadvantage."

His new teammates and coaches certainly don’t think so, either.

Junior defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr. has been impressed with Palmore's athletic ability since Palmore started practicing late last week after clearance from the NCAA. "He can add a lot," Beckner Jr. said. "He’s very physical, a good athlete, a great worker and he loves to listen, so he’s going to be pretty good."

Defensive line coach Brick Haley also sees good things in Palmore, who stands 6-foot-4.

"He’s picking up the scheme quickly, so I think he’s going to be a guy that we hope can give us some valuable minutes," Haley said at Monday’s practice. "He has the opportunity to be a big run-stopper.

There is some technique stuff we need to polish up and clean up, but the big thing is his body presence inside."

At 335 pounds, Palmore is one of the biggest players on the field, but Haley wants to see Palmore shed at least 10 pounds before the season kicks off.

Palmore is ready to do that and much more.

"I have to get in shape so I can start running more," he said. "I feel like I’m a good stopper, too. I’m just bringing all my stuff in to help out the team."

Adding Palmore at defensive tackle will give the Tigers much-needed depth at a position that severely lacked it last year. Palmore, along with freshman Kobie Whiteside, joins junior Terry Beckner Jr., sophomore Markell Utsey and redshirt senior A.J. Logan at the position. That list will expand when Rashad Brandon, a junior college transfer from ASA College, is cleared by the NCAA. "(Palmore's) a great addition," defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross said. "We can’t have enough guys, especially coming out of spring, when we didn’t have any."

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With the depth the position now has, it's up in the air who will crack the starting lineup.

Palmore isn't worried — he knows he'll get his chance.

"There’s room for everybody out there," Palmore said. "I’m not trying to be like, 'I’m going to start for sure,' because there’s room for everyone to play out there. Coach Haley is saying he’s going to give everyone a chance, so I know I’m going to get out there."

Freshman Brooks ready for many roles with Missouri Aug. 14 When Jamal Brooks was little, every time he had the opportunity to meet or take a picture with a football player he looked up to, it made his day.

Now, he’s trying to do the same with Missouri fans.

The freshman linebacker from Bessemer City High School in Bessemer, Alabama, strives to leave a positive impact with any fan that comes up to him, and he's always surprised people recognize him.

"It's been fun seeing how many people actually know my name," Brooks said. "I can go out to Zaxby’s or Walmart or anywhere and people just say, 'Hey you’re Jamal Brooks,' and I’ll be like, 'Yeah, that’s me.

How is your day?' to just try to have a great interaction with the fans."

If Brooks could establish one thing in the minds of fans, it wouldn't be about football — it would be about education.

His parents always told him it was "education first," and Brooks bought into it.

"I believe with education you can do anything you want to do," he said. "I want to instill that in all the fans I see out in Columbia.”

Not only does Brooks tell fans about the importance of education, he lives by it himself.

That includes this summer, when he took classes in Columbia. He said he ended the semester with all A’s and one B. "The B killed me, but it’ll be OK," Brooks said. "I’m always striving for all A’s."

On the football field, Brooks’ progression is drawing attention from coaches. He was not listed on the preseason depth chart for linebacker, but don’t be surprised if he sneaks in there at some point in the season.

Missouri coach Barry Odom said Brooks is handling the speed of practice and the game better and is excited to see where he’s headed.

"He’s a smart kid regarding the football knowledge, and, also, it’s important to him," Odom said. "Those components usually work really well for each other."

Odom has said that Brooks, with his 250-pound frame, will probably see the field this year as a freshman on special teams, and Missouri recruited him to be a mainstay on the defense in the coming years.

Brooks also sees himself with a few different roles on the team, including helping out with recruiting. He said he’s always open to questions from players, especially if they’re from his home state, where Missouri is gaining a foothold, with three Alabama athletes already committed in the Class of 2018 and more showing interest.

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"I always tell these kids, 'Look, I’m not going to force you to come to Mizzou — Mizzou will sell itself,'" Brooks said. "I just want to be there for them so they can get a real answer from me, because I was in their shoes just a year ago."

Another role Brooks found himself in is wearing No. 25, a tribute to former MU linebacker Aaron O’Neal, who died in Columbia during conditioning drills on July 12, 2005, at Memorial Stadium. Every few years since O’Neal’s death, the coaching staff has assigned a young linebacker to wear O’Neal’s No. 25 for the length of his career. It was Zaviar Gooden from 2009-12 and Donavin Newsom from 2013-16.

When coaches told Brooks they wanted him to be the next linebacker who donned the number, he wasn’t sure if it was the right decision. He didn’t want to let the number down, because he knew how important it was to Missouri football.

"Coach Odom, Coach (DeMontie) Cross, Coach (Cornell) Ford assured me, 'We picked you for a reason — now go show everybody else why we picked you,'" Brooks said. “So every day, you just try to think about the opportunity that you have, and you go out every day to better yourself. You know that you’re not playing for just yourself — you’re playing for another family, another person."

Aubrey Miller Jr., another freshman linebacker projected to see the field this year, commended the coaching staff’s decision on bestowing No. 25 on Brooks. "(Brooks has) a great personality," Miller Jr. said. "He’s a team leader, always positive, and I think the coaching staff really thought he could live up to those traits and be that leader for us."

As fall camp winds down and the season officially starts, Brooks is excited for what is to come for the Tigers defense, whether he’s in the starting lineup or not.

The linebackers have brought him into their family, and he doesn’t want to let them down.

"We know our differences and what we need to do to get better," Brooks said. "We help each other. It’s not just about me or someone else. We’re going to help each other put the best product on the field on Saturdays."

Missouri's Acy stepping up at cornerback Aug. 17 DeMarkus Acy is ready to bring his own game to the Missouri defense this year.

The sophomore cornerback, whose right wrist is in a cast until Aug. 25 while recovering from surgery to repair a fractured scaphoid bone, sits atop the preseason depth chart at the position that suffered the hardest hit when Aarion Penton and John Gibson completed their eligibility.

Following in the footsteps of two players who boasted 50 combined starts the past four seasons — and, for Penton, All-SEC honors — one might think that puts a bit of pressure on Acy, who played in 11 games, recorded six tackles and saw most of his action on special teams.

Think again.

"It’s not really affecting me," Acy said after Thursday’s practice. "Last year was a big growth year for me, getting to learn from the older guys and how they played. This year, I just have to do what I do and keep working hard."

Acy said he is appreciative of the year he had with Penton and Gibson to learn the "tricks and the trade" of the game, but he’s ready to bring his unique abilities to the field.

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"I’m my own player," Acy said. "I’m more of a physical and bigger corner, and I can run, so stuff like that makes me different."

Senior Logan Cheadle joins Acy on the depth chart, and sophomore Christian Holmes is close behind. The trio isn’t stressing about losing the leadership and experience of Penton and Gibson.

In fact, Acy is ready to step up and be that leader.

"I just want to go out there and be a playmaker, be a guy people can look to," he said. "I want to make a difference."

Brandon full go Rashad Brandon, a junior college transfer who practiced with the Tigers in the spring, was told before fall camp that he couldn’t practice just yet because of eligibility.

Last week, he was finally able to hit the field with the Tigers, and on Thursday, he was made available to media for the first time.

"It was shocking," Brandon said of the wait to participate. "I was practicing all spring, and right before fall camp came around, they told me I couldn’t practice. It was really tough for me."

Coach Barry Odom said Brandon is getting back into the swing of things, but some of his teammates have been on Brandon for having fresh legs.

"Guys are giving him a hard time because he didn’t go through the two weeks or so of fall camp, but he’s picked up for sure," Odom said. "The details, I’m still a little concerned about, but he’ll get a lot of work Saturday (at fall camp's second scrimmage) to speed that up."

Young to move elsewhere Odom said junior college signee and defensive lineman Malik Young will not play at Missouri this year because of a combination of the eligibility clock and Southeastern Conference rules.

“We ended up yesterday getting final confirmation from the NCAA that we’re going to help him go somewhere else," Odom said. "He’s not going to be looking for long for places to go because he’s such a great person and a great player."

Freshmen are impressing The Tigers will hold their second camp scrimmage on Saturday, a chance for the coaching staff to sort out the depth chart before the season opener on Sept. 2. It will also be a chance for Odom to figure out who will redshirt and who might see some playing time this season.

On Thursday, Odom noted safety Jordan Ulmer, linebacker Jamal Brooks, defensive lineman Chris Turner and running back Larry Rountree III as freshmen who have stood out in camp.

"I’d like to get through Saturday yet, but if we played tomorrow, I think Ulmer would play for sure, I think Jamal Brooks would play for sure,” Odom said. “It would be really hard to keep Rountree off the field, from what I’ve seen. Chris Turner, there’s some things on third downs that he’s got a different gear than most guys. That would be another freshman that, if we were playing tomorrow, he’s going to play."

Freshman Rountree learning from the best, focusing on the little things Aug. 18

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Larry Rountree III has been a sponge during fall camp.

Missouri’s freshman running back is taking everything in during these first few weeks of practices in preparation for the season — and it’s starting to show.

Coach Barry Odom said Thursday that it would be "very hard to keep Rountree off the field in a game situation," and for Rountree, it just shows that his hard work is paying off.

"It just tells me that I’m doing the little things right, I’m taking the coaching day by day and taking all the coaching I can get," the Raleigh, North Carolina, product said. "I’m just working hard on the field and doing the little things."

To Rountree, the "little things" mean getting back to the basics — blocking, quick feet, even body language.

"All those are key to what the coaches see," he said. "I’m just trying to do all that little stuff right because it really matters the most."

Rountree shares a position with sophomore standout Damarea Crockett, who rushed for 1,062 yards and 10 touchdowns last year, and senior Ish Witter, who finished 2016 with 750 yards and six touchdowns.

Although Crockett and Witter will be the goto players for running backs coach Cornell Ford this year, Rountree isn’t far off. In fact, none of the running backs is.

"We always say, 'Next man up,'" Ford said after Friday’s practice. "So if someone goes down, yeah, the next guy has got to be ready to step in there. We’re always talking about the very next play, you never know, your number might be called, so you have to step up and be ready to run the ball."

Witter has been impressed with Rountree’s abilities on the field, including his strength and quickness.

But again, the "little things" matter most, and Witter has seen that from Rountree, too.

"He’s never down," Witter said. "Since he came this summer, I’ve never seen him down, never seen him upset. When he messes up something, he asks, 'Hey, what did I do?'"

Having Crockett and Witter as role models on the field has been beneficial for Rountree, especially in the early workouts, when he still was learning the plays and alignments. He said he would watch, take mental reps and then apply what he learned when it was his turn.

While Rountree has impressed on the practice field, Ford is excited to put the newcomer in the game to let him get game reps. To Ford, that's the most important and critical part about learning to handle the game.

"The best thing for a freshman is getting game reps," Ford said. "You can do it in practice more than anything, but you don’t get the speed of the game until you get into the game. (Rountree) listening to (Crockett and Witter's) experience will be helpful, and hopefully he’ll pick up and listen and learn from them and take his game to the next level."

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That just means Rountree will have to soak everything in some more.

"All I’m going to do is keep working," he said. "Just trying to be a better me every day."

Injury update Freshman tight end Logan Christopherson was in a boot during Friday's practice for a sprained left ankle.

On Thursday, Odom said Christopherson could see playing time this season. Another tight end, senior Jason Reese, is recovering from back spasms and was limited Friday.

Wide receiver Richaud Floyd sat out for concussion protocol after a hit earlier in the week.

Missouri football gearing up for eclipse, season Aug. 19 The last time a total solar eclipse was visible in Missouri was 1869, and the Missouri football program didn't exist. It wasn't until 11 years later, in 1890, that the Tigers kicked off their inaugural season.

Since then, Missouri has played in every college football season without experiencing a total solar eclipse.

On Monday, that will change. At 1:12 p.m., a total solar eclipse will take place in Columbia, 38 years after the last one was seen in the United States and 148 years after the last one was seen in Missouri.

And the Tigers will only be 11 days away from kicking off the 2017 season.

"Monday is a big day for us," Missouri running backs coach Cornell Ford said. "It's the kids' first day back to classes, so it gives us a chance offensively to sink in on our opponent and break down some film. We'll use that day pretty effectively."

Missouri only gets one shot at this season, as head coach Barry Odom looks to improve on a 4-8 2016 campaign. Fall camp has been taking place since the beginning of August, with closed scrimmages happening the past two Saturdays.

Still, though, players and coaches won't take advantage of being in a city that lies in the path of totality for the eclipse.

"I've been hyped about the eclipse," senior defensive back Finis Stribling IV said. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Stribling, a physics student who hopes to go on to get his doctoral degree and become a college professor, received word that all his classes on Monday have been canceled. He's making plans to either watch the eclipse at the Missouri Athletics Training Complex or on campus.

Mizzou Athletics gave solar eclipse glasses to athletes, per a spokesman. Solar glasses are intended to prevent UV penetration to the eye and block ultra-high intensity visible light.

"I've got like six pairs of glasses, so I guess I should check it out," redshirt junior offensive lineman Kevin Pendleton said. "There are a couple of guys on the team who are really hyped about (the eclipse), and they've been telling me about it."

Stribling is one of those guys. He has taken some astronomy and astrophysics classes, even though he wants to focus on mechanical physics. Ever since he found out that Columbia would be in the line of totality, he's been excited for it.

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"It's a great opportunity to see this," Stribling said. "And the fact that it's a total eclipse, that makes it even more rare. People don't really grasp the rarity of that. It's just a phenomenon that not many people get to see, so you have to take hold of that opportunity and appreciate it."

Players have the day off of practice Monday, and in between classes, Ford hopes they take advantage of the highly anticipated celestial event, even if it comes in the middle of preparing for a Southeastern Conference football season.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime event, so I hope they get out and experience it," Ford said. "It's a really cool experience, and I'm hoping they don't take it for granted. But after, we have to get back to the grind."

Missouri football's 2007 team to be honored at season opener Aug. 23 Ten years ago, Missouri football had one of the most successful runs in program history.

On Sept. 2, that 2007 team will be honored during halftime of Missouri’s 2017 season opener against Missouri State, according to a Wednesday press release.

Not only did the 2007 Tigers win more than nine games for the first time since 1969, but the team ascended the national rankings and reached No. 1 in the AP Poll for the first time since 1960. The ranking gave Missouri its first-ever appearance on Sports Illustrated’s magazine cover.

Missouri went 12-2 (7-1 Big 12) that season and beat Kansas 38-26 to win the Big 12 North championship.

The Tigers went on to win the Cotton Bowl title by topping Arkansas 38-7.

Frazier named to Hendricks Award Watch List Missouri senior defensive end Marcell Frazier was named to the Ted Hendricks Award Preseason Watch List, according to a Wednesday press release. Frazier is one of 34 defensive ends selected to the list, which will be adjusted throughout the season, with the winner announced Dec. 6.

Frazier ended the 2016 season with 33 tackles in 12 games, led the defense with two fumble recoveries and was second on the team with 8½ tackles for loss and 7½ quarterback sacks.

At Tuesday’s practice, coach Barry Odom mentioned that Frazier strained his quad during Saturday’s closed scrimmage and is listed as day to day.

Preseason SEC teams released Redshirt junior offensive lineman Paul Adams and redshirt senior wide receiver J’Mon Moore received second-team honors on the Preseason All-SEC teams as voted on by the league’s coaches, the SEC announced Wednesday. Frazier and junior defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr. were placed on the third team.

Moore finished with 1,012 receiving yards last year, becoming the eighth Missouri player to surpass 1,000 yards in program history. Adams was a mainstay at right tackle on an offensive line that allowed a nationleading 2.92 tackles for loss.

Beckner Jr. is on the rise after a series of knee injuries that hindered his first two years as a Tiger after receiving the No. 1 recruit ranking from ESPN in 2015. He has been full-go for Missouri during fall camp.

Young finds new home Junior college signee Malik Young has ended up at Oregon, according to247Sports. The defensive tackle arrived in Eugene late Tuesday night and will begin practicing as quickly as he can.

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Last week, Odom told reporters that he would be helping Young find a new school. The junior defensive lineman was not eligible to play because of a combination of team and SEC rules.

UM Curators to vote on Memorial Stadium renovations The UM System Board of Curators is scheduled to meet Friday morning via teleconference to vote on approval of the $98 million south end zone project at Memorial Stadium.

The project includes a four-story team facility as well as new seating for fans.

Former Tiger Howard will face trial Monday Aug. 24 Former Missouri defensive end Nate Howard will stand trial Monday on one count of possession of a controlled substance.

In a Thursday preliminary hearing that included testimony from two MU police officers, Judge Michael Bradley found probable cause that a felony had been committed.

Howard was pulled over June 14 for expired tags and arrested for alleged possession of psilocybin mushrooms. He was arrested again Aug. 14 for allegedly failing to appear for a speeding charge.

Represented by Christopher Slusher, Howard filed a motion to suppress evidence at Thursday’s hearing, but Bradley denied the motion.

After his first arrest in June, Howard was suspended indefinitely from the team. Four days after his second arrest, he was dismissed from the team.

Howard made three tackles (two solo) with half a sack in four games late in the 2016 season after recovering from a knee injury. The junior was poised to make a start for the Tigers this year.

Hall looking to be the 'deep threat' with receivers Aug. 29 Running down the field and catching deep balls is Emanuel Hall's speciality.

Except nobody's perfect, and Hall showed that when he dropped a surefire touchdown pass from quarterback Drew Lock in the first half of the Arkansas game last year.

Missouri won the Battle Line Rivalry game 28-24, but the dropped pass lingers with Hall as the Tigers prepare to open the season Saturday against Missouri State. "(The dropped ball) hurt," Hall said. "It wasn't great.

Since then, I think I've been more consistent, and at the end of the day, it was only one drop, and you have to move forward."

Hall was listed at No. 2 in one of the two receiver spots behind sophomore Dimetrios Mason when the depth chart ahead of the Tigers' season opener was released Tuesday. Redshirt senior J'Mon Moore is listed at the No. 1 spot at the other receiver position. Senior Dominic Collins sits behind Moore.

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Hall's ready to get back on the field — not only to prove that he's a credible deep threat, but to improve his quality of play.

Since the Arkansas game, Hall said he's been more consistent, especially catching deep bombs.

Wide receivers coach Andy Hill and coach Barry Odom have noticed Hall's consistency, too.

"Emanuel's got the ability, like a bunch of guys on offense, to rush the field with his speed, his vertical speed and linear speed. He can get down the field," Odom said. "He's probably caught the ball as consistent or more than anybody in the receiver spot this fall camp, and he's got some game experience.

(Johnathon Johnson) gets a lot of deserved attention, and so does (Moore), but I think Emanuel can be another great threat for us."

Lock chuckled when he thought about how much confidence he has in Hall.

"I think if you line up anyone in the country against Emanuel Hall, he's going to be able to beat him," Lock said. "He's lightning quick. I know that in the Arkansas game, he had a drop that he'd love to have back, but I haven't seen that happen this camp and the practices leading up to Saturday's game."

MU Athletics volunteer was a man of passion, urging others to not miss the moment Aug. 31 As Missouri finalized its 36-27 victory over No. 1 Oklahoma on Oct. 23, 2010, Curtis Bohl sat back and watched the scene from the PA booth in Memorial Stadium’s press box. Thousands of Missouri fans rushed the field, taking down goal posts and swarming players.

Bohl looked around at his colleagues in the booth, including Dave Bartlett, Missouri’s director of event productions.

“I remember him saying, ‘Soak it in. Remember this. This is very special,’” Bartlett said. “And that’s kind of what Curtis was all about. Remembering the moments. Not missing the moments.”

That PA booth is now dedicated to Bohl, who died last week from cancer. Bohl was 53 years old and had been volunteering as game-day technology support with Missouri Athletics for 33 years.

He was an MU alum, and after graduating in 1986 from the College of Agriculture, he worked as a network engineer for Landmark Bank for more than 20 years.

Bohl assisted with the technical systems behind Missouri game days. While he did a little bit of everything, his main job was to help run the score and message boards, along with lighting and sound.

His aptitude was put to the test multiple times. In 2009, Missouri hosted Nebraska in a nationally televised game on a Thursday night. It had been raining all day in Columbia, and before the game, there was a power outage that shut down Memorial Stadium. The scoreboards weren’t working at all, which meant no video, no sound and no score.

In stepped Bohl. He was able to get the south end zone scoreboard working, which meant there was a score and a clock. Then, he rerouted another signal to the same scoreboard so the PA announcer’s words were showing on the screen.

There were many game days, like that one in 2009, when something didn’t go right and the game-day staff scrambled to fix it before any of the fans caught wind. Bohl was there for all of them, lending his support, his intelligence and his passion.

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“Curtis allowed me not to stress,” said Larry Calhoon, associate athletic director for sports technology.

“Knowing that Curtis was here, that he was doing his job, you had this calmness around you. Even if my phone rang, which usually means something went wrong, I could almost respond, ‘Well, look again,’ because I knew Curtis was on it and he was solving the problem.”

It wasn’t just the university that reaped the benefits of Bohl’s problem-solving. As a network engineer with Landmark Bank, he worked on data and telephone infrastructure.

Brenda Emerson, chief information officer at Landmark Bank, said Bohl often did more work between the hours of 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. than most people did in the regular work day.

During one of those times that Bohl stayed up through the night, he was upgrading the network to Landmark’s downtown location and there was a piece of equipment that failed during the middle of the night. Bohl, who never let the technology department at Landmark throw anything away, pulled out old equipment and rebuilt the network so it was ready for employees the next day.

“There were a million other things that he did just like that,” Emerson said. “He did so much stuff that people had no idea about. They walked into work, their computers worked great, and they had no idea someone had worked on it all night long.”

Emerson knew she could count on Bohl to be there when she needed it, but she also knew there were two times when she couldn’t bother Bohl. One of those was any time there was an MU Athletics event going on.

The other time was from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesdays. That’s when Bohl met with the Columbia Kiwanis Club, his other passion in the community.

The Kiwanis Club is an organization that “raises money and awareness for the causes which enrich and protect the lives and well being of young people, especially those growing up in high-risk circumstances,” according to its website.

Bohl spent much of his time volunteering for the club and its many service projects, and he was an active committee member of the Don Faurot Sportsperson of the Year Award, an award given to a member of the Columbia sports community annually.

“Curtis being such an avid Tiger fan, he loved choosing the athlete or coach or whatever who would best represent the Faurot award,” Kiwanis Club member Eric Cunningham said. “He was just one of those guys that service clubs dream of having because he always did his part and more.”

The “more” part, Cunningham said, included Bohl’s voice, as he led the club in song at the beginning of meetings.

“He had the best singing voice in our club,” Cunningham said. “We sound terrible, and we will sound terrible into perpetuity now that he’s gone, but he always could get us on key. He could sing loud enough that all of our terrible voices didn’t make much difference.”

And, again, Bohl used his talent for more than one organization in Columbia: He sometimes sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” at MU athletic events, even if he was nervous. If the Tigers needed a singer, Bohl would step up.

“I never knew the guy to shy away from anything, whether it was a technical issue or standing up and singing in front of thousands of people,” Calhoon said. “I don’t remember him ever saying, ‘No.’” As the beginning of the football season kicks off on Saturday, Bohl won’t be in the PA booth or on the field performing the national anthem

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He won’t be there to tell people to remember a special event, like that October day in 2010 when the Tigers toppled the No. 1 team in the nation. Bartlett thinks that if Bohl could say one thing to the new Missouri students and athletes on campus, it would be just that: Don’t miss the moment.

“I think he would probably tell them to appreciate the fact that they are part of a great institution and a great tradition, and there’s a lot here to not miss,” Bartlett said. “There’s something here that, in years to come, they will realize it was very significant in their lives. Just don’t miss that, don’t miss what’s happening now and where you are. This place is special, it’s been special for a long time, and you’re part of it. Don’t miss that.”

Opponent preview: Steckel, former Tigers, return to Faurot Field for Saturday's opener Sept. 1 For the first time in 94 years, Missouri and Missouri State will face each other on the football field.

And Bears head coach Dave Steckel will step back onto Faurot Field for the first time since taking over at Missouri State in 2015 after 14 years on the Tigers coaching staff.

Is he excited? It depends on what part of the return visit you ask him about.

"I mean, yes and no," said Steckel, who spent his final six years with Missouri as the defensive coordinator. "I had 14 great years of my life there, so hopefully I'll get to see a couple of people here and there. But I'm coming for my job. I'm coming up for a football game, and it's going to be a tough game because I'm going against not only (head coach) Barry (Odom), but Andy (Hill) and Cornell (Ford), who are dear, dear friends of mine in the coaching profession."

Odom reciprocated his former colleague's mixed emotions. During a teleconference on Monday, he compared coaching against Steckel to when he faced his younger brother, Brian, when the two coached on different teams.

"I didn't like (coaching against Brian)," Odom said. "To be frank, I don't like this one either, to be going up against guys that you care about and you've known for a long time."

For Steckel and his three assistant coaches who played at Missouri — Jason Ray, Munir Prince and Kenji Jackson — stepping onto the field they called home for more than a few years will bring back memories.

That includes the 2007 team, which will be honored at halftime on Saturday for its breakout season that featured a 12-2 record, a No. 1 ranking in the Associated Press Poll, a Big 12 North championship and a Cotton Bowl title.

Ray, a senior wide receiver on the 2007 team, received the reunion invitation in the mail. It detailed all of the events happening for that team this upcoming weekend.

But, like Steckel, Ray will be in Columbia for his job on Saturday, as the Bears' wide receivers coach.

"Being on that team is something I take pride in," Ray said. "I'm excited it's taking place, and it's just by coincidence that I happen to be at Missouri State now and that I'll be there, but on the other side of the field. If I was anywhere else, I'd be on the road or preparing for a home game."

Ray, Steckel and Jackson, the Bears' safeties coach who was a defensive back for the Tigers from 2008-11, all mentioned the atmosphere of Memorial Stadium as something they remember the most from their time with the Tigers.

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"I loved Faurot Field," Steckel said. "I loved the crowd, The Antlers, the student body, those idiots who were all painted up in the cold weather without shirts on. It was just awesome. The fan base in Columbia is very special."

Ray referred to himself as a "Big 12 Tiger," and he said he's excited to visit an SEC venue and play an SEC team.

But — again — the Bears, who play the Missouri Valley Conference, will be on a business trip to Columbia.

They're look to improve on a 4-7 finish to 2016 and have hopes of playing in the College Football Champion Subdivision playoffs for the first time in 27 years.

Last season was an upgrade from Steckel's 1-10 debut season, but with seven returners on offense and nine on defense the head coach is looking for improvement as he builds the culture of Missouri State football.

No better way to do that than by facing a SEC team.

Defensively, the Bears are preparing for junior quarterback Drew Lock, upon whom Steckel heaped high praise. Offensively, Missouri State hopes to neutralize an explosive Tiger defensive line, as well as the leadership from guys like Anthony Sherrils in the secondary, Ray said.

Another player on the Bears' radar will be senior receiver J'Mon Moore. Jackson spent one year as a graduate assistant at Missouri after his playing career was over and remembers working with Moore on the scout team during the now-senior's redshirt season.

On Saturday, Jackson will have to get his players to stop a receiver who boasted more than 1,000 receiving yards during the 2016 season. "(Moore) turning into this standout player doesn't surprise me," Jackson said. "I remember him being very explosive. He was a goofball at times, and he had a vibrant personality. He was fun to be around."

Steckel remembers some of the current Tiger, too. He mentioned offensive linemen Adam Ploudre, Paul Adams and Kevin Pendleton as former scout players who blossomed into high-level players. He also mentioned tight ends Jason Reese, whom Steckel recruited, and Kendall Blanton.

Familiarity with Faurot Field should put the Bears coaching staff at ease, and Steckel hopes the coaches' calmness will rub off their players.

"I'd like (our experience) to be a calming rock for our players, so we can be like, 'Hey we've been here, it's just a football stadium. Let's take a deep breath and go do what you need to do. Go play and hey, go play your ass off,'" he said.

Regardless of the result on Saturday, Steckel wants the game to be a statewide experience that both Missouri and Missouri State fans can be a part of and appreciate as an in-state rivalry that hasn't happened since 1923.

"I'll be very disappointed if Jay Nixon, who was a great Mizzou fan, and Governor (Eric) Greitens don't get out and enjoy this game," Steckel said. "I think it's fantastic for the people. Now I'm just hoping and praying every night that we can go toe-to-toe with (Missouri) and not embarrass ourselves."

’Lock's Sept. 2

controlling offense paves way for Missouri win

At 11:02 a.m., Drew Lock completed his first pass of the 2017 season: a 65-yard touchdown to receiver Johnathon Johnson.

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The Missouri offense started the season against Missouri State with a bang.

Thanks to the Tigers defense, though, the offense’s first-play statement didn’t last too long.

Twelve plays after Missouri first scored, Missouri State brought in its first touchdown of the 2017 season — a 6-yard pass from quarterback Peyton Huslig to tight end Jordan Frazier.

Although the final score — a lopsided 72-43 win over the Bears (0-1) — turned out in favor of the Tigers (1-0), Missouri’s season opener Saturday at Memorial Stadium wasn’t too pretty.

“There was good, there was the bad and there was the ugly; the bad and the ugly being how we played on (defense),” MU coach Barry Odom said after the game. “We didn’t play worth a darn in the first half. I thought we tackled poorly. I thought our intensity wasn’t good.”

Just like the first two drives of the game, the Tigers and the Bears went back and forth over the course of the first half. Missouri would score, then Missouri State would answer. The only difference was that kicker Tucker McCann began to make PATs after missing the first one.

At the first-half whistle, Lock’s five touchdown passes tied the school record for most touchdowns in a game. Johnson had 109 receiving yards, receiver J’Mon Moore ended the half with 135 and running back Damarea Crockett rushed for 64. All three had two touchdowns, and tight end Jason Reese had added another.

Yet the 48-35 Missouri lead wasn’t quite what coaches and players wanted.

The defense gave up 308 yards and five touchdowns in the first half to an FCS team, including a thirdand-24 conversion that ended in an 89-yard touchdown from Missouri State’s Malik Earl.

It had to change something.

“I was not ready for that first half,” linebacker Kaleb Prewett said. “We almost just didn’t come out ready.

Plain and simple. They were ready; they came out to play, and we didn’t. We needed the second half so we could come out and handle it.”

Coaches gave a halftime talk, but Prewett said it was mainly the players who realized they needed to step it up.

“Honestly, I think guys were pissed off and they were tired of it,” Prewett said. “(Missouri State) put up too many points, and I think we came to the realization that we’re not going to let that happen anymore.”

The changes were noticeable. The Tigers defense only let Missouri State score once and came up big on a number of third downs, including one sack each from Rashad Brandon and Nate Anderson. The secondary’s coverage had some improvements.

“We played with some urgency,” Odom said. “We didn’t let the emotion and some of those other things get in our way. We calmed down and played a little bit more solid. We’ll build on that, but believe me, I’m not happy with it, not even close to it.”

Missouri’s offense, though, was something to be happy about, as Lock and company kept rolling.

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Lock’s 27-yard touchdown pass to tight end Albert Okwugbunam gave Lock the single-game touchdown record with six, breaking a record shared between Chase Daniel, Maty Mauk and Lock. He threw his seventh touchdown of the day early in the fourth quarter to receiver Dominic Collins.

Freshman running back Larry Rountree III scored his first career touchdown with less than seven minutes to go in the fourth quarter, and Missouri’s point total broke into the 70s.

Lock broke the school record in single-game passing yards with 521, surpassing the 480 from Jeff Handy in 1992 against Oklahoma State. Missouri’s 815 total offensive yards also broke the school record, and Lock’s 515 total yards surpassed Brad Smith’s previous top MU mark of 480 against Nebraska in 2005.

Daniel’s 2007 Missouri team was honored at halftime of Saturday’s game for its achievements on the field, except the New Orleans Saints backup quarterback wasn’t in Columbia. Instead, he was with his wife, Hillary, as she gave birth to baby boy Preston.

Still, Daniel made sure to give Lock a shoutout on Twitter.

Lock seemed in control on the field Saturday, and he attributed that to not waking up with butterflies in his stomach on game day like the past two years he has had the starting job. Today, he woke up excited. “(The last two years,) I was typically going through my plays, checking and rechecking a lot of things, and I think that could have hurt me today,” Lock said. “Today, I didn’t look back on my plays once. I did my job today. I just know how to play the quarterback position.”

Of course, the first play converting to a touchdown didn’t hurt the nerves he did have, either.

“Yeah, that helped out a lot,” he said.

Defense hoping to fix mistakes seen in Week 1 Sept. 5 It was no secret that Missouri’s defense must improve after this past Saturday’s performance, even with the Tigers’ defensive staff.

Defensive backs coach Ryan Walters and defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross were candid in their assessment of the defense, which gave up six touchdowns to an FCS team on Saturday in Missouri’s 72-43 win over Missouri State.

“It wasn’t the start we wanted by any sorts,” Cross said when he spoke to the media on Tuesday. “None of us were expecting us to come out like that, no matter the opponent. The fact that we didn’t get the explosive plays was probably the most disappointing part.”

Walters agreed, saying it wasn’t a good performance and mentioning only two players — senior defensive back Logan Cheadle and freshman defensive back Adam Sparks — who really stood out to him.

Cross noted only two players on the defensive line who caught his eye: juniors Rashad Brandon and Terry Beckner Jr., who both had a few crucial stops in the second half.

“I was happy with the way guys up front played, got a little bit of pressure and caused some disruption,” Cross said. “We settled down a little bit after halftime, so that’s something we’re trying to build on. After that, there’s not a lot of positives to come out of it.”

After a day of film, though, both Cross, Walters and coach Barry Odom said the defensive mistakes were fixable, but Missouri must fix them fast. The Tigers host South Carolina in Week 2, a team that received votes in the latest AP Top 25 poll and beat North Carolina State 35-28 this past Saturday.

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“You just have to have a short memory out there, because they’re going to make plays,” sophomore cornerback DeMarkus Acy said. “Most of those plays came from missed tackles, and we have to be more focused and locked in.”

Acy didn’t hide the fact that this coming Saturday is an important game, not just for him but the entire Missouri defense. If the Tigers want to win more consistently this season, the defense will have to refine its technique and step onto the field looking much sharper than what fans saw against Missouri State.

“I was disappointed in last week,” Acy said. “I don’t see myself as that type of player, so I just have to get out and set the tone and be real aggressive this game and be on point.”

South Carolina provides huge test for Tigers Missouri will kick off against an SEC opponent in Week 2, and seemingly a good one at that. Odom called South Carolina’s offense explosive, led by sophomore quarterback Jake Bentley and redshirt junior wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

Both Odom and Cross highlighted Samuel as a player for whom they’re preparing the defense. Cross also mentioned South Carolina’s offensive line as a huge test for the Tigers.

“Whether (Samuel is) single-covered or double-covered, he has some of the strongest hands I’ve seen out of a receiver,” Cross said. “Not the fastest guy, but he’s the most aggressive physical guy I’ve seen. Overall, (South Carolina is) playing as a team, and you have to do that. They don’t have a roster full of exceptional guys, but they play well together, and those are the most dangerous guys you could play.”

The matchup is set for 6 p.m. at Memorial Stadium, with ”SEC Nation” coming to the Quad earlier in the day.

Lock named SEC Offensive Player of the Week After breaking three school records Saturday — passing yards (521), yards of total offense (515) and passing touchdowns (7) — as well as leading his offense to another broken school record — total offensive yards (815) — Missouri quarterback Drew Lock was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week on Tuesday.

Lock’s solid offense made up for a less-than-exceptional defense in Missouri’s win over Missouri State.

His 521 yards were the sixth-most ever by an SEC quarterback, and he is the sixth SEC player to throw for seven touchdowns.

“I think he made a big jump and was more mature in his throws, more consistent, but that’s got to continue,” Odom said. “It’s one week, and he knows that. He’s got a great grasp of what we’re trying to do offensively and made some throws the other day that maybe he wouldn’t have last year, so he’s growing up, and I expect him to continue in that direction.”

Lock threw touchdowns to five different receivers and connected with nine players over the course of his record-setting game, something that Odom says is new this year and speaks to Lock’s maturation.

“The way he sees the field now has slowed down a bit,” Odom said. “But we’re only looking at one game, so we have to keep on pushing and make sure we’re not forcing throws that aren’t there because maybe it is the comfortable read or thing to go to, and I think Drew has kind of moved past that on letting it play out and take what’s there and being patient.”

Depth chart changes Not many changes appeared on Missouri’s Week 2 depth chart, released Tuesday.

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Redshirt sophomore Ronnell Perkins appeared at the No. 2 spot for strong safety, and freshman Tyree Gillespie replaced junior Cam Hilton at the No. 2 spot for free safety. Hilton will sit out the first half of Saturday’s game because of a targeting ejection this past weekend.

Junior defensive lineman Walter Palmore moved from defensive tackle to nose tackle.

Senior Logan handling suspension well Odom announced after Saturday’s game that senior defensive tackle A.J. Logan will serve a six-game suspension because of an ongoing review by the university into the NCAA academic fraud allegations from last year.

During Tuesday’s weekly press conference, Odom said Logan has handled the suspension maturely and that he has confidence in Missouri’s academic resource center and the compliance team cooperating with the investigation. “(Logan) will be back. He’s handled it ... in such a great way, and I’m proud of him,” Odom said. “You watch a practice, and you wouldn’t notice he can’t play, because he goes and competes and works hard and is a great teammate.”

Another player who did not play in Missouri’s game on Saturday is also under investigation, but Odom said Logan’s is the one case he can talk about and that the university has resolved.

TODDLERS TO TIGERS: Brooks' linebacker training began at a young age Sept. 7 Eugene Brooks didn’t let his son — Missouri freshman linebacker Jamal Brooks — play football until he was 10 years old. He wanted his son’s body to mature to ensure that he wouldn’t get hurt before stepping onto the gridiron.

It didn’t stop Jamal Brooks from practicing before he turned 10.

He used to run the length of his family’s den at full speed, only to be stopped by the wall’s impact upon barreling into it.

His mother, Belinda Brooks, had to rearrange the furniture in the den so the linebacker in training wouldn’t continue plowing into the walls.

“He always loved the sport, and even before he started playing competitively, he always had a football helmet on and had a football in his hand,” Belinda Brooks said. “He really enjoyed tackling things.”

As much as he enjoyed football and tackling, Jamal Brooks began his athletic career playing soccer, baseball and basketball. Eugene Brooks said his side of the family played those sports, so when Jamal Brooks blossomed into one of the best football players in the state of Alabama, he was the first on his dad’s side to do so.

Belinda Brooks was quick to jump in, though. Her brother, Mike Sutton, played for Alabama in the 1970s as a running back and defensive back.

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“I guess you could say (Jamal’s) football talent is from his mom’s side,” Belinda Brooks said.

As a kid, Jamal Brooks was talented in more than just football. School was top priority in the Brooks household, and good grades were expected if the three Brooks’ children — Jamie, who ran track at Alabama State; Jamila, who plays soccer at Talladega College; and Jamal — wanted to participate in high school sports.

“C’s and D’s, even though that would average out to give you eligibility, that didn’t cut it in our house,” Belinda Brooks said. “And all of them had A’s and B’s and were in honors classes. They had a lot they had to do and keep up with to be able to play.”

The priority for education has followed Jamal Brooks into his first semester of college: He finished his summer classes with three A’s and one B, and although his parents knew that Jamal wasn’t too happy about receiving his first B of college, they were proud of him nonetheless.

“That was good for me to hear, just because now I know he’s gotten to the point that he can motivate himself,” his mother said. “We don’t have to say as much as we did when he was younger.”

Eugene Brooks said his son has always been intelligent, even as a little kid waiting for Santa Claus to come on Christmas Day. “He figured out that you don’t get everything you ask for, so he picked the one or two things he wanted the most, and that’s all he wanted — nothing else,” Eugene said. “He figured out the game out early.”

And when Eugene Brooks used to walk by his son’s room during bedtime, he would see him in bed reading the Bible. At first, it took him by surprise, but he appreciated the fact that Jamal Brooks was, again, learning and studying a different facet of his life.

“It was so great to see,” Eugene Brooks said. “He’s been spiritual ever since, and I think it has a lot to do with his moral values. He knows where his blessings come from.”

When Jamal Brooks began to attract notice from bigger universities at the end of his career at Bessemer City High School, his father said the family’s faith played a big role in the collegiate decision. Eugene and Belinda Brooks both went to Alabama A&M — in the Southwestern Athletic Conference — and Jamie and Jamila Brooks both attended smaller universities. As a result, Jamal Brooks had only associated sports — including football — with low-profile schools.

“It is true that you can live in the state of Alabama and not worry about Alabama or Auburn,” Eugene Brooks said. “We hardly watched SEC football. But we look for opportunities, and Missouri provided him with a great opportunity, we feel.”

This past Saturday, Jamal stepped onto Faurot Field for the first time as a Missouri football player. His parents were in the stands, and his sisters will make it to a few games later in the season.

It wasn’t the walls in the family den, but tackling Division I and SEC opponents is definitely an upgrade.

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Five things to watch in Missouri's SEC opener against South Carolina Sept. 7 Missouri’s 72-43 win over Missouri State this past Saturday was by no means pretty. But a win is a win, coach Barry Odom told his players and the media after the game and ahead of this week’s conference opener.

Now, it’s up to Odom and the Tigers (1-0) to move forward, and that’s exactly what they’ll try to do on Saturday when they begin SEC play against South Carolina (1-0) at 6 p.m.

Here are five things Missouri fans should watch for on Saturday: Will the defense rebound?

A very poor performance from the Tigers defense last week left a gaping hole in the optimism that Missouri could actually improve from the 2016 defense.

By halftime, Missouri let an FCS team that had gone 5-17 over the past two seasons score 35 points and gain 380 yards. The second-half defense settled down to allow only eight points, but the first half alone was enough to make Tigers fans and coaches cringe.

Odom and defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross, however, insisted that the many mistakes — missed tackles, misplays and lack of focus — were fixable and that they would be able to correct them fast.

We’ll see if that’s the case when the Tigers take the field against an emerging South Carolina offense.

Controlling Bentley and Samuel South Carolina had only 246 yards of offense in its 35-28 win over North Carolina State this past Saturday, but it was an efficient 246 yards. The Gamecocks’ roster features more talent than Missouri State’s.

Sophomore Jake Bentley is widely regarded as one of the best young quarterbacks in the league, and Odom called wide receiver Deebo Samuel one of the best in the nation. Cross shared in the compliments toward both Samuel and the Gamecocks’ ability to play as a cohesive unit.

“Whether (Samuel is) single-covered or double-covered, he has some of the strongest hands I’ve seen out of a receiver,” Cross said Tuesday. “Not the fastest guy, but he’s the most aggressive physical guy I’ve seen.

Overall, (South Carolina is) playing as a team, and you have to do that. They don’t have a roster full of exceptional guys, but they play well together, and those are the most dangerous guys you could play.”

Last week, Missouri had a difficult time controlling Missouri State’s explosive plays. Led by Bentley and Samuel, the Gamecocks could erupt on offense if Missouri doesn’t correct its defensive woes.

Can the offense stay consistent?

Quarterback Drew Lock put on a show last weekend, with school records galore: 521 passing yards, 515 yards of total offense, seven passing touchdowns and spearheading 815 yards of team offensive.

All against an FCS team, though.

The big question remains: How will Lock and company fare against an SEC defense? Lock threw some elite passes in the win over Missouri State, but what’s going to happen against a team that will most likely break through the offensive line and put pressure on the junior quarterback?

Odom agrees that Lock has matured, but he stressed that it was only one game.

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“The way he sees the field now has slowed down a bit,” Odom said during Tuesday’s news conference.

“But we’re only looking at one game, so we have to keep on pushing and make sure we’re not forcing throws that aren’t there because maybe it is the comfortable read or thing to go to, and I think Drew has kind of moved past that on letting it play out and take what’s there and being patient.”

Lock has had his share of memorable moments against the Gamecocks over the past two seasons. In 2015, he was a floppy-haired freshman making his first collegiate start — a 24-10 Missouri win at Memorial Stadium in which Lock threw for 136 yards and two touchdowns. In 2016, he made headlines for celebrating a Tigers touchdown by chugging a water bottle thrown onto the field at Williams-Brice Stadium by the South Carolina student section.

Whether or not the liquid inside the bottle really was water, though, Lock has yet to say.

Tight ends’ involvement With Lock’s maturity comes some confidence in handing the ball to more than one or two players. We saw an increase in the tight ends’ involvement on the field last Saturday — a combined five passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns — something that has changed from last season.

The ability to use more manpower to get the ball down the field will help Missouri’s offense increase its versatility, and, most important, score touchdowns.

Jason Reese, Kendall Blanton and Albert Okwuegbunam could have a huge impact this Saturday and the rest of the season.

“We were just trying to get those guys a little more involved,” tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley said. “They worked so hard on their route-running all offseason, and we feel they’ve earned the chance to catch the ball.”

Tucker McCann and PATs McCann can’t miss PATs. The sophomore kicker missed the first of the 2017 season Saturday, the fifth of his career. He settled down and made the rest of them last week, which was a good sign. However, Missouri needs a kicker who can make PATs almost involuntary, every single time.

He also needs to not flub kickoffs, two of which went out of bounds against Missouri State. If Missouri wants to control Samuel, who will most likely be returning those kicks, McCann needs to put the defense in the best possible position — not halfway up the field.

'SEC Nation' brings optimism to Missouri fans Sept. 9, 2017 When Caleb Biggs heard that "SEC Nation" was coming to Columbia for Missouri's Saturday matchup against South Carolina, he thought there was no way he'd meet Tim Tebow, an analyst on the show.

Biggs, a freshman at MU, left the Francis Quadrangle on Saturday with a signed Florida Tebow jersey, the opportunity to ask Tebow a question on live TV and a huge smile on his face.

"He's probably in my top two, if not my favorite athlete," Biggs said after meeting Tebow. "So just to meet him, I don't know. It's amazing. He's humble and cool. Just to take time to come over and sign my jersey and talk to us, that's awesome. You can see I'm excited."

Biggs was shaking with excitement. And when an "SEC Nation" crew member came up to a group Biggs was standing in asking if anyone wanted to ask a question to be aired on TV, Biggs jumped at the chance.

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When the camera got to him, Biggs had to ask his question — an inquiry about what Missouri's offense has to do to keep the defense off the field as much as it can — three times before he was able to say it smoothly.

"It was just a little nerve-wracking," Biggs said. "But I'm so happy right now; nothing can bring me down."

Just like Biggs, a multitude of Missouri fans flocked to the "SEC Nation" set on the Quad ahead of the Tigers' 6 p.m. kickoff Saturday. Many of them arrived early with hopes of meeting Tebow and the others on the show — co-analysts Paul Finebaum and Marcus Spears and host Laura Rutledge — or with hopes of being on TV during the live show.

Missouri senior CJ Ashley and Moberly Area Community College student Anthony Cook showed up at 6:30 a.m. for the 9 a.m. show. Cook was dressed as a cow and held a sign that said, "Eat Mor Chikin," with a Missouri Tiger's head eating a South Carolina Gamecock.

"It's crazy here," Cook said. "We're ready to eat some chicken tonight and beat the Gamecocks."

That was the feeling of many Missouri fans on the Quad during the live show. Marching Mizzou was out in full force, and Big MO, the bass drum played at games, was in the background of the set. Black-and-gold frosted doughnuts were handed out for free, along with SEC koozies. When Finebaum yelled "M-I-Z!" to the crowd, the crowd yelled back, "Z-O-U!" There seemed to be a wave of optimism ahead of a game that could make or break Missouri's season.

Clyde Wright, who attended Missouri in the 1960s and played offensive guard for the freshman team back then, certainly thought so. Wright has held season tickets to football and basketball games for almost 60 years and drove to Columbia from St. Louis Friday night to attend Friday's athletics donor dinner on the Quad.

"I think 'SEC Nation' coming here is awesome for the community," Wright said. "I think it gives us exposure, which we need. I'm excited to see the future of the university head toward a very positive way. I met (athletic director) Jim Sterk last night, and I think he's going to do a lot of great things for Mizzou.

And athletics is an important part of the college process. I'm liking what I'm seeing so far. It'd be better if we won about eight games this year, but that's a high hurdle."

With all of the optimism oozing out of many Tigers fans on Saturday morning, there were still some mumblings about the size of the crowd. Around 8 a.m., there were about 100 people on the Quad, but many more showed up when the live show started around 9 a.m.

Michael Porter Jr. and Jontay Porter made an appearance on the show around 9:45 a.m. and participated in the Tailgate Challenge. The brothers who have breathed life into Missouri's basketball program played cornhole and amassed a total of 21 points. After the Porters left the set, though, people began to leave, until there were around 150-200 people left at the ending of the show.

"I don't think it's quite up to the level of other SEC schools, but it's not too bad," said Matt Souther, a Missouri business professor who went to Auburn and wore an Auburn polo to "SEC Nation" on Saturday.

"I think they're still kind of viewed as the outsider of the conference. In order to be accepted, Mizzou will have to win a championship. They were competitive a few years ago, but I think it'll take a good effort to get back to that."

Despite the optimism about Saturday's game from the decent-sized crowd, one worry was repeated, over and over: Missouri's defensive woes.

The Tigers gave up 43 points to Missouri State, an FCS team, in a 72-43 win last week. The "SEC Nation" analysts didn't hold back when talking about the matchup, either.

"They didn't play pretty poorly," Spears, a former LSU and NFL defensive lineman, said on Friday when he met with local media. "They stunk. But I think a lot of the stuff is correctable. When you look at the

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film, you say, 'Oh, my god. They gave up 43 points to Missouri State. That shouldn't happen,' but a lot of the stuff was self-inflicted."

When the analysts gave their predictions at the end of the show, the lackluster defense was a huge factor in who they picked to win the lone game of Week 2 between two SEC teams.

Spears and Tebow went with South Carolina, but Finebaum went with Missouri — and received a huge "ZO-U!" from the crowd.

Special teams hands win to South Carolina Sept. 9 The Missouri defense didn’t give up 43 points to an FCS team like it did last week in its 72-43 win over Missouri State.

But South Carolina (2-0, 1-0 SEC) capitalized on special teams miscues and a frustrating night for Drew Lock to roll to a 31-13 win over the Tigers (1-1, 0-1).

“Our margin of error is absolutely zero,” coach Barry Odom said. “If we don’t win the turnover margin, if we play horrific in special teams, we’re not going to win a game. I’m disappointed. We turned it over three times, and defensively we didn’t get one. We’re going to struggle when that happened.”

Special teams disastrous The defense might have shown improvement from Week 1, but the Tigers’ special teams decided to take the unit’s place in underperforming this week.

After a 61-yard breakaway catch from tight end Jason Reese put Missouri up 10-0 in the second quarter, sophomore Tucker McCann booted a kick right into the hands of Gamecock receiver Deebo Samuel, who returned it 97 yards for a touchdown.

“When I see a gap, I just hit it,” Samuel said after Saturday’s game.

That was Samuel’s second kickoff return for a touchdown of the season. Last week, he returned the opening kickoff of South Carolina’s 35-28 win over North Carolina State for another 97yard touchdown.

“I think they need to keep kicking it to him,” South Carolina coach Will Muschamp said. “I tend to like that.”

In Missouri’s final possession of the first half, first-down passes to J’Mon Moore and Emanuel Hall, followed by a run from Damarea Crockett, put the Tigers near the end zone. McCann wasted the drive, though, after his 24-yard field goal attempt was blocked by South Carolina’s Javon Kinlaw.

In what seemed to wrap up the night, Johnathon Johnson fumbled a punt return during the fourth quarter to give South Carolina the ball on Missouri’s 44. The Gamecocks scored two plays later.

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Offensive frustrations Drew Lock just couldn’t seem to find the end zone.

The exasperation culminated on what proved to be Missouri’s final offensive play. Lock rocketed a 37-yard pass to Johnson, who lost possession of the ball as he fell out of bounds.

South Carolina came into the game knowing that Missouri’s offense was explosive, and Muschamp said the game plan was to stop the passing attack.

That’s exactly what the Gamecocks did.

Lock’s receivers combined for five dropped passes — five more than in the win over Missouri State.

“I think (South Carolina) was definitely concerned about our passing attack tonight,” Lock said. “They were making us run the ball a little bit more. We have things to answer that. We just didn’t execute well enough.”

Muschamp said the message to his defense was to not get caught up in the errors that his players sometimes make, such as misreads or mental errors. Against an offense like Missouri’s, sometimes defenses can’t stop it, he said.

“You can’t get frustrated. You just have to keep playing the game,” Muschamp said. “You can’t get frustrated about a 15-yard completion — against these guys, that’s going to happen. Keep playing the game. And that’s what we did, and we made some big stops.”

Frazier speaks to media Redshirt senior defensive end Marcell Frazier decided to speak to the media after the loss, ending a boycott that lasted the entirety of fall camp.

Frazier told Missouri athletics media relations staff in the locker room he wanted to show ownership and answer questions. The redshirt senior said he wasn’t frustrated with Saturday’s result and that the team had to move forward.

“We want to win every game,” Frazier said. “We believe we can beat Purdue. So we have to go do that.”

Frazier also took to Twitter to “own up” to the loss.

Roster updates Crockett was on the field for two plays during the second half of Saturday’s game before exiting with a bruised tailbone. Odom anticipates him being back next week.

Offensive tackle Yasir Durant had his ankle rolled on during the second quarter. He was seen in a boot, but no crutches, after the game.

Odom to take over Cross' coaching duties Sept. 11 Missouri head coach Barry Odom will take over the coaching duties of former defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross, whom Missouri fired Sunday.

During his weekly teleconference Monday, Odom said the defense will be a coordinated effort between the staff, but he will begin to coach the inside linebackers — the Mike and Will positions — specifically.

“There’s going to be people who will do a little more, and that’s OK,” Odom said.

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Odom said a lot has been taken off his plate from last year as far as administrative duties thanks to director of football operations Mike McHugh and athletic director Jim Sterk, who Odom said was involved in the firing decision. For that reason, Odom doesn’t think taking over a bigger coaching role will be too much.

“I can see why that would be a question,” Odom said. “But I am in a better spot than I was last year. For me, I’m in a good spot, and I know I need to do a better job coaching this team.”

Odom demoted Cross seven games into last season after the head coach took over defensive play-calling duties. Cross was moved into the press box, rather than the sidelines, for game days this season before being let go.

The firing didn’t have anything to do with on-field performance, Odom said. “Philosophical differences” were the biggest factor in the decision.

Missouri has given up an average of 425.5 yards during the first two games of the 2017 season, as well as 43 points to Missouri State on Sept. 2 and 31 to South Carolina this past Saturday. In 2016, Missouri allowed 479.7 yards per game, the most in the SEC. Odom defended the move, despite the firing coming just two weeks into the season.

“You look at the timing, and the timing is — I don’t know if you could ever say it’s the right time or the wrong time,” Odom said. “I know with the staff we have in place, I’m confident that we’ll go do what we need to do in order to give ourselves a chance to be successful. You don’t put a watch on when you make a decision, when you’re presented with the things you have to do to move your program forward, and that’s where we’re at.”

Players were notified of the firing at Sunday’s practice. Odom said “there wasn’t much time for reaction,” as preparation for Purdue, which Missouri hosts at 3 p.m. Saturday, began. Offensive coordinator Josh Heupel said players came to practice with energy and a focus to fix the mistakes made against South Carolina.

“At the end of the day, as assistant coaches, we don’t know the particulars of everything,” Heupel said during his teleconference Monday. “We know and trust the decisions that Coach Odom and Jim Sterk make. Without a doubt, they make them in the best interest of our players and our program. With that, we move forward and continue to press on and get ready for the football game.”

Cross was in his second year of a three-year contract that paid him $600,000 annually. Missouri’s press release Sunday said Cross will be paid based upon the terms of his contract that ends Feb. 28, 2019.

The former Missouri safety (1994-96) was one of Odom’s first hires after he became head coach after the 2015 season. Before coming to Missouri, Cross spent three seasons at TCU as defensive assistant and cocoordinator. Before that, he was a college assistant at Kansas, Wisconsin, Iowa State and Sam Houston State. He also spent five years with the Buffalo Bills.

Red zone struggles For Heupel, the most disappointing thing about only scoring one touchdown Saturday was exactly that — only scoring one touchdown.

“At the end of the day, yards are just yards,” Heupel said during Monday’s teleconference. “You’ve gotta score points.”

Heupel mentioned two struggles that defined the offense Saturday: red zones and turnovers.

Missouri entered the red zone three times Saturday. None of them turned into touchdowns — just one ended in a field goal, late in the third quarter. Kicker Tucker McCann missed the other field goal attempt

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in the second quarter, and wide receiver Johnathon Johnson dropped a touchdown pass from Drew Lock late in the fourth quarter.

Lock threw two interceptions and Johnson fumbled a punt return to give South Carolina three forced turnovers. Conversely, Missouri forced none.

Heupel also mentioned third-down conversions as another area for improvement. Missouri was only 5 of 14 on third downs, while South Carolina was 8 of 15.

“That was disappointing. It’s a hard lesson to learn,” Heupel said. “The line between success and failure is pretty fine in conference play. You better be on the right side of all those things.

“We’re going to continue to get better,” he continued, “and push and prove and get ready to go next week.”

Belief in QB1 Despite Lock’s struggles Saturday — he was 14-for-32 for a 48 percent completion rate — Heupel asserted his confidence in the junior quarterback.

“I believe in Drew,” Heupel said. “I believe he’s really close to be playing the way he’s capable of and the way we need him to play. And I think the 10 other guys around him accept the challenge of our deficiencies a week ago, and we’ll go out and compete at a great level.”

Heupel did put some of the blame on Lock. As a quarterback, Heupel said, he has to take care of the football, noting that Lock needs to be better out of the pocket and throwing back across his body.

However, Heupel mentioned that wide receiver drops factored into the low completion rate and said that Lock looked better in some areas than last week.

“I thought — and this is going to sound hard to believe because of the completion percentage — there were a lot of things that he did inside of the pocket that he did better than Week 1,” Heupel said. “So you’ve gotta take those and build on them, and we obviously have to throw catches at a higher level than last week.”

Roster updates As reported Saturday, Damarea Crockett sat out most of the second half with a bruised tailbone. Odom said after the game that Crockett will be back this week, and Heupel confirmed that Monday.

“I think everybody can see he’s got a special ability as far as creating explosive runs,” Heupel said.

“Obviously, losing him fairly early in that ballgame hurts, but we’re looking at him being healthy and ready to go this week.”

Week 4 game time narrowed down Missouri will have another night game in Week 4, when the Tigers host Auburn on Sept. 23. The SEC announced Monday the TV times and networks for that weekend, with Missouri playing at 6 or 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2, ESPNU or the SEC Network.

The official game time will be announced after this weekend. Missouri hosts Purdue in a nonconference game at 3 p.m. this upcoming Saturday on the SEC Network.

Samuel named SEC Player of the Week South Carolina’s standout wide receiver Deebo Samuel was named SEC Player of the Week for special teams, the league announced Monday.

Samuel dominated when the Gamecocks came to Columbia on Saturday, leading his team to the 18-point victory. The junior returned a kick 97 yards for a touchdown, sparking South Carolina’s comeback. He

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now has taken both of the kicks he has returned this season back for touchdowns, the first another 97yarder in South Carolina’s 35-28 win over North Carolina State in Week 1.

Samuel also scored the Gamecocks’ second touchdown of the game — a 25-yard run — that gave his team the lead. He was the top receiver in Saturday’s game with five catches for 45 yards.

Shea Patterson of Mississippi was offensive player of the week; Lorenzo Carter of Georgia, was defensive player of the week; Ty Chandler of Tennessee, freshman of the week; Matt Womack of Alabama, offensive lineman of the week; and Jeffrey Simmons of Mississippi State, defensive lineman of the week.

Missouri football's Strong leaves team Sept. 12 Running back Nate Strong has left the Missouri football team, Gabe DeArmond of PowerMizzou.com reported Tuesday morning. Strong quit Sept. 1, a day before Missouri’s season opener against Missouri State.

Strong, a junior out of East St. Louis, was Missouri’s fourth-string running back, behind sophomore Damarea Crockett, senior Ish Witter and freshman Larry Rountree III. Strong was slowed during fall camp with a knee injury.

PowerMizzou reported that Strong left the team because he wasn’t named the starting tailback.

Strong was suspended in spring camp for violating team rules. He served his suspension and returned to the team almost a month later.

He helped the Tigers late in the 2016 season, scoring two touchdowns in Missouri’s victory over Arkansas.

For the season, he rushed for 137 yards on 32 carries.

Miller Jr. keeps Missouri football looking fresh, one 'slice' at a time Sept. 15 Ask players on the Missouri football team what their plans are after college, and most will likely say playing in the NFL. While professional football is the goal for Aubrey Miller Jr., too, he does have a backup plan lined up: haircutting.

The freshman linebacker from Memphis, Tennessee, labeled himself the “team barber” after arriving in Columbia this summer ahead of fall camp. He said he was available to cut his new teammates’ hair, and they’ve taken him up on that.

Miller’s Twitter is full of marketing videos that show off haircuts he’s given to friends and family. A lot of the tweets feature what appears to be his barber catchphrase: “Come get sliced.”

“A lot of people had seen those videos when I came to Mizzou,” Miller said. “I just convinced people that I could do a good job, and now everyone wants me to do it.”

Miller’s most frequent client on the team is redshirt sophomore wide receiver Johnathon Johnson.

Johnson saw Miller’s haircut videos on Twitter before Miller joined the team, and after the first football meeting of the summer, Johnson approached the newcomer. He wanted to get sliced.

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“I told him, ‘You’re cutting my hair; let’s go,’” Johnson said. “He thinks he’s a barber, for real. But he’s pretty good, actually.”

Johnson said he usually gets an even haircut all over with a taper, which means a gradual trim that results in decreased hair length around the ears and back of the head.

Miller got his start in the haircutting business when he was in middle school. He said his mom didn’t want to pay to go to the barber, so Miller set up shop at home.

His first haircut was on his brother, and Miller laughed when he reminisced about it years later.

“I messed him up,” Miller said. “I had his lines slanted and everything. I cut his hair with some shaving clippers, so his lines were dull. It was horrible. As I went on, though, I got better. I think I’m one of the best barbers now.”

As Miller became more confident in his haircutting, he began to experiment with different styles and developed his own techniques. For example, his “drop fade” is like a mohawk, except the hair at the back of his head fades.

“My favorite style would probably be the drop fade or burst tape,” Miller said. “I like to experiment around with everything. You have to check it out on my Twitter.”

In addition to becoming more confident technique-wise, Miller, Johnson said, is hilarious when he cuts hair, talking shop like a barber. Johnson said he won’t go to anybody else anymore for a haircut. “(Miller) always puts on a comedy show,” Johnson said. “It’s like a real barber shop. He’ll be cutting your hair and talk super quickly and be like, ‘Look at this. You like this? I’m gonna fade your sides,’ or something like that. He’ll always put the mirror on you and ask you questions and (be) making sure you like what he’s doing. He’s good at what he does.”

Sparks fly as brothers face each other in gridiron matchup Sept. 16 The Sparks family was hard to miss Saturday.

Twenty-five family members from Louisiana, Texas and Colorado traveled to Columbia in anticipation of seeing Jared and Adam Sparks play when Missouri hosted Purdue.

The only wrinkle was that, for the first time ever, the brothers were on two different teams. Jared is a redshirt freshman quarterback, running back and wide receiver for the Boilermakers, and Adam is a freshman defensive back for the Tigers.

Of course, the family couldn’t choose a team, so it chose both.

Every member of the family donned custom-made apparel — a gray T-shirt with “PUR-ZOU” on the front and “SPARKS” on the back with Jared and Adam’s jersey numbers: 12 and 14, respectively.

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“Pur-Zou” chants filled the air when Jared hopped off the bus with the Boilermakers behind Memorial Stadium, and the Sparks’ motto was heard again when Adam walked past the family during Tiger Walk.

“That was exciting. It made me want to try and play harder,” Adam said. “I know it made (Jared) pumped, too. Those shirts were the first thing I saw when I got into the stadium, and it just made me really excited that my whole family was here watching us.”

Jared and Adam are two years apart by age but only a year apart in school, so they’ve been playing on the same sports team since they were little. Jared has always been on offense and Adam on defense.

It made it easy for Janelle and Kenyatta Sparks, Jared and Adam’s mom and dad, to cheer for whatever team on which their sons were playing.

“It’s always been a pleasure to see them play on the same team,” Janelle said. “It was almost like, ‘Adam, go get the ball back so we can score.’”

When the two went to college, it was really the first time they’ve been apart from each other, much less on different teams. Adam said his big brother still gives him advice, though, about football and life.

“I’ve looked up to him since I was younger,” Adam said. “If it wasn’t for him, I’d have made more mistakes in my life. I really appreciate him. He was the first person I talked to when I realized I would be able to go to college for sports. I really based my freshman year off of what he did, and it’ll be that way next year, until I graduate.”

Although the brothers have always been close, they’ve also been competitive, Kenyatta said. It pushes them to work harder, which is why Kenyatta said he isn’t surprised Adam is playing as a true freshman and Jared plays all over the offense.

“It’s not a shocker to us,” Kenyatta said. “I’m a big believer in hard work paying off, and they’ve worked hard for this for a long time. We knew once Jared made it to the Power 5 that Adam wasn’t going to settle for anything less. He looks up to his big brother, but he’s also just that competitive.”

That competitiveness showed when both were asked what happened more often when they were little — Adam intercepting a Jared pass, or Jared getting past Adam in the secondary.

Adam said he always picked off his brother. But Jared disagreed. He said his brother never caught a ball that he threw.

“Nope. Not at all,” Jared said. “(Adam) better tell the truth. He better not lie to y’all.”

Kenyatta and Janelle stayed out of that debate, too.

“I’m gonna have to plead the fifth on that one,” Kenyatta said.

The parents had to stay neutral in the week leading up to Saturday’s game. Janelle said she refrained from liking and sharing the two teams’ social media posts for fear she would share more of one over the other.

Kenyatta said he avoided talking football with his sons for fear of giving too much advice to one and not the other.

Even though the family had to remain unbiased, Saturday’s game had been something to look forward to since Dec. 25, 2016, the day Adam committed to Missouri.

“It’s a dream come true, both of us playing on the next level where we always aspired to play,” Jared said.

“Two Power 5 conferences, two prestigious universities. All I can do as an older brother is try to wish him the best and try to show him the way.”

The Sparks brothers were matched up for one play in the fourth quarter of Missouri’s 35-3 loss. Adam slid for a tackle as Jared Sparks ran the ball out of bounds.

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There was some disagreement. Adam said that he tackled Jared, but Jared said absolutely not.

After the play, though, the brothers patted each other on the back and gave a little chuckle.

Both knew that Jared now holds the bragging rights.

“Hell, yeah, I have bragging rights, and I’ll hit (Adam) up when I land,” he said. “This was once in a lifetime, being able to look at my brother in the eyes and him being right there in front of me on a collegiate level like that.”

With few Missouri fans sprinkled around Memorial Stadium, the huge group of people wearing gray Tshirts were visible on the east side of the stadium as Jared and Adam faced each other, for the first time and possibly the last.

Their “Pur-Zou” chants were loud and clear.

'Coaches coach; players play' Sept. 19 Missouri football players have taken responsibility for Saturday’s 35-3 whomping by Purdue.

They don’t want to see that happen again, especially with No. 15 Auburn coming to town this Saturday.

Senior tight end Jason Reese said players held a players-only meeting on Sunday to resolve issues they’ve seen with the Tigers’ 1-2 start to the season.

“This is our team, and ultimately if we want to change, it goes through us first,” Reese said during Tuesday’s media availability. “(We were) talking too much and not doing a lot. I think that’s one thing we’re going to resolve and make better for Saturday night.”

Reese said the Tigers talked about what their goals are and how they can achieve those goals. The tone of the meeting wasn’t dejection — Reese was quick to point out that there are still nine games left in the season — but more of a sense of urgency: Missouri must turn this season around.

Senior wide receiver J’Mon Moore said there’s been a shift of the pressure and urgency this team has from the coaches to the players.

“We can’t blame the coaches for what’s going on,” Moore said after Tuesday’s practice. “Coaches coach; players play. And we’re out there playing, and we know that we have to trust they can put us in the best position that there is, but it’s up to us to make it happen. Coaches prepare us and think they know what’s going on, but they don’t know what’s going to actually happen, so we have to make it happen. It’s on us.”

Players and staff are feeling the exigent demands of performing better on Saturday and the rest of the season. Secondary coach Ryan Walters said he believes the turnaround is coming, and he knows the players believe in it, too, which is the most exciting takeaway from the struggles so far.

“Obviously, we would have liked them to turn three games ago, but I do believe that it’s going to happen,” Walters said. “I’ve been around programs where you hit adversity this early and you start hearing bickering, lethargy, but I feel like this team still has hope, and they should.”

Reese said many players were vocal during the meeting, especially younger players. He noted freshman linebacker Aubrey Miller Jr. as someone who stood out and made his voice known.

Miller hasn’t broke onto the depth chart yet, but he has played on special teams and is projected to break into the starting lineup soon.

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“(Miller) doesn’t have a very big role on defense per se, but on special teams he does a great job playing with enthusiasm,” Reese said. “I would like to say I’m a leader on this team, but I don’t think I’ve been doing my job well enough, so he’s one of the guys I’m looking up to now even though I’m the senior. I’m going to model my game like him.”

For senior cornerback Logan Cheadle, hearing what the younger guys are thinking means a lot to him as someone who hasn’t been very vocal in his career with Missouri.

“It’s good to hear that people care, especially from guys who aren’t necessarily in the game — you get to see what they see on the sidelines,” Cheadle said. “I really take pride in being one of those guys that puts my head down and works hard and does the right things. This year, I really have to work on being more vocal with it … with it being my senior year. I have to step up more with my voice and let people know what we expect of them.”

With three games down and nine to go, all eyes are on Missouri to see if it can save its season.

For many players, it starts before the game. Reese said he didn’t see the energy from his team he’s seen in previous games this past Saturday, and it hurt the team.

Cheadle agreed that something wasn’t right. He said he told safety Anthony Sherrils that he had a “weird, sickening feeling” before the game, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. He said the energy level needs to be higher with the team, and that’s something players are working on in practice.

On Tuesday, many said the energy level was higher, which made for a better practice.

“That’s really where it starts,” Cheadle said, “is bringing energy to this game.”

Tigers prepping for Tigers Auburn brings a quarterback that completed 32 of 37 passes in Auburn’s 24-10 win over Mercer last week and a defense that held defending national champion and No. 2 Clemson to only 14 points two weeks ago.

Missouri is preparing for all of it.

Odom said he’s impressed with the Auburn offensive line, noting its blocking at the point-of-attack and at the perimeter. He also mentioned sophomore quarterback Jarrett Stidham’s efficiency and ability to run the ball well.

To stop the Auburn offense, Odom said he might be simplifying defensive calls, something he said he hasn’t done in the past three games.

“To a fault, I’ve probably done a little bit too much defensively on the volume of calls,” Odom said during his press conference Tuesday. “I don’t know if that’s the greatest thing for this current team. (It might be) simplifying it and doing what we have shown and can do and hang your hat on that.”

Walters said he doesn’t know if the Missouri defense could use a simplified game plan. He noted that the game plan didn’t change between the first and second half in the Purdue game, and the defense gave up less points.

“I think there is merit to simplifying things, but you also want to have answers,” Walters said. “Game time comes and your simple stuff ain’t working, you want to have answers. We’ve gotta be smart as a staff as to what they can handle and what they can’t handle week to week.”

Special teams communication Redshirt sophomore wide receivers Johnathon Johnson and Richaud Floyd are still set as Missouri’s punt returners, despite Johnson’s botched punt against South Carolina and Floyd’s dropped punt that handed the ball back to Purdue in the second quarter.

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“We’ve got to do a better job up front on making sure that they’ve got an opportunity to catch the ball,” Odom said. “Both errors we’ve had where we get in position fundamentally and we don’t take a peek at the return and they get right up on their toes. So that’s communication with the punt returner on when they have to move up and get the ball.”

Injury report Odom said Sherrils didn’t practice Sept. 12 and therefore didn’t play as much Saturday as he would have if he was full-go at practice. Odom and Walters expect him to play more this week. ... Safety Ronnell Perkins is getting back into the swing of things after a hamstring injury in the summer. He played this past Saturday, but Odom and Walters would like to see more from him. “I think Ronnell is back,” Walters said. “He missed so much of fall camp that I think he’s getting into game shape, football shape still. There aren’t any concerns injury-wise there — just getting back into the flow of what it means to play live snaps.” ... Damarea Crockett said he’s feeling 100 percent after not looking like his usual self this past Saturday with 19 yards on 10 carries against Purdue. The sophomore running back suffered a bruised tailbone that sat him out the second half against South Carolina. “I feel amazing, 100 percent,” Crockett said Tuesday.

“It was tight a little bit (Saturday), but it was more mental than physical, I would say.”

SEC sets 2018 schedule dates Missouri football released the dates for next season’s conference games on Tuesday.

Two nonconference home games — UT Martin and Wyoming — open up the Tigers’ season at home before they travel to Purdue for Week 3.

Missouri opens SEC play when it welcomes Georgia on Sept. 22. The Tigers play at South Carolina and Alabama before coming back to Columbia for homecoming against Memphis and hosting Kentucky a week later.

The Tigers are at Florida and Tennessee in the first and third weeks of November and are at home against Vanderbilt in between. Missouri closes its season Nov. 24, when it hosts Arkansas.

Five things to watch when No. 15 Auburn comes to town Sept. 21 It seemed like everything went wrong when Missouri stepped on the field this past Saturday and suffered a slap in the face from Purdue.

Even Missouri coach Barry Odom didn’t understand what happened.

“I don’t know,” he said after Saturday’s game, trying to explain what went wrong on the field. “I didn’t sense that in the locker room, in our final meeting at the hotel. Everything felt and looked and smelled right.”

This week, everything must go right — and maybe even then some — when the Tigers welcome No. 15 Auburn to Faurot Field on Saturday.

Auburn comes to Columbia for the first time since Missouri entered the SEC, but the two Tigers have played each other twice before: first in the Sun Bowl in 1973, and then in the SEC Championship Game in 2013.

The northern Tigers took the bowl game 44 years ago, but they lost the second 59-42 on Dec. 7 and watched Auburn head to the 2013 BCS National Championship Game.

Here are five things to watch for in Missouri’s 6:30 p.m. game against Auburn:

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Body language At Tuesday’s media availability, many players talked about the lack of energy felt before the Purdue game.

Senior cornerback Logan Cheadle called it a “weird, sickening feeling.” Senior tight end Jason Reese said it was flat.

Energy was emphasized in practice this week in the hope that the players feel ready when they welcome Auburn to the field.

Regardless of the score, all eyes will be on Missouri to see if all that talk about energy and hope actually comes to life — and if the Tigers have any life in themselves in the first place.

Struggling offense vs. struggling defense Auburn’s offense has had its fair share mishaps this season, including five turnovers and only 24 points last week against Mercer — a mediocre FCS team.

Sophomore quarterback Jarrett Stidham can make some nice throws — he completed 32 for 37 passes last week — but only if he has some time and an open receiver to throw to.

Missouri’s defense has had even more trouble this season, including giving up 43 points to Missouri State in the season opener. The defensive line has been perhaps the only semi-bright spot in a dismal start, with three sacks against Purdue.

It will be interesting to see who has superiority on Saturday. Can Stidham have as an efficient of a day as last week, or will Missouri’s defense finally step up and stop him?

Special teams improvement Missouri’s communication on the special teams unit was something Odom stressed at his weekly press conference Tuesday. He said he’s sticking with wide receivers Johnathon Johnson and Richaud Floyd as punt returners, even though Johnson fumbled a punt against South Carolina and Floyd dropped one that gave the ball back to Purdue in the second quarter.

“We’ve got to do a better job up front on making sure they’ve got an opportunity to catch the ball,” Odom said Tuesday. “Both errors we’ve had where we get in position fundamentally and we don’t take a peek at the return and they get right up on their toes. So that’s communication with the punt returner on when they have to move up and get the ball.”

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If Johnson and Floyd can catch the ball on returns and keep it in their hands, perhaps Missouri’s offense will have a better opportunity to drive the ball up the field.

Lock and the quarterback position Everybody’s eyes are always trained on the quarterback spot. But Missouri junior quarterback Drew Lock has a whole lot to prove after a very poor showing this past Saturday.

The quarterback that threw for seven touchdowns and 521 yards against Missouri State has yet to return to Faurot Field — in fact, he’s barely been on the field at all.

It’s no secret that Auburn’s defense is good. Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said he believes his defense is the second-best in the country. It did hold No. 2 Clemson to only 14 points after Clemson scored 41 the week before against Louisville.

For Missouri to win this game, it must score early and it must score often.

Will Lock enter Saturday’s game with the Sunday arm that some people have said he has? Or will he fall short again?

Simplified game plan At Tuesday’s press conference, Odom admitted he might have called too many defensive plays last week.

“To a fault, I’ve probably done a little bit too much defensively on the volume of calls,” he said. “I don’t know if that’s the greatest thing for this current team. (It might be) simplifying and doing what we have shown and can do and hang your hat on that.”

Saturday’s game might feature a less complex game plan to stop Auburn’s offense, even if Missouri’s defense improved in the second half — it gave up only seven points compared to 28 in the first — under the same strategy as the first half.

Opponent preview: Two Tigers looking for confidence-boosting wins Sept. 22 Numbers can lie.

In its 24-10 homecoming win against Mercer this past Saturday, No. 15 Auburn (2-1) finished with a satisfying stat sheet.

Sophomore quarterback Jarrett Stidham completed 32 of 37 passes for 364 yards. His 32 completions are the second-most in a single game in Auburn history. Junior running back Kamryn Pettway rushed for 128 yards on the ground, caught three passes for 32 yards and had three touchdowns on the day. The defense held Mercer to 3.7 yards per play.

But, if you were at Jordan-Hare Stadium, the numbers were deceiving. “(The offense) just looked disjointed at times despite the big numbers at the end,” Auburn beat writer Josh Vitale said. “You look at the stat sheet, and there are things that you say, ‘Oh, that was a good performance, and that was a good performance,’ but at the end of the day, they only led an FCS team by one score in the fourth quarter. They had to really survive to win.”

Vitale, who works for the Opelika-Auburn News, noted Auburn’s troubling turnover margin. The Tigers had four fumbles and an interception, which allowed Mercer to stay in the game. Three of those fumbles were inside the Mercer 30-yard line.

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“If Auburn turns those three drives into two field goals and a touchdown even, you’re talking about a blowout instead of a 14-point win,” Vitale said. “Auburn seemed in command the whole game. It just wasn’t as in command as someone might think a team ranked 15th nationally would be in command.”

This Saturday, Auburn has the opportunity to solidify what kind of team it can be this season when it travels to Columbia for the first time since Missouri (1-2, 0-1) entered the SEC. Missouri, meanwhile, is limping into Week 4 after its 35-3 smacking by Purdue this past Saturday. Auburn is favored by 18½ points.

A team that hasn’t scored a touchdown in 103 minutes will face a defense that limited defending national champion and No. 2 Clemson to only 14 points in a 14-6 Week 2 loss.

Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said he thinks his defense is the No. 2 defense in the country in his Tuesday news conference, and Vitale said Auburn’s defense won’t be a problem this year. Still, though, Malzahn is preparing for anything, especially with Missouri’s Barry Odom taking over full defensive responsibilities after firing coordinator DeMontie Cross.

“When you look at Missouri, they’ve got playmakers on the offensive side of the football,” Malzahn said.

“They’ve got a lot of speed at wide receiver. They’ve got a quarterback that can throw it, and they’re very explosive on the offensive side of the football. Their defensive front is disruptive. I think the biggest thing is trying to predict how they’re going to play.”

With Auburn’s defense locked up, all eyes will be on the offensive side of the ball. Even if Missouri is struggling, it should provide a tougher test for Auburn’s offense than an average FCS team in Mercer. For Auburn to win, the offense must find the flow it lacked on the field this past Saturday.

“There were a lot of plays that (Stidham) would take the snap, drop back, and it would look like a throw should come out in rhythm, and it just wouldn’t,” Vitale said. “He would hold it and move around a little bit before finding someone. It wasn’t all on him. The receivers haven’t really done a great job of getting open, so they’ll need to step up. But (Stidham) showed that he can make the throws when he has time to throw and when he has a receiver open.”

Missouri had three sacks in the Purdue loss and one in the 31-13 loss to South Carolina a week before. The defensive line vastly improved from Week 1. Auburn has shown that it can be affected by the pass rush — Clemson had 11 sacks and dominated Auburn’s offense — so if Missouri can get to the quarterback and mobilize enough strength to stop the run, it might not get blown out. “(The pass rush) could slow Auburn’s offense down enough where (the) Missouri (offense) could have a chance to get past Auburn’s defense,” Vitale said. “But I think Missouri would have to keep the game pretty low-scoring to have a real chance to get past Auburn’s defense.”

Auburn needs a confidence booster after a shaky start to the season. Missouri needs one after a horrible start to the season.

Saturday’s game could give one of the Tigers some encouragement.

“It seems like, on paper, Missouri could absolutely offer that game,” Vitale said. “It’s the SEC opener, and it’s against a defense that’s really struggled to stop anything.”

FAST FIVE: Albert Okwuegbunam talks vacations, dream touchdowns and his last name Sept. 22 The Missourian got to know redshirt freshman tight end Albert Okwuegbunam — from Springfield, Illinois — in this week’s edition of “Fast Five.”

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What is the best vacation you’ve ever been on and why?

“The best vacation I’ve ever been to was summer going into seventh grade; I went to Destin, Florida, and it was just the best vacation. I really enjoyed the beach, and I went deep-sea fishing for the first time. Now, I really love deep-sea fishing.”

What’s your best Missouri football memory?

“Best Missouri football memory. ... Probably my first fall camp and just adjusting to all the work and stress it was on my body and just the whole experience.”

What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve done on a football field?

“Most embarrassing thing was when I sprained my own knee when I was going for a block (during 2017 spring practice) and I completely missed the dude, overextended and completely hyperextended my own knee.”

What’s your dream touchdown?

“My dream touchdown is breaking a long one and outrunning all the DBs. That would — will — be the best.”

What’s the craziest way someone has ever said your last name?

“They pronounced every single letter individually. I also hate it when people pronounce the ‘G,’ because it’s silent, and people always do it. It can be pronounced two ways: ‘Ohk-way-ben-nam’ and ‘Ohk-oo-ayben-am.’”

Missouri's Brown eager to gain playing time ahead of Kentucky Oct. 3 Nate Brown was waiting for an opportunity.

The redshirt junior wide receiver was sidelined in the 2016 season with torn ligaments and muscle damage on the outside of his left ankle, an injury requiring surgery. After rehabbing that, he was shut down in spring practice with a torn labrum, which required surgery on his right shoulder.

Brown has played in three games this season, but he has only one catch. Last week — Missouri’s bye week — Brown said he finally felt back to normal. And ahead of this Saturday, he’s finally broken onto the depth chart with the opportunity to gain more playing time as Missouri looks to turn around its 1-3 start to the season.

Brown led Missouri with four touchdowns in 2015 and finished second on the team behind senior J’Mon Moore in catches (27) and yards (326). And he has earned that spot on the depth chart ahead of Missouri’s (1-3) first away matchup of the season — a 6:30 p.m. kickoff at Kentucky (4-1). Brown sits at one of the No. 2 spots, behind junior Emanuel Hall. Hall and Brown will be playing mainly on the right side, with Moore and senior Dominic Collins on the left.

The depth chart change comes after sophomore Dimetrios Mason was dismissed from the team during Missouri’s bye week.

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“You definitely don’t want a teammate off the team, but, yeah, I’m excited and ready to get back out there,” Brown said after Tuesday’s practice. “It’s definitely been too long, it feels like, so I’m real excited for this weekend. I’ve been preparing every week for something out of the ordinary to occur, and, I mean, it happened this week.”

Brown said last week was the first time he felt 100 percent since being able to practice fully. A lot of it had to do with gaining more reps because of Mason’s departure. His morale hasn’t faltered, but he’s had to concentrate on a healthy recovery for fear of coming back too soon.

“The confidence was there, but, at the same time, your mind and body have to be on the same page,” Brown said. “It was really just hitting the rehab room hard, staying focused and not getting too hard on myself and just attacking every day like it’s its own.”

The ankle and shoulder injuries were the first notable injuries Brown has had in his entire football career.

He mentioned that, in high school, the most he dealt with were small problems such as turf toe and hamstring issues.

Being back on the depth chart brings responsibility to Brown that he’s eager to take on this season. He said he’s looking forward to being a playmaker on a Tigers team that needs a few of them right now after a three straight losses.

“I just try to bring a positive vibe and try to make the guys around me a lot better just with my energy and playing style,” Brown said. “We just remind everyone that, ‘Hey, this thing can turn around just like that.

It’s not over, and it’s far from over.’”

When offensive coordinator Josh Heupel and coach Barry Odom talked with Brown about cracking the depth chart, Brown kept the same mentality he and the rest of the team have kept all season: “Next man up.”

Many players spoke the phrase at Tuesday’s practice, explaining even if a player isn’t in the two spots on the depth chart, he has to be ready if someone else goes down. “(Hall, Brown and Collins) are very well prepared,” Moore said on Tuesday. “They keep practicing hard and know exactly what to do on their assignments. I have faith in them. Coach O basically just told us that things happen and everybody has got to be ready.”

With Mason gone, so departs his enthusiasm and quickness. Brown mentioned that Mason was “feisty off the line,” and Moore said he’ll miss Mason’s enthusiasm and humor.

“K-9 is what we called him, so it’s kind of weird when you call him (Mason),” Moore said. “But K-9 brought everything, man. … He always kept me laughing and (brought) good vibes. He always brought energy. For me, personally, I’m going to miss him as a whole.”

But, while Missouri works to turn around an awful month of football with the start of a new month and a new stretch of games, players and coaches said they don’t have time to get caught up with the departure of a player.

As always, it’s time for “the next man up.”

Five things to watch in Missouri's road match against Kentucky Oct. 6 For Missouri players and coaches, the bye week could not have had better timing. "(It came at the) perfect time," senior running back Ish Witter said Tuesday. "Everybody was hurt after the (Auburn) game, so the bye week came, and everybody could get their minds right."

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After a 1-3 (0-2 SEC) start to the season, the week off provided a chance to potentially fix on-field problems and gave the Tigers an extra week of preparation for Saturday, when they travel to Lexington, Kentucky, for the 4-1 (1-1) Wildcats' homecoming game.

Despite Missouri's poor play of late, Kentucky coach Mark Stoops cited the Tigers' speed on offense and Drew Lock's strong arm as reasons to believe the team could come out firing after the layoff.

“You definitely get a little worried as they come off a bye, that’s for sure,” Stoops said during Wednesday's SEC teleconference. “You see a very talented team.”

The aforementioned statements about how the Tigers look and feel coming off their bye week, however, are just that: statements. Here are five things to watch for during Missouri's night game (6:30 p.m., SEC Network) against Kentucky: Playmakers on the Kentucky defense In Stoop's first four seasons at the helm, the Wildcats' run defense hasn't been ranked higher than 12th in the SEC. Heading into Week 6 of Stoops' fifth year, however, Kentucky ranks third in the nation, behind only Michigan and Alabama.

That's good company.

The Wildcats have held their opponents to 2.62 yards per rush and 74 yards per game under first-year defensive coordinator Matt House. The until boasts a number of talented athletes across positions who have stepped up to make what was once a weakness a strength: linebackers Josh Allen (18 solo tackles, 5.5 sacks) and Courtney Love (11 solo tackles) and defensive end Denzil Ware (6 solo tackles, 2.5 sacks), among others.

Missouri's offense has struggled since scoring 72 points against Missouri State in Week 1 and combined to score just 30 points in losses to South Carolina, Purdue and Auburn. But, if anyone can get through Kentucky's defense, it's sophomore running back Damarea Crockett, who's due for a breakout game after three consecutive sub-100-yard performances to end the Tigers' season-opening homestand.

Missouri's defensive line making plays of its own With four-year starting center Jon Toth lost to graduation and redshirt senior Cole Mosier sidelined with an ACL tear, Kentucky's offensive line has probably been the Wildcats' weakest link thus far. It showed when the until allowed five sacks in Kentucky's 24-20 survival win over Eastern Michigan — a team Missouri beat 61-21 in 2016 — last week.

The Wildcats' run game also hasn't matched its 2016 production so far this season, with sophomore running back Benny Snell Jr. averaging just 81.2 yards per game. But, if Snell Jr. has a game similar to the one he had in Columbia — 192 yards on 38 carries — during Kentucky's 35-21 rout of Missouri last fall, it could be a long evening for the Missouri defense.

There might not be a better time for the Tigers' defensive line to back up its "D-Line Zou" moniker than there will be Saturday, especially with nose tackle Walter Palmore back on the depth chart after suffering a brief knee injury. The Wildcats have had difficulty moving the chains against Eastern Michigan and Florida, so it'll be up to Missouri's front seven to stuff the run and come up with timely sacks on passing downs to force Kentucky punts.

Wide receivers stepping into new roles How will the dismissal of wide receiver Dimetrios Mason affect the Tigers' production at the position?

Missouri will find out Saturday.

Junior Emanuel Hall has taken over the starting spot on that right side, with redshirt junior Nate Brown cracking the depth chart after a slew of injuries last season. Senior Dominic Collins is listed as No. 2 on

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the left side behind senior J'Mon Moore. Hall has five catches on the year for 104 yards, and Brown has one catch for five yards. Collins has two catches for 30 yards and one touchdowns.

Hall, Brown and Collins all received praise from Moore and offensive coordinator Josh Heupel this week for the efforts they've made in response to the increased playing time.

Heupel said that he won't worry about the depth at the position unless someone gets hurt. The Tigers didn't bring in any freshmen wideouts this year — commit Da'Ron Davis did not meet academic qualifying standards, while freshman O'Shae Clark transferred in early August — so depth may be concern if any of the four can't play.

Losing Mason wasn't great for the receivers, but those stepping into his role have a chance to turn around a position that hasn't performed as well as it should this season.

Lock vs. Johnson In Missouri’s first game of the season, quarterback Drew Lock showed that he could be a stable — and really good — quarterback. The Tigers haven't seen that level of consistency from the junior, who holds a 52 percent completion rate through four games, since he set multiple school records in Missouri State win.

Kentucky quarterback Stephen Johnson earned the respect of Wildcat fans by leading the team to an upset win over rival Louisville and Heisman trophy winner Lamar Jackson to end the 2016 regular season, and the win propelled him into a leadership role that has carried over into his senior year.

Thus far, Johnson has completed 77 of 119 passes (64 percent completion rate) for seven touchdowns and just one interception and has led Kentucky to a 4-1 record, but not all of the wins have been pretty (see: Eastern Michigan or a 27-16 win over Eastern Kentucky, during which the Wildcats trailed 13-3 in the second quarter).

The same cannot be said for Lock; instead of ugly wins, there have been ugly losses. With Saturday being one of Missouri's last winnable conference games, the junior needs to step up if the Tigers want to win their first SEC road game since 2014.

The quarterbacks' performances, especially if Missouri can apply pressure on Johnson, could dictate the outcome of Saturday's game.

A game not at Faurot Field Having a stretch of four home games in a row is often considered a stroke of luck, especially at the beginning of the season.

After the 31-13 loss to South Carolina, though, attendance began to dwindle. Scores of bleachers were open before, during and after the Tigers' 35-3 loss to Purdue, and crowd numbers weren't great for the Auburn game, either.

Can the first game away from Memorial Stadium actually be a positive for the Tigers?

"We weren't doing too good," Witter said Tuesday. "You hear all the noise, so it's good to get away from all that and kind of start over."

Players expressed their excitement at the chance to enter someone else's house and walk away with a win — something that's happened to them three times already.

Maybe Kroger Field, expected to be full given the homecoming festivities and a better start to the season than Kentucky fans are accustomed to, will provide an atmosphere on which Tigers can capitalize.

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Former Wildcat dons black and gold to cheer on son Kendall Blanton Oct. 7 Jerry Blanton sat next to Mark Stoops at the Governor's Cup golf tournament in June and leaned over to tell the Kentucky football coach he had a confession to make.

"Coach, now I'm going to just tell you right from the beginning," Blanton said. "I want you to win every game this season but one."

"Why is that?" Stoops asked.

"I want you to lose to Missouri," Blanton replied.

After Stoops inquired why Blanton would root against his alma mater in an SEC football matchup, Blanton smiled.

"Because my son (Missouri tight end Kendall Blanton) plays for the Tigers," said Blanton, a defensive lineman for the Wildcats from 1974-78 and for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1979-85. "That's the only time I'll be rooting against you."

On Saturday, Jerry traded in his white and blue for some black and gold to cheer on Kendall and the Tigers when they faced Kentucky in Lexington.

"Until this week, my heart always bled blue," Jerry said. "But, this is all about my son, who bleeds black and gold. So, go Tigers."

Jerry has been in Lexington since Monday, visiting his favorite places and catching up with old friends and former teammates such as quarterback Derrick Ramsey, defensive lineman Art Still and running back Chris Hill.

Just like any reunion, stories from when the men played at what is now Kroger Field come to surface. Some are exaggerated — Blanton said there's always a competition to see who comes up with the biggest stories — but all of them enjoy hearing one of Blanton's favorite memories in a Wildcat uniform.

In 1976, Kentucky played at Kansas, a team that boasted a running back that had "world-class speed," according to Blanton.

He still remembers the player's name: Laverne Smith.

"He broke away for a touchdown, but I ran him down after 70 yards, and it was great," Blanton said. "I always (say) he was a world class sprinter so I'm going to keep that story going, but I remember catching him before he got to the end zone."

If there's one thing the Kentucky and Missouri sides of Blanton's heart agree on, it's a dislike of Kansas.

That 1976 game, which Kansas won 37-16, is only one reason why.

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"You can't mention Kansas," Blanton said. "Especially when you went to University of Kentucky with basketball and everything. And, of course, at the University of Missouri, Kansas is not a name you bring up, either. So Kansas is not in my vocabulary."

Stories from the football field weren't the only ones brought out of memory on Saturday.

In the 70s, families were able to "adopt" football players. They fed them on Sundays and served as a home away from home. The Nighbert family was Blanton's family, and on Saturday, parents Ed and Sharon and their sons Sean and Hunter, who were young boys during Blanton's time as a Wildcat were at the reunion tailgate. They shared stories from the times Blanton spent at the Nighbert's house in Lexington.

Ed laughed when he remembered the time he tried to squeeze Blanton and Still into Ed's Datsun 240Z. "The backseat was just so small," Ed said. "So to get them in the backseat was the funniest thing you've ever seen. I finally got a Cadillac, and I said I would come over and chauffeur them to our house and they had a lot of room then."

Ed is a Kentucky graduate — undergraduate and medical school. Sharon took classes at UK but graduated from a local nursing school. The two used to travel to all the away games to watch Blanton and the Wildcats play. Now, they make it to most of the home games.

When Sharon saw Blanton in his black Missouri jacket at the tailgate on Saturday, she walked up and gave him a hug.

"I need half of a Missouri shirt and half of a Kentucky shirt," she told him. "I can sew you a shirt to represent both teams."

Sean — who is still a Chiefs fan because of Blanton's time in the NFL — remembered that Blanton and Still would read him and his brother bedtime stories on Sunday nights. The players also help Ed build a tree house in the family's backyard.

"I was this 5-year-old kid, and these big football players were coming over, it was just awesome," Sean said. "I just watched with my eyes wide and couldn't believe it."

Hunter's 12-year-old son, Tyler, ran around the tailgate in a blue Kentucky jersey Saturday. The number on the back was none other than No. 11 — Kendall Blanton's number.

Jerry called Tyler over to the tent.

"Listen, any time you see No. 11 in a Mizzou jersey, you have stand up and cheer," Jerry told the young Kentucky fan. "You'll be the only one in blue cheering for that number."

The Nighberts watch Kendall on TV when Missouri plays — even though they wish the Lee's Summit native was wearing blue instead. Ed admitted that Stoops and the Kentucky recruiting team missed out on a legacy player, but he's glad the Tigers got in-state talent.

They've never met the younger Blanton, but they might be the loudest at Kroger Field when they see Missouri's No. 11 take the field.

Offensive firepower not enough for Missouri in shootout with Kentucky Oct. 8 Four long passes from Drew Lock helped keep the score close in Missouri’s 40-34 loss to Kentucky.

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But on the last play of the game — one that would have won the contest if it resulted in a TD, assuming the extra point was made — the junior quarterback came up short on a pass from Kentucky’s 20-yard line to tight end Albert Okwuegbunam near the end zone.

“There were obviously plays throughout the game that I wish I could have back,” Lock said. “There are so many plays in a game that one doesn’t define the game, but it definitely hurts. I have to be able to make a better throw and move around in the pocket a little better.”

The beginning wasn’t pretty for the Tigers (1-4, 0-3 SEC), and the ending didn’t turn in their favor, either.

But in between, Missouri did something it hasn’t done in a while: It kept the game close.

“I’m proud of the way our offense went out and made big plays, kept responding, and I thought we were able to run the ball and open some things up in the pass game,” Missouri coach Barry Odom said in his postgame press conference. “Close doesn’t count it, and in the course of a game in a couple of evenly matched teams, I think comes down to who makes more plays.”

Missouri trailed 13-0 before Lock began stretching footballs down the field and inching Missouri’s score closer to Kentucky’s.

He threw a 50-yard pass to wide receiver J’Mon Moore with seven minutes to go in the second quarter to bring the score to 13-7. After a 71-yard touchdown run from Kentucky running back Benny Snell, Lock flung a 58-yard touchdown to wide receiver Emanuel Hall with 40 seconds to go in the first half.

The Tigers were down 20-14, and they had hope heading into the locker room.

“I think we were really confident because we got that touchdown at the end there,” Hall said. “We really built off the energy and were able to start coming back.”

Lock connected with Hall again for 48 yards to put Missouri on the one yard line, and Lock ran it in to cut the deficit to three. Sophomore kicker Tucker McCann tied the game with a 25-yard field goal.

The quarterback’s longest pass of the night came early in the fourth quarter, on a 75-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Johnathon Johnson to tie the game yet again.

After being limited to one touchdown in the 31-13 loss to South Carolina on Sept. 9, not scoring a touchdown in the 35-3 loss to Purdue on Sept. 1 and only scoring two in the 51-14 loss to Auburn on Sept.

30, offensive coordinator Josh Heupel's offense finally showed a little of what was projected of it this season.

The receiving game wasn’t the only highlight of Missouri’s offense Saturday. Running back Ish Witter carried for 139 yards and averaged 8.2 yards per carry. Running back Damarea Crockett ran for 74 yards and averaged 6.2 per carry.

Both of those averages were higher than the number the No. 3 Kentucky rush defense has allowed this season: 2.6. “(Witter) gave us leadership for sure,” Lock said. “He’s played a lot of games in a Missouri uniform to the point where he was very calm, and he was a hard-headed back tonight. He fought through a lot of tackles and just wanted to be out there in that last moment.”

Despite the long pass success on Saturday, there were mistakes that cost the Tigers.

Lock fumbled on Missouri’s first drive and gave the ball to Kentucky (5-1, 2-1) to set up the Wildcats’ first touchdown.

A hurl from Lock from midfield to Albert Okwuegbunam escaped the tight end’s hands in the second half — a catch that would have given the Tigers their first lead since Sept. 9.

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Players looked defeated Saturday night, perhaps more than after the beatings they’ve taken from Purdue and Auburn. Despite keeping the score close, the Tigers are now balancing moral victories and being 1-4 on the season.

“You can’t like what happened today,” Lock said. “There’s a lot of stuff you can build on, I think. I know one thing is that we’re not just going to lay down just because we’ve won one game this year. You’re going to get a good Missouri team each week that’s willing to come and play all four quarters. We just have to find a way to come and finish out.”

On a four-game losing streak, a frustrated Missouri team faces a dominating Georgia team next week in Athens. The bright spots seen on Saturday, including Lock’s arm, are ones Odom hopes the team can build on.

“I know what this team needs, and they need to build on this game and gain some confidence,” Odom said. “We’ve got to show the strides we’ve made. Gosh dang it, we’re close. We’ve got to find a way to cross and break down that wall.”

Witter brings competitiveness, leadership and 'pop' to his final season as a Tiger Oct. 11 Ish Witter was quick to give the credit to the 10 other guys on the football field.

It started with the offensive line, he said. The unit, with an average weight of 326 pounds, opened holes for him to run through. Having an extra blocker in the backfield is a running back’s dream, too.

But, after Witter’s dominant performance in Missouri’s 40-34 loss to Kentucky on Saturday, it’s hard to put the focus on anyone else other than the 5-foot-10, 200-pound running back.

Witter ran for 139 yards at Kroger Field, the third time he has run for more than 100 yards during his time at Missouri. His big night tarnished Kentucky’s rush defense, which entered the game ranked third in the country and had previously only allowed 2.62 yards per rush and 74 yards per game. Witter’s 27-yard run in the fourth quarter tied for the longest of his career, and he caught three passes for 24 yards.

A good day for the Tigers’ No. 2 back.

“He’s competitive,” offensive coordinator Josh Heupel said of Witter. “You know exactly what you’re going to get from him, every single day, every single rep. He did a good job catching the ball in the backfield, did a good job recognizing his protection responsibilities and then ran with assertiveness and aggressiveness.”

The consistency Witter brings comes from three years of experience. His freshman year ended with the 2014 SEC East championship and a 33-17 Citrus Bowl win over Minnesota.

But then he went through the struggles of a 5-7 2015 season, the coaching change in 2016 and a 4-8 finish to that season.

Now, entering the final seven games of his collegiate career, Witter is a veteran contributor on an offense trying to bounce back from a slow start to the 2017 campaign. “(Witter) is an old back, so to say,” quarterback Drew Lock said. “I think, with just the amount of games he has played, he’s seen almost every look you could throw at him. It makes it a lot easier for him. There’s no one- or two-cut that he has to make that he’s not familiar with ... or a blitz he’s not familiar with either.”

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Sophomore Damarea Crockett said Witter’s toughness is unmatched, and there’s a lot the younger running backs — Crockett and freshman Larry Rountree — can learn from him.

For example, Crockett marvels at Witter’s pass-blocking abilities. During fall camp, Rountree also credited Witter with being the best blocker out of the group.

“I learn from example, watching him do it and then doing it myself,” Crockett said Tuesday. “Watching how he lowers his center of gravity and brings the pop, I just learn day by day how to pass block better.”

After Saturday’s game, Missouri fans can expect to see Witter more often. Missouri coach Barry Odom said that ball security has to be better after Crockett fumbled in Lexington — his second in as many games and third of the season. Witter can help with that: He has only fumbled twice in his career, both his sophomore year.

Missouri’s turnover margin, at minus-10, ranks second-to-last in the FBS. The Tigers have turned over the ball 14 times while taking it away only four.

“I do have concerns,” Odom said about the margin. “We’ve got to protect the ball. That’s the most important thing right now for our program — defensively getting it back, offensively taking care of it.”

Concerns with turnovers and other mistakes — penalties — are in the back of everyone’s mind as Missouri prepares to travel to face No. 4 Georgia this weekend.

The way Witter and the offense played against Kentucky, however, eased doubts that the Tigers’ offense had completely imploded.

Witter said the Kentucky game was the best Missouri had played all season. Now, the Tigers have to build off of what they did Saturday to be able to compete with a top-five opponent.

“That’s the way we’re supposed to be playing,” Witter said. “Big plays, every other play. Put up points like that.”

Five things we learned from Missouri's loss to Georgia Oct. 16 Missouri dropped its fifth straight game to now-No. 3 Georgia (7-0, 4-0) inside a boisterous Sanford Stadium on Saturday night.

The 53-28 loss wasn’t pretty. The Tigers (1-5, 0-4 SEC) held their own and finished the first quarter tied 14-14, but that momentum was quickly lost, and the SEC East-leading Bulldogs cruised to victory.

Here are five things we learned in Georgia’s hurdling of Missouri: Defense still needs help It’s no secret Missouri’s defense is bad.

Saturday only affirmed that in a major way.

Missouri allowed Georgia to score 53 points, the most points the Tigers have surrendered this season. The least amount of points Missouri has let up?

35 in its Sept. 9 loss to South Carolina.

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Opposing offenses are averaging 42 points per game against the Tigers.

Georgia’s freshman quarterback Jake Fromm took advantage of Missouri’s secondary and threw for 326 yards — a career best — and two touchdowns. Missed tackles plagued the Tigers, as the Bulldogs’ run game amassed 370 yards and multiple Georgia ballcarriers made highlight-reel hurdles over diving Missouri defenders.

Missouri’s red zone defense, however, showed some improvements. The Tigers forced four field goals — all converted by Georgia kicker Rodrigo Blankenship. The Bulldogs put points on the board regardless, but Missouri forcing three-and-outs from Fromm and company inside its 20-yard line can be considered a step in the right direction.

The Tigers’ third-down defense otherwise, though, was bad. Georgia converted 13 of its 18 third downs and didn’t need its punting unit until the fourth quarter.

Key players: Drew Lock and Emanuel Hall Despite the poor showing from Missouri’s defense, junior quarterback Drew Lock and junior wide receiver Emanuel Hall provided some light on an otherwise dark night for the Tigers.

Lock threw four touchdowns, two of which were 63-yard passes to Hall during the first half. Lock showed that his long ball works, and Hall showed he can use his speed and 6-foot-3 frame to his advantage.

Together, the dynamic combination gave Missouri momentum early on, which has been a rarity this season.

Georgia adjusted in the second half, though, and covered Hall more than it did early in the game, which caused the Tigers’ offense to stall. Lock’s longest pass in the second half was a 27-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Jason Reese.

If Lock and Hall, along with senior receiver J’Mon Moore, can continue to find success with long ball, Missouri has a chance to hang on with its opponents.

It just can’t fade in the second half.

Run game needs to be stronger If the long ball was the brightest, the run game was the dimmest aspect of Missouri’s offense Saturday.

The Tigers were held to just 2.5 yards per rush and a season-low 59 total yards.

Sophomore Damarea Crockett and freshman Larry Rountree III led Missouri rushers with 33 and 22 yards, respectively. The Tigers only had four rushing first downs compared to six passing.

After the game, Lock said he wasn’t happy with the way Missouri played, even if the passing game was sound. It’s all about balance, and, if the Missouri run game can’t do more to complement its passing attack, the Tigers’ offense could continue to struggle to find its rhythm and instead rely on the highrisk/high-reward chuck-it-deep-and-pray strategy.

Top-five Georgia is the real deal.

For as poor as Missouri looked in the second half, the No. 3 Bulldogs settled in nicely.

After the Tigers’ deep touchdown passes kept them hanging close before intermission, Georgia’s defense adjusted to Lock’s arm and shut down every aspect of the Missouri offense in the second half. Fromm was efficient and rebounded from his first-half interception to Cale Garrett to throw a 59-yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman in the fourth quarter.

Perhaps most impressive was the Bulldogs’ running game. Six tailbacks gained yardage, with freshman D’Andre Swift leading the charge with 94 yards and the longest run of the game (71 yards). Sony Michel and Nick Chubb had 86 and 70 yards, respectively. Michel scored twice.

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Missouri did score more against Georgia than any other team has this season and reached that number by the second quarter, but the Bulldogs weren’t phased in the second half.

As top-five teams are prone to do, Georgia’s offense drove down the field, and its defense shut the Tigers down.

The toughest stretch of the season might be over A look at Missouri’s remaining schedule might give the Tigers some hope heading into Saturday’s homecoming game against Idaho.

Florida (3-3, 3-2), whom Missouri hosts Nov. 4, and Tennessee (3-3, 0-3), whom Missouri hosts Nov. 11, are the Tigers’ only remaining opponents at .500. The Vandals, Connecticut and Arkansas are 2-4, and Vanderbilt is 3-4 after its Week 7 loss to Mississippi.

Tennessee and Vanderbilt are two of three SEC teams who haven’t won a conference game this year. The other, of course, is Missouri.

Could the Tigers begin winning some games? It’s possible — most of the remaining teams shouldn’t terrify Missouri like Georgia or Auburn probably did.

The Tigers most likely won’t win five of the next six to make a bowl, but a few wins and an improved record would certainly help morale in Columbia.

FAST FIVE: Adams talks Lock, homecoming and seasons Oct. 20 Redshirt junior Paul Adams is one of the more outspoken leaders on the Missouri football team. The Missourian talked to the offensive lineman for this week’s “Fast Five”: What is one thing about Drew Lock that people don’t know?

“He loves Miranda Lambert. I’m being dead serious. I don’t know why — that’s a great question. Her, Carrie Underwood, he is just into that kind of music.”

What’s your favorite homecoming tradition and why?

“I like seeing the parade, everyone being around town, and especially seeing all the alumni there, whether it’s students or football players. It’s always good to see them.”

If you could live in any city, where would it be and why?

“I’m going back to Nashville — 100 percent. I think it’s just growing up there; there’s nothing like it. If you’ve ever visited it, you know what I mean.”

What’s your favorite color and why?

“Baby blue. I was born in North Carolina, in Charlotte, so I guess that was the first color I got to wear.”

What’s your least favorite season?

“I kind of hate summer. I’m kind of a cold guy. So when it’s cold, even if it’s raining, that’s my favorite kind of weather.”

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Tailgating reigns supreme at Homecoming game Oct. 21 Drive around Columbia on Missouri football game days, and black and gold will fill your vision. MU flags fly high above Tiger tailgate tents, with black-and-gold napkins and plates underneath.

That is, except for the corner of Providence Road and Stadium Boulevard.

Perhaps you’ll notice the other flags before you notice the MU flag: Alabama, Texas Christian, Southern California, Westminister and the Chicago Cubs.

The tailgate has been there for almost 10 years, run by a group of five men who live in Columbia — and some who grew up here — but didn’t attend Missouri.

Yet the group and the flags are at every home game, rain or shine, hot or cold.

Bert Hughes went to Alabama, Matt Thornburg came from TCU, Sanjeev Ravipudi attended USC and Drue Duncan and Bennet Fallis went to Westminster. Fallis is the Cubs fan and insisted on the blue flag to round out the six flags.

On Saturday, when Missouri hosted Idaho in its Homecoming game at 11 a.m., they were in Memorial Stadium’s parking lot at 8 a.m. It doesn’t matter that Missouri was 1-5 on the season and probably won’t make a bowl game.

If anything, it makes the tailgating more fun.

“We’re Barry (Odom) fans,” Hughes said. “We love him and the team. We’re going to be here, even if we only have that one win. It’s a sense of commitment. It certainly is all about the tailgate, now, though.”

It seemed to be all about the tailgating Saturday morning, as most of Memorial Stadium was empty with 20 minutes until kickoff. Fans still straggled across Stadium Boulevard and into the game near the end of the first quarter.

Around the stadium, though, it looked as though plenty of people came back to Columbia for the school’s 106th Homecoming.

“Homecoming is coming back to where it all started,” said Douglas Blakely, who graduated from Missouri last May, “seeing friends and family and reconnecting with everyone who is coming up now, building a bridge for those who are coming after you.”

Blakely spent three years in Marching Mizzou, but he doesn’t go to a lot of football games anymore.

Maybe, he said, if the Tigers were a little better, he would.

Now, he spends football Saturdays grilling chicken at his tailgate with his friends.

Despite Missouri’s poor showing during the first half of the season, fans were hopeful about a turnaround coming for the Tigers. Many were banking on a Homecoming win to get it started. “(Missouri is) not very good,” Thornburg said, “but we’re optimistic. Maybe we can win two of the last three. But, hey, our tailgate will be here.”

Former Missouri linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, who was inducted into the Missouri Hall of Fame on Friday night, has spoken to the team twice this season — right before the season and before Missouri’s 5328 loss to Georgia last week.

When Weatherspoon talked to the team before the game at Sanford Stadium, he said he saw a different look in the players’ eyes. They’re not going to give up, and he doesn’t want fans to, either, he said.

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“We have a job to do and put it on display, and we have to talk about it,” Weatherspoon said Friday. “But you have to focus on what you can do each day at a time and taking extreme ownership. I think the guys are on the path to getting some wins.”

A turnaround is coming, Weatherspoon assured, and he wants fans to stick around.

Although attendance in the stadium of a 1-5 team has been cringeworthy, the black and gold can still be found at the tailgates on college football Saturdays.

And no matter the game, those six flags on the corner of Providence and Stadium will fly high.

If Missouri does start winning — as players and coaches insist will happen — maybe the black flag with the Tiger head will fly a little higher than the rest.

Offensive explosion guides Missouri to second win of season Oct. 21 On the first play of Saturday's game against Idaho, Missouri quarterback Drew Lock threw an interception. Those who were in attendance and not still making their way to the stadium groaned as Idaho went up 7-0 four plays later. Missouri’s 14-point favor looked to be a huge mistake.

But, on the Tigers' sidelines, Barry Odom saw composure.

"It's not how you draw it up, but I also looked around the sideline and guys were fairly calm like, 'Coach, I got this — we're alright,' so that was good," Odom said. "That's a work in progress for probably every team, on being able to withstand something that early."

The Vandals (2-5) would not take the lead again. And Lock wouldn’t make another mistake like that again.

After Idaho’s touchdown, the Missouri offense drove down the field and Lock threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to tight end Albert Okwuegbunam. It would be Okwuegbunam’s first of three touchdowns on the day and Lock’s first of six in Missouri's 68-21 blowout win over Idaho.

Lock’s game ended when Micah Wilson took over under center at the start of the fourth quarter. Lock finished with 467 yards on 23-of-33 passing.

"The locker room was fun to be in, and I'm happy and excited for our team to be able to go out and compete, even though we started the way that we did," Odom said. "I'm happy for them to be able to come off the last five weeks and respond and play the way that we did."

McCann out at kicker Redshirt junior kicker Nick Bartolotta made his first career start at Missouri on Saturday after junior Tucker McCann was suspended for a violation of team policies. Odom said McCann will be back next week for the Tigers' game at Connecticut.

Bartolotta transferred as a walk-on from Kansas, where he played in nine games during the 2015 season, and redshirted during Missouri's 2016 campaign. He found out he would be the starting kicker Tuesday.

"I was a little bit surprised, but at the same time I've been in these situations before, and I was just ready to step up when the team needed me," Bartolotta said. "I just did the same thing I usually do. To be successful at this level, you have to practice like you're starting the game. So I was just myself this week, making sure I was prepared mentally."

On Saturday, the kicker from St. Louis was 6 for 7 on PATs — the one miss came after an illegal formation flag was thrown and Bartolotta had to redo the kick from farther back — and drilled two field goals.

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Tight end passing game works Tight end Albert Okwuegbunam had quite the first quarter. Three of Missouri’s four touchdowns came from the redshirt freshman, and all three were throws from Lock up the middle.

"We definitely game-planned that," Okwuegbunam said. "We saw on film that it could be a successful play, and it was. It was a read, but I knew I had a good shot at catching it with their tendencies, so I was prepared to catch it."

Okwuegbunam said he has scored three touchdowns in a game before — in high school — but never three in the first quarter. Eventually, Idaho started covering him in the red zone.

"We surely thought there would be an adjustment to cover the middle a little more, but when you do that, you leave our outside guys running past people," Lock said. "You have to pick your poison there."

Tight end Kendall Blanton had a 62-yard catch from Lock that set up running back Ish Witter’s touchdown in the second quarter.

Record-setting day Saturday marked Missouri’s highest-scoring game against an FBS team since Sept. 13, 2008 — a 69-17 win against Nevada.

Idaho only has five games left in the FBS. The Sun Belt team, which won nine games and the 2016 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, will be knocked down to the FCS next season.

The Missouri defense also allowed its least total yards this season with 278. The Vandals' 21 points were the least amount of points scored on the Missouri defense yet, too.

Injury report Running back Damarea Crockett did not play because of a shoulder injury he sustained last week against Georgia. Odom said earlier in the week that Crockett might be limited. Senior Witter made the start, with freshman Larry Rountree III rotating in as well.

After the game, Odom said Crockett will probably be out for a while, but he did not mention a specific timeline.

Learn the name: Okwuegbunam explodes onto the scene ahead of Connecticut Oct. 27 When Albert Okwuegbunam arrived on campus last year, he had no idea how to block.

The footwork, the stance, where to put his hands — it was all foreign to the 6-foot-5, 220-pound wideout from Sacred Heart Griffin High School in Springfield, Illinois.

But Missouri recruited him as a tight end, a position the Tigers' offense depends on for its blocking abilities.

So Okwuegbunam (pronounced OH-koo-WAY-boo-NAM) took his redshirt year to learn the basics. He and tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley got to work.

“Man it’s a lot of work every single day,” said Finley, who joined Okwuegbunam as a newcomer on the 2016 squad. “He came in the first day and he had no idea what he was doing. He’s worked, he’s bright and he understands that he has no chance to run with these guys if he doesn’t have technique.”

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First, Finley wanted to see if Okwuegbunam was willing to embrace an increase in contact as he went from lining up across high school defensive backs to SEC defensive ends. Check.

Then Okwuegbunam grew, and he grew fast — from 220 to 260 pounds.

After Finley realized that Okwuegbunam had the size and mentality to run people over, he started teaching from the floor up. He showed Okwuegbunam how to stay balanced on his feet, how to stay low and how to keep his hands inside. Now, he's getting compared to an offensive lineman.

“He kinda looks like Yasir Durant (a 6-foot-7, 340-pound tackle) running down the field,” Missouri quarterback Drew Lock said. “But Albert actually showed me he’s got some jets and soft hands."

Putting all that together, Lock said, makes for a scary combination.

It was a process, but Okwuegbunam soaked up every piece of advice he got from Finely. This year, it's paying off.

The redshirt freshman has exploded onto the scene and earned No. 1 on the depth chart ahead of Saturday’s game at Connecticut, a team that ranks dead last in the FBS in pass defense.

Okwuegbunam scored three touchdowns in the first quarter of Missouri’s 68-21 win over Idaho last week, a feat that earned him SEC Co-Freshman of the Week honors. He also leads Tigers tight ends in receptions — 11 compared to nine combined between senior Jason Reese and junior Kendall Blanton. His five touchdown catches, ties J'Mon Moore for the team lead.

Fans might just be noticing what Okwuegbunam can do, but those close to him say it’s just hard work paying off.

“I know he’s a superstar; I’m just glad the world can see it,” Lisa Raehl, Okwuegbunam’s mom, said, “What you see on the field is everything I know he has. His athletic ability surprises me every time I watch him.”

Missouri offensive lineman Kevin Pendleton praised Okwuegbunam’s desire to become a better tight end.

Pendleton said Okwuegbunam and Finley worked day in and day out on blocking.

“Guys at that position are an extension of the offensive line and an extension of the wide receivers,” Pendleton said. “You have to know everything. They have a lot on their plate, and he took it with stride and got it done. Now look at him.”

Pendleton admires Okwuegbunam’s ability to soak up as much information as he can, but he also takes some credit for the tight end's transformation. When Okwuegbunam started gaining weight, Pendleton and other teammates often told him he was a biscuit away from turning into an offensive lineman.

“I told him that he’d line up next to me by the end of his career,” Pendleton said. “I think that scared him and turned him into a great playmaker, so I’ll take all the credit for those three touchdowns last week. I’ll just put that out there.”

Okwuegbunam said he wasn’t worried he’d make a position switch because he has always thought of himself as a playmaker. With his newfound blocking technique added to his receiving background, there’s no telling who can stop him.

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Five things we learned from Missouri's win over Connecticut Oct. 28 Barry Odom finally won a road game.

Missouri's second-year head coach left Connecticut with his first road win — 52-12 over the Huskies.

Missouri (3-5) has now won two straight games — the first time in Odom's head-coaching career in a single season, too.

Here's what we learned in the Tigers' rout of Connecticut (3-5): Albert O. is a weapon After his three touchdowns in last week's Homecoming win over Idaho, people started to learn Albert Okwuegbunam’s name and how to pronounce it (hint: it’s OH-koo-WAY-boo-NAM).

Saturday showed that it wasn’t a one-time deal for the redshirt freshman tight end.

Okwuegbunam scored twice during the first quarter Saturday on the same play — a pass from quarterback Drew Lock up the middle in no coverage. The duo also connected for scores three times against the Vandals and once against top-five Georgia two weeks ago.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Missouri’s tight ends have flourished in the passing game this season; Okwuegbunam is tied with J'Mon Moore with a team-leading seven touchdown receptions. But he’s also been a crucial extension of the offensive line. He provided a huge block on senior running back Ish Witter's 6-yard rush into the end zone that put the Tigers up 31-5 late in the first half.

Okwuegbunam has three more years of eligibility with the Tigers. The more his 6-foot-5, 260-pound frame is used in both the passing and running game, the better.

Defense plays its best game of the season Missouri held Connecticut to only 12 points, the least amount of points the Tigers have allowed this season.

Junior Terry Beckner Jr. was a monster on the field with a sack and 2½ tackles for loss. Senior Marcell Frazier added a sack and 1½ tackles for loss. Both lineman, playmakers on a Missouri defense that dominated the Huskies with five sacks and nine tackles for loss, also had pass deflections that were inches away from interceptions.

Even the secondary made sure tackles when Connecticut wide receivers were able to catch the ball. Three defensive backs — freshman Adam Sparks and seniors Logan Cheadle and Thomas Wilson — posted four tackles each, and Cheadle swatted a pass away away late in the third quarter to stop a potential touchdown.

It was a sign of relief for Missouri fans to see the defense making plays. If it plays similar to what we saw Saturday night against Florida next week, Missouri could compete with the Gators, whom Georgia dominated 42-7 on Saturday.

Running game doesn't stall without Crockett Saturday showed that the Missouri running game will not suffer dearly without sophomore Damarea Crockett, who has sat out the past two games with a shoulder injury.

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Witter made the start and showed his physicality. He ran in a touchdown late in the first half and rushed for 73 yards.

Freshman Larry Rountree III had six carries for 60 yards, and Dawson Downing, a walk-on redshirt freshman, steamrolled Connecticut defenders on his way to 60 yards.

Crockett’s speed and footwork certainly help Missouri, but the Tigers showed Saturday night that they can survive without him. The running back position is developing depth that should be able to give the offense some balance during the final stretch of the season.

Long snapping remains an issue Corey Fatony might be one of the best punters in the nation, but only when the long snapper can get him the ball.

Connecticut went up 2-0 in less than two minutes after Missouri long snapper Drew Wise snapped the ball over Fatony’s head into the end zone for a safety during the first quarter.

After being solid for so long, the long-snapping woes have plagued the team since James Workman flubbed a snap to kicker Tucker McCann and allowed a blocked field goal in Missouri’s 40-34 loss to Kentucky. On last week's depth chart, there was an "or" on the long snapper position, with Workman and Wise. Wise has botched a few snaps, including Saturday's safety.

Missouri has to fix the little things if it wants to compete the rest of the season. That includes snapping the ball, something that should be locked up from Day 1.

Missouri needs to play like this against good teams The Tigers have now won two games in a row and won three games this season. All three wins, however, have come against non-Power 5 teams — Missouri State (FBS), Idaho (Sun Belt) and now Connecticut (American Athletic). Meanwhile, Missouri is winless in the SEC. In those three wins, though, the Tigers have scored an average of 64 points and the offense has averaged 685 total yards. Missouri has shown it can play good football. And lately, Lock has shown he can make solid passes against great defenses.

After Saturday, only four games remain — all against SEC opponents.

The Tigers will need to figure out how to play the way they’ve played against those lesser opponents if they want to have a chance at winning six games and going to a bowl.

'The lightbulb has come on for him': Lock makes strides under Heupel's guidance Nov. 2 Drew Lock high-fived a 4-foot football player with a New England Patriots helmet on and No. 12 on the back of his jersey.

“What’s up, Tom?” The mini Tom Brady jumped up to match Lock’s high-five, and they walked over to where Missouri offensive coordinator Josh Heupel stood on the practice field with his wife, Dawn, and a pink-and-blue unicorn.

On this Halloween afternoon, Brady was really Heupel’s 5-year-old son, Jace, and the unicorn was Heupel’s 7-year-old daughter, Hannah.

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Lock conversed with the Heupels for a few minutes until the young “Brady” made a run downfield. Heupel picked up the small football that went with the costume and hurled it 25 yards to where his son stood.

Although the ball bounced off Jace’s chest, when he threw it back, the ball made it all the way to where Lock was standing.

“Man, he’s got an arm,” Lock said as he laughed with his coach.

A year ago, when Heupel arrived at Missouri, he might not have told Lock what Hannah and Jace would be for Halloween, and Lock might have just went inside after practice instead of sticking around to talk with his coach’s family.

It was more of a business-like relationship when Heupel began coaching Lock.

No more.

“I had to be a little scared if I didn’t do a couple of things,” Lock said. “But I think more and more, it’s gotten a little more personal, ... more comfortable in the room, bringing up more ideas, maybe even butt heads sometimes.”

That developing relationship between the coach and his quarterback comes with experience, yes, but Heupel said it also comes with trust. Lock understood Heupel’s process since Day 1, and, now, it’s starting to pay off.

In Missouri’s four October games, Lock threw for 18 touchdowns, just two interceptions and 1,452 yards.

He completed 66 percent of his passes in those four games. He leads the SEC in season passing yards (2,567) and touchdowns (28). Although Missouri played two nonconference games — Idaho and Connecticut — that greatly helped Lock’s numbers, he performed well against both Kentucky and Georgia early in the month.

The recent success has brought NFL Draft talk back to Missouri’s quarterback room, but Heupel said Lock still has work to do.

“He’s comfortable,” Heupel said. “He’s confident in what he’s doing. His decision-making has been pretty sound. … He’s got a lot of talent, but I worry about the day-to-day, and that’s it. There’s plenty of room for him to continue to improve.”

Improvement comes with freedom, and Lock has been given more of it over the past year. He has been able to add to the game plan, exchange ideas and read defenses better than he has before.

“The lightbulb is coming on for him, and it’s coming on when it typically does for the young quarterbacks that I’ve coached,” Heupel said.

Heupel mentored two Heisman Trophy-winning players in Jason White and Sam Bradford when he was coaching at Oklahoma. Heupel himself was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy as a senior quarterback for the Sooners in 2000.

While Lock hasn’t been in Heisman talks this season, Heupel did have one large praise for the quarterback.

“He’s a lot better player than I was,” Heupel said. “He’s got some physical tools that are special.”

With seemingly a flick of his wrist, Lock can throw the ball 60-plus yards downfield. He does it in games, and he does it in practices.

He also is pretty good at dancing, offensive lineman Kevin Pendleton said. A few weeks ago, Lock threw one of those long bombs downfield, and he did a little dance to backup quarterback Jack Lowary on the sideline.

Typical stuff.

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“He’s a goof,” Pendleton said. “He is a Grade-A goofball. But when it’s time to go, it’s time to go.”

On and off the field, Pendleton said Lock has become the focused leader the Tigers need. But he knows football is a game, at the end of the day.

“You just go back to the fundamentals of having fun, enjoying the process and being with your brothers,” Pendleton said. “(Lock) embraces that, and he makes sure everyone else embraces that, too.”

No longer is Lock the raw, young quarterback Heupel inherited last season. No longer is he the off-topic and off-track underclassman Pendleton remembers.

Lock is locked in.

He attributes it to Heupel and the time they spend in the meeting room going over film and game plans.

Heupel attributes it to the work Lock puts in day in and day out on the practice field.

Whatever it is, it seems to be working.

And maybe someday, Jace Heupel will trade his Brady Halloween costume for one that says “Lock.” Time will tell, just as it has for Lock’s development and his relationship with his coach.

Finis Stribling — the Science Guy — is in a world of his own Nov. 3 Finis Stribling IV knew Mocha would be his from the moment he laid eyes on the dog.

The Yorkie-Chihuahua mix was the only boy in his litter, and he had a different hair color than the others: brown and black — like, well, a mocha.

Stribling has always described himself as different. His family and friends do, too. So, naturally, the senior at Independence High School in Thompson Station, Tennessee, had to get the dog that was different from the rest. The two have been inseparable ever since.

What makes Stribling so different? More than just the dog he owns.

“He loves anime, that’s something that he does,” said junior offensive lineman Paul Adams. “I think he can recite every word to every episode of “Family Guy” or “American Dad.” He’s always tinkering with cars. Mocha, his dog, is feisty just like him. And the physics thing, that’s pretty different.”

Stribling, a redshirt junior defensive back, is the only member of the Missouri football team majoring in physics.

He’ll try to make it in the NFL, but he also says he’s realistic. He has aspirations to be a college professor, and he’s making plans to go to graduate school after he finishes at MU. He’s not sure exactly what type of physics he wants to study, but he’s interested in astrophysics, quantum physics and mechanical physics.

How does he find the time to do all of it?

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“I have no idea, honestly,” he admitted.

Athletes frequently face decisions between academic proficiency and excellence on the field. UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen said it in his Q&A with Bleacher Report in early August.

“Look,” Rosen told Matt Hayes, “football and school don’t go together. They just don’t.”

Clearly, the demands of a Division I football program force choices on the student-athletes. Ask a football player what his plans are after college, and it’s a safe bet that he’ll answer with aspirations to play in the NFL. There are 118 players on the online roster; 68 are either undeclared or don’t have a major listed.

Then, there’s Stribling. Like Mocha, he was born different, and his passion for science and curiosity for how things work can be traced back to his first months on Earth.

‘A walking miracle’ For 14 days in 1995, Laquita and Finis Stribling III didn’t know if their son would make it to his first birthday.

When Finis IV was 7 months old, Laquita noticed that he wasn’t feeling well. Before the family left to visit relatives in Arkansas for Christmas, she brought him to the doctor, where he received medicine for an ear infection.

When they arrived in Arkansas, Finis III went to help on his parents’ farm and Laquita went to stay at her mother’s house. That’s when Laquita noticed the soft spot on her baby’s head swelling and bulging.

She knew something was wrong and that she had to get him to the Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, about 45 minutes away.

It wasn’t easy getting to the hospital. Finis III drove into the ditch on his way to meet Laquita and his son at his in-laws’ house. With Laquita’s father behind the wheel on the way to Memphis, the family was hit by another car. No one was hurt, and they were able to arrive at the hospital in one piece.

“It was quite the ride,” Finis III said. “But we were relentless. We will do anything for our kid. All that mattered at that point was what was wrong with Finis and how can we fix it?”

Almost as soon as the Striblings brought Finis IV in to the hospital, they got their answer: He had bacterial meningitis, and the outlook was not good. Bacterial meningitis is the most common form of meningitis — an infection of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Babies are usually the most susceptible to the disease. It can be life-threatening.

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The family spent the next 14 days in the hospital.

“To see him lying there kind of helpless was earth-shattering,” Finis III said.

The doctors weren’t optimistic. They warned the parents that their baby could die or could live with severe brain damage. As they administered treatment, doctors told Laquita and Finis III to not get their hopes up.

Laquita said they were prepared for the worst. But, when the doctors ran final tests, Finis IV was cleared.

After a few days, he was back to being the happy, active baby he was before the infection.

His parents breathed a sigh of relief.

Of course, they were still cautious as Finis IV grew. Finis III paid attention to see if the infection had affected his son. It didn’t.

Finis IV went from being on the verge of death to a curious toddler who was always asking how something worked and using his past as motivation for the future.

“I think about it all the time,” Finis IV said. “Obviously, I made it out with no drawbacks, so I kind of take every day gratefully. My life should have ended six months in, but here I am.”

Complexity to simplicity Stribling sat in Luke Finley’s physics classroom, quiet and attentive.

Finley, a physics teacher, is also the head cross country coach and assistant track coach at Independence.

He met Stribling during his freshman year on the track team and watched the speedster develop into a 400-meter-dash state champion his junior year. His mouth didn’t move as fast.

“When I first met him, I didn’t know if he was shy or introverted or what, but I could tell after time that that’s just how he is,” Finley said. “He had a quiet intensity. Just a focus, like every single thing that you would say or do for instructions on the track or in the classroom, he just had this quiet intensity, and he would do it all for you.”

Before taking Finley’s class his senior year, Stribling wanted to study criminal justice. But, after three years’ worth of courses in the field, he realized it was a lot of paperwork.

Around that time, physics — Finley’s class specifically — began to draw in Stribling.

“He was able to take something like physics … and ... teach it in a way where I could say, ‘Oh, that’s it?’”

Stribling said. “He’d take something complex and really show you that it’s really simple.”

Finley wants to make school less boring. He connects what students are learning to what’s happening in the real world while also fostering friendly competition during labs.

In that environment, Stribling’s competitiveness replaced his quietness. Finley knew his student was hooked.

“He has a really good mind for seeing things mechanical,” Finley said, “and you can see his mind working on high speed, figuring out how things work on a big scale and a small scale.”

Physics might look like a foreign language, but Stribling insists its not scary. It explains how the world works, which intrigues him. That’s why he wants to be a professor one day.

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“The smallest things in something can explain everything,” he said. “An atom is attracted to something else, and that can literally explain how life itself is what we see.”

Stribling’s younger brother Kylan is a redshirt freshman at Middle Tennessee — and yes, he pointed out he has bragging rights over his older brother after the Blue Raiders upset Missouri on Homecoming last year.

Kylan idolizes his older brother for how smart and how different he is. That’s why he lets Stribling, the professor in training, talk about what he’s learning in the classroom — even if it goes over Kylan’s head.

“Professors like to talk a lot, and let me tell you, he can do that,” Kylan said.

Just like in high school, Stribling still has a quiet demeanor. When he talks about physics, though, there is fire in his eyes. Atoms and protons and electrons; quantum physics and mechanics and astronomy. For Stribling, it’s a way of life.

Physics and football Stribling’s contributions to the Tigers happen mostly on special teams. They may be considered minor and go unnoticed by some, but, he explains, like physics, sometimes the smallest things make the biggest difference.

When he watches film, he’s watching the angles that the kick or punt returner likes to run and how quickly that player can hit those angles.

“So, if I take this angle running at him, it would mess up his trajectory of what he’s doing,” Stribling said.

“And when the ball is in the air, I can kind of gauge better of where it’s trying to go.”

Stribling gave a scenario: A slot receiver runs a route, and Stribling is on the outside to cover him.

Stribling watches the way the quarterback turns to gauge how far the ball will travel in the air.

Breaking it down to an even smaller scale, he’ll also note how tilted the nose of the ball is during its freefall trajectory.

“That gives me a good idea about where I need to be to pick the ball,” he said. “Whether I’m in a coverage or zone, I can adjust my route to the ball in the air.”

Finley said physics is about how honed one’s instincts are to how things are supposed to work in the real world. A physicist can anticipate how things naturally move. Combine that with a football player’s athleticism, and that player may have a leg up on his opponents.

It all happens in a split second, but that’s how Stribling’s mind works.

“I think understanding the principles of why things do what they do,” Finley said, “certainly helps you understand things on a level that maybe not everyone else would.”

‘Why not?’

When Stribling was home for winter break a few years ago, he texted his dad a picture of a radio. It was an older radio that was in pieces, but the wires were hooked up so it was able to play music. Finis III thought his son had gotten a radio kit and asked him where he had gotten it.

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“He said, ‘No, Dad, I just put it together myself,’” Finis III said. “I should have known at that point. He’s always doing stuff like that.”

Even as a child, Stribling gravitated toward the science section at bookstores or libraries. He’d always inquire how something worked or why it did what it did. Laquita said he’s always helping his brothers — Kylan and 12-year-old Tré — with homework and loves explaining the “why” of something.

“To have a conversation with him is interesting,” Laquita said. “I think even coaches get a kick out of how he explains why some things are the way they are.”

Advisers, coaches and his parents warned him that playing football would take up most of his time and that he should major in something that wouldn’t be hard to manage.

No way was he doing that.

“That’s just him, though,” Laquita said. “He gets his mind set on something he wants to accomplish, and he does whatever it takes to do it.”

He said he probably has to study more than his teammates and has to bring homework on away trips.

Some teammates frequent his house as a homework spot on weeknights because it’s easier to focus — he is always studying, anyway.

“Every time I go over to his house, it’ll be like 9 at night, and there might be football on TV, but he’s also solving two-page-long equations for physics,” Adams said.

You want different? The first thing that might catch your eye is what’s on his walls: 21 superhero posters, 11 superhero action figures and 13 swords.

He calls himself a superhero geek, but he might be the superhero with how many aspects of his life he manages.

According to a 2017 NCAA study, 1.5 percent of college football players make it to the NFL. Long odds.

At times he’s wondered if he’d have a better shot at the NFL if he could just focus on football and not physics. Or vice versa: Think about how much more time he’d have for school if he didn’t have football practice or away games.

He has the opportunity to do both, so why not go for it?

“I love the game, and I love playing it,” he said. “Sometimes, I’m like, ‘Man, focusing on school would really help.’ I mean the league chances aren’t too good for me, right? Then again, with hard work and determination, maybe I can get the best of both worlds.”

For now, though, he has his own world.

Opponent preview: Florida's turbulence could help Missouri's chances Nov. 3 Drew Lock learned a valuable lesson when LSU thumped Missouri 42-7 last year in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Losing a head coach doesn’t do much to stall a team.

LSU hosted Missouri the week after Les Miles was fired, and, with Ed Orgeron as interim, handed Missouri a beating.

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“Losing a leader, you still know what you have to do to win,” Lock said. “There’s not going to be much difference to the team who comes here on Saturday.”

This year, that team is Florida, which parted ways with Jim McElwain on Sunday. Defensive coordinator Randy Shannon was named interim and will lead the Gators this Saturday in Columbia.

Edgar Thompson, the Florida beat writer for the Orlando Sentinel, said the Gators will be playing with a bit of pride. Lock knows Florida will come to Memorial Stadium with a chip on its shoulder.

“We’re going to have to come in a little more ready, a little more juice behind it,” Lock said. “They’re going to want to win without a head coach, technically, so we’re going to have to come out and bring our ‘A’ game.”

Perhaps the most surprising factor was just how fast McElwain was let go. The 2015 SEC Coach of the Year was fired just 34 games after he began at Florida. Thompson, who has worked for a daily newspaper for almost 27 years, said he’s never seen a head-coaching job go south as fast as McElwain’s at Florida.

Clearly, things weren’t going well for McElwain. The Gators’ offense was sputtering; players were suspended off the field for credit card fraud. Injuries continue to rack up, with Malik Davis, the team’s leading rusher, out for the season with a knee injury.

It was the perfect storm for a bad season, but Thompson said he didn’t think the coach would get fired because of it.

“I thought that what would happen was the typical staff changes on the offensive side and then you have a year to prove yourself, which is the formula they used with Will Muschamp in 2013,” Thompson said.

“Everything went wrong — they went 4-8, he had to clean house and didn’t save his job. I figured that’s what we were up against again, and maybe (McElwain) would, maybe he wouldn’t.”

Then last week happened.

McElwain claimed that he, his family, coaches and players were receiving death threats. Turns out, he never even told the Florida administration about it. It became clear that the head football coach and the administration weren’t on the same page, Thompson said.

“He laid the foundation for a tense relationship over there,” Thompson said, “and given the struggles of the team, the off-the-field issues, the death-threat revelation or whatever that was, they took the opportunity when they saw it. Now, Jim McElwain is out. And it’s incredible, really.”

It seemed the 42-7 loss to Georgia was the last straw, and Florida found itself in its second coaching search in three years.

To say the least, a lot is on the line for both Florida (3-4, 3-3 SEC) and Missouri (3-5, 0-4). The Tigers are on a two-game winning streak and are looking for a turnaround after starting the season winless in the SEC. The 11 a.m. kickoff on ESPN2 might not be a high-profile game, but for fans of the two programs, a win could mean better positioning for a potential bowl game.

With a victory Saturday, Florida could be one or two wins away from going bowling. If Missouri wins, there’s a good chance the Tigers would have enough momentum to win their final three games against Tennessee (3-5, 0-5), Vanderbilt (3-5, 0-5) and Arkansas (3-5, 0-4).

Even more paralleling in this matchup is what each team needs to do in order to win.

Missouri’s offense, specifically the passing game, has blossomed, but its defense still needs help.

“The Gator defense is going to try to put pressure on Lock and defend the pass hard,” Thompson said. “If Missouri can’t run the ball, they’re going to have a tough time, but if Florida can’t throw the ball, they’re going to have a tough time.”

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Florida’s defense is rock-solid, but its offense has deteriorated. On Thursday, Shannon named Notre Dame transfer Malik Zaire starting quarterback in an attempt to shake things up.

It’s no secret that this game could mark a turning point for both of these programs. Everything sets up for a contested matchup, but the inconsistency seen from Florida and Missouri makes the outcome hard to predict.

Perhaps Missouri offensive coordinator Josh Heupel said it best Monday when he talked about Florida’s possible scheme changes that could come with Shannon at the helm.

“We’ll see on Saturday,” he said.

Former Tiger Culkin gives advice about football and food during return to Columbia Nov. 4 Sean Culkin didn’t get a call.

For two days after the Los Angeles Chargers’ preseason camp in late August, the former Missouri tight end stayed with Hunter Henry, a former Arkansas tight end who plays with the Chargers, at his house in Huntington Beach, California.

Culkin spent the two days trying to get his mind off of his training camp time with the Chargers. The work had been done, and now he waited.

For no phone call.

However, in the NFL, not getting a phone call is actually a good thing. So when the Chargers never called Culkin with bad news, he knew he had made the 53-man roster.

So far, Culkin has only appeared in one game — the Chargers’ 24-21 loss at Denver in Week 1. But the rookie has been soaking up the sun and the opportunity in LA, learning from the best and competing against the best.

“At the end of the day, it’s the same game I’ve been playing since I was in fifth grade, so I’m just having a lot of fun,” Culkin said. “I’m fortunate to be playing to the best of my ability and glad that the Chargers were in a place where they needed my role.”

On Saturday, Culkin returned to Columbia for the first time since he’s been in the NFL. The Chargers have a bye week, so Culkin took the opportunity to watch his MU brothers take on Florida.

Culkin got in late Thursday night and spent Friday hunting with old friends. On Saturday, he was able to tailgate before a Missouri game for the first time ever. He made his rounds before taking his seat in the stands.

And he made sure to hit up Addison’s once — if not twice — while he’s in Columbia.

“We went there so much when I was in college,” Culkin said. “I love that place so much.”

Culkin frequently talks with former teammates such as quarterback Drew Lock and offensive linemen Paul Adams and Alec Abeln. They’re the biggest thing Culkin misses about Missouri.

While the phone calls and texts focus on life in general, Culkin sees himself as a resource for a team that had a less-than-perfect start to the season.

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“Through my career at Mizzou, I’ve kind of experienced the highs — SEC East (titles), good bowl games — but the lows, too — going 4-8 (last year) and the off-the-field issues,” Culkin said. “If I can help in any way with the mindset, I try to do that, as well.”

Culkin said the turnaround is coming for the Tigers. Perhaps being in Columbia this weekend was a good omen, as Missouri found its way to a 45-16 victory over Florida, the flagship school in Culkin’s home state.

Tight end Albert Okwuegbunam said Culkin provides insight into the league that Missouri players wouldn’t have otherwise.

After Saturday’s game, Culkin stopped into the locker room and talked with the team about what the NFL is like.

“He just kind of gives us a little taste of what The League is like,” Okwuegbunam said, “what’s different about it, what to focus on here to help us prepare for The League.”

The two things that Okwuegbunam will focus on after talking to Culkin?

Nutrition and the playbook.

Both are important now, Okwuegbunam said, but Culkin told him that in the NFL, players need to be cautious about what they put in their body. And the playbook gets a lot more complicated in a professional setting.

Trips to Addison’s are probably an exception to the nutrition rule, especially on vacation.

Culkin said Okwuegbunam has emerged as one of the best tight ends to ever go through Missouri, even at a young age. The potential the redshirt freshman shows makes Culkin excited to watch him more.

Okwuegbunam, though, wouldn’t be where he is without Culkin’s guidance, both last year and this year, he said.

“He was always like a big brother to me, helping me on and off the field,” Okwuegbunam said. “He gave me pointers and helped me out with technique because he’s just so good at that stuff.”

For Culkin, being back in Columbia means remembering the five years he spent here — five years that molded him into the professional player that he is and hopes to continue to become with the Chargers.

He’s just happy he never got that call after training camp.

Amidst a swing in expectations, Odom and Heupel keep Tigers' heads on straight Nov. 6 After Missouri’s convincing 45-16 win over Florida on Saturday, thoughts of securing a berth in a bowl game swirled around Columbia, on social media and throughout postgame tailgates.

Those most responsible for making that happen, though, heard the same mantra repeated by coach Barry Odom and his staff: one day at a time.

“I love them to death, but we’re better when we focus on one day at a time and what we can handle,” Odom said at his Monday news conference. “There’s nothing we can do about what we did Saturday. ... All we can do is move forward from it.”

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Offensive coordinator Josh Heupel stresses the same to players on his side of the ball but said blocking out outside noise, especially interactions with people on campus and on social media, can be hard for 18to 22-year-olds. He continually tells his players to let their next performance, not what others have to say, define them.

“When everybody tells you you’re not worth a dang, worry about the next performance,” Heupel said Monday. “And when everybody tells you that you’re doing good, worry about the next performance.”

The next performance for Missouri (4-5, 1-4 SEC) is its final home game and senior night against Tennessee at 6:30 on Saturday.

The Tigers’ next three opponents — the Volunteers, Vanderbilt and Arkansas — combine for an overall record of 12-15 (1-14). With victories in at least two of the three games — all winnable — Missouri could be going bowling.

But, for now, players and coaches will be focusing on this upcoming Saturday, not a potential game in late December.

Tigers not taking struggling Volunteers lightly Tennessee is 4-5 and winless in the SEC. Coach Butch Jones is on the hot seat, and the Volunteers have suffered injuries galore throughout their season.

Yet the Tigers aren’t taking their opponent for granted. On Monday, Odom praised Tennessee’s stingy pass defense — which has allowed an average of 150 yards through the air per game — and aggressive running backs Kelly Johnson and Ty Chandler.

“They look like they run angry,” Odom said. “I think their tailbacks are as good as there are in the league.”

After Odom’s press conference, though, news came out that senior defensive back/kick returner Evan Berry will be sidelined for the rest of the season with an undisclosed injury he’s continuously battled.

Berry set up the Volunteers’ first touchdown of their 24-10 win over Southern Miss with a 46-yard return on the opening kickoff.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Jarrett Guarantano is expected to play in Columbia after leaving Saturday’s game with a taped right ankle. Odom said he expects Guarantano and freshman quarterback Will McBride, who debuted against Southern Miss, to play.

On the offensive side of the ball, Heupel said Missouri will need to find the balance it displayed in the win over the Gators. Against Tennessee’s pass defense, ranked No. 4 nationally in passing yards allowed, Heupel said establishing the run game behind senior Ish Witter, freshman Larry Rountree III and the Tigers’ offensive line will be crucial.

Injury report Sophomore running back Damarea Crockett is still out with a shoulder injury and is not expected to be back this week. Odom also said that sophomore defensive back Christian Holmes is way ahead of schedule in his recovery from shoulder surgery, but he didn’t give a specific timeline as to when Holmes might be back.

“If we’re playing flag football, he’s playing,” Odom said.

Sherrils named SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week Redshirt senior Anthony Sherrils was named Week 10’s SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week, the conference announced Monday. The safety had six tackles, a fumble recovery and an interception in Missouri’s 45-16 win over Florida.

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Sherrils, a graduate of Hogan Preparatory Academy in Kansas City, recovered a muffed punt on the Florida 11-yard line during the first quarter. It helped set up Missouri’s first touchdown, putting the Tigers up 7-0 early. He shared the award with Alabama defensive back Ronnie Harrison.

Missouri-Vanderbilt set for 6:30 p.m. kickoff Missouri will play yet another night game on Nov. 18. The Tigers are set to kick off against Vanderbilt at 6:30 p.m. in Nashville, Tennessee. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

The big boys up front: How Missouri's offensive line is coming together Nov. 7 Walk by a Missouri football meeting room about 30 minutes before the team is supposed to meet, and you might hear voices yelling out random letters.

Don’t worry — it’s just the offensive line playing hangman.

The unit likes to show up early to team meetings to get in a game or two. It’s the linemen’s favorite hobby, and one that they’ve gotten pretty good at.

They’ve become so skilled, in fact, that they don’t think of random words anymore. Instead, each picks a category. Jonah Dubinski, a political science major, likes to stump the rest with categories from his major, like World War II strategists.

Alec Abeln’s category is Texas folksingers. No one really knows why he knows so much about that category, but he puzzles the group every time it’s his turn.

The bond the offensive line has developed translates to trust on the field — even though offensive line coach Glen Elarbee wishes they would trade hangman for the playbook.

“But they have fun doing it,” Elarbee said of his players’ hobby. “That’s the best part — they’re always together. They enjoy being around each other, and that’s big for the offensive line.”

Just as the unit has improved in hangman, the offensive line’s strength on the line of scrimmage has increased throughout the season.

In Missouri’s 45-16 victory over Florida last weekend, the Gators left Columbia without a single tackle for loss, compared to the Tigers’ eight. In fact, Missouri has allowed the fewest tackles for loss in the country with only 25, and it is tied for eighth in sacks per game.

It’s not too shabby for a line that boasts three underclassmen starters in sophomores Yasir Durant and Tre’Vour Simms and redshirt freshman Trystan Castillo.

“I think we’ve gotten better now with some experience,” Elarbee said. “They’re not young to it anymore, and they’re learning to finish and play a little more physical.”

Redshirt juniors Paul Adams and Kevin Pendleton are the veteran starters on the line, but they’re not the only ones who teach the younger players. Abeln, a redshirt senior, and Dubinski, a redshirt sophomore who had the starting center job a year ago, have been leaders for the position.

“The biggest thing I had to learn was how to watch film, and they just taught me it,” Simms said. “As an older player, that’s the best thing you can do.”

Adams said even he still has questions, but he’s not afraid to ask them. He and the other linemen help each other analyze film and point out what to look for when they’re on the sideline.

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For quarterback Drew Lock, having a solid offensive line means he has ample time to see the field and get the ball to his receivers. Lock has been sacked only eight times through nine games and has been able to throw deep from the pocket a number of times.

“They say it starts in the trenches, and it really does,” Lock said. “I appreciate those guys a lot. There’s not one time where I dropped back and think I’m going to get hit. It’s just the last thing on my mind when I think about the big boys up front.”

Regardless of how high the unit is ranked, there’s always room for improvement. Missouri showed flashes of balance between the run game and the passing game last weekend, but the offensive line will have to be more consistent if the Tigers want to establish a more dominant run game.

“There’s always more meat on the bone,” Elarbee said.

It was a phrase heard often in interviews with the offensive linemen during Tuesday’s media availability.

What does it mean? The offensive line can be the best in the country, but there’s always something to tweak or improve.

“You don’t want to be content,” Simms said. “We still have three games left. Let’s see how far we can take this thing.”

FAST FIVE: Lock likes to eat cranberry sauce and Razorbacks for Thanksgiving Nov. 10 Missouri quarterback Drew Lock might be one of the most recognizable faces on campus. The junior from Lee’s Summit is also playing the best football of his collegiate career and leads all FBS quarterbacks with 31 passing touchdowns through nine games. Even more surprising? He thinks he has the best hands on the team — though Emmanuel Hall, J’Mon Moore and the rest of the wide receivers may have something to say about that. The Missourian blitzed the QB with questions for this week’s edition of Fast Five.

What’s your favorite Thanksgiving food?

“It’s got to be the cranberry sauce on the turkey.”

What’s your favorite professional sports team and why?

“Probably the Royals, being from Kansas City. And I didn’t get to play baseball very long, but I love the sport.”

If you were to play any other position in football, what would it be and why?

“Wide receiver. Best hands on the team.”

What’s your favorite holiday tradition?

“Oh, my gosh, I have so many. I really like getting the whole family together for Thanksgiving, and my mom and her side of the family do a little Black Friday shopping. We all hung out for a couple of days when we got to, but nowadays my favorite holiday tradition is going and beating the Arkansas Razorbacks.”

What’s the weirdest praise you’ve gotten from a fan?

“Wow. There are a couple of weird ones. I saw a homeless man holding a sign that said ‘Drew Lock’ on it just the other week. It was downtown, and that was one of the more weirder things.”

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TODDLERS TO TIGERS: Hall has always been a mama's boy Nov. 10 Terez Hall knew his collarbone was broken. It hurt like crazy, but he couldn’t tell Ma. She might take him off the football team.

For the 11-year-old, the thought of not playing football was worse than having his Nintendo games taken away.

So, he just didn’t tell her about the injury. Hall kept playing until his coaches noticed he was struggling and took him out of the game.

Once Hall’s parents were notified — much to his dismay — and the trip to the emergency room was finalized, he had to sit out the rest of the season.

Felicia Hall — “Ma” to Terez — allowed her son to play the next season. And the next, and the next. Good thing, too, because the Missouri linebacker is tied for 11th in the SEC in total tackles and seventh in solo tackles through nine games of the 2017 season.

Hall’s football abilities have escalated since he was 11, but one thing remains constant. He’s wary of letting his mom know when he’s injured, even now as a junior in college.

“He’s scared I’ll come up and tell him that he has to get off the team and he can’t play no more,” Felicia Hall said.

Hall has always been worried about his mom. That’s because he’s a mama’s boy and has been since he was little.

If the mother-son pair aren’t at one of Hall’s sporting events, their favorite thing to do is travel. Hardly a weekend in Hall’s childhood passed that they weren’t somewhere new: amusement parks, mountains, zoos and more.

But his favorite place? Ruby Falls in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The 145-foot underground waterfall amazed 7-year-old Hall when they went for the first time.

“He couldn’t believe that you got in the escalator to go down into the Earth,” Felicia Hall said. “And then we got to the waterfall, and he just fell in love with it.”

The same year as the Ruby Falls trip, Hall began playing football.

He had already been playing rec basketball for two years, but his interest for football grew when he watched Michael Vick play.

The 7-year-old thought no one could stop Vick, and he didn’t want anyone to stop him on the field, either.

“He told me,” Felicia remembered about her young son, ‘Mom, ain’t nobody gonna stop me. Nobody, Mom. I’m telling you, when I get on that field, I’m gonna be just like Michael Vick.’”

Instead of a quarterback, though, he turned into the linebacker who eats quarterbacks for breakfast. Still, nobody would stop him. Nobody.

Hall played both football and basketball until his junior year in high school, when he switched schools and didn’t get as much playing time on the court. He decided he would focus on football. It seemed to be the right choice.

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“He blew up,” his mother said. “I mean, just blew up. We started receiving calls on calls for playing college ball.”

The recruiting calls flowed in, but Hall never let it get to his head. His mindset never wavered from the beginning.

“When he goes in on something, he goes in on it hard,” Felicia Hall said. “That same attitude, ain’t nothing changed at all.”

The mother and son have always had a special bond, which is why it was hard for Felicia Hall to see her boy move from Lithonia, Georgia, to Columbia for college. She makes it to as many games as she can, but their relationship has done a 180: Instead of traveling, they prefer games at Memorial Stadium — she gets to see her “big baby” more when the Tigers are at home, and Hall gets more time with Ma.

'Supreme confidence': MU defense flexes muscles in 50-17 win over Tennessee Nov. 11 Marcell Frazier was on another level when the second half began Saturday night. He surged forward and clobbered Tennessee quarterback Will McBride. The scampering offensive line was all but a side glance for the senior defensive end.

Ten-yard loss.

It was that kind of day for the Missouri defense, leading the Tigers (5-5, 2-4 SEC) to a 50-17 victory over Tennessee (4-5, 0-6).

Early in the second quarter, Missouri linebacker Cale Garrett smothered Tennessee running back Ty Chandler and pushed him back 5 yards. On the next play, Frazier sacked McBride.

Three Tigers had sacks on the day: Frazier, safety Joshuah Bledsoe and defensive lineman Tre Williams.

Missouri had nine tackles for loss for 41 yards.

“We’ve been focusing on the details,” Garrett said. “We’ve been playing physical, and we’ve been playing hard, but focusing on the little things and doing your job when it’s time to make the play has been the key for us lately.”

It wasn’t just the Tigers’ tackling that was sound. The secondary dismantled McBride and forced three turnovers on three straight drives during the second half.

Senior safety Anthony Sherrils grabbed an interception late in the third quarter. Redshirt junior safety Kaleb Prewett followed with an interception of his own. And Sherrils, the reigning SEC co-Defensive Player of the Week, continued his impressive run when he ripped the ball out of Tennessee running back Carlin Fils-aime's hands and recovered the fumble.

Even the second stringers forced a turnover. Williams stripped-sacked McBride late in the game, and defensive lineman Kobie Whiteside fell on it. That was Tennessee’s fourth turnover of the night. After not winning the turnover battle in its first eight games of the season, Missouri has won it in two straight contests.

This was the defense that had all the fingers pointed at it when Missouri went 1-5 to start the season. Now, the Tigers need just one more win — Vanderbilt or Arkansas — to officially become bowl-eligible.

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“We’re moving in the right direction,” Missouri coach Barry Odom said. “We’re making progress in a lot of areas. I can see it in practice, I can see it in the meeting room, I can see it in how we’re going to class, how we’re acting, what we’re doing.

“We were close, and close didn’t cut it. I’m excited for what they’ve done, but we need to have a heck of a Sunday practice.”

With the defense as solid as it was, Missouri wouldn’t have been able to complete the blowout without its offense. Saturday became the first time ever Missouri has scored 45 points or more in four straight games.

And the 33-point difference was the largest margin of victory ever for Missouri over an SEC opponent.

The previous best was 31 in 2013, a 48-17 win over Kentucky.

The run game stole the offensive show this time, which was no surprise — Tennessee is second-to-last in the SEC in rushing yards allowed per game.

Senior running back Ish Witter finished his career at Memorial Stadium in style, running for 216 yards and one touchdown. He surpassed 2,000 career yards with a 52-yard run, the longest of his career.

Freshman Larry Rountree III showed aggressiveness, too, with 155 yards, including a 64-yard run near the end of the first half.

“It’s those games you dream about,” Rountree said, “going out there and getting as many yards as you can, running north and south and making the defender pay when they try to tackle you.”

And the passing game? Well, that was pretty good, too.

Tennessee boasted the No. 4 passing defense in the country, and it showed during the first half. Missouri’s first drive was a quick three-and-out after two incompletions from Drew Lock. In the middle of the first quarter, Lock threw a pick-six to Nigel Warrior.

His aerial attack came back in the second half.

With about 11 minutes to go in the third quarter, Lock threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Emanuel Hall. Six minutes later, he threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to redshirt senior wide receiver J’Mon Moore.

Tennessee came to Columbia winless in the SEC and with a fan base that has called for coach Butch Jones’ firing since the beginning of the season. It’s safe to say nothing has changed after Saturday night.

But for Missouri, everything has changed. Two straight blowout SEC wins. A chance at a bowl game. The mindset in the locker room.

“We have supreme confidence right now and are in control of our destiny,” Garrett said. “And that is an awesome feeling.”

Just like Frazier was on that first play of the second half, the Missouri football team is on another level.

DL who originally signed with MU in 2013 commits to Tigers Nov. 14 Antar Thompson officially committed to Missouri on Tuesday. The junior college defensive tackle decommitted from Louisville earlier Tuesday, and less than two hours later, he announced he’s coming back to Missouri.

Thompson, who went to Maplewood Richmond Heights High School in the St. Louis area, originally signed with Missouri in 2013 as the No. 5 prospect out of the state. After family obligations and academic complications, he landed at Highland Community College in Highland, Kansas, a few years later. He

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turned back into a highly touted recruit and received offers from 11 schools. In June, he committed to Louisville.

Thompson will arrive in Columbia with three years of eligibility.

Missouri defensive line showing growth with post-practice practices Nov. 15 Piercing metallic clangs echoed throughout Devine Pavilion.

Tuesday’s practice in Missouri’s indoor facility was over, but the Tigers’ defensive line was not done.

In the northeast corner of the facility, players took turns hitting a yellow one-man sled, which emits a loud noise with each blow from the 300-pound-plus linemen. The sled’s perfect for developing a good initial punch as they fire off the line of scrimmage.

In between sets on the sled, players demolished a pass-rush dummy, a black pad with red arms they use to practice rips, clubs and spins against offensive linemen.

Terry Beckner Jr. said only a few defensive linemen participated in this post-practice practice before the Sept. 30 bye week. Since then, every one of them can be found in that corner after the final whistle blows.

It was Beckner and redshirt seniors Jordan Harold and Marcell Frazier who took initiative after the bye week to put in the extra work. Beckner, a junior, said he and the other older players encouraged their teammates to join them. Their teammates listened.

Perhaps they are taking out frustration from the beginning of the season — the “bad part of the season,” as freshman Chris Turner calls it — with each rep against the dummies.

“We don’t talk about that part anymore,” Turner said.

They don’t talk about the 1-5 start to the season, they don’t think about it, and they certainly don’t play like it.

The Tigers are 5-5, on a four-game winning streak and looking to clinch bowl eligibility with a win over Vanderbilt this weekend.

“Everybody had to regather,” Beckner said. “It was a rocky start, but it’s not always how you start; it’s how you finish. We’re trying to finish out the right way and continue to work.”

Beckner and the defensive line have been a big part of Missouri’s turnaround. Last week, the defense forced four Tennessee turnovers and three Tigers — senior Marcell Frazier, redshirt freshman Tre Williams and freshman Joshuah Bledsoe — had sacks.

The younger players — Turner and Williams on the defensive line, specifically — have begun to make an impact later in the season. They’ve garnered more playing time and continue to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Defensive line coach Brick Haley said that they’re learning the schemes and have gained an understanding of what they’re supposed to be doing, which usually happens in the later half of the season.

“It takes a little while for those guys to adjust,” Haley said. “You think last year this time, they were in high school, getting ready to play in a playoff game or something. So it’s just maturity.”

After the bye week, Haley said that his players’ attitude shifted. From there, the performance on the field

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shifted — in a very good way.

“I think everyone thought that we had to do more to help someone else,” Haley said, “but the only way you help someone else is by doing your job.”

What specifically showed that the defensive line had changed? Haley pointed to his players still practicing in the corner of Devine Pavilion.

“That, right there,” he said with a little smile on his face.

Harold was teaching Williams how to push around a lineman. Beckner was preparing to bulldoze the oneman sled. Turner was readying himself for a pass rush against the dummy.

And the rest of the linemen were waiting for their turns, watching and learning.

Missouri defense looking like a real D late in the season Nov. 18 NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Barry Odom was glad Adam Sparks was on his side on Saturday night.

Sparks, a freshman cornerback for the Tigers, decommitted from Vanderbilt last year. Less than 10 days later, Sparks decided to come to Missouri instead.

On Saturday night, he recorded his first career interception in Vanderbilt Stadium — wearing a white Missouri jersey.

“Some of the players on (Vanderbilt) were like, ‘Why did you switch?’ after that” Sparks said. “But I’m glad I chose this school. I love this school.”

Sparks was just one of the many playmakers Saturday night who helped Missouri (6-5) to a 45-17 win over the Commodores (4-7) in Nashville, Tennessee.

All the concerns about the Tigers’ defense, which allowed an average of 42 points in the first six games of the season, have been put to rest. The tackling is there, the pressure is there and the secondary coverage is there.

Even the scoring is there.

Midway through the second quarter, linebacker Brandon Lee picked off Vanderbilt quarterback Kyle Shurmur and ran it to the house from 42 yards out. It was the Tigers’ first pick-6 since they won against Vanderbilt 26-17 on Nov. 12, 2016, in Columbia.

“I haven’t been in the end zone since high school, so it was good to be back,” Lee said. “Things unfolded for me well.”

Terry Beckner Jr. got in on the interception action, too. He picked off Shurmur then raced 49-yards to midfield.

Would you want to stop a 305-pound lineman running downfield?

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“A couple of good moves, a couple of good blocks, but I think he got tired,” Odom said. “But he said he needed the ball more, and I usually don’t argue with him.”

At halftime, the Tigers hadn’t let the Commodores reach the end zone — the first time Missouri has shut out an SEC opponent in a half.

Vanderbilt had 399 total yards of offense Saturday night. Most of that came during the third quarter, when the Commodores scored 17 points. In the first half, Vanderbilt only had 100 offensive yards and only 18 rushing yards.

Part of the demolition of the Commodores’ offense has to do with Missouri’s tackling abilities. Vastly improved from earlier in the season, the Tigers were able to connect with Vanderbilt’s offensive players and shut down drives in the first half. Missouri had eight tackles for loss for 26 yards.

Defensive end Marcell Frazier destroyed Vanderbilt receiver Trent Sherfield late in the first quarter for a 6-yard loss. Frazier also had a 3-yard sack late in the game. Linebacker Cale Garrett executed a blitz on Shurmur for six yards, too. And on Missouri receiver Richaud Floyd’s punt return touchdown, Lee came up big with a block on the sideline.

“Richaud made it happen,” Lee said. “I just laid my body on the line. He set the block up well, and I just gave the guy a little nudge and Richaud was tip-toeing up the sideline.”

Vanderbilt’s offense started to come alive in the third quarter, which is when most of the offensive yards accumulated. Missouri’s defense couldn’t stop the 1-yard rush from running back Ralph Webb or the 7yard pass to receiver Caleb Scott. A 23-yard field goal from Tommy Openshaw put Vanderbilt within 21 points at the end of the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, it looked to be the same. Vanderbilt put together a drive and had the ball on the Missouri 10-yard line on fourth down. The Tigers needed a stop, and Frazier followed through. He pressured Shurmur enough to force the quarterback to throw the ball away, and the Tigers took over on downs. “(The third quarter) was real causal,” Lee said. “It was almost like guys wanted to get back home. We had to snap back into reality on the sideline. A couple of guys spoke up on the sideline and said we were originally supposed to hold them to a goose egg, that was the goal after we went into halftime.”

It wasn’t a goose egg, but it was a win. And for a defense that started the season allowing opponents to run up and down the field with seemingly no effort, Saturday night’s win was a big one.

It’s been a season of developing trust, Sparks said. He could trust his teammates on that interception early in the game, and that’s why it was so great going onto the sidelines after the pick.

“They were hyping me up,” Sparks said. “It was crazy. I’ve been trusting my teammates and understanding that we all have a job. I’m doing mine and they’re doing theirs.”

Opponent preview: Sizzling Missouri faces tumbling Arkansas in Battle Line Rivalry Nov. 23 After Missouri's 35-3 loss to Purdue on Sept. 16, Arkansas fans eagerly awaited the last game on the schedule — the Battle Line Rivalry between the Tigers and the Razorbacks, and what appeared to be a sure win for Arkansas.

When Missouri was 1-5 after its Oct. 14 loss to Georgia, Arkansas fans were even more excited for the Black Friday game in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

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Now, the week of the game, Arkansas fans aren't so excited. With Missouri (6-5, 3-4 SEC) on a five-game winning streak, the Battle Line Rivalry doesn't look too great for the Razorbacks (4-7, 1-6). Missouri opened up as a 13-point favorite Sunday, only the second time the Tigers were given a double-digit advantage over an SEC team. "(Arkansas is) not at a great place right now," said Bob Holt, the Arkansas beat writer for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. "The fan base is really upset, and a lot of them are wondering if Bret Bielema is going to survive after the firing of Jeff Long."

Long, of course, is the now-former Arkansas athletic director who hired Bielema as the Razorbacks' coach in 2012. Long was fired last week, and many are speculating that Bielema is next.

Bielema led the Razorbacks to a 3-9 finish in his inaugural season. The team improved to 7-6, 8-5 and 7-6 and went three bowl games in 2014, '15 and '16, but all three postseason appearances ended in losses.

Where did the trouble start, then? Faurot Field. The Razorbacks blew a 24-7 lead to Missouri in the final game of the 2016 regular season.

"And then they lost their bowl game against Virginia Tech," Holt said. "I think that set them on a bad path."

Now, the Razorbacks are 4-7, won't be going to a bowl game and bracing for a coaching search.

So Missouri, on paper, looks like it should win Friday. The Tigers have been on fire lately, and Arkansas shouldn't be a tougher opponent than Vanderbilt, which Missouri torched 45-17 last week.

The Razorbacks are coming off of a heartbreaking 28-21 loss to Mississippi State, in which a failed fourthdown pass late in the fourth quarter gave the Bulldogs the ball back. Mississippi State capped off the drive with a game-winning touchdown.

Holt, however, saw some positives. He said the Razorback defense had its best game of the season, and sophomore defensive lineman McTelvin Agim finally had his breakout game with nine tackles, 2½ tackles for loss and two forced fumbles — one that was recovered for a touchdown.

The Razorbacks won't shut down Missouri's offense, which is averaging 52 points over the past five games. But they might be able to at least slow down the Tigers.

"Arkansas is susceptible to the run, and the pass for that matter, one thing Missouri has going for them," Holt said. "The defense playing better is definitely an encouraging sight for Arkansas, but this isn't Alabama or Auburn's defense or anything like that."

As for Arkansas' offense, it's nothing special, either. Quarterback Austin Allen has battled a shoulder injury throughout the year, and Holt said he's not sure if the senior is 100 percent yet. There are a number of offensive linemen who are banged up, including Hjalte Froholdt and Zach Rogers. A struggling offense gives Missouri's secondary opportunities to interrupt the passing game, and the Tiger defensive line is likely to continue its explosive play.

For Arkansas to play close with and beat Missouri, Holt said it'll need to play like it did last week against Mississippi State. That means receiving some help from special teams and defense like it got against the Bulldogs — turnovers that turned into touchdowns and a blocked punt.

The other thing that Arkansas should do against Missouri, Holt said, is play with passion — just like last week.

"They played hard, and you can tell these kids really like Bret Bielema," Holt said. "They're smart kids, they know what's going on, that (Bielema) is fighting for his job. So they really tried hard to win, and sometimes with teams this bad you can see that they've given up. But Arkansas hasn't."

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MU wraps up regular season with comeback, shootout win over Arkansas Nov. 24 FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Only once this season has a Missouri football game come down to the final seconds: an Oct. 7 40-34 loss to Kentucky. The other nine games were either really bad losses or really easy wins.

But you can’t forget about rivalry weekend, right? Missouri and Arkansas didn’t. The border states put on a show in Friday’s fourth-annual Battle Line Rivalry game.

And it came down to a field goal.

Tucker McCann drilled a 19-yarder with five seconds left to lift the Tigers (7-5, 4-4 SEC) to a 48-45 win over the Razorbacks (4-8, 1-7). MU now awaits its bowl game fate. Arkansas’ season, meanwhile, is over, and shortly after the loss Bret Bielema was dismissed as Razorbacks coach.

“We found a way to win a really hard game,” Missouri coach Barry Odom said. “It was ugly in most of every part of it, but offensively (we) did enough to keep us in the game defensively, and then down the stretch (we) made some plays.”

There were some ugly parts. The ugliest? Missouri’s secondary regressed to what it looked like at the beginning of the season.

Freshman cornerback Adam Sparks was torched on Arkansas’ first touchdown drive, when Razorbacks quarterback Austin Allen found wide receiver Jordan Jones for a 65-yard reception. It put Arkansas on the 5yard line, and a few plays later, Allen punched it in.

Sparks did ignite the defense with an interception late in the second quarter, but that was one of the few bright spots for the Tigers’ secondary on Friday.

Sophomore cornerback DeMarkus Acy couldn’t tackle Jones in single coverage when Allen threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to the redshirt freshman. This time, it was in the end zone.

“Lack of communication, bad eyes, especially on my plate,” Acy said of the defensive breakdowns. “I guess guys were getting a little too greedy getting out there, so there were missed assignments. We just had to do our jobs.”

The secondary kept up its poor performance throughout the nearly four-hour game. It continuously missed tackles and allowed Arkansas receivers into the end zone untouched. Perhaps all the strides Missouri had made over the last five weeks were because of the lower quality of opponent the Tigers faced.

The defensive line, however, showed steady play, with two sacks and seven tackles for loss for 16 yards.

Marcell Frazier continued to wreak havoc on the opposing offense, including a 7-yard sack in the first quarter to force a much-needed three-and-out.

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But the defense was a little taken aback, defensive lineman Terry Beckner Jr. said, that Arkansas came out with such force. It was an offense they hadn’t seen in the Tigers’ win streak.

“It was kind of a shock that they were running it up like that,” Beckner said. “We were like, ‘Oh, we better step up playing.’”

It was a less-than-stellar start for the Missouri offense, too. Lock was 3-for-8 with only 36 passing yards and an interception that came on his second pass of the day.

The Tigers were having none of that in the second quarter.

On Missouri’s first drive, Lock delivered a dime to wide receiver Emanuel Hall, who hauled it to the end zone for a 55-yard touchdown. The Tigers only trailed by a score, and Lock tied Chase Daniel’s school single-season passing touchdown record with his 39th of 2017.

Midway through the second quarter, Lock broke the record with, of course, a 57-yard pass to Hall. The Tigers tied it with Lock’s up-the-middle pass to tight end Albert Okwuegebunam — which both broke the SEC mark for passing touchdowns in single season for Lock (41) and the MU record for touchdown receptions in a season by a freshman for Okwuegbunam (10). The Tigers took the lead heading into halftime with a 37-yard field goal from McCann.

The fight didn’t subside after halftime. After a chippy start — Arkansas linebacker Derrick Munson was called for targeting on Cam Hilton during the quarter-opening kickoff — Lock’s pass was snatched out of the air by defensive back Henre’ Toliver on the Tigers’ first possession.

Lock finished 25-for-42 with 448 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. On a day he wrote his name into the SEC and school record books, he didn’t have much help from his receivers. Hall left the game midway through the second quarter with a hamstring injury, and Moore had at least four key drops.

“Just gotta move forward,” Moore said. “I wanted that ball so bad tonight, I was a little anxious. I just have to slow myself down and let the game come to me.”

The Tigers, however, couldn’t have won the game without Moore. He grabbed a 24-yard touchdown reception with around eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter to put Missouri up three. He got away with a possible offensive pass interference, but the referees kept their hands in the air despite the heavy boos from many of the 64,529 fans at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Moore admitted that he bumped the Arkansas defensive back just a little.

“That’s part of the game,” Moore said. “He’s trying to bump up against me, so I’m going to get the best of him.”

Ultimately, Lock’s passes were complete when he needed them to be: Hall’s two touchdown grabs, Moore’s end zone snatch and Okwuegbunam’s NFL-like reception in the northwest corner of the end zone. Even Nate Brown and Dominic Collins had key catches for the Tigers.

“I can’t speak enough about those guys coming in and being a huge part of our offense,” Lock said of the backups.

The most underrated part of the offense was the running game. Missouri had 248 yards on the ground, and senior Ish Witter came through with big carries time and again while rushing 39 times for 170 yards.

“There are going to be examples in the offseason and the next year about tremendous competitors and the way to approach the game ... and I’ll look at Ish Witter,” Odom said. “Mental toughness, the desire and the want-to, it’s off the charts.”

With three ties, the lead changed five times over the course of the game. The Kentucky game didn’t even feature lead changes — the Tigers trailed the entire game.

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But this Missouri team — one that will head to a bowl game after starting the season 1-5 — is a much different team than the one on Oct. 7.

“We were able to answer every time the other team made something happen,” Moore said. “We were able to respond and finish the game. … I mean, we wanted it, so we went out there and played.”

Bottom line, Lock said, was that the Tigers are tougher. And man, does it feel good to be the team on top of a close game this time.

“We have fought through adversity, and it was just this time that we fought through enough, we fought through all the different situations thrown at us, that it was time for us to come out on top,” Lock said. “It was time for us to be the better team. It was time for us to be the tougher team.”

Heupel, Elarbee land on Offensive Coach of the Year finalist list Nov. 28 With Missouri quarterback Drew Lock breaking the school and conference single-season passing touchdown records last week against Arkansas, it’s no surprise that his coach is gaining recognition for it.

It’s also no surprise that the coach of the position that protects Lock is gaining recognition, either.

Missouri offensive coordinator Josh Heupel and offensive line coach Glen Elarbee are on FootballScoop’s Coach of the Year finalists lists, which were released Tuesday.

Heupel is listed on the offensive coordinator list, along with Notre Dame’s Chip Long; Penn State’s Joe Moorhead; Wake Forest’s Warren Ruggiero; Ohio State’s Kevin Wilson; and Oklahoma State’s Mike Yurcich.

Heupel is also on the quarterbacks coach list, along with Ruggerio; Georgia’s Jim Chaney; Ohio State’s Ryan Day; Connecticut’s Rhett Lashlee; Arizona’s Rod Smith; Central Florida’s Mario Verduzo; and Toledo’s Bright Wright.

Elarbee is a finalist for the offensive line coach of the year, along with Central Florida’s Greg Austin; Oklahoma’s Bill Bendenbaugh; Notre Dame’s Harry Hjestand; Florida Atlantic’s Garin Justice; Alabama’s Brent Key; and Georgia’s Sam Pittman.

This year’s winners will be chosen by prior winners and will be announced throughout December.

Heupel reportedly in talks with South Alabama AL.com’s Creg Stephenson reported Tuesday that Heupel has expressed interest in the head coaching position at South Alabama. Current head coach Joey Jones announced his resignation Nov. 20 after coaching with the Jaguars for nine years. Athletic director Joel Erdmann said there have been no formal interviews with candidates yet, according to AL.com.

AL.com also confirmed that, along with Heupel, Auburn offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey and Central Arkansas head coach Steve Campbell have expressed interest in the job.

Heupel is the highest-paid assistant coach in Missouri history, with a salary of $700,000. He is under contract through the 2018 season.

Hines on SEC community service team Senior cornerback Anthony Hines was named to the SEC Football Community Service Team, according to a release sent Tuesday by the conference.

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Hines, from South San Francisco, California, was recognized for consistently visiting “West Boulevard Elementary School to mentor kids, and does this on his own time and initiative...” as well as visiting the University of Missouri Children’s Hospital and being a part of the Tiger Leadership Institute.

Beckner on Piesman ballot Defensive lineman Terry Beckner Jr. was listed on the 2017 Piesman Trophy ballot, released Sunday by SB Nation. The award honors a lineman who has the best throw, run or catch. Beckner Jr. is on the ballot for his interception against Vanderbilt on Nov. 18.

Fans can vote for their ballot, and finalists will be announced later this week. The winner will be chosen Dec. 8 live on SB Nation’s YouTube channel.

Tigers honored at banquet Before gearing up for the upcoming bowl game, the Missouri football team had its annual banquet Sunday. Team awards were given to 11 players. Here’s the full list: Missouri “MO” Award: Senior running back Ish Witter J. Ed “Brick” Travis Interior Lineman Award: Junior defensive lineman Terry Beckner Jr. Big “M” Iron Man Award: Sophomore offensive lineman Tre’Vour Simms Aaron O’Neal St. Louis Metro Player of the Year: Senior defensive lineman Jordan Harold Bob Jeffries Kansas City Metro Player of the Year: Junior quarterback Drew Lock Brick Squad Lifter of the Year: Redshirt freshman defensive lineman Macaulay Keevins and sophomore defensive lineman Jordan Elliot Curtis Jones Champion of the Year: Senior offensive lineman Alec Abeln Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year: Redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Thomas Grossman and freshman wide receiver Kentrell Barber Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year: Sophomore defensive lineman Jordan Elliiot and redshirt junior safety Dominic Nelson Rigman Outstanding Underclassman Leadership Award: Redshirt freshman offensive lineman Trystan Castillo and junior linebacker Terez Hall Don Faurot Most Inspirational Player of the Year: Redshirt junior linebacker Tavon Ross

Sterk, Odom look forward to bowl game Dec. 3 Jim Sterk never jumped to conclusions, even when the Missouri football team was 1-5.

The Missouri athletic director saw what was happening behind the scenes — a bond in the locker room, and a team that wants to win together — but he also heard the dire outside noise from the fan base, including an email sent asking Sterk to fire Missouri head coach Barry Odom.

That’s why it’s such a great feeling for him, Odom and the Missouri football team to be going bowling after starting the season with only one win through six games. After six straight victories, however, Missouri is headed to the Texas Bowl in Houston to face former Big 12 rival Texas.

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Sterk said the postseason is always a goal but that the mindset had to change if Missouri was ever going to get there. Odom did just that.

“I think (Odom) dialed it up a few notches to really focus on the game at hand,” Sterk said Sunday at his news conference. “They have broad goals to reach, but they weren’t going to reach them unless they won each week. So I think as a leader, as a staff, as student athletes, I think they really focused on the mindset being 1-0.”

Odom never wavered in the confidence in his team. He wouldn’t recommend going 1-5 — no one ever would — but he noted the trust his players had in the Missouri staff to get the job done.

Now, the Tigers are looking for their seventh straight win to close out the 2017 season.

“Faith? I’ve always got faith,” Odom said Sunday. “If you believe in what you’re doing, you’ve got strong conviction, you’ve got confidence and you’ve got the guys around you as a staff who are going to go make it work — I knew it was going to happen. I just didn’t know when it was going to happen.”

Sterk and Odom aren’t the only ones who are excited about going bowling. Odom said he wanted to tell the team himself about where the bowl game would be and whom Missouri would be facing, but with social media, that never works.

Still, as Odom sat in his office and finished up phone calls after finalizing the bowl game plans, he heard the cheers from players down in meeting rooms.

“There’s a bunch of guys on this roster who haven’t been to a bowl game, and there’s a bunch of guys who have experienced it,” Odom said. ... “You could hear the eruption of guys having excitement of not only where we were going but who we’re going to have an opportunity to play. So that was pretty cool to hear it from afar.”

Odom said his players know Missouri’s Big 12 history, and if they don’t, Odom and his staff will be sure to inform them. He did start off his Missouri career playing Texas, after all.

And there’s always that line from former Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds in 2013: “Take a school like Missouri. Our bad years are better than their good years.”

No matter how Missouri’s season started, fans should be grateful that the 7-5 Tigers are going bowling in the first place. And that they’re facing a former rival, the 6-6 Longhorns. Maybe some fans can even learn from Sterk: Don’t jump to conclusions.

Missouri OC Heupel named coach at UCF Dec. 5 The Missouri football team is now in the market for a new offensive coordinator.

UCF — whose most recent coach, Scott Frost, is now the coach at Nebraska — announced Tuesday that former Missouri offensive coordinator Josh Heupel is its new coach. The KnigWhts went undefeated this season under Frost and will play Auburn in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 1.

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“I believe we’ve identified one of the brightest offensive minds in college football,” UCF vice president and athletic director Danny White said in UCF’s statement announcing the hire. “His offensive system is very similar to what we’ve been running. I know he’s going to utilize all the great talent on our roster and continue to add to it. ... Coach Heupel is in coaching for the right reasons.”

Heupel will receive a five-year contract with $1.7 million guaranteed annually and a $2.5 million staff salary pool — announced later Tuesday. The new Knights coach will also receive 25 percent of season ticket sales and per-seat donation incremental growth — an innovative part of the contract that shows UCF wants to keep Heupel around. He’s eligible for $250,000 in annual bonuses for academic and athletic performance. If Heupel leaves before the 2020 bowl game, the buyout is $10 million. If he leaves after, the buyout becomes 50 percent of the remaining value of the contract. Heupel was the highest-paid assistant in Missouri history with the Tigers, making $700,000 per year.

Former Miami coach and Florida defensive coordinator Randy Shannon was named the UCF defensive coordinator shortly after Heupel’s announcement surfaced. Shannon took over as the Gators’ interim coach right before Florida played Missouri this year after Jim McElwain was fired.

Heupel was hired at Missouri in 2015 under coach Barry Odom. His offense led the SEC in yards per game in 2016 and is currently ranked No. 7 in the nation in total offense this season, averaging 511.5 yards per game. Drew Lock flourished under Heupel the past two years, as the junior quarterback leads the nation in passing touchdowns and broke both the Missouri and SEC single-season touchdown record. Lock was named the All-SEC first-team signal-caller Monday.

Heupel’s departure opens up the NFL door for Lock even more. Next year would be Lock’s third offensive coordinator since arriving at Missouri. There’s been talk of Lock leaving for the draft already.

It’s unclear whether Heupel will stay to coach Missouri in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 27 against Texas. Frost has already committed to coaching the Knights in the Peach Bowl, so Heupel could stay to coach the Tigers or get a jump on recruiting. A Missouri athletic spokesperson said the department is unsure if Heupel will stay through the end of the postseason.

Heupel named FootballScoop's Offensive Coordinator of the Year Dec. 6 A day after leaving Missouri to become UCF's new head coach, former Tigers offensive coordinator Josh Heupel was named the FootballScoop Offensive Coordinator of the Year.

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"In his two seasons as Missouri’s offensive coordinator, Heupel took the Tigers’ offense from being one of the worst attacks in the country to one of the best," FootballScoop's release said Wednesday.

Indeed, Heupel transformed the Tigers offense.

The unit ranked 125th in total offense and yards per play two years ago when Heupel was hired under head coach Barry Odom. After finishing the regular season on a six-game winning streak, Missouri ranked seventh in total offense and sixth in yards per play. Quarterback Drew Lock has thrown 43 touchdowns this season — a new record for both Missouri and the SEC. He sat atop the conference rankings in passing yards per game.

FootballScoop didn't forget the running game when mentioning Heupel's excellence, and Tigers fans should either. After Damarea Crockett was injured, senior Ish Witter and freshman Larry Rountree III stepped in and got the job done. Missouri ran for almost 200 yards per game — 199.58 to be exact.

It's unclear still if Heupel will bring his offensive mind to the Texas Bowl on Dec. 27 when Missouri faces Texas. Former UCF head coach Scott Frost — who is now the head coach at Nebraska — said he will be coaching the Knights in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 1.

UM Curators to view south end zone project The Board of Curators are scheduled to meet in St. Louis on Thursday. During the session, they will discuss the Memorial Stadium south end zone project, which is expected to be completed in Aug. 2019.

Designs and costs were listed in the project design announcement on Wednesday.

Missouri football hires inside linebackers coach Dec. 14 Barry Odom has hired Vernon Hargreaves to coach the inside linebackers at Missouri, according to a press release sent out on Thursday.

Hargreaves has been in the coaching business for 33 years, and he’s spent the last three years coaching linebackers at Arkansas. He coached at Miami from 1998-2005 and was part of the Hurricanes’ two appearances in the BCS National Championship Game, including when they won the title after the 2001 season.

Before Arkansas, Hargreaves was at Houston with Brian Odom, Missouri’s outside linebackers coach and brother of MU’s head coach.

“I’ve known Vernon for a number of years and have always respected the way his position plays the game,” Barry Odom said in the statement. “He will be a great teacher and mentor for our student-athletes.

His experience will be so valuable for our program; I’m excited about Vernon and his family joining our Mizzou family.”

Hargreaves played at Connecticut before getting into coaching. He finished his career in 1983 and was a two-time All-American for the Huskies. His son, Vernon III, was a standout cornerback for Florida from 2013-2015. Tampa Bay picked him as the 11th pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

Barry Odom fired defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach DeMontie Cross early this season and took over coaching duties himself for the remainder of the year. Odom promoted secondary coach Ryan Walters to defensive coordinator last week. The Tigers are still in search of an offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, as Josh Heupel and Glen Elarbee left for UCF last week.

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MU football adds offensive line coach Dec. 15 One day after Missouri coach Barry Odom brought on Vernon Hargreaves as his inside linebackers coach, he’s hired an offensive line coach in Brad Davis, per a release sent out Friday.

Former Tigers offensive line coach Glen Elarbee followed former offensive coordinator Josh Heupel to UCF, where Heupel is now the head coach and Elarbee leads the offensive line. Offensive analyst Jon Cooper was leading Missouri’s offensive line in practice until Elarbee’s replacement was found.

Davis spent the 2017 season under Jim McElwain at Florida coaching the offensive line. Before that, he spent time coaching offensive lines at a variety of places, including North Texas, where he worked with current Mean Green offensive coordinator Graham Harrell. Harrell has come up as a name to watch for Missouri’s open offensive coordinator spot.

“I’m very pleased to have Brad and his family join our program,” Odom said in the release. “He’s a tremendous teacher and mentor, and he’s been lights out on the recruiting trail with his approach to building true relationships with kids. Brad has experience in the SEC and he has worked hard to earn a great amount of respect among his peers. I’m excited to have him with us, and I know he is going to do a great job helping us move forward offensively and continue building.”

Davis — from Baton Rouge, Louisiana — was an offensive lineman at Oklahoma and was on two Big 12 championship teams as well as the 2000 national championship team.

Tigers prepare for Texas Bowl, early signing period Dec. 19 He doesn’t make the players call him “Coach Lock” — yet — but Missouri quarterback Drew Lock is acting like the quarterbacks coach the Tigers have been missing since former offensive coordinator Josh Heupel departed for the head-coaching job at UCF. “There’s a lot more things directed toward me, the quarterback, the leader,” Lock said after Tuesday’s practice. “I’m having a lot of fun. We’re a bunch of (grad assistants) and position coaches out here, trying to make it work here.”

Lock said he prepares for practice now with a bit of a different mindset. Instead of just focusing on what he has to do and his role on the field, he finds himself with more of a coach’s focus, knowing other roles more than just his own.

Those other roles include the backup quarterbacks, one of whom might be thrust into the spotlight next year if Lock decides to leave for the NFL a year early.

Whomever it might be, Lock knows each backup’s strengths and weaknesses.

Redshirt freshman Micah Wilson, who has been Lock’s backup this year and has gotten some playing time, needed to focus more on the mental side of the ball, Lock said. Wilson can throw deep, but he needed to work on the mindset. Lock said Wilson has done that, and the junior quarterback saw a lot of his younger self in Wilson.

“I see his learning process like I saw mine,” Lock said.

Freshman Taylor Powell, who is redshirting this season, needed to add arm strength. Lock said Powell is one of the smarter guys on the field, and he has good footwork. But he needed to throw longer. He’s done that.

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Redshirt sophomore Jack Lowary didn’t escape without high praise from Lock, either.

“Jack’s been the greatest thing for me since coming here as far as keeping my head together,” Lock said.

“He’s the smartest dude on the field, so that’s been awesome to have as a friend and someone that’s willing to help me out.”

As far as play-calling against Texas in the Texas Bowl, “Coach Lock” will probably leave that up to the offensive staff, led by tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley, who is filling in until the Tigers find a new offensive coordinator.

But Lock might have a few checks here and there, he said.

“If you see me walk up to the line,” Lock said, “I’m probably seeing something a little different.”

Tigers offer JUCO quarterback ahead of early NSD Missouri offered East Mississippi Community College quarterback Lindsey Scott Jr. a spot for next year, nola.comrecruiting analyst Jimmy D. Smith tweeted Tuesday. Scott was formerly at LSU but transferred to EMCC before fall camp this season. He is originally from Louisiana, and his dad — not former Georgia standout Lindsay Scott — played at Southern and in the Canadian Football League.

Landing a quarterback in this signing class would be beneficial to Missouri, regardless if Lock leaves for the draft early or not.

Scott hasn’t made a decision on where he’ll attend, but 21 other Missouri commits have, and most of them are expected to put ink to paper when the new early signing period begins Wednesday. The Tigers picked up a two-star running back, according to Rivals, in Simi Bakare out of Round Rock, Texas, on Tuesday.

Monday saw a verbal commitment from Jatorian Hansford, a three-star linebacker from Forsyth, Georgia.

Vincent Gray, a defensive back out of Rochester, Michigan, committed to Missouri in July, but he received an offer from Michigan on Monday.

It’s bad news for those who held onto the hope that Ronnie Perkins, brother of Missouri safety Ronnell Perkins, would find his way to the Tigers after verbally committing to Oklahoma, as Ronnie tweeted out that he’ll be signing with the Sooners on Wednesday.

Nevertheless, Odom feels good about the early signing period.

“For us, it looks really favorable,” Odom said on Sunday. “We feel solid with the number that we’re going to get.”

Tigers bring in 16 recruits on first day of early signing period Dec. 20 Christmas came early for Barry Odom. With the new 72-hour early signing period starting Wednesday, Missouri football saw 16 recruits sign their letters of intent to play with the Tigers next year.

As exciting as it is for MU to know some of the players who will come to Columbia next year, it opens up discussion for just how great the early signing period can be.

Odom didn’t seem to like the notion of bringing high school players on official visits in the spring. A lot of the time, those players are 16 years old — and in their junior year of high school.

“And you want them to have a college experience?” Odom said Wednesday. “I know what I was doing at 16 — I didn’t have any business running around having a college experience at the age of 16 ... . But we’ll have an opportunity to bring kids in in the spring, and I guess we’ll go to the PG movies down the street and

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give them some popcorn and soda. Gosh dang, they’re juniors in high school, and you want them to make a decision. I don’t know. ... It’s different.”

Regardless, some of Missouri’s 2018 class put pen to paper and sealed the deal with the Tigers on Wednesday, and Odom and his staff are happy about who will be coming to Columbia. According to a press release, four of them will be enrolling in January: Gerald Nathan Jr., Harry Ballard III, Tyrone Collins and Dominic Gicinto.

There are still plenty of spots left, with three verbal commits — Jatorian Hansford, Tyrus Wheat and Vincent Gray — waiting until February to sign.

“It opens up a window to see who’s really available,” Odom said. “We have a tough decision to make moving forward, but it’s exciting. You get a chance to get a group in now and really evaluate the landscape of who else is out there and make the right fit for your program.”

A focus was put on wide receivers after the Tigers didn’t bring in any last year. Five signed with Missouri on Wednesday. The defensive end spot was another target, and Missouri brought in two ends who could make a big difference down the line. Defensive line coach Brick Haley said the Tigers needed some speed, edge rush players, and both Haley and Odom feel good about the depth for next year.

With quarterback Drew Lock’s NFL decision looming, Missouri hasn’t brought in a quarterback recruit — yet.

“At some point, Drew is going to let us know what he’s doing, and that will help form our opinion on which direction we go,” Odom said.

Here’s who signed with Missouri on Wednesday: Chad Bailey: Ranked as a four-star recruit by Rivals, Bailey leads a big recruiting class out of Texas. The 6-foot inside linebacker hails from Missouri City, Texas, which is also home of Missouri senior wide receiver J’Mon Moore.

Harry Ballard III: Originally committed to Missouri in 2016, Ballard took a little longer than expected to get to Columbia. The 6-3 wide receiver from Florissant is at Jones County Community College in Mississippi, but he never took his eyes off the Tigers.

“You would like to lean on his experience in the game, and he’s an athletic kid that we’ve known about for a long time,” Odom said about Ballard. “The process now for him is finish up what he needs to do academically and, as soon as he can, get in the playbook.”

Simi Bakare: Another Texas recruit, Bakare will come to Columbia from Round Rock, Texas. He’s a twostar running back according to Rivals.

Daniel Parker Jr.: Parker is a big in-state recruit for the Tigers. The 6-2 defensive end is from Blue Springs, and Rivals has him as a four-star recruit. He has the ability to play on both sides of the ball, but defensive line coach Brick Haley has his mind made up.

“Who recruited him?” Haley said. “You’ve gotta have first dibs on your own, right? Sad dog that don’t wag his own tail.”

Cameron Wilkins: Rivals ranks Wilkins as a three-star linebacker. He’s 6-2 and comes from Del Valle, Texas. While the Tigers have a good number of linebackers coming back next year, Wilkins has the ability to help on special teams early.

Khmari Thompson: After MU failed to bring in any wide receiver recruits this past year, Thompson leads the 2018 class as a three-star receiver from Lawrenceville, Georgia. He’s a deep threat that could match Emanuel Hall’s ability one day.

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Gerald Nathan: Missouri kicked off the start of the early signing period with a signature from Nathan.

The 6-2, three-star recruit out of Charlotte, North Carolina, has been joined by Wilkins and Bailey as linebacker recruits, but his speed means he could help on special teams right away.

Kam Scott: A Rivals three-star wide receiver, Scott comes from Manvel, Texas. ESPN ranks him as No. 66 at the wideout position. Scott, who stands 6-2, chose Missouri over SEC East foes South Carolina and Tennessee.

Javon Foster: One of two offensive linemen to sign with Missouri on Wednesday, Foster is a two-star tackle from West Bloomfield, Michigan. Foster’s 6-6 and 300-pound frame fits right in with the Tigers’ offensive line — big and tall.

Mike Ruth: Ruth was the second offensive lineman to sign with the Tigers on Wednesday. Just like with Foster, Ruth’s frame fits in with Missouri’s line: 6-7 and 325 pounds. The three-star offensive tackle comes from Coppell, Texas.

Danny Gray: A top-100 wideout and three-star wide receiver, Gray brings great speed to the Missouri offense. He’s the reigning 3A Texas state champion in the 100-meter dash, with a time of 10.69 seconds.

He also helped bring a state title to the 4x100 relay team for James Madison High School in Dallas.

Jalen Knox: Knox was one of the early commits in Missouri’s signing class. He’s ranked as a three-star wide receiver on Rivals and will also bring speed to the Tigers’ offense — he clocked a 4.51 40-yard dash.

Dominic Gicinto: One of three in-state recruits, Gicinto went to Raytown High School in Raytown. He’s ranked as a two-star wide receiver by Rivals.

Trajan Jeffcoat: According to PowerMizzou.com, Jeffcoat was committed since September. But the South Carolina defensive end kept it a secret to keep other schools from coming in when they saw he was committed to Missouri. Jeffcoat led The Palmetto State with 13 sacks as a senior and is ranked as a threestar prospect by Rivals.

Jarvis Ware: One of two defensive backs to sign with Missouri, Ware fits the mold with under-the-radar prospects that Missouri seems to always find. The 6-1 defensive back clocks a 4.60 40 and was used as a kick and punt returner his senior year at Wekiva High School in Apopka, Florida.

Tyrone Collins: Collins is the other defensive back who signed with Missouri on Wednesday. Collins also comes from Florida: Braden River High School in Bradenton. Rivals ranks the 5-11 prospect as a three-star cornerback.

“We know they’re pretty raw athletes,” defensive coordinator and secondary coach Ryan Walters said about Ware and Collins. “Jarvis is obviously a long, athletic young man. He’s got tremendous confidence and is versatile. Tyrone is really fast. He’s filling out a bit, too, now. Both those guys are football players; they’re not afraid of contact. In fact, they invite it, and they make plays all over the field.”

Officially game week On Wednesday, Missouri had its last bowl practice in Columbia, one week out from kicking off against Texas in the Texas Bowl. The Tigers have a final walk-through Thursday and leave Friday for Houston.

“They have done exactly what we’ve asked them to do,” Odom said after Wednesday’s practice. “Now the challenge will be tomorrow’s position meetings, walk-throughs, getting in the weight room a little bit and continue our mental preparation knowing that we’re seven days and counting ... away from going and having an opportunity to play one more time together.”

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Missouri Athletics creative video intern Davis tells the Tigers' stories; this is his Dec. 21 “Columbia, Missouri.”

Orange and red leaves on trees around campus flash across the screen. The street lights lining Ninth Street. The statue at Tiger Plaza and Memorial Student Union. Ellis Library and Jesse Hall and the historic Columns and the wooden walls of Shakespeare’s Pizza.

Eric Church’s song “Give Me Back My Hometown” fades in.

“Show me a place like this,” a voice continues as more pictures flash onto the screen. “A place that brings back memories like these.”

The rest of the 2-minute, 41-second video continues with Church’s song and voice-overs by former football players.

And as the camera pans over fans at Memorial Stadium, the words “WELCOME HOME” appear on the screen.

“We’ve missed you.”

The video — created for Missouri’s 2016 Homecoming game — is an Eichel Davis masterpiece. Davis is a digital storytelling senior at MU. He’s also a Missouri Athletics creative video intern.

He’s otherwise known as the “Mizzou hype man.”

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You might recognize some of his videos from various MU Athletics social media accounts. “(Eichel Davis) showed me a week earlier the hype video for (the Nov. 10 men’s basketball game against Iowa State),” Missouri assistant director of strategic communications Shawn Davis said. “And I was like, ‘Oh, my god. The roof is going to blow off that building.’ When it does come on, I’m looking around, and the place is going bananas. And he was kind of the hype man.”

For all the hype he creates, Eichel Davis is a calm guy who has a passion for video and sports. He uses video as a creative outlet to tell people’s stories, but there’s more to him than the videos he creates. The people who know Davis call him one of the coolest guys they know. He’s goofy, and he’s kind. He’s a righthand man. He’s the kind of guy you call when you’re in trouble.

Davis likes to tell other people’s stories. This is his.

From weather to video Davis grew up in St. Louis. He went to Westminster Christian Academy, also home of Missouri baseball player Brett Bond. Davis and Bond have been friends since sophomore year of high school. Bond played, and Davis was a manager.

“I wanted to play for like five seconds,” Davis said. “I’m not very athletic, if you can believe that.”

Instead of playing, Davis turned to managing and videos. But, when he came to MU, he came as a meteorology major. He switched after his first semester — a conversation with a friend sticks out as one of the reasons why.

“We were talking about what we did in high school, and I told her everything I did, and she was like, ‘Why the hell are you doing meteorology?’” Davis said. “And I was like, ‘I don’t know; I like weather.’”

Davis thought about it, and he realized he needed to use his video skillset in a future job. So he switched his area of study to journalism and then digital storytelling.

He also began working as a manager for the Missouri baseball team when he arrived on campus and created videos for social media. But it wasn’t until two years later that he expanded his talents across the athletic department.

Shawn Davis, Eichel Davis’ boss while he worked on baseball content, called the student manager into his office one day in the summer of 2016. The sports information director saw potential in the soon-to-be junior, but Shawn Davis needed more proof. So, instead of strictly managing the baseball team at Taylor Stadium, he proposed that Eichel Davis come over and work with him at the Hearnes Center.

The simple meeting had turned Eichel Davis’ life around.

“I didn’t think it would impact my life for the next two years,” he said. “I guess you never know that those moments will impact your life.”

Ever since Davis joined forces with Caroline Hall — another creative video intern who works primarily with the football team — the two have been unstoppable. Davis calls Hall one of the best in the business.

Hall and Eichel Davis have changed the landscape of what Mizzou Athletics does with video on social media, Shawn Davis said.

“Wherever they go, they’re going to take that school or organization to the next level,” Shawn Davis said.

“It’s like, ‘Holy cow, I hope they’re here.’ It’s like a five-star recruit, but a video kid.”

More than just a hype man Davis has three goals:

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1. Be a Division I athletic director.

2. Be an author.

3. Have a show on Netflix — preferably one of his book series coming to life.

In short: A novel-writing athletic director who just happens to have a show on Netflix.

“It sounds cool, doesn’t it?” he said.

Davis likes people — it’s why he likes to tell their stories through video. He calls himself “people-centric,” and he notices that Missouri football coach Barry Odom and athletic director Jim Sterk are people-centric, too. It’s how Davis hopes he’ll run his athletic department one day.

“People first,” Davis said. “People, stories, relationships — that’s how it should be run. The best businesses, the institutions that last, are the ones that are built on people.”

He does have one more overarching, people-centric, goal: Make the world a better place.

He wants to accomplish Goals 1 through 3, but he wants it done the right way. He calls himself a social warrior.

“Always being a nice person, treating every person with empathy, because every person deserves empathy,” Davis said. “It’s the thing that every person should demand from anyone: the ability to be seen as a human being.”

Ask anyone who knows Davis, though, and they would probably say he’s made the world a better place already.

Senior Matt Berler, an infielder for the Missouri baseball team, met Davis in August of 2016. They were next-door neighbors after Berler transferred from Meridian Community College. Once strangers, the two now have a tradition of going out to eat every Sunday night to catch up, no matter how busy they might be.

“He’s like my second guardian,” Berler said. “He’s my spell check. He’s the guy I’m going to bounce ideas off of. He’s the constant rock that points me in the right direction.”

His second goal — being an author — is already on its way to being checked off the list.

The only time Davis ever got in trouble in high school was when he was writing a book and he wasn’t supposed to be. He calls it his pastime — when he’s not working for the athletic department, at a sporting event, in class or watching TV, he’s writing.

Right now, he’s working on novel No. 10. Each installment of his latest series, called “The Varsity,” is around 300 pages. It’s an intricate storyline — one he thinks could be perfect for a Netflix series — but you won’t find any spoilers here.

“You build worlds in sports, but you never build worlds in sports like this, where you legit come up with your own mythology,” Davis said.

He publishes his books through LuLu, an online self-publishing site, and creates his own cover art. You can buy the novels on his website, which features his blog, his videos and his other projects. The Eichel Davis hub, as he calls it.

Davis is thoughtful and passionate. He’s a quiet person at first, but when he starts to open up, you can’t get him to stop. He’ll talk about anything — race, baseball, film, even shoes.

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He really likes shoes. His mother called him the worst dresser when he was little, but he’s developed his own style while at college. His customized Nikes are Missouri colors, and they just happen to have Davis’ nickname on the back of them: “Eich Daddy.”

He’s not sure where the nickname came from, but he said it was most likely the baseball team. Now, he’s accepted the nickname.

“I’m a person that likes to have fun,” Davis said. “So I bought shoes that say, ‘Eich Daddy.’ I’ve learned to just accept it. It happens. Everyone has nicknames.”

Idea, concept, story You might have heard Davis’ name — maybe just “Eichel” — being chanted at Missouri sporting events.

It’s usually the Missouri baseball players cheering on their biggest fan. The players are probably Davis’ biggest fans, too.

“I know he gets embarrassed of us,” Berler said. “He always looks around and gets the biggest grin. He’s trying to be all professional, but he can’t keep it in.”

Berler’s favorite video Davis has created — besides the ones of Berler himself, of course — is the Missouri basketball hype video ahead of the season opener against Iowa State. It was the proudest Berler had ever been of his friend, as a sold-out Mizzou Arena — 15,061 people — watched Davis’ creation on the video board just before the game started.

That video threw Davis into the spotlight.

“I didn’t think much of it, but little did I know I was about to step into a new world of notoriety at Mizzou,” Davis said. “It’s fun having people know who you are in a place you love so much.”

So, how does it all come together? It seems like magic watching it, but it’s countless hours of staring at a computer screen for Davis.

He has a big Mac computer at the Hearnes Center, where he does most of his work. He uses Final Cut Pro — he’s not an Adobe Premiere guy, yet.

Sometimes, he’ll work in a conference room at Taylor Stadium with his laptop. Around pictures of Max Scherzer, Ian Kinsler and Rob Zastryzny, Missouri baseball coach Steve Bieser does some recruiting at the same table.

Where the “culture of excellence happens,” Davis said.

Every video has to have an idea, story or concept behind it before Davis can start. Music is next, to set the tone of the video. Davis lets the music dictate how everything flows together. Once the song or songs are chosen, he films what he can ... or he goes to the Missouri athletic video archives to find what he needs.

Each season of each sport has its own style, something that he tries to keep consistent throughout all the hype videos he’s made. This baseball season, look for the “M.” “If you’re just like everyone else, then why does it matter?” Davis said.

His general rule: Every 30 seconds of the video is about 45 minutes to an hour of work. The basketball video was an exception, because he had to search through video archives. It took about 10 hours.

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Davis lets his passion and love for athletics and video guide him as he does his thing. If it gets him excited, it’ll get other people excited.

Excitement is what it’s all about, but the creative video interns must also bridge the gap between Missouri athletes and the fan community.

Perhaps you’ve heard of Missouri football’s new catchphrase — “Keep It Rollin’” — that it adopted after its win over Idaho and kept through its six-game win streak.

Offensive lineman Kevin Pendleton coined it, Odom used it and Davis and Hall brought it to the community. Davis said the duo prides itself on being able to take Odom’s messages to the team to heart like the players do. Everything the head coach says resonates with Davis.

“It’s a simple message, but it’s one that we needed,” Pendleton said. “And it’s cool that (Davis) recognized that. That’s just his mind working alongside ours, to promote that message to our fan base and those that support us.”

Davis spends a good amount of time in the locker room with the football team. He sees himself as its voice, and he wants fans to buy into the message Odom is preaching.

Berler has high praise for Davis’ ability to reach the fans. Davis is able to communicate to the community exactly who the baseball players are.

“His reach to the fans is the reason why Mizzou baseball is starting to become what it used to be,” Berler said. “When the fans understand who we are, it’s easier for them to come out and watch us.”

Davis loves the University of Missouri. It’s evident in his work. St. Louis and Columbia are his two homes that have shaped who he is. He admits it: Home is a place he likes way too much.

But he’s able to use that passion in his videos to make other people who love home so much feel something great.

So Missouri fans, students and alumni can feel a flood of memories rush through them when they hear, “Columbia, Missouri.”

Texas Bowl preview: Former Big 12 rivals clash in Houston with goal of securing their first bowl win since 2014 Dec. 22 “Our bad years aren’t that bad. Take a school like Missouri. Our bad years are better than their good years.”

Remember that one?

The 2013 statement from former Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds may have been one of the many Big 12 memories brought up for Missouri fans when it was announced the Tigers and Longhorns would face off in Wednesday’s Texas Bowl.

Barry Odom, at the Dec. 3 bowl announcement news conference, said his players know Big 12 history. If they don’t, he’ll be sure to inform them. He didn’t mention the Dodds comment explicitly, but it was clear he remembered it.

“We’ve got respect for everyone that we play, but there will be plenty of information that our team receives,” Odom said when asked if he’ll do any history lessons before the bowl game. “I’m a firm believer in making sure our guys are prepared in every situation and that they know who our opponent is and what they’re about, just like the other side is doing, as well.”

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But the other side are the Longhorns, who have to focus internally rather than on a former rivalry that those around the team said doesn’t mean that much to it anyway.

“You have to understand, Texas is a program that they don’t really care who they’re playing,” said Brian Davis, Texas beat writer for the Austin American-Statesman. “It doesn’t matter if Mizzou rolls out there or Clemson or Alabama. They’re going to be fired up to play, because it’s something they haven’t done in a while.”

First-year head coach Tom Herman has made strides and is expected to be around for a while, but his team is 6-6 and trying to avoid its fourth straight losing season. The Longhorns are just happy they’re going to their first bowl since 2014 — which, for more coincidence, is the same year Missouri last went bowling.

Regardless of the history, the teams have a game to play Wednesday, their first matchup since a 17-5 Missouri victory on Nov. 12, 2011. Here’s what to expect in Houston: Departures all around Two Longhorns — All-American safety DeShon Elliott and 2016 All-American left tackle Connor Williams — announced they won’t play in the bowl game to prepare for the NFL Draft. Williams has been sidelined with a knee injury and has only played five games this year, but losing Elliott in the secondary could hurt the Longhorns against Drew Lock’s arm.

Another Longhorn expected to leave for the draft soon, too, is injured linebacker Malik Jefferson , Texas’ leading tackler and “the inspirational heart and soul of the defense,” Davis said.

Good news for Missouri, who will have defensive lineman Terry Beckner Jr. for the bowl game and another year and Lock for at least the bowl game.

Aside from the NFL departures, Texas will be without tight end Chris Warren, a running back convert who said he’s transferring. Holton Hill, Texas’ second-best cornerback, was suspended for violating team policies and will not be eligible, either.

On Friday, Texas announced that three more players had been suspended and will miss the game: running back Toneil Carter, receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey and tight end Garrett Gray. The Longhorns also revealed that tight end Chris Nelson will miss the Texas Bowl with an elbow injury.

“I definitely think they’re undermanned right now, and if you take away some of those players, it’ll be even worse,” Davis said. “So they’re going to be pretty short-handed when they face ol’ Mizzou.”

Texas might be without some players, but Missouri will be without some coaches.

Former Tigers offensive coordinator Josh Heupel departed for the head-coaching position at UCF earlier this month, and he took offensive line coach Glen Elarbee with him. At media availability, players were clearly hurt when their coaches left, but many have said they’ll use it as motivation for the bowl game.

Odom said the offensive coaching staff will share play-calling duties during the bowl game. Offensive analyst Jon Cooper has been coaching the offensive line at practice.

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Lock’s aerial attack vs. Texas QBs’ inconsistency With two talented Texas secondary players out in Elliott and Hill, Lock can use his arm against an inexperienced secondary. The junior quarterback broke the Missouri and SEC single-season passing touchdown records against Arkansas. His 43 TDs currently lead the nation, two ahead of Oklahoma quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield.

“You put somebody on the field who has thrown for more touchdowns than Baker Mayfield, you’ve done something,” Davis said. “Texas is going to be in a real bind.”

While Missouri’s quarterback play has been solid behind Lock, Texas’ has been inconsistent. Sophomore Shane Buechele was sidelined in the opener with ankle and shoulder injuries. Freshman Sam Ehlinger took over and did well, but he suffered a concussion against Oklahoma State in Week 7. The Longhorns turned to a healed Buechele, and the two have shared playing time since.

In addition to Texas’ shaky quarterback play, Davis said three injuries on the offensive line have made the unit even thinner than it already was.

“The offensive problems really crippled them,” Davis said. “And Ehlinger (has) made some big mistakes down the stretch, mistakes that cost them victories.”

Longhorns’ D carries the day Texas’ offense needs help, but its defense doesn’t. Thanks to first-year defensive coordinator Todd Orlando, the Longhorns’ defense has seen a resurgence that it desperately needed.

After two of the worst defensive seasons in school history, Texas ranks second in the Big 12 in rush defense and sixth in the nation this year. Elliott leads the Big 12 in interceptions, but he won’t be playing.

The run defense poses problems for Missouri’s ground game, which complemented its passing game well as the Tigers went on their six-game winning streak to close the regular season. Damarea Crockett was out with a shoulder injury, but Odom said he expects the sophomore running back to play some during the bowl game.

After Crockett’s injury, senior Ish Witter and freshman Larry Rountree III took over the position and flourished, but the Texas defensive line could shut them down.

“If I’m Missouri, I would just attack their inexperienced secondary at this point,” Davis said. “With the players that are going to be out, I would just go at them, try to make them make a play, defensively.”

Rollercoaster season set to reach peak; Lock receives NFL Draft advisory Dec. 26 HOUSTON — If you’ve ever been to Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas, you might have seen the Texas Giant.

The rollercoaster stands at 153 feet tall and features a 79-degree drop that stretches 147 feet. It has multiple turns and leaves riders breathless.

Texas offensive lineman Patrick Vahe compares the Longhorns’ season to that.

“All the preparation leads up to that peak,” Vahe said. “For us, as a team, we’ve been through a lot, seen a lot and been through the ups and downs. And the way I want it to end is we come down to the end and everybody’s hands are still up in the air and our hair is all crazy and saying, ‘Man, that was worth it.’”

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The same could be said for Missouri’s season. After starting 1-5, the Tigers are 7-5 heading into their matchup with Texas (6-6) in the Texas Bowl.

“I’m going to sell that for $19.99, and if you call now, you can buy one get one free,” Odom joked Tuesday about what exactly he changed to help his team complete the turnaround.

The two teams’ rollercoaster seasons will reach their peak Wednesday night. It’s been three years since both teams have been to a bowl game. During Tuesday’s media availability, both Odom and Texas coach Tom Herman said their players can’t wait to step foot in NRG Stadium in Houston.

Lock receives draft advisory Missouri quarterback Drew Lock said he received his NFL Draft advisory, and they told him to go back to school next year rather than enter the NFL early.

The board only gives three grades: first round, second round or go back to school. Lock said he’s still considering entering the draft based on “other things.”

As for what the board said the junior quarterback needs to work on, Lock said it had to do with what kind of offense Missouri was running.

“Intermediate passes, which we throw deep most of the time,” Lock said. “It was just things I couldn’t put on film.”

Lock said he won’t make a decision until he knows who the next Missouri offensive coordinator will be. “(I want) to see what I could squeeze out of him, what could I learn from him rather than jumping ahead and missing the chance to learn from a great mind that may have been in the NFL or coached really good NFL quarterbacks,” Lock said.

Texas quarterback situation Texas sophomore Shane Buechele will start Wednesday’s game for the Longhorns, with freshman Sam Ehlinger as a backup who will get playing time, Herman said on Tuesday.

The Longhorns have struggled with consistency this season at quarterback, with Buechele sitting out with injuries and Ehlinger taking over.

“Neither of these quarterbacks have done anything so egregious that you can say that guy is behind the other one, but neither of them have done anything to take the bull by the horns,” Herman said.”

Odom said the Tigers are preparing for both, just as they did for games against Tennessee and Florida this season.

“I also know that calls don’t vary too much; you just have to be aware of how you call it with both quarterbacks,” Odom said. “They’re both great competitors … , and they’ve improved throughout the course of the year.”

Texas’ depleted roster A short-handed Texas team just keeps getting shorter.

Left tackle Connor Williams and safety DeShon Elliott left early for the NFL Draft. Cornerback Holton Hill, who was suspended earlier this season, announced he’s leaving for the NFL, too. Tight end Chris Warren III is transferring and will not play in the bowl game.

And last week, running back Toneil Carter, receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey and tight end Garrett Gray were suspended for violation of team rules.

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Herman announced Tuesday that he doesn’t expect linebacker Malik Jefferson, who has turf toe and wants to protect his draft status, to play, but he’s “hoping for a miracle.”

Meanwhile, Missouri has the same roster and depth chart it had during its final win over Arkansas in late November.

“I’m proud of everyone for playing,” Missouri offensive lineman Paul Adams said. “I’m kind of confused why (Texas players) would do that; it’s such a fun experience. We’re going to take advantage of whatever they give us.”

But Texas, much like Missouri has said before, preaches the “next man up” philosophy.

“Make sure you keep the mentality that we are here for one thing, and that’s to win,” Vahe said. “That comes with sticking together, regardless of what comes up. A lot of things goes on throughout the season, and you never know what’s going to happen. … Man down, man up.”

Missouri offense finds no spark in bowl loss to Texas Dec. 27 HOUSTON — Running wasn't working, so Drew Lock did what Drew Lock does.

He threw deep.

The Missouri quarterback hurled a 79-yard pass to wide receiver Johnathon Johnson, who sprinted into the end zone. The Tigers cut Texas' lead to 21-13 on the first play of the second half of Wednesday night's Texas Bowl.

Heading into the game, Texas was second in the Big 12 in rush defense and seventh in the nation. They had an All-American safety that led the Big 12 in interceptions in DeShon Elliott.

But Elliott skipped the bowl game to prepare for the NFL Draft. Texas was also without cornerback Holton Hill and linebacker Malik Jefferson, seemingly setting Missouri up in good position for an offense that was averaging 52 points per game before the Texas Bowl.

The only problem was it didn't actually set Missouri up. The Tigers (7-6, 4-4 SEC) lost 33-16 to Texas (7-6, 5-4 Big 12) at NRG Stadium in Houston after an uncharacteristic performance from the offense.

"When you've got a guy like Drew Lock there, you have to be ready," Missouri offensive lineman Paul Adams said, "because he's going to hurt you with his arm. But there was so much more out there that we could have gotten that we just left there on the field."

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At the end of the first quarter, the Tigers had more penalties (five) than first downs (one) and more yards from penalties (49) than Lock's passing yards (40). The Tigers fumbled twice in the second quarter; Texas linebacker Anthony Wheeler recovered one for a touchdown.

Missouri didn't get that first down until its fifth drive of the game. It was also Lock's first pass past the line of scrimmage.

The Tigers ran the ball 23 times and threw it 14 times in the first half. It didn't make sense. Texas' defense could stop the run. It was missing key players in the secondary.

So why was Missouri running the ball so much? Why wasn't Lock's aerial attack ripping apart the secondary like it usually does?

"They were giving us a couple of things that we didn't hold up extremely well with the pressure looks we were getting to get time to throw the football down the field," Odom said.

Tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley was calling plays Wednesday, as Missouri continues to search for a new offensive coordinator after Josh Heupel left for the head-coaching position at UCF. Odom and Lock had high praise, though, for Finley's first game as a play-caller. A lot of it had to do with starting 10 drives inside the 20-yard line — thanks to Ray Guy Award winner and Texas punter Michael Dickson, the Texas Bowl's MVP. "Ideally, he'd play it out a lot differently," Lock said. "He'd put it on the 40 (yard line). But that's not how football works."

Yet with that one throw to start the half, Missouri's offense seemed ignited. Two drives after the touchdown, the Tigers churned up the field with 16 plays for 87 yards. It ended in a field goal, and Missouri only trailed 21-16.

Another problem, though: It wasn't a big enough fire.

A bad snap late in the third quarter went over Lock's head and resulted in a Texas safety. The Longhorns went up 23-16.

And after a roughing-the-passer penalty on cornerback DeMarkus Acy, Texas completed a 41-yard field goal that widened the gap to 26-16.

To cap it, Lock threw an interception into double coverage with 3:15 to go in the game.

Missouri threw the ball 20 times in the second half and ran it 11 times. Running might not have worked in the first half, and Lock's first throw in the second certainly gave hope to the sprinkle of black and gold in NRG Stadium. But the truth was Missouri's offense didn't have the fire it had throughout the season.

Instead of ending the season — the comeback season — with a bang, the Tigers seemed to end it with a dud.

But Lock and Odom don't want Wednesday night to define the season. It shouldn't.

After starting 1-5, the Tigers became just the 10th team in history starting the season that poorly and finishing the regular season 7-5. Missouri became the sixth Power 5 team to get to a bowl after starting 15.

"Being a man, being a grown-up going about your business, you don't let this one game tear it all down," Lock said. ... "It ended our season, but it also ended their season. We've got a lot to look forward to. We have a lot we can take from this game and run on."

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Peter Baugh

CLASS: Junior HOMETOWN: St. Louis, Missouri POSITION: Missouri football beat writer PREVIOUS MISSOURIAN BEATS: Missouri swimming, Stephens College Athletics, Missouri Athletics Administration

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Primed for big season, Moore looks loose at opening practice Aug. 1 J’Mon Moore would not stand still.

The 6-foot-3 Missouri wide receiver paced behind media members as defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross answered questions Tuesday. Moore wanted his coach’s attention, and he wouldn’t go away until he got it.

When asked about leaders on the team, Cross finally caved.

"J’Mon has done a good job stepping in on the offensive side of the ball," he said.

Moore gave a nod of approval as onlookers laughed, and the senior quickly walked toward the doors of the Mizzou Athletic Training Center. On MU’s first day of fall practice, the team’s top receiver was loose.

Moore had a strong season as a redshirt junior in 2016, racking up more than 1,000 receiving yards.

Going into his final year with the Tigers, he now feels the need to step up as a leader for the players around him.

"In years past, it was other guys teaching me, ... helping me find that comfort level," Moore said. "But now that I’m getting older — I am older — I’ve got to help other guys."

Odom makes the most of players’ attention spans Coach Barry Odom wanted to connect as well as possible with his players, so he spent part of the offseason researching attention habits.

"The attention span on this age of guys is like five to six seconds," he said. "And then they’re going to something else."

Odom said he tries to be creative and concise while he speaks during team meetings. He talks not only about football but also life lessons.

Moore noticed a difference in Odom’s speaking style at a team meeting Monday night. "(Meetings are) usually super long, but he kind of shortened it," Moore said. "But we got the message, so maybe that’s what he’s been working on."

Beisel rises as outspoken leader After his outlandish comments at SEC Media Days, senior Eric Beisel was back in the spotlight Tuesday.

The outspoken linebacker was more subdued when talking to reporters after practice, though he made sure to express lofty expectations for his position group.

"We’re going to be the most elite unit in the nation," he said.

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Cross described Beisel as one of Missouri’s vocal leaders, saying the linebacker has helped shape the direction of the team.

Frazier media situation After announcing in June that he would not speak to local media in 2017, defensive end Marcell Frazier did not waver at the first day of training camp. Multiple outlets requested to speak with Frazier, a projected 2018 NFL Draft pick, but he was not one of the players made available after practice.

Roster updates Wide receiver DaRon Davis, who signed with Missouri in the spring, did not qualify academically to enroll at the university, Odom said. He will go to a junior college, and Odom said he hopes to have the receiver "back here as quickly as possible."

Junior college transfers Malik Young and Walter Palmore also were not at the first practice. Odom said Palmore is set to arrive on campus shortly and that Young is waiting on a test score before he will be cleared to play.

Wide receiver O’shae Clark is suspended indefinitely for team violations.

Injury update Freshman offensive lineman Pompey Coleman (leg) and junior safety Ronnell Perkins (hamstring) did not practice. Perkins is day-to-day, but Odom said Coleman will miss significant time.

On a more upbeat note for Missouri fans, defensive linemen Terry Beckner Jr. and Markell Utsey both practiced Tuesday after tearing their ACLs in the fall.

Hall looks to step up for MU's linebacker corps Aug. 8 Junior linebacker Terez Hall wants the Missouri defense to be nasty, and he's not afraid to talk about it.

He doesn't want the unit to let anything slide.

For someone with such a hard-nosed mindset, one of Hall's favorite video games makes sense.

"Any Mizzou fan that want to try me on 'Mortal Kombat,' I can come destroy you right here," he joked after practice Tuesday. "Easy."

Hall talks a big game when it comes to the fighting video game, and he has high expectations for Missouri's linebackers in 2017.

After collecting 20 tackles as a sophomore, Hall is listed on the depth chart as one of Missouri's starting linebackers. It's a fairly inexperienced group — of the three listed starters, only Eric Beisel earned starts for the Tigers in 2016 — but the linebackers have not shied away from setting the bar high. Beisel said he expects the group to be "the most elite unit in the nation."

"We all get in there and watch film together, we all work out together," Beisel said earlier in camp. "We've been doing a lot of extra things together. ... We've tightened that bond."

Hall will be a central part of the unit, and his role has changed from last season. Coach Barry Odom said the coaches moved Hall into more of an interior linebacker position, which he said suits the junior better than playing in space.

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Though the linebackers might lack experience, Hall expects his position group to have depth in 2017. He is pleased with how the unit has looked in practice.

"Every day, you have to go out there and compete," he said, "or you have to get your spot taken."

Hall will look to fill the linebacker void left by Michael Scherer, who tallied more than 250 tackles in his Missouri career, and Donavin Newsom, who signed with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent.

Odom thinks the junior is up for the task.

"Plan on him having a great camp," Odom said. "He's a physical guy, understands the defense, (and) understands the scheme part of what we're counting on that position to be."

Mason develops raw talent heading into sophomore season Aug. 9 As a freshman in 2016, Dimetrios Mason had athleticism. He was talented, but it was not developed. As Missouri offensive coordinator Josh Heupel put it, Mason was an athlete playing wide receiver.

"Last year, I was just running around all the over the place," Mason said after practice Wednesday.

Despite not being the most polished player on the field, Mason put together a strong rookie campaign for the Tigers. His 587 receiving yards in 2016 were the most ever by an MU true freshman, and he was named to the SEC All-Freshman team.

As he prepares for his sophomore year, Mason has been focusing on small details such as using his hands properly and securing the ball. In Heupel's eyes, he's grown from playing like an athlete to playing like a wide receiver.

Mason faced top-notch SEC defensive backs his freshman season, including Florida's Teez Tabor, who is now in the NFL with the Detroit Lions. With a year of experience under his belt, Mason said the pace of college football is less overwhelming.

"It's too slow," he said with a smile.

Coach Barry Odom praised Mason's athleticism and said the receiver will continue to improve with more experience.

"From last year on this day to today," Odom said, "he probably looks like a different player to me."

Lock's physical transformation When Drew Lock was listed as a 205-pound freshman, the quarterback knew the 2015 Missouri roster was misleading.

"I was probably weighing around 198, barely 200 that whole season," he said Wednesday.

Lock took some hits his freshman year — he was sacked 25 times — and he was, by his own admission, a little scared in the pocket.

Since then, Lock has transformed his body. Weighing in at 227 pounds Wednesday morning, the junior has added nearly 30 pounds to his 6-foot-4 frame.

With his physical progression, Lock said he's grown tougher mentally; he's far more comfortable dropping back to pass.

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"I took hits that a lot of people don't get up from (in 2015), and I was 198 pounds," he said. "I'm going to be OK in the pocket."

New impact players Freshman running back Larry Rountree has impressed Odom with his explosiveness during training camp.

"He's got great quickness, but also he makes a move and puts his foot in the ground and gets vertical pretty quick, which is nice," Odom said. "He's got some power."

After appearing in seven games in 2016, redshirt sophomore Franklin Agbasimere could also see increased playing time as a defensive end this season, Odom said. Agbasimere moved to the defensive line from the linebacker position in the spring.

Sterk anniversary As Odom walked away from the postpractice media gathering, he doubled back. Jim Sterk was announced as Missouri's athletic director one year ago Wednesday, and Odom wanted to show his boss some support.

"He's done such an unbelievable job in providing us guidance and leadership and stability," said Odom, who was visited by Sterk during Wednesday's practice.

Roster updates Redshirt junior and Rock Bridge grad A.J. Logan suffered a concussion Monday and is undergoing standard protocol, Odom said. Logan did not practice Wednesday.

Junior Cam Hilton was limited in practice with a tight hamstring.

Black belt background helps Mitchell on the offensive line Aug. 12 Kevin Pendleton first saw it on Instagram.

Offensive line coach Glen Elarbee heard players talking about it at practice.

Paul Adams did a double take when he found out.

"If they ask me about it, I’ll tell them," redshirt senior Kyle Mitchell said.

Mitchell’s athletic background extends beyond football. The 6-foot-5, 325-pound offensive lineman has experience with a rare sport: He’s a black belt in taekwondo.

Mitchell started taekwondo training as a 9-year-old, and he earned a black belt by age 12. He grew up in California and traveled around the West — from Portland, Oregon, to Reno, Nevada — for competitions.

He even tried out for the U.S. Junior Olympic team, which he called a humbling experience.

"I got my butt whooped," he said.

Although Mitchell ultimately stopped training for martial arts competition, he decided to try out his old moves when he was working out in June. He filmed a video of himself leaping in the air to kick a punching bag and posted it to Instagram. His right foot was at head-level when it hit its target, and a ripple went through his gray Missouri shorts from the force of the kick.

The black belt hadn’t lost all his skills, it appeared.

"We were joking that it was Photoshopped," offensive lineman Alec Abeln said.

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Abeln said that his teammate’s martial arts background makes sense. He’s a physical player, and Abeln noted Mitchell’s impressive balance while on the field.

Mitchell transferred to the Tigers from American River College, a junior college in California, before the 2016 season, and he played in all but one game on Missouri’s field goal protection unit.

Entering his final year of eligibility, Mitchell has turned heads during training camp. His teammates praised his hard work and improvement, and Elarbee said he has "a great motor."

Although he hasn’t practiced martial arts in years, Mitchell sees his taekwondo skills translating to football. "(It) helps me use my hands a lot, as well, and some of the soft skills, as well," he said. "Just being disciplined. Using perseverance and self-control and stuff like that all have helped me now with football."

Pendleton joked that when it comes to teammates he’d be afraid to fight, Mitchell is on the list. He complimented Mitchell’s athletic abilities, saying that there are no more "big hunks" playing on the offensive line.

"You have to be some sort of athlete to play the position," Pendleton said. "And he embraces his athleticism and uses it."

MU's Howard arrested for alleged failing to appear on speeding charge Aug. 15 Missouri defensive end Nate Howard was arrested by the MU Police Department on Monday night for allegedly failing to appear in court for a speeding ticket in Montgomery County, according to the Boone County Sheriff's Department. He was released after paying $121 bond.

The booking is Howard's second of the summer, and he is suspended indefinitely from the football team.

He was arrested in June on suspicion of drug possession and is awaiting trial on Aug. 24. He was scheduled to appear Thursday in Montgomery City Circuit Court for the speeding ticket, issued in late March.

After playing in 11 games as a true freshman in 2015, Howard battled injuries and struggled to break into the defensive rotation as a sophomore. He only played in four games, totaling three tackles.

Howard expressed confidence in the spring, and coaches praised his improvement. Now, with Monday's arrest and his trial looming, Howard's 2017 season is in question.

After his arrest in June, Howard tweeted a brief statement. "Truly learning from this situation is the best possible takeaway moving forward in my career," he said.

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Abeln, Beisel share bond from time with Team USA Aug. 15 Alec Abeln tossed and turned in his bed during his first night at the 2012 International Federation of American Football Under-19 World Championship in Austin, Texas. The offensive lineman talked in his sleep, occasionally shouting into the darkness of a University of Texas dorm room.

"Especially if I’m not in my own bed, I really am a bad sleeper," said Abeln, now a senior at Missouri who started six games in 2016.

Abeln had already fallen into a restless slumber by the time Khari Harding — his Team USA roommate — arrived to the dorm. Thinking the room was empty, Harding was frightened when he heard Abeln’s shouts.

"He thought there was a boogeyman in the room," Abeln's mother, Julie Abeln, said with a laugh.

Harding eventually saw Abeln and shook the lineman awake. When Abeln opened his eyes, he, too, was startled.

"I’m just like, 'Who the hell is this guy?'" Abeln said.

After Abeln shook off his grogginess, the roommates laughed and introduced themselves. For Abeln, it was an eventful start to an impactful two weeks with the U.S. National Team.

The summer before their senior years of high school, Abeln and Missouri teammate Eric Beisel were selected to compete for Team USA at the World Championship. The two helped the U.S. win a silver medal, and they forged a lasting friendship on the trip.

"I take great honor, great pride in everything I do," said Beisel, a starting linebacker for the Tigers. "When I was invited to do that, it was hands down a great opportunity for me, and I wanted to jump on board."

Former Tigers Chase Abbington and Trent Hosick — both of whom ultimately transferred from Missouri — also were on the U.S. roster.

Abeln and Abbington were already committed to Missouri by the time they were in Austin, but Beisel still had not made a college choice. The Missouri commits used the opportunity to recruit the linebacker, who held an offer from the Tigers.

Beisel said he did not let outside influences impact his decision, but it was helpful for him to see that Abeln and Abbington had similar mindsets and goals.

"Why wouldn’t I hop on board with those guys?" Beisel said.

With his bright red beard and outspoken nature, Beisel has grown into one of the most recognizable players on the Missouri team. He was clean-shaven in 2012, but his competitive nature was alive and well.

He was named to the all-tournament team and said the competition helped spread his name to people across the country.

Abeln, who earned the starting center spot on the American team, also had a strong showing. He was on the offensive line with Ethan Pocic, who played at LSU and now is in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks.

"It was my first real experience going up against guys that I’d be playing against (in college)," Abeln said.

"So going into my senior year of high school, from a confidence standpoint, (it) was huge for me."

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Abeln and Beisel both remember signing autographs for Topps trading card company at the tournament, and the cards can still be found on eBay. The competition was held at the Toney Burger Activity Center and Stadium — capacity 15,000 — and the U.S. games were televised on a local Texas channel.

These were new experiences for Abeln. He remembers tinkering with his signature while signing cards for Topps, his first experience with autographs.

"It’s weird looking back," he said. "On (Missouri) fan day now, it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal, but when you’re 17 years old, it’s something that you think is just the coolest."

After winning its first two games by a combined score of 97-13, the American team faltered in the championship game. The U.S. struggled with turnovers and penalties and fell to Canada 23-17.

Though Abeln said he felt gutted after losing the final game, he remembers showing his medal to the American Samoan football team. The loss still stung, but seeing the American Samoan players' excitement reminded him how special the opportunity was.

"They were trying to trade us everything for the silver medal," Abeln said. … "It kind of put it in a bit of perspective."

Abeln’s framed Team USA jersey hangs in the basement of his family’s house in St. Louis. The silver medal dangles from its left sleeve, and the white numbering has a noticeable dirt stain from the Texas turf.

Julie Abeln vividly remembers the U.S. team's introduction before its opening game against American Samoa. The Americans charged onto the field carrying a U.S. flag, and she was overcome with pride and excitement. When she saw her son's red-white-and-blue jersey, she felt goose bumps crawl up her arms.

Her son was representing his country, and the moment took her breath away.

Howard off Missouri football roster Aug. 17 The Missouri football program dismissed junior defensive end Nate Howard on Thursday, according to a team spokesperson.

Howard was arrested in June on suspicion of drug possessionand is awaiting trial. He was arrested again Monday for allegedly failing to appear for a speeding charge.

Howard thanked Missouri fans on Twitter on Thursday afternoon.

"Once a Tiger Always a Tiger! ... farewell Mizzou Nation!" he tweeted.

The junior played as a true freshman in 2015, but he struggled with injuries last season and only played late in the year.

Coach Barry Odom will work with Howard to "help him find somewhere to get a fresh start," a team spokesperson said.

After injury-shortened season, Bailey hoping to help offensive line Aug. 18 206

Samson and Samson — both are known for long hair, physical prowess and strength.

One is a Biblical figure. The other is a Missouri offensive lineman: redshirt junior Samson Bailey.

"One of his strengths is definitely his strength in general," fellow lineman Paul Adams said. "He’s probably one of the stronger guys on the offensive line."

After starting nine games at center in 2016, Bailey — who was named after one of his mother’s friends, not the Biblical figure — finds himself battling for playing time. He is practicing at right tackle and working with Missouri's second-team players.

Despite not lining up with the first-stringers, Bailey is ready to contribute in whatever way he can.

"If they need me to play, I can play regardless of where they want to put me," he said.

Bailey suffered an ankle injury in a lateseason game against Vanderbilt last season.

He missed the last two games of the year, and Rock Bridge graduate Jonah Dubinski took over the starting center job.

Sitting out was hard for Bailey. If he could do it over again, he said he would have "toughed it out" and played the final two games.

"It definitely makes you miss it, because now I’m behind Paul (Adams) at right tackle," he said. "It definitely makes me miss the ability to be the guy on the first team."

Bailey has flown under the radar this spring — Friday was the first time all training camp he was requested for an interview — but members of the team have still noticed his impact.

"Every single day, he's pushing me, so that’s awesome," Adams said. "It’s always good to have someone behind you that’s making you better."

Offensive line coach Glen Elarbee said he is happy with Bailey’s willingness to try playing at different positions. The lineman’s versatility gives the team depth at thinner spots on the line.

In addition to praising his fellow lineman’s strength, Adams admires Bailey's fundamentally sound skill set.

"He’s got just perfect technique, and I talk to him all the time about it," Adams said, "just how I can help myself with it and how we can just get better as a unit."

As practice ended Friday, the offensive linemen did extra conditioning exercises. Bailey leaped up from the ground and came back down, keeping pace with each of his teammates. The sun beat down on his black jersey, and his dirty-blond hair bounced off his neck with every movement.

He was training for his moment, ready to help the team in whatever way possible.

Football team elects Lock, Beisel, Harold, Adams as captains Aug. 22 207

Linebacker Eric Beisel was firm when he spoke after practice Tuesday: The title of captain will not change his leadership approach.

"Whether I (was) elected or not, I was going to lead this team," he said. "Having that label, it doesn't really mean much. That's what I told the team at the end. Great leaders inspire other leaders to step up."

Beisel, offensive lineman Paul Adams, defensive lineman Jordan Harold and quarterback Drew Lock were voted captains by their teammates Tuesday.

Adams said he beamed when he found out and plans to take a more vocal role.

"It speaks volumes of what my teammates think of me," he said. "With that comes great responsibility."

Roster updates Cornerback Christian Holmes dislocated his shoulder during Saturday’s scrimmage. Coach Barry Odom said the sophomore will have surgery but did not specify how much time the defensive back will miss.

"I had a lot of ideas and thoughts on what kind of player he was going to be early on for us, and it doesn't change for me what we think he's going to do," Odom said. "I know he's going to go attack it and try and get back as fast as he can."

Missouri’s secondary was already a question mark heading into 2017. The Tigers allowed 246 passing yards a game last season, and the team lost senior starters John Gibson and Aarion Penton, the latter now playing for the Los Angeles Rams.

Odom did not speculate on a return for Holmes, but the injury could cost the sophomore his 2017 season.

Defensive backs DeMarkus Acy, Finis Stribling IV, Jerod Alton and Adam Sparks will look to fill the void.

In other injury news, defensive end Marcell Frazier strained his quad during a team scrimmage Saturday, and running back Dawson Downing strained his foot. Running back Ish Witter did not play in the scrimmage because of a hamstring injury. All three players are listed as day to day.

Wide receiver Richaud Floyd is in the concussion protocol.

Scrimmage standouts Odom rattled off names of defensive players — including junior college transfers Rashad Brandon and Walter Palmore — who stood out during Saturday's scrimmage.

On the offensive side of the ball, Odom said J'Mon Moore had a strong showing as well as freshman running back Larry Rountree III. "Rountree continues to make a lot of plays every time he touches the ball," Odom said.

Eclipse watch party Adams watched Monday's total solar eclipse from Faurot Field's south end zone. The offensive lineman stood on the letter U in the Mizzou lettering, and Odom lay on the Z. Around 20 Missouri players watched at Faurot Field, and Adams said it was "probably the most amazing two minutes" of his life.

"Just experiencing that and seeing the creation of what just happened," Adams said, "I'm not going to be able to see it again for a long, long time."

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Byers out for three weeks with a knee injury Aug. 24 Defensive lineman Akial Byers sprained his knee, and team spokesperson Chad Moller said the freshman will be sidelined for three weeks.

Byers was rated a four-star prospect out of Arkansas and played in the Under Armour All-America Game.

“He’s become a hard worker,” said reserve quarterback Taylor Powell — one of Byers’ high school teammates — earlier in fall camp. “He wants to be good, wants to be coached. I feel like that’s what got him to this point.”

The Byers injury comes on the heels of sophomore cornerback Christian Holmes dislocating his shoulder last weekend. Though Odom did not specify an injury-timetable on Tuesday, Holmes is expected to miss significant time.

Defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross discussed the Holmes injury Thursday and said freshman Adam Sparks will likely see playing time at cornerback.

“With him going down, that’s probably why Sparks is going to be in the talks there,” Cross said.

The coordinator said sophomore DeMarkus Acy will likely lead the cornerback unit.

Redshirt updates Cross and coach Barry Odom gave updates this week about the true-freshmen they expect to play in 2017.

Odom said running back Larry Rountree III, safety Jordan Ulmer, cornerback Adam Sparks and linebacker Jamal Brooks will play during their first year in Columbia. Odom also said linebacker Aubrey Miller could see the field on special teams.

Cross was complimentary of Ulmer, a three-star recruit from Michigan.

“We didn’t expect him to come in and do some of the things he’s done,” Cross said. “...He’s competing, he’s going to have a lot of playing time for us. Without a doubt.”

Freshman tight end Logan Christopherson will likely take a redshirt season after undergoing surgery for a high ankle sprain.

Defense clicking Linebacker Eric Beisel doesn’t believe in extra work. He believes it’s all necessary.

He said the defensive unit has been watching film together, and he said the work has shown on the practice field.

“The chemistry is out of this world,” he said Tuesday.

Odom said Tuesday that he’s excited about the group’s progress heading into the season.

“I think we’ve become better inside up front, which clears a lot of things up elsewhere,” he said. “... I know they’re anxious to get the first (game) here to see where we’re at against another opponent.”

Missouri players impacted by tropical storm Harvey Aug. 29 209

Instead of opening his press conference with updates on Missouri’s depth chart or the team’s upcoming game against Missouri State, coach Barry Odom started on a somber note.

Tropical storm Harvey hit southeast Texas on Friday, causing severe flooding in the Houston area. The death toll has reached 19, The New York Times reported. “(You) see the pictures, watch the video, listen to the stories,” Odom said. “My heart goes out. ... As a program and university, we’ve got those guys in our thoughts and prayers.”

Missouri’s football roster features 11 athletes from Texas, and Odom said “a handful” of his players’ families were impacted by the storm.

Redshirt senior receiver J’Mon Moore is from Missouri City, Texas, and he said the area around his house is flooded.

“It’s not really allowing my people to be mobile at all,” Moore said. “You’re kind of just stuck where you at, got to just deal with it. There’s not really much you can do if you didn’t evacuate in time.”

Moore said his mother was told to evacuate but that she chose to stay put. His family is safe, though, and Moore has friends checking on his mom.

Though his house in Texas did not lose power, Moore said it has been hit with water.

“I just had to keep calling,” Moore said. “I just had to keep calling and making sure my people were answering the phone.”

Moore mentioned that teammates Terry Petry and Kobie Whiteside also are from the Houston area.

Photos emerged of flooded highways, which was shocking for Moore.

“That water’s got to be pretty high for it to be looking like that in those pictures,” he said.

The storm set a record for rainfall from a hurricane in the continental U.S., and thousands of people had to be rescued. Leading into the first game, Odom said the damage put things in perspective for the team.

Moore said he has been talking to teammates and that he has appreciated their support.

“All my teammates, everybody’s been asking,” Moore said. ...

“Everybody’s concerned, everybody’s telling me anything they can do to help. They’re just looking out, so it’s a good deal.”

TODDLERS TO TIGERS: Crockett was known for friendly, chatty personality Aug. 31 As running back Damarea Crockett helped interview freshman Larry Rountree III for a Mizzou Athletics rookie feature video, he bit into the wrapper of a freeze pop. It took him multiple attempts to tear the plastic, and he yelled in relief when he broke the seal.

"Finally!" he said.

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Watching Crockett struggle with a freezer pop was not a new sight for Vanessa Keener, his mother, and she laughed when she saw the video on Twitter. Growing up in Arkansas, Crockett constantly had trouble with the pesky plastic wrappers.

"I was clapping my hands saying, 'Yay! You finally did it after 19 years!'" Keener said.

Crockett had a childhood full of football, friends and funny moments, and his struggles with freezer pops still make his mother laugh. Keener constantly had to open the wrappers for Crockett, and he started using her scissors when she stopped helping him with his snack in sixth grade.

Although she occasionally had to clean up the tips of freezer pop seals around the house, Keener said Crockett was an easy child to raise. She was a single mother, and he never caused her any grief.

"I was afraid to have a second child because I knew that child would probably be a demon child," she said.

"You can’t get a good child two times in a row."

Crockett was friendly with kids his age, and his classmates gravitated toward him, Keener said. She never saw him mad at a friend.

Despite Crockett's kind nature, he occasionally found himself in trouble for disrupting his class at school.

Keener remembers receiving calls from her son's teachers around the time he was in fourth grade.

"He just talked too much," she said. "And I think that was because he was an only child at home — it was just him and I — so once he got to school he wanted to interact with other kids."

Whenever she got a call from a teacher, Keener would sit her son down to talk. She'd give him a warning.

If she heard from a teacher again, she told Crockett, he would get a spanking.

Fortunately for the running back, his mother’s warnings did the trick. "(The calls were) few and far between," she said.

Keener said Crockett's kind and chatty personality was paired with a distinct sense of persistence. Even as a child, the running back could never wait.

"If I told him that I was going to do something for him or take him somewhere, he would not let me rest until I got that done," Keener said.

This persistence helped make him into an elite-level football player by the time he finished his career at Little Rock Christian Academy. He chose Missouri over Arizona State and Boise State, as well as topacademic schools such as Yale and Vanderbilt.

The drive Keener saw in her son as a child is still present, but she has noticed a few changes. He has grown more patient and is better at controlling himself.

He can open a freezer pop now, too.

Five things to watch in Missouri's opener Saturday Aug. 31 Coach Barry Odom said he tells his players that little is guaranteed. One thing he told them they can be certain of, though, is that they’ll have a game this Saturday.

Missouri opens its 2017 season at 11 a.m. against Missouri State at Memorial Stadium. The Tigers begin the fall looking to rebound from a 4-8 campaign in 2016.

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Here are five things Missouri fans should watch for on Saturday: New faces in the secondary With sophomore cornerback Christian Holmes suffering a dislocated shoulder during fall camp, Missouri’s thin secondary got even thinner. Standouts Aarion Penton — now with the Los Angeles Rams — and John Gibson exhausted their eligibility last season, so Missouri will look for new air control in 2017.

Sophomore cornerback DeMarkus Acy played in 11 games in 2016, and freshman Adam Sparks will likely make his debut for the Tigers on Saturday.

Freshman Jordan Ulmer will start at safety Saturday after an impressive fall camp, and redshirt senior Anthony Sherrils will look to rebound after a challenging 2016 season.

Beckner and Utsey return depth Defensive linemen Terry Beckner Jr. and Markell Utsey will each make their return to the gridiron after ACL tears ended their 2016 seasons.

Odom stressed the importance of Beckner Jr. throughout camp, saying he expects the defensive lineman to control the line of scrimmage.

“He’s a different player,” Odom said of Beckner Jr. Wednesday during a weekly SEC teleconference call.

“He makes us a lot better.”

Beckner Jr. and Utsey’s conditioning will be on full display Saturday, and Missouri fans can watch the return of two key members of “D-Line Zou.” Arguably as crucial as Beckner Jr. and Utsey getting acclimated to game speed during week one will be seeing which backup defensive linemen have strong showings in the season opener. Junior college transfers Rashad Brandon and Walter Palmore will make their Missouri debuts in spelling Beckner Jr., while junior DE Nate Anderson, redshirt senior DT A.J. Logan and freshmen DT Kobie Whiteside and DE Chris Turner should also see significant time in Saturday’s rotation up front.

Linebacker starters unclear The depth chart left plenty of questions with the linebacking core, as Odom did not name a starter at any of the three positions.

Odom said at least six linebackers — senior captain Eric Beisel, sophomore Cale Garrett, Kansas State transfer Kaleb Prewett, junior Terez Hall, redshirt senior Joey Burkett and redshirt junior Brandon Lee — will play Saturday.

“We feel like all six of those guys can either be a starter or play fairly close to evenly,” Odom said during his Monday news conference. “Some of it depends on what personnel grouping that we get on the first snap and how we match it up.”

Rountree debuts Coaches heaped praise on running back Larry Rountree during fall camp, and Odom said the true freshman will get touches against Missouri State.

“I’m excited to see him play early in the ballgame,” offensive coordinator Josh Heupel said in a conference call Monday.

Sophomore Damarea Crockett will likely carry the bulk of the load for Missouri, but the excitement surrounding Rountree was palpable in the weeks leading up to the Missouri State game.

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QB2 Odom did not clear up any mystery about the backup quarterback situation when he released the Missouri depth chart Monday morning. Drew Lock was penciled in as the starter, but two names were listed as second-stringers: Jack Lowary and Micah Wilson.

If the Tigers take a large lead against Missouri State, fans could see the backup quarterbacks in action.

Perhaps either Lowary or Wilson will emerge as the clear backup by week two.

After almost quitting football five years ago, Castillo makes Missouri debut Sept. 2 Neysa Rosario thought her son was going to pick swimming.

Trystan Castillo was entering his freshman year at Webb City High School in southwest Missouri, and he was a standout both in the pool and on the football field. Both sports were only offered in the fall, leaving Castillo with a difficult decision.

“He probably would have stuck to both (if he could have),” Rosario said. “I don’t know how a 315-pound guy can swim, but he did good.”

After growing half a foot in eighth grade, Castillo chose to play football, and — five years later — he made his collegiate debut as the starting center for Missouri on Saturday. Helped by the redshirt freshman, the line allowed only one sack and the offense racked up a single-game school-record 815 yards in Missouri’s 72-43 victory over Missouri State.

Rosario was at work when she saw Missouri’s Week 1 depth chart. She was not supposed to be on her phone, but she instantly sent Castillo a Snapchat message and called her family in Puerto Rico.

“My mom was really happy, really excited,” Castillo said. “That’s what I came here for: to play.”

Rosario’s elation spread to her friends. She posted the depth chart on her Facebook page, and Castillo’s barber even commented on the post.

“She was like, ‘Yay! My haircut is going to be on the jumbotron!’” Rosario said.

Castillo said he was anxious before the game, and he told fellow lineman Paul Adams that his stomach was hurting.

Adams, a redshirt junior, told Castillo that his nerves would calm after the first drive of the game.

Fortunately for the redshirt freshman, the drive only lasted one play; quarterback Drew Lock threw a 65yard touchdown pass to Johnathon Johnson.

“It was just really funny because I’ve seen him grow the past year,” Adams said of Castillo. … “He was really vocal today, which is huge for a center.”

Castillo was not only vocal with his fellow linemen. Sophomore running back Damarea Crockett was roommates with Castillo in the university dorms last school year, and he said they encouraged each other throughout the game.

When Crockett scampered into the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown run during the first quarter, Castillo met him there. The two did their personal handshake together in celebration, and Crockett smiled when thinking about the score.

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“It’s kind of what we’ve been waiting on,” Crockett said, “for him to be starting at center and for me to be starting at running back.”

Two hours before opening kickoff, Rosario left her tailgate to watch Tiger Walk, the Missouri players’ procession to the stadium. She wove through trucks, tents and cheerleaders, finally settling at the end of a line of fans.

As he entered the stadium, Castillo approached his mother. He said he loved her, and she gave him a quick hug. It was a fleeting moment of privacy before the center debuted in front of 50,131 fans.

“We didn’t say much,” Rosario said, “but that hug just says millions.”

The days of chlorine-scented swim trunks and goggles were long behind them.

Four things we learned from Missouri's win over Missouri State Sept. 3 It was a tale of two sides of the ball when Missouri beat Missouri State 72-43 on Saturday.

The offense set a single-game school record in total yards, but the defense struggled to contain a low-level Division I team. Missouri State plays in the FCS, the subdivision of Division I football.

Here are four takeaways from Missouri’s win: If the team’s going to win, the defense must improve Coach Barry Odom knows his defense must improve, and he said he was concerned with the team’s tackling against Missouri State. The secondary also had a number of blown coverages, which Odom thinks the team can fix heading into its SEC opener against South Carolina next Saturday.

“Focus, attention to detail, habits,” Odom said after Saturday’s win. “We weren’t near where we need to be.”

The South Carolina matchup will be a test for Missouri’s defense, and the secondary will be without a key piece in the first half. Safety Cam Hilton received a targeting penalty for leading with his helmet in the third quarter, and he was ejected. He will be suspended for the first half against the Gamecocks because of the penalty.

On the bright side, the defense allowed just 8 points in the second half.

“They played with a little more urgency,” Odom said. “We calmed down and played a little bit more solid.”

Regardless of the strong second half, giving up 43 points to an FCS team could be concerning for the Tigers.

Lock looked like a pro Missouri quarterback Drew Lock made a statement in the opener and earned Walter Camp Offensive Player of the Week honors.

“Drew played about as good as I’ve seen him play,” Odom said.

Lock set Missouri records when he threw for 521 yards and seven touchdowns, albeit against a weak Missouri State defense. He had success throwing shorter passes to speedy wide receivers like Johnathon Johnson, who had 116 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions.

Tight ends used well

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Lock often targeted tight ends on key third-down plays, and it paid off. Missouri used three tight ends Saturday, and they combined for 103 yards on five receptions.

Redshirt freshman Albert Okwuegbunam led the position group, as he hauled in a touchdown reception in his Tiger debut.

Small opening crowd The Tigers drew just 50,131 fans to Faurot Field against Missouri State — the smallest crowd for a Missouri home opener since 2006.

Missouri is coming off two straight losing seasons, which could have caused the early season attendance dip.

An SEC opponent like South Carolina should draw a larger crowd, but the attendance could remain lackluster if the team does not improve its on-field performance.

With South Carolina coming to town, Lock remembers first career start Sept. 6 As Drew Lock prepared to purchase a new cellphone Monday night, he scrolled through old pictures on his camera roll. He stumbled across the photos from his first career start, a 2015 home win over South Carolina.

With the Gamecocks set to return to Missouri on Saturday, Lock laughed about how long ago that 2015 matchup feels. He was a true freshman at the time, and his shaggy brown hair hung to his shoulders. It bounced out of the back of his helmet when he played.

“That was a bad look,” Lock said after practice Tuesday. “I should have cut that.”

Both in hairstyle and quarterbacking abilities, Lock has matured since his freshman year. He led the SEC in passing yards in 2016 and threw for 521 yards and seven touchdowns in the Tigers’ 2017 opener against Missouri State.

After defeating North Carolina State in their Week 1 game, the Gamecocks seem to be a different group than the 2015 team that finished the year 3-9. The team played in a 2016 bowl game and received votes in the latest coaches’ poll.

Lock played well in his freshman-year matchup with South Carolina, throwing for 136 yards and two touchdowns.

“I remember Drew being the young guy and making a couple good throws in the game,” said Missouri coach Barry Odom, the defensive coordinator at the time.

But Lock struggled the rest of the season — Missouri did not win another SEC contest — and he said Tuesday that his first start might have given him a false impression of the level of play in college football.

Odom said this year’s South Carolina team poses a challenge and that his quarterback must step up for the Tigers to win their SEC opener.

“His jump from Year 1 to Year 2 has moved in a great way, in a positive direction,” Odom said. “Through one game this year, he continues to do that. He needs to take another step this week.”

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Fatony shaped by mother's perseverance Sept. 8

Corey Fatony sat quietly in his mother’s car, watching unfamiliar streets flash past the passenger window.

A month earlier, his family had moved to Tennessee from Jacksonville, Florida. School had not yet started, so Fatony had not made friends in his new home. And, worst of all for the seventh-grader, his mother was forcing him to play football for the first time.

Cylina Meredith, Fatony’s mother, was convinced that sports were the best way for her son to meet friends in Tennessee. Fatony had played soccer in Florida, and Meredith knew he had a strong leg. She had seen him boot a soccer ball over a tree taller than their Jacksonville house, and she thought her son could find his niche on his middle school’s football team.

As Meredith pulled into the school for a summer practice, Fatony broke the nervous silence and made a final plea to his mother. He begged Meredith not to make him leave the car. He didn’t want to play a new sport.

Meredith looked into her son’s fearful eyes, and she told him to get out of the car. Go kick some footballs, she said. He would be the best kicker the coach ever saw.

“Mothers do know best,” said Fatony, now a junior and third-year starter at Missouri.

Meredith’s impact on her son goes beyond inspiring him to play football. She persevered through a trying childhood and, as a young mother, helped Fatony transform from a timid seventh-grader to a starting punter in the SEC. Making changes Meredith often tells people that she and Fatony grew up together. She gave birth at the age of 20, and the biological father was out of the picture by the time Fatony was a 3-year-old.

“He was always my little buddy,” she said.

Meredith remarried when her son was 4, and the family moved three times before settling near Nashville in Franklin, Tennessee.

Meredith admits she made mistakes parenting her son before she had totally grown up. She dragged Fatony to her personal events and kept him up too late. She yelled at him, spanked a bit too much.

She put herself first.

But her parenting style changed when Fatony was in second grade. Meredith and her current husband, Brandon Meredith, moved to Jacksonville, and she started attending church. Her faith expanded, and she gained a deeper appreciation for her son.

“My whole life changed,” she said. “My marriage changed; it got better. My parenting style was better just because I had a different vision for Corey.”

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Instead of simply punishing Fatony when he did something wrong, she gave her son explanations — not just consequences — and always made sure to express her love.

“I think that’s why we have such a good relationship,” Fatony said, … “because she was so understanding.

She spanked me sometimes, but it was when it needed to be done.”

Brandon Meredith, Fatony’s stepfather, saw the change in his wife firsthand. He remembers when Fatony did not get along with his elementary school basketball coach. He wanted to stop playing, but his mother was having none of it.

We don’t quit, she told him.

It was a message Meredith knew well.

A tough upbringing Growing up in Virginia, Meredith flinched whenever she walked by her mother, Mary.

“I wasn’t sure when she was going to hit me,” Meredith said. “Or how hard she was going to hit me.”

Mary drank and did drugs in front of her daughter, and Meredith was forced into the role of Mary’s caretaker as her mother got older.

“When she would pass out in her mashed potatoes,” she said, “I would have to pick her up and carry her upstairs and throw her in bed.”

Mary died at the age of 50. Her unhealthy lifestyle caught up to her, and her damaged liver gave out.

When Meredith heard the news, she didn’t feel an overwhelming sense of loss. She just felt sad that she grew up missing a mother figure.

Despite the pain and hardships she endured, Meredith is not sorry for what she went through. She chose not to smoke because of Mary. She didn’t experiment with drugs. It made her a better mom.

“I chose to go a different path than my mother did,” she said. “I do everything that I wanted as a child from my mother.”

Offering guidance Though his mom had to drag him to his first football practice in seventh grade, Fatony was quickly hooked on the sport. One of his coaches told him he could make the NFL if he worked hard, and the young punter developed into a standout on the gridiron.

Early in his high school career, Fatony had a decision to make. He could continue playing soccer in the spring, or he could focus solely on kicking.

“My husband and I knew that there was a future with football,” Meredith said.

Fatony listened to his mother, and he did not play soccer his sophomore and junior seasons. Instead, the punter attended kicking camps and sent emails and film to college coaches.

Once again, his mother knew best. Auburn and Tennessee showed interest in Fatony, and Missouri offered him a scholarship. Next thing he knew, he was playing in the SEC. Every time Fatony lines up to punt, Meredith says a quick prayer. She asks for a great kick and — most importantly — prays her son doesn’t get hit.

“Those guys are big,” she said. “If they do hit my son, it’s a 15-yard penalty. But still!”

Sometimes Meredith can’t look. Sometimes she takes a peek with one eye.

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Meredith said she is filled with emotion any time Fatony is on the field. She feels a pervasive sense of pride in her son’s accomplishments, and she cried the first time he was introduced as a starter his freshman year.

“There’s nothing like it in the whole world,” she said. “Even now, even when I go to the spring game and I see him, even though it’s his junior year and I’ve seen it over and over and over again, it’s still the same emotions.”

Agape When Lonnie Castle, one of Fatony’s family friends, found himself in Columbia for a business trip, he called the punter to make dinner plans. But Fatony wasn’t available. He was at a kicking camp in Wisconsin.

Castle said this response was symbolic of Fatony and his self-motivated work ethic. Castle thinks these skills could carry the punter to the NFL. “I think he gets a lot of that from his momma,” he said. “She’s about as grounded as you can get.”

Brandon Meredith also sees the similarities between Fatony and his mother. When he took his stepson to kicking camps in high school, Fatony was never satisfied with his performance. The young punter excelled, but he was always disappointed.

“I was always surprised, because he would be in the top five every time,” Brandon Meredith said.

As Fatony went through his pregame stretches before Missouri’s opener against Missouri State, a tattoo on the upper third of his left arm was on display. The jetblack ink stood out as he walked up and down the field.

“Agape,” it read.

The punter defines the Greek word as a compassionate, selfless form of love. His mother has the same tattoo on her forearm.

“I kind of think of it as God’s love for us and me and my mom’s love for each other,” he said.

Above the word, the mother and son have a lily, Meredith’s favorite flower.

Fatony's consistency turns heads Sept. 8 Punting puts Corey Fatony in a strange situation. He loves stepping onto the field on Saturdays, but there’s a catch. If he’s punting, it means the Tigers offense failed to convert a first down.

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Fatony handles his unique role with a simple mindset. Though he loves to play, he always hopes for his team’s offense to succeed.

“When I do get the chance, then it’s time to go,” Fatony said. “We’re rocking, we’re rolling.”

Since taking over as the Tigers starter in 2015, Fatony has been a constant on the team. He’s developed into a nationally recognized punter, and he’s earned the admiration of his teammates and coaches.

Lonnie Castle announced the punter’s games when he played for Franklin High School in Tennessee. He had a name for Fatony, who was also a placekicker in high school: Mr. Dependable.

“You had probably a 90 percent chance that — no matter where he was kicking from — he was either going to score or it would be a great punt,” Castle said.

Fatony’s consistency has continued in college.

In his first year with the Tigers, the punter earned Freshman All-America honors from Sporting News and USA Today. He was even named the Ray Guy Punter of the Week after Missouri’s 21-3 loss to Florida.

Fatony did not slow down as a sophomore, finishing the year ranked No. 20 in the NCAA in yards per punt.

“To know that Corey can flip a field from pretty much anywhere on the football field is really nice to have,” quarterback Drew Lock said. “In case we do go a quick three-and-out … , Corey’s easily there to back us up.”

Coach Barry Odom was straightforward when talking about his punter before Missouri’s opener against Missouri State. He discussed Fatony’s athletic ability and mentioned him as one of the bright spots on the special teams unit.

“Fatony has done unbelievable,” Odom said. “I wouldn’t trade him for anybody in the country at that spot.”

FAST FIVE: Castillo talks snacks, movies and Adele Sept. 8 The Missourian got to know what redshirt freshman offensive lineman Trystan Castillo — from Webb City — is like off the gridiron in this week's edition of "Fast Five."

What is your spirit animal and why?

"Man, that’s tough. I guess my spirit animal would have to be a bear. I like run-blocking; I want to try and maul somebody."

What is your guilty-pleasure song?

"Some Adele."

What’s your favorite sport besides football?

"Probably basketball. I’m a big basketball guy."

What’s your favorite movie of all time?

"Sheesh! Probably Batman, 'The Dark Knight.'"

What’s your go-to post-practice snack?

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"Probably a bag of grapes."

Live gamecock a staple of South Carolina athletics Sept. 9 A friend of Mary Snelling's father had an illegal hobby: gamecock fighting, in which two birds attack each other in a ring.

The blood sport is now considered a felony in 33 states.

Snelling graduated from South Carolina and is a diehard Gamecock fan. Her father felt her school pride called for a special gift.

"My dad thought that I needed to have a gamecock," she said.

With help from his friend, her father got a bird, and Snelling found herself with a new pet.

Initially just a pet, the bird's role changed 20 years ago. Snelling and her husband, Ron Albertelli, went to a dinner with South Carolina baseball coach Ray Tanner, now the school's athletic director.

The couple approached the coach with an idea: bringing the gamecock to the baseball stadium. Tanner said that — as long as the gamecock stayed off the field — he could attend games and sit on the first base dugout of Founders Park.

The bird, named Sir Big Spur, became a staple at Gamecock baseball games. A tradition — now stretching four gamecocks — was born.

The bird's role expanded as time went on, and he started attending football games a decade ago. Snelling and Albertelli are the birds private owners, but they said they are close to finalizing a contract to make Sir Big Spur IV the official mascot of South Carolina.

"We've signed it," Snelling said. "We're waiting on the athletic director."

Sir Big Spur IV — an 8-year-old English black breasted red gamecock — will retire at the end of the season. His owners have already chosen a replacement for next season.

"Retirement entails being in the hen house as the No. 1 cock and living out the rest of his natural life," Albertelli said.

Sir Big Spur IV did not comment on his future plans.

Albertelli, a manufacturing broker, built the gamecock a white carriage with a perch on its roof. Sir Big Spur stands on a mini goal post once the game begins, offering fans a view of his black feathers and red face.

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Albertelli said the carriage — named the Roost Roller — cost $15,000 to build. He's quick to note that fans get to see the bird from their seats; Sir Big Spur's carriage offers better visibility than the cage for Uga, Georgia's bulldog.

"If you're not right in front of his cage when he's in there, no fans in the stadium can see him," Albertelli said.

As Roost Roller drove onto Faurot Field Saturday evening, Sir Big Spur IV sat regally in his cage. South Carolina sideline staffers took photos with their phones, and the bird calmly prepared for game time.

Lackluster Missouri falls short against South Carolina Sept. 9 Within the first six minutes of the first quarter, Barry Odom’s emotions ranged from urgency to anxiety to ecstasy.

He leaped up and down so the referees would hear him calling for a timeout. He nervously waited for South Carolina to kick a field goal. He celebrated when the Gamecocks missed.

It was the beginning of a windstorm of emotions for Missouri’s second-year head coach. But, at the end of the night, one emotion was apparent: the palpable frustration of a coach searching for answers.

“If we don’t win the turnover margin, if we play horrific in special teams, we’re not going to win a game,” Odom said after Missouri’s 31-13 loss to South Carolina to open SEC play. With the loss, Missouri falls to 1-1. The Gamecocks improved to 2-0.

A week after a record-setting 72-point performance against Missouri State, Missouri’s offense looked lost Saturday. Special teams deficiencies proved costly throughout the game.

Defensively, the Tigers started strong. Against Missouri State, they allowed 21 points in the first quarter.

Against the Gamecocks? Zero. The unit stood firm against a potent South Carolina offense, and a Tucker McCann field goal gave Missouri a 3-0 lead after 15 minutes of action.

“We did a lot better at trying to handle our own responsibilities and not (trying to) do too much,” sophomore linebacker Cale Garrett said, “but also ended up — myself especially — shooting ourselves in the foot with mistakes on things that we know how to do.”

Missouri’s woes began when South Carolina’s Deebo Samuel took over in the second quarter. Odom praised the wideout through the week, calling him one of the best receivers in the country. The coach’s fears of what Samuel was capable of proved rational.

Samuel scored twice in less than 30 seconds to quickly erase a 10-0 Missouri lead. Samuel returned a Tucker McCann kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown and — after Missouri’s Drew Lock threw an interception — ran 25 yards for another score on a jet sweep.

Turnovers cost the Tigers throughout the game. A Johnathon Johnson muffed punt gave South Carolina possession in Missouri territory with just more than 13 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Lock’s second pick of the evening with 9:34 remaining in the fourth essentially sealed the game.

“We’re not going to win — we’re not going to play well enough to give ourselves a chance to win — when we play like that,” Odom said.

Lock finished with 245 passing yards, but he completed fewer than 50 percent of his passes. Wide receiver J’Mon Moore had two drops in Missouri’s loss, and Johnathon Johnson did not catch a pass.

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“They were definitely concerned about our passing attack today,” Lock said. … “We just didn’t execute well enough.”

It was a disappointing night for a team looking to start its conference schedule on a high note.

After rushing for 98 yards, running back Damarea Crockett suffered a bruised tailbone early in the third quarter. He is not expected to miss further time, but the injury prompted a candid response from his coach.

“Mine’s bruised, too,” Odom said with a straight face. “It’s called an ass-kicking.”

Early in the fourth quarter, new blow-up Tiger mascot Waltz stumbled onto the field. It floundered in the south end zone, lacking a direction or purpose.

Just like its school, it was trying to find its way.

Five things we learned from Missouri's loss Sept. 11 Missouri took a U-turn in its loss to South Carolina on Saturday.

The Tigers offense appeared explosive in MU's opener against Missouri State, but the defense struggled.

Against the Gamecocks, it was the offense that seemed most problematic.

Here are five takeaways from the team's loss: For the team to compete, Lock needs to get better South Carolina coach Will Muschamp praised Drew Lock leading up to the Gamecocks' showdown with the Tigers, saying on the SEC teleconference that the Missouri quarterback has a "Sunday arm."

Lock has some improvements to make on Saturdays first.

The junior captain threw for a respectable 245 yards agains South Carolina, but he only completed 14 of his 32 passes. He threw two costly interceptions, and the Tigers only scored 13 points.

"I made mistakes myself tonight," Lock said. ... "I was putting the balls into some tight coverages that I necessarily shouldn't have done."

Lock has shown he can post monster numbers against teams such as Missouri State, but he needs to prove he can do it against quality opponents. Since the junior took over the starting quarterback job in 2015, Missouri has won only three conference games.

Missouri is its own worst enemy Missouri lost the turnover battle Saturday, throwing two interceptions and muffing a punt. South Carolina did not turn the ball over once.

"We're going to struggle when that happens," coach Barry Odom said after the game.

The muffed punt was not the Tigers' only miscue on special teams. Missouri's Tucker McCann kicked to South Carolina's Deebo Samuel on a kickoff — something the Tigers were trying to avoid — and the return man promptly took it back 97 yards for a touchdown.

Missouri committed a few key penalties during the game, and dropped passes halted offensive momentum.

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"We'll beat ourselves," Lock said after the game. "No one's really going to beat us. And we beat ourselves tonight."

Defensive improvement After a concerning performance against Missouri State, the defense contained a potent South Carolina offense to 359 yards.

The team allowed 31 points, but seven came on a special teams blunder. Turnovers gave the Gamecocks good field position, but the defense was able to limit the damage.

Cross-ed out Despite the defensive improvement Saturday, Missouri fired coordinator DeMontie Cross on Sunday.

Odom stripped Cross of his play-calling duties midway through the 2016 season, but he obviously felt further change was needed.

Odom shows his anger Missouri's coach was visibly frustrated at his postgame press conference. He was short with reporters, straying from his normally calm demeanor with the media, and encapsulated his feelings when discussing Damarea Crockett's bruised tailbone.

"Mine's bruised, too," he said Saturday. "It's called an ass-kicking."

Football team praises Frazier as he ends media boycott Sept. 13 Defensive end Marcell Frazier stood somberly against a wall of the Mizzou Athletics Training Complex, surrounded by a dozen reporters. The senior calmly answered questions about the Tigers’ 31-13 loss to South Carolina.

It’s not uncommon for media members to gather around a player, but it was unusual for that player to be Frazier. The lineman was breaking a silence that had lasted since June, when he announced that he would not talk to local media members in 2017.

“I gain nothing from it,” he said in a tweet. “I am still an amateur, not binded to do interviews (yet).”

But, after the South Carolina game ended, Frazier told Missouri strategic communications officials that he wanted to show leadership. He was not ending his boycott after a breakout win, instead choosing to speak following a painful loss.

Frazier did not say anything monumental after the game, focusing on the team’s losing performance and looking ahead to Saturday’s contest with Purdue. But, for his teammates, the fact that he spoke was an example of leadership that has been present throughout the season.

“He started taking some of the blow, so (the media) won’t keep coming at other guys,” linebacker Terez Hall said. “I’m glad he’s back doing what he has to do so he can show the world that he’s not a mean guy.”

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Coach Barry Odom has discussed facing adversity with his team, and he said Frazier talking after the game was a positive example of how to handle it.

“I think that speaks to the volume of what our locker room is like on stepping up and being what a leader is supposed to be,” Odom said.

Reporters requested to speak with Frazier at media availability Tuesday, but he declined. It’s unclear how often he will talk to reporters going forward.

Defensive line coach Brick Haley said he has asked Frazier to mentor the younger linemen, and it’s a responsibility the senior has embraced. When underclassmen are not around the training complex, Frazier keeps them in the loop.

Although Haley said Frazier still has work to do, he is pleased with the lineman’s progress.

“I tell him all the time, ‘You can’t just lead by talking,’” Haley said. “’Your actions have to have to show that, also.’”

Frazier faced mixed reactions on Twitter after announcing he would not speak to media, and criticism continued into the season. It did not deter the lineman, and he did not talk with reporters during fall camp.

Hall wanted to dispel any notion that Frazier is a “bad guy.” He defended his teammate, stressing the defensive end’s kind and supportive nature.

“He’s one of the best guys you can be,” Hall said. “If (your car) broke down somewhere and you needed to call Marcell at 3 a.m., he would be there.”

Opponent preview: Brohm changing culture as Purdue rides stronger start into Saturday's matchup Sept. 15 Purdue football beat writer Mike Carmin has noticed a culture change since Jeff Brohm took over as the Boilermakers’ coach this past December.

Carmin — who works for the Journal & Courier of Lafayette, Indiana — saw it in the spring, and he saw it during fall camp. There is more effort. Players are buying in. They’ve embraced their new coach in West Lafayette, Indiana.

“They’re tired of losing,” Carmin said. “They’re tired of getting embarrassed.”

With that said, the writer does not necessarily think Purdue is a team on the verge of winning six games and making a bowl. The Boilermakers have won only nine games since 2014, and there is a lack of depth on their roster. They don’t have SEC-level talent, Carmin said.

The game still poses an interesting challenge for Missouri. Purdue kept up with No. 14 Louisville in a 3528 Week 1 loss, and the Boilermakers beat Ohio soundly, 44-21, in their second game.

“I guess the question is, ‘Can Purdue keep up with Missouri if they’re scoring?’” Carmin said. “And while their offense has looked good in the first two games, I’m not sure that Purdue can do that right now.”

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Two quarterbacks, David Blough and Elijah Sindelar, have split snaps for the Boilermakers in their opening games. Brohm is throwing a wrinkle in Missouri’s preparation ahead of Saturday’s game and said Monday he will not announce the team’s starting quarterback until game day.

Carmin said he expects the quarterback competition to continue at least through the first month of the season. Blough had stronger numbers against Ohio — throwing for 235 yards compared to Sindelar’s 60 — but Brohm’s vagueness means the Tigers will have to prepare for both.

“David did a very good job (against Ohio),” Brohm said during a Monday teleconference. “He stepped in, and he was very efficient, took care of the ball, produced points, got us into the end zone. Unfortunately for Elijah, we had some drops when he was in there, but I thought he played very well, also.”

Carmin said the Boilermakers have run an up-tempo offense so far in 2017. The team’s running game opens up the passing attack, which means Cale Garrett and the Missouri linebacker corps will be tested.

Defensively, Brohm said pressuring Missouri quarterback Drew Lock will be key. He wants his defensive line to obstruct Lock’s vision and disrupt his rhythm.

“We haven’t produced as many sacks as I would like,” the coach said. “Our secondary is going to be tested this week, and I think you’ll find out after the game where we’re at in that aspect.”

After running a trick play to perfection against Ohio, Brohm suggested more special play calls could be on the way.

Against Ohio, Blough handed the ball to his running back, who gave it to receiver Jackson Anthrop.

Anthrop ran toward Blough and lateraled the ball to the quarterback. Blough found a tight end streaking down the sideline, and Purdue scored a touchdown.

“If I get the guts enough to call them, we’re probably going to call them,” Brohm said.

The Boilermakers’ coach said Barry Odom’s Missouri team poses a test. Brohm’s been pleased with Purdue’s effort so far but said a road victory won’t come easily.

“We’re going to face a team that’s in the SEC,” Brohm said. “They’re used to playing good competition every week, and they have good athletes. … We’re going to have to take that next step in order to be able to compete and win the football game.”

FAST FIVE: Harold on literature, cars and sociology class Sept. 15 Senior defensive lineman Jordan Harold, a team captain, talked about life off the football field for this week's "Fast Five."

What's your dream car?

"If I can have anything (and don't) have to pay for it? A Bugatti."

What's your favorite meal?

"My favorite meal period in the world — I'd just say hot wings."

Who's the funniest guy on the team?

(Harold laughed and nodded toward fellow defensive lineman Tre Williams.) "That's the most funny looking."

What's your favorite book?

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"I've got a couple favorite books. ... I've got 'The Souls of Black Folk' by W. E. B. Du Bois."

What's your favorite class you've taken at Mizzou?

"I recently took a sociology class. I'm not sure what it's called, but it's close to the one I'm in now. The one I'm in now is Sociology: Race and Ethnicity. That's probably my favorite class right now."

Pregame pyrotechnics serve as a bright spot for Missouri football Sept. 16 As Missouri players stretched before their game against Purdue, Daryle Bascom and a team of pyrotechnicians fidgeted with plugs and buttons. Two black pods full of chemicals stood near the Missouri goal line.

“It’s about to get really hot down here,” a stadium staffer called out.

Twenty minutes later, 60-foot flames shot into the air from each pod. The 90-degree temperature seemed to double, and the Missouri team sprinted onto the field.

Fans can thank Jay Luksis for the new pregame features. After joining the Missouri staff as a marketing director in October 2016, Luksis started researching ways to make the game-day experience more enjoyable. He scoured YouTube and the web, watching videos of NFL and college teams’ pregame introductions.

In the spring, the thought of flames crossed his mind. He approached J&M Displays, the company that handles the pyrotechnics at Missouri football games, and asked what they could do.

“They basically say, ‘If you dream it, we can figure out how to do it,’” Luksis said.

The result was the new Faurot Field pregame show. As a hype video plays on the JumboTron and the players charge forward, a collection of flames shoots into the sky. Bascom stands on the field to make sure fans stay a safe distance away from the pods.

Luksis’ mission is simple: He wants fans sitting in Memorial Stadium’s seats, not local bars. He wants to give them something they can’t get at home, to put on a show they’ve never seen before.

“The first game, it was wild because everyone was so packed in together, and all the sudden flames went crazy,” MU freshman Jacob Dellitt said. “We hadn’t seen that before this year.”

Luksis loves the power of the flames. Along with their striking visuals, their heat radiates around the stadium.

“You can feel it almost like you’ve got a sunburn,” he said.

After obtaining the flame pods from the Kansas City Chiefs, Missouri held a test run in the spring for safety purposes. The crew tested them again during fall camp so the players could prepare for the heat. Luksis said the players loved it.

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The pods contain a gas burner and a tank of nitrous. When an operator presses a button, a chemical is released and the flames shoot into the air.

“You know how you smell alcohol in hand sanitizer?” Bascom said. “It’s the same chemical.”

So far, Luksis has received positive feedback on the flames. He said Missouri sends a survey to a few thousand fans after every game, and multiple responses have praised the pyrotechnics.

The moment the flames finish, the operating crew is back on the field to drag the pods away. They disappear quickly, leaving behind a cloud of black smoke billowing into the afternoon air.

Fans make early exit in Missouri loss Sept. 16 By the fourth quarter of Missouri’s 35-3 loss to Purdue, only a few scattered fans remained in Memorial Stadium’s student seating area. One section had only six fans. The temperature was hot, and the game was all but over.

“If we go and win games, there will be more fans,” coach Barry Odom said. “If we don’t, there won’t.”

The official attendance was listed at 53,262, but the stands were barren early in the second half. Fans started trickling out after Purdue took a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter.

Quarterback Drew Lock talked after the game about coming to Missouri games growing up and said many of those games were when the Tigers were struggling.

“If you’re considered a fan or you’re actually fan, you’re going to come back and support us,” Lock said.

“It’s not like we go out there and (say), ‘We’re going to give fans a bad show today. We’re going to lose the game today.’ That’s not what we do. We go out and try to win. We fight for this state, we fight for them, and sometimes it doesn’t go our way.”

Fatony makes another strong impression As punter Corey Fatony went through his pregame warmups, a resounding thud echoed each time his foot hit the ball. He kicked from the south end zone, and each ball sailed past midfield.

The junior was one of the few bright spots for Missouri on Saturday. He booted a 65-yard punt, let loose another that pinned Purdue at the 2-yard line in the third quarter and averaged 48.2 yards per punt.

“As a punter, as a specialist, I try to get everybody encouraged,” Fatony said. “I try to slap butts, get guys going, get guys energized, try to bring the energy.”

Fatony’s energy was present throughout the game. He celebrated with his teammates after each strong kick, and, in the third quarter, he pretended to swing a golf club after pinning Purdue at the 2.

Crockett limited following injury Through the first two weeks of the season, sophomore running back Damarea Crockett looked like one of the top running backs in the SEC. He racked up 299 rushing yards before leaving the South Carolina game in the third quarter with a bruised tailbone.

But against Purdue, Crockett was nowhere to be found despite leading the team in rushing attempts.

Senior Ish Witter started the game in the backfield for Missouri, and Crockett rushed only 10 times for 19 yards.

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Odom said his running back’s injury from Week 2 could have lingered.

“I don’t think he’s 100 percent, but he’s close to it,” Odom said. “We didn’t have much room to run up front. It didn’t matter what back was in there.”

Secondary struggles continue against Purdue Purdue coach Jeff Brohm said trick plays would be a possibility against Missouri. It turns out passing the ball was enough.

Missouri’s secondary got torched in the first half, surrendering 28 points. Twelve different Purdue receivers caught passes, and the team’s quarterbacks — David Blough and Elijah Sindelar — combined for 272 yards and two touchdowns.

“I felt like we played hard towards the end,” freshman cornerback Adam Sparks said. “We’ve got to come back stronger at the beginning so we don’t have to fight towards the end.”

Brohm waited until Saturday to name a starter between Blough and Sindelar and ultimately went with Blough, who made his first start of 2017. The junior was an efficient 22 for 28 for 187 yards and said he felt more comfortable in the pocket against Missouri than ever.

“At a point in the fourth quarter, I realized, ‘Man, this is what it’s supposed to feel like,’” Blough said. “I was completely relaxed, my mind was shut off from everything in the outside world ... and it felt good to be in a situation being up 35-3 on a good SEC team.”

Injury update Junior receiver Emanuel Hall did not play in the second half after suffering a bruised shoulder.

Five things we learned from Missouri's loss to Purdue Sept. 18 A somber Barry Odom trudged into his press conference after Missouri’s 35-3 loss to Purdue on Saturday.

“It stung pretty good,” he said.

Any remnant of preseason optimism had vanished, leaving Missouri fans with the cold reality that a third straight losing season could be on its way.

With the Tigers listed as 18½-point underdogs heading into this upcoming Saturday’s game against No. 15 Auburn, here are five takeaways after their loss to Purdue.

Former players are saddened Former defensive lineman Shane Ray summed up a general consensus among Missouri fans after the final whistle sounded.

“The score might as well have been 35-0,” he tweeted.

Ray, now with the Denver Broncos, was one of multiple former players to voice their feelings.

“Hated seeing the stands empty in my early days at Mizzou,” former tight end Martin Rucker tweeted.

“We worked so hard to get them full. I hate seeing them empty again.”

“Mizzou really tryna make (me) cry,” former Tigers running back Russell Hansbrough added on Twitter.

Returning punts is still a problem

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Last week, it was Johnathon Johnson. This week, it was Richaud Floyd.

After Johnson’s costly muffed punt against South Carolina, another special teams misstep haunted the Tigers on Saturday, as Floyd dropped Purdue’s first punt of the game to hand possession right back in the second quarter.

Purdue solved Missouri’s tight ends Missouri’s tight end group had been a highlight through the team’s first two games, but they were nowhere to be found against Purdue. In fact, only three Missouri receivers caught passes on Saturday.

‘D-Line Zou’ is still a strength Outside of Missouri punter Corey Fatony, fans had to look hard for positives from the Tigers’ loss. The defensive line might have been one of the few bright spots.

Senior Marcell Frazier and junior Terry Beckner Jr. each collected sacks, while senior Jordan Harold notched five total tackles.

Lock’s struggles did not fade Since his record-setting showing against Missouri State, quarterback Drew Lock has failed to produce for the Tigers.

He competed only 12 of 28 passes, lowering his season completion percentage to a meager 50 percent.

He threw two interceptions against the Boilermakers, and — most importantly — his team only scored three points.

“We’ve really got to indulge in this film tomorrow, watch it and see what all happened,” Lock said.

“There’s nine regular-season games left. If you win the rest of those nine, you’ll have a pretty good year.”

If Missouri is going to come anywhere close to winning nine more games, it’s going to need a lot more of Week 1 Lock.

Despite high expectations, Missouri's offense has faltered Sept. 19

Missouri’s offense stood out to tight end Jason Reese as he and his teammates warmed up for Saturday’s game against Purdue.

There was no energy. They were flat.

“It’s just the competing factor,” Reese said. “I don’t think it’s there.”

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Hype surrounded the Tigers’ attack heading into the 2017 season. The unit showed flashes of brilliance in 2016, and returned 10 of 11 starters.

Missouri’s offense was supposed to feature a threeheaded monster of Drew Lock, Damarea Crockett and J’Mon Moore. Missouri’s offense was supposed to control the tempo of play. And, most importantly for Tigers fans, Missouri’s offense was supposed to score points.

But in the team’s first two games against Power 5 opponents, the Tigers have only averaged eight points.

Last season, Missouri averaged 19 points in its first two games against Power 5 schools.

“Could confidence be an issue? Well, yeah, it can be,” offensive coordinator Josh Heupel said Monday. “I don’t think it should be with this group. We can play. We can play at a high level. We can do it against quality opponents.”

But Missouri has done little to support their coach’s words in the last two games. Against Purdue — a team that won just three games in 2016 — Missouri only had possession for 16 minutes and 17 seconds.

Coach Barry Odom said time of possession falls on both the defense and the offense. But with only 10 first downs against Purdue, the Missouri attack showed cause for concern.

“As long as you’re scoring points — I’ve got a little bit of different feeling on (time of possession),” Odom said. “If you’re not getting first downs, then my thought changes a little bit.”

The week leading up to Missouri’s game against South Carolina, Odom said he wanted Lock to take a step forward. If anything, the quarterback has taken a step back.

Lock has struggled at quarterback since the season opener against Missouri State. He has only completed 50 percent of his passes on the year and thrown five interceptions. Against Purdue, his quarterback rating was 14.8.

The quarterback did not talk to reporters after Tuesday’s practice.

Offensive lineman Paul Adams, a redshirt junior, said the team entered the 2016 season with a chip on its shoulders. The Missouri attack struggled in 2015, and expectations were low going into the following season. The unit had something to prove, and it put together a strong season.

Adams said the offensive showing was “just unacceptable” the past two games, and last year’s chip-on-itsshoulder mentality is re-emerging.

“We got a little humbled, to be honest with you,” he said. “I think it’s something good for us, and today was probably our best Tuesday practice we’ve had.”

After a team discussion Monday, the offensive players held a private meeting. They looked back on a nineday period during fall training camp when players brought great energy to practice. Adams wants to see that enthusiasm return.

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“Once we get back there, we’re going to be right on track,” he said.

At media availability, positive words from the players has been a constant. Whether that translates to offensive consistency Saturday is to be determined.

DE Anderson's winding journey leads him from Canada to Columbia Sept. 20 Growing up in Toronto, Nate Anderson often marched down the street to his uncle Dwayne Anderson's house. He wanted to take lessons on a sport more commonly played in America.

Anderson would take a seat in the bedroom, closely watching as his uncle played the "Madden" football series on PlayStation. He was big for an 8-year-old, and Dwayne told him he would someday be a defensive end.

The elder Anderson would occasionally pause the game to grab a laser pointer. He'd shine the bright light on the screen and educate his nephew about positions, plays and formations.

"I wanted to teach him before he would start playing so he could grasp what was going on faster than the other kids," Dwayne said.

But as Nate learned the ins and outs of the game, a problem emerged. His parents did not want him to play. They were concerned about safety, and Anderson struggled to convince them to give him a chance.

Anderson turned to his uncle to help plead his case.

"He was a major factor in that," Missouri's junior defensive end said. "More than a 9-year-old begging his dad to play."

When Anderson was 10, his parents finally agreed to let him play. He joined a youth team and put his football lessons to work.

Though football is not as popular in Canada as it is in the U.S., Anderson always had a team to play for in Toronto. By the time he was 12, he was playing with the 15-year-olds, and — just like his uncle predicted — he was a defensive end.

In Canadian football, defensive linemen must stand a yard from the line of scrimmage until the offense snaps the ball. Dwayne, who said he's always been Anderson's harshest critic, made sure to emphasize speed with his nephew.

"You've got to be faster than the tackles because you're playing one yard off," the uncle said.

Anderson listened, and he became one of the fastest defensive ends in Ontario.

Anderson's quickness, size and football knowledge have carried him from Canada to three different regions in America. Now, at Missouri, he is competing for playing time on the defensive line and making an impact.

Canadian universities only offer limited scholarship opportunities for college, and Anderson moved to Alabama for his senior year of high school. The move made an impact with recruiting, and Anderson got more exposure than he would have north of the border.

"To make it to America is the biggest goal," he said. "It's a dream."

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Though he received multiple offers his senior year at Prattville High School, Anderson did not initially meet Division I academic standards. He was forced to pick a junior college and ended up playing two seasons at New Mexico Military Institute.

Joe Forchtner, who coached Anderson in junior college, remembers the impact of the lineman's quickness. It especially stood out where Anderson had a one-on-one matchup with an offensive lineman during a game against Blinn College.

"He just destroyed the guy with speed and put a lick on the quarterback," Forchtner said. "(That's) what he's capable of on every single play."

Anderson has seen playing time in each of the Tigers' first three games, collecting two tackles and one sack.

Anderson's uncle is frank when discussing his nephew. He wishes the junior was getting more playing time at Missouri, and he knows what his nephew is capable of. He was born to be great, Dwayne said.

When Nate visits Ontario, he and his uncle still play "Madden" on the PlayStation. The defensive end has gained a wealth of experience since their initial lessons, but he still has learning to do.

TODDLERS TO TIGERS: Prewett always loved winning Sept. 22 Before every Pop Warner football practice, Kaleb Prewett’s youth team ran the “wonder lap,” a quarter mile warmup race. From when Prewett was 8 years old to when he was 10, the conditioning served as a routine dose of competition.

He always finished first.

“It wasn’t so much speed,” his father, Rance Prewett, said. “It was more the will to win.”

Kaleb Prewett did a lot of winning growing up. His football team went undefeated over a multiple-year stretch, and he played in the Pop Warner Super Bowl in Orlando, Florida. Though his team lost the big game, Prewett rushed 50 yards for a touchdown on a quarterback sneak.

Prewett transferred to Missouri from Kansas State before the 2016 season. He has emerged as a starting linebacker for the Tigers, and he is second on the team with 19 tackles. His competitive nature helped him grow from a Pop Warner standout to an impact player in the SEC. Prewett also played basketball and ran track growing up, but football was always his best sport. As a 5year-old, he scored five touchdowns in a flag football game. His father was in awe.

“When we got home, I said, ‘You really don’t understand what just happened, but that’s pretty good,’” Rance Prewett said.

Kaleb Prewett was an outgoing youngster around the house and in social settings, his father said, and he had lots of friend. When it came time for athletics, though, Prewett’s fiercely competitive demeanor stood out.

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“He’s always been a winner,” his dad said.

Prewett grew up near Kansas City, and he led Blue Springs High School to two state titles in football, earning all-state honors his senior year. He was a top-rated recruit coming out of Blue Springs and a wellregarded member of his community.

“I don’t know that anyone disliked him at all,” Rance Prewett said. “(He was) just one of those good, happy-go-lucky kids.”

As he relaxed at a tailgate before Missouri’s game against Purdue, Rance Prewett smiled when thinking about his son’s childhood stories and success in athletics. His son is happy and healthy, and the competitive fire of his youth is still burning.

“He loves being here,” he said. “He’s in a good place.”

Odom gives passionate speech after blowout loss Sept. 23 Barry Odom threw his backpack to the ground as he walked into his postgame news conference. The coach was tired of hiding his emotions, and he wanted to change the narrative surrounding him and his team.

"I want to get one thing real straight: I'm going to win here," Odom said. "This is a turnaround process … and I'm built for this because I've been in a whole heck of a lot of them in my life."

After Missouri's 51-14 loss to Auburn, Odom let loose. He raised his voice while talking about the adversity he's weathered in his past. He referenced his playing days, how he saw former Missouri coach Larry Smith break through and finally win a bowl game in 1998 — a year after the program snapped a streak of 13 straight losing seasons. He talked about working under Gary Pinkel when the program was struggling. He spoke about coaching at Memphis and helping turn the program around.

"I'm the man to go get it done with this staff, with this team, with this program," Odom said. "There's not anybody left standing after 2015. I am. And I know what it takes."

Missouri did not have what it took to win Saturday night. Auburn racked up 482 yards of total offense, and Missouri was unable to score its first touchdown since the first half of the team's Sept. 9 loss to South Carolina until it was already trailing by 28 points.

The hometown Tigers fell to 1-3 overall and 0-2 in the SEC, and pressure has started mounting on their coach.

"I believe in Coach Odom a lot, just the aura he gives when he walks around this place," quarterback Drew Lock said. "He cares about this program more than someone else would.

He'll live or die on this stuff."

Mistakes started immediately for the Tigers on Saturday. After earning his first career start at left tackle, sophomore Yasir Durant committed a false start penalty on Missouri's third play from scrimmage and picked up another penalty later in the quarter. Lock threw an early interception,

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and sophomore running back Damarea Crockett only showed flashes of the player Missouri fans have grown to love.

The stat sheet was jarring. Auburn junior running back Kerryon Johnson scored as many points Saturday (30) as Missouri has against FBS opponents all season, and senior kicker Daniel Carlson outscored the hometown offense with three field goals and six converted extra-point opportunities.

"Nobody said it would be pretty. Nothing is promised," wide receiver J'Mon Moore said. "Ain't nobody going to hand us no wins, so we've got to go out there and compete. We're going to finish this season, and we're just going to see where the coins fall."

During pregame warmups, the noise in Faurot Field's south End Zone was deafening. Two sets of speakers blasted music, and the bass rang like a constant heartbeat.

But, in the blowout loss, the hometown Tigers failed to locate a pulse.

Their coach is willing to keep searching until he finds one.

'Look at the man in the mirror': MU sees its bye week as a time to regroup Sept. 25 Missouri’s bye week comes at a trying time for the program. The team is 1-3 — its worst start since 2000 — and fans have started to question coach Barry Odom’s ability to lead.

With eight games and the bulk of their SEC schedule remaining, Missouri players stressed the need for personal accountability before the team resumes play Oct. 7 at Kentucky.

“It allows us time to sit back and look at things, … look at the man in the mirror,” quarterback Drew Lock said after Missouri’s 51-14 loss to now-No. 13 Auburn. “And I think we’ve got a lot of time to do that with this bye week.”

Lock posted solid numbers against Auburn (completing 23 of 39 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns), but he has been inconsistent throughout the first four games of 2017. With a completion percentage of 52.6 percent, the junior has thrown six interceptions (one against Auburn) and 10 touchdown passes, seven of which came in the Tigers’ Week 1 victory over Missouri State.

Meanwhile, the Missouri offense has become relatively dormant since its record-setting performance against the Bears, scoring just 30 points combined in three games against Power 5 opponents.

Despite acknowledging the team’s struggles on the field, Odom emphasized that he remains the right person for the head-coaching position during his news conference after Saturday’s loss.

“I want to win right now, but that’s not the hand I’m given,” he said in a passionate speech. “We’re doing a lot of really good things in this program; our kids are working extremely hard. We’re not winning games yet, but we will.”

The Tigers are in the midst of a turnaround. But, with a tough stretch of conference games ahead, that turnaround may not happen this season.

Wide receiver J’Mon Moore said there is a sense of urgency around the team. He wanted to get back on the field immediately after the Auburn loss but realized a weekend off could prove beneficial.

“We can’t point no fingers,” Moore said, echoing Lock. “We’ve got to point fingers at ourselves.”

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After the bye week, Missouri travels to Lexington, Kentucky, to take on the Wildcats (3-1), who are coming off a heartbreaking one-point loss to now-No. 21 Florida. The Tigers’ first SEC road game of the season is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff, announced Monday. Kentucky has shown promise in its first four games and will host Eastern Michigan on Saturday in what should be a tuneup game before the Tigers come to town. Missouri has not won a conference road game since 2014.

Moore said the Tigers still have time to turn their season around. He’s right — the team needs to win five of its final eight games to automatically qualify for a bowl — but it’s clear Missouri has a long way to go.

The Tigers’ defense is ranked No. 111 nationally in yards allowed per game and No. 35 in offensive yards per game.

Missouri’s players will have time to regroup during the bye week and — as Lock and Moore said — selfevaluate.

“It’s going to help us tremendously if we attack it the right way,” defensive lineman Terry Beckner Jr. said after the Auburn game. “And I’m pretty sure we will.”

Missouri safety Perkins inspires his highly-recruited brother Sept. 27 When Missouri safety Ronnell Perkins went through the college recruiting process, his younger brother Ronnie paid close attention. Coach Gary Pinkel visited the Perkins’ house in University City, and so did assistant coach Cornell Ford. “(Ronnie) had more questions for the coaches than Ronnell did at the time,” said Ronald Perkins, the boys’ father. “He was just so excited, like they was coming to see him and not Ronnell.”

Three years later, coaches are taking recruiting trips to the Perkins’ house once again.

Ronnie Perkins, now a high school senior, has grown into one of the top defensive end recruits in the country. He is listed as one of ESPN’s Top 300 recruits and has collected offers from Power 5 schools such as Southern California, Texas, Oklahoma and — of course — Missouri.

“I wanted to be in (Ronnell’s) shoes one day,” Ronnie said. “It made me go even harder to become like him and get his shoes, have coaches coming over to my house like that.”

Ronnell has continued to mentor his younger brother since starting college in 2015. After redshirting his freshman year at Missouri, he earned SEC All-Freshman Team honors in 2016 and has established himself as a key member of the Tigers’ secondary.

Carl Reed, who coached both brothers in high school, said Ronnie emulated his older brother’s strong work ethic.

“I think it’s a huge inspiration,” Reed said. “And I think Ronnell is a huge inspiration to the kids back here from the neighborhood, because he did everything he was supposed to do.”

Football and education have always been a central focus in the Perkins’ house. Ronald played in high school until low grades forced him off the team, so he didn’t want his sons to make the same mistake.

When Ronnie was in elementary school, his father would poke his head into the boys’ room at 6 a.m. every weekend morning and make a distinct barking call. Ronnie, Ronnell and their oldest brother would groggily hop out of bed for an early morning workout in the backyard.

“I would let them know, ‘When you get in high school, you’re going to have to wake up this early to practice and go lift weights,’” Ronald said.

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The boys had practice with their individual teams later in the morning, and their dad took them to local parks in the evening for a third workout. The training was intense, but the boys wanted to do it.

Ronnie is still undecided on his college choice and said Ronnell has not pressured him to come to Missouri. Still, the defensive end said being close to his family is appealing, and he said the Tigers’ 1-3 start to the 2017 season hasn’t changed his feelings toward possibly attending attending MU. “One thing he talks about a lot is playing one more year with his brother, playing on the same field as his brother one last time,” Ronald said. “He might not ever get another opportunity to play on the same field, suit up and come out of the tunnel with his brother.”

Before Missouri’s game against Auburn, Ronnie stood behind Faurot Field’s south end zone and watched the Tigers warm up. He carried a blue Gatorade that stood out against his dark red t-shirt.

After running through a drill, Ronnell gave his younger brother a high five before hustling back to his teammates. Ronnie smiled, gazing at the field he could one day share with his mentor.

Former Missouri standout Dennis still clinging to NFL dreams Sept. 30 As Kenya Dennis’ black sedan pulled into the MU Human Performance Institute on Friday, a pair of athletic trainers smiled.

“KD!” one yelled as he strode through the double doors.

Dennis, a standout defensive back, carried an aura of excitement, friendliness and hunger when he entered the workout center. He smiled back at the two trainers before crouching down to play with a black Labrador retriever sitting inside the facility.

It has been nearly two years since the 23-year-old played in a game, but he has not given up on his NFL dreams.

“I know I’ve got next-level talent,” he said.

Dennis was in his home state of Mississippi when he first joined an NFL team — or so he thought. He was picking up a friend from work when the Cleveland Browns called after Day 3 of the 2016 NFL draft.

They wanted to sign him as an undrafted free agent.

Dennis and his friend celebrated in the car, and he called his parents. He was going to be an NFL player.

“We already knew he was good enough,” said Herman Nunn, Dennis’ father. “It just was a matter of getting selected.”

Two weeks later, Dennis’ hopes unraveled.

An ankle injury that had bothered him throughout his senior season at Missouri caused him to fail his physical at the Cleveland practice facility.

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Dennis learned he had a stress fracture in the upper part of his foot after the college season ended, but he felt ready to play. He had given his medical records to the NFL before taking his physical, so he figured the Browns knew about his injury.

Instead, they sent him home before he signed a professional contract.

“It was a dark place for me,” Dennis said.

The defensive back took a month or two to emotionally recover from the disappointment and gave his body a few more months to recover from the lingering injury. Ultimately, though, Dennis decided to keep pursuing his dream. He hadn’t even gotten the chance to cover an NFL receiver, and he couldn’t bear giving up football because of an injury.

“I’ve got to at least get cut before I can throw in the towel,” he said.

Dennis got a job as a kickboxing trainer at Columbia’s 9Round Fitness in June. The work allows him to stay in shape while also bringing in income. He is also preparing to graduate from MU in May. In late September, Dennis started football-oriented training at the Human Performance Institute under coach Zach Zimmerman, who served as a graduate assistant under Gary Pinkel and worked as an intern for the Kansas City Chiefs. Zimmerman has been impressed with Dennis’ demeanor since the defensive back transferred to Missouri from Hinds Community College (Raymond, Mississippi) in 2014 and compiled 94 total tackles and two interceptions in two seasons with the Tigers. He said Dennis possesses raw athleticism and treats people with respect.

The athleticism showed when Dennis performed a 31-inch vertical jump on his first day back.

“For a guy that’s been sitting basically on the couch for a year and not actually doing weightlifting and sport-specific training, ... that’s pretty impressive,” Zimmerman said.

As Dennis lay on the green turf exercising with a roller Friday, a group of Parkinson’s disease patients took a Rock Steady exercise class across the room. Missouri memorabilia hung from the wall, and a smile never left Dennis’ face.

“A lot of Mizzou fans train here, because we train elderly populations, too,” Zimmerman said. “Those are people that have covered and watched Mizzou their whole lives. So, the way he interacts with them, they all glow.”

Dennis will attend a regional combine in the spring with the hopes of piquing the interest of professional scouts. He’s excited about the future, though he knows his road to the NFL might involve a pit stop in the Canadian Football League.

“I don’t mind,” he said. “I just hope to be on somebody’s team.”

His ankle hasn’t bothered him in months.

Missouri defense dealing with familiar foe in 2017: missed tackles Oct. 2 As Deebo Samuel and the South Carolina return unit streaked down the field during the Tigers’ Week 2 matchup against the Gamecocks, Missouri senior safety Anthony Hines met Samuel head-on.

Hines’ arm wrapped around Samuel at the 23-yard line, but the return man broke free. He scampered 77 more yards to the end zone, sending a shock through the Memorial Stadium crowd and sparking South Carolina’s second-quarter comeback. It was a missed tackle leading to an explosive play — emblematic of Missouri’s start to the 2017 season.

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Tackling has been a challenge thus far for the Tigers, especially among the team’s secondary unit. Heading into the the bye week, cornerback DeMarkus Acy had the second-highest missed-tackle rate (33.3 percent) of anyone in the SEC, according to College Football Film Room.

The tackling struggles have led to explosive plays in Missouri’s first four matchups, and opponents have averaged 40 points per game against the Tigers. Despite defensive backs coach Ryan Walters rotating a number of players through the starting lineup, adjustments in secondary personnel haven’t led to improved production.

Coach Barry Odom has been upfront about the team’s tackling woes throughout the season, and he said during Monday’s news conference that it was an area the team worked on during the bye week.

“You work on drills with the fundamentals of tackling, you work on the conceptual ideas of where you have help defensively, structurally, and where you need to take a shot,” Odom said.

Missed tackles are not a new problem for Missouri. They have been a constant since Odom took over as head coach of the Tigers and haunted the team, which finished 77th in the country in total tackling in its 4-8 2016 campaign.

“When you’re in position to make a play, you’re expected to make the play,” former defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross said before last season’s game against Kentucky. “We’ve had guys in position. The film doesn’t lie about that. We’ve had guys in position; they just haven’t made the play.”

Missouri’s defense may be worse in 2017. Four games through the season, the Tigers have amassed 281 total tackles and rank 92nd in tackling across college football — one spot behind Kansas and 219 tackles behind NCAA-leading San Diego State. In 2014, the team’s SEC East championship season and the last in which it finished over .500, the defense collected more than 1,000 tackles and was ranked eighth in the country.

Odom said perfectly executed tackles are a rarity across college football but that players must find a way to bring an opponent to the ground, even if they aren’t in perfect position.

“There’s a lot a components of tackling,” Odom said. “And the best tackle is getting them down.”

So far, though, the Tigers’ tacklers have found themselves missing their targets and grasping at air.

Stoops prepared for a rested Missouri team Oct. 4 Kentucky started the 2016 season 2-3. The offense was struggling, and the defense allowed more than 40 points in each of the first three games.

Wildcats coach Mark Stoops compared his team’s early struggles last year to the rut Missouri finds itself in now.

“I think everybody in our building knew we had a good football team when everybody in the outside world was questioning us,” Stoops said during Wednesday’s SEC teleconference. “And we turned it around.”

The Wildcats finished 2016 with seven wins, earning a bowl berth. Stoops knows programs make midseason adjustments that can change fortunes, and he stressed that Missouri (1-3) still poses a challenge for the Wildcats (4-1).

Since Missouri’s 72-43 win over Missouri State, the Tigers’ offense has floundered, scoring only 30 points across the three games. Even with the team’s struggles, Stoops notices playmakers on the Missouri attack.

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“It starts with their quarterback,” Stoops said. “Drew Lock can throw the ball all over the field. It works to his advantage with such a strong arm, the way they space the field and spread you out.”

Stoops said the speed of Missouri’s offense could pose challenges for Kentucky’s defense, which hasn’t given up more than 28 points in a game all season. He also believes that the Tigers could come out strong after using the bye week to prepare for this weekend’s game.

“You definitely get a little worried as they come off a bye, that’s for sure,” Stoops said. “You see a very talented team.”

Long snapper Workman III jumped through hoops to come to Missouri Oct. 5 James Workman II's Mazda CX-5 was stuffed with school supplies as it raced down an Idaho highway in January.

Snow from a recent blizzard was shoved to the side of the road; mountains towered overhead. Workman drove carefully and kept an eye out for slippery patches of pavement when his son, sitting in the passenger seat, got a phone call.

James Workman III played in every game as a walk-on long snapper at San Jose State in 2016 and hoped to earn a scholarship. But the school fired coach Ron Caragher, and the new staff was hesitant to extend an offer. San Jose State's tuition was too expensive, and Workman III was forced to transfer.

The father and son were five hours into a seven-hour trek from their Seattle home to Boise State, where Workman III was planning to enroll. His life plans shifted when he received a timely phone call from Matt Wigley.

Wigley is Workman III's private long-snapping trainer. Kenronte Walker, Wigley's former college roommate who's now a graduate assistant at Missouri, said the Tigers needed a long snapper.

Wigley told his trainee to call Jonathan Rutledge, the Tigers' special teams analyst.

Rutledge told the snapper to apply to Missouri — that day. The school offices closed for the weekend in an hour.

The Workmans connected to a wireless hotspot and submitted the application with minutes to spare.

"We didn't even stop the car," the father said.

"We just kept driving."

Months removed from the Idaho car ride, Workman III is Missouri's starting long snapper. But even after he submitted his application, his path to Columbia was not a simple one. It involved lawyers, patience and a whole lot of paperwork.

The NCAA allows non-recruited walk-ons to transfer schools without having to sit out a season. Though San Jose State granted Workman III a release to look at other colleges, the school would not agree that he was "unrecruited."

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The Workmans were adamant that the long snapper initiated all contact with San Jose State, and the family hired a lawyer to help with the situation. They needed to find a college willing to file an appeal waiver to the NCAA. "I got my master's and doctorate on my own, but now I have a Ph.D. in NCAA rules," the elder Workman said.

When Missouri presented itself as an opportunity, the father and son decided to visit. They parked the car at a family friend's house in Boise and hopped on a plane to Columbia.

The Workmans were sold on Missouri from their first visit to campus. The coaches made no guarantees of a scholarship but said the long snapper would have a chance to compete for the starting job.

Perhaps most importantly, the Missouri compliance office was willing to file an appeal waiver. The Workmans gave the school cellphone records, declarations from coaches saying the snapper was not recruited and other documents.

The Tigers wanted the younger Workman and fought for him.

Until some resolution, the long snapper was left in limbo. He remembers feeling confused as he waited in Seattle. He spent his days working out and helping his father with office jobs before arriving at Missouri in February.

"We were reliant on the waiver being passed," the long snapper said. "It was kind of a leap of faith to come here."

The NCAA ultimately told San Jose State to sign the form, saying Workman was an "unrecruited" athlete.

He was eligible immediately and joined the Tigers for spring practice.

Though he's still awaiting a scholarship, Workman is content with his situation at Missouri. The Workmans are paying around $10,000 less than they were at San Jose State, and the son does not envision leaving Columbia.

Wigley, who now works in Los Angeles, said that Workman's last name is fitting. Even on days Missouri does not have practice, the long snapper props up his phone and has lessons with his trainer over FaceTime. "(Missouri) trusted my word about his work ethic and the type of kid that he is," the coach said. "And he hasn't let them down yet."

Long snappers have an interesting job because no one notices them until they mess up. So far, no fans have noticed Workman III.

Horses before football: Racing fans flock to Keeneland for fall slate Oct. 7 LEXINGTON, Ky. — Tyler Riggs has his own version of the Triple Crown, and it all starts at Keeneland Racecourse.

First leg: tailgating and watching the horse races.

Second leg: tailgating and attending the Kentucky football game.

Third leg: a postgame trip to the Lexington bars.

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Riggs stationed himself on a hill near the racetrack Saturday morning, drinking beer and playing cornhole with friends. He graduated from Kentucky in 2015 and constantly visited Keeneland in college.

His endurance isn’t what it once was during his school days, but he’s still hoping to complete the triple crown.

“We’re a little older, so we’ll see,” he said.

A mix of students, families and curious tourists gathered at Keeneland on Saturday morning. The track opened for the fall season Friday, prompting a pilgrimage of racing fans to Lexington.

Keeneland, founded in 1936, is recognized as a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Government, and its accessible prices ($5 for entrance and free parking) make it an attractive destination for people of all ages.

Grandstand South was bustling three hours before the first race of the day. Greg Burke, the lead BETologist, stood outside wearing a green vest with a matching bow tie. His Keeneland top hat featured two buttons that read, “Ask me about betting.”

Burke’s job is to educate visitors on gambling before they approach the betting windows. He explains racing vernacular to Keeneland newcomers and has short conversations about the horses.

“There’s all kinds of different ways that people pick their horses,” Burke said. “You can pick it just because it’s the gray horse or because you like the fact that the horse is wearing the pink cloth. There’s no wrong reason to pick a horse.”

Trayce Williamson, who said she knows next to nothing about racing, is one of the people who always picks the gray horses to win. She’s from Cincinnati and took a bus to Keeneland to experience the tailgating and gambling scene.

Tailgates extended on a grassy knoll by the racecourse, and visitors walked past stables to catch glimpses of the thoroughbreds. The horses’ distinct scent lingered on the crisp, fall air.

Nick Rydz, a Kentucky student, set up his tailgate on the knoll. He wore a black suit jacket over a light blue shirt. Sprite, Miller Lite and cupcakes lined his table as country music blared from nearby car speakers.

Like many of his fellow students, Rydz planned to head toward Kroger Field before the 6:30 p.m. game time for Kentucky-Missouri. Lextran, the public bus system in Lexington, offers a shuttle between the racetrack and the stadium. Whether he actually would attend the game, however, was still up in the air.

“I’ll definitely go and tailgate,” he said with a chuckle. “Then we’ll see what happens.”

Standing near the grandstand, LeeAnn Elkins wore black horse earrings that glittered in the sunlight. It was her 40th year attending races at Keeneland, and a 2½-hour drive from Ohio wasn’t going to stop her and her husband from going to opening weekend.

The couple talked about their love for racing and shared the story of how they once met Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, but Elkins glowed the most when discussing her favorite racecourse.

“If you don’t even think you like horse racing,” she said, “You need to come to Keeneland.”

Five things we learned from Missouri's loss to Kentucky Oct. 9 Missouri showed promise in its 40-34 loss to Kentucky, but it wasn’t enough for a victory.

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Here are a few takeaways from the Tigers’ loss: Missouri can hang with a Power 5 team Heading into the Kentucky matchup, Missouri had lost its games against Power 5 teams by a combined score of 117-30. Against the Wildcats, however, the Tigers held their own.

“There was some thought about how we matched swing for swing and punch for punch with Kentucky,” coach Barry Odom said during his Monday news conference. “I thought we played with great energy, great passion.”

Drew Lock arguably had his best game of the season, throwing for 355 yards and three touchdowns, and the offense set a season high in points against an FBS team. Despite the team’s bleak 1-4 record, Missouri gave fans a reason to hold out hope for the rest of the year.

The Tigers still started slow If you took out the first quarter Saturday, Missouri would have won. But the SEC is not a conference of “ifs,” and the Tigers left Lexington, Ky., on the wrong side of a back-and-forth showdown.

For the third straight game, Missouri struggled early. Kentucky jumped out to a 13-0 lead, forcing the Tigers to play catch-up the rest of the way. In the past three games, opponents have combined to outscore Missouri 38-0 in the first quarter.

Odom said the team has worked on starting faster, but he’s still searching for solutions.

“If I knew there was a way out there for us to get going, then I’d do it,” he said. “I don’t know what the magic answer is, but I need to find it.”

Hall on the up When wide receiver Dimetrios Mason was dismissed the teamduring the bye week, the Tigers needed someone to step up. Junior Emanuel Hall provided that boost.

In his first game as a starter this season, Hall had four receptions for 129 yards, including a 58-yard touchdown reception.

“Emanuel made some big catches,” Odom said. “One block or a little bit of space, he’s going to get some yards.”

Witter shows major promise Senior running back Ish Witter rushed for 139 yards and hauled in three passes for 24 yards, and the Missouri rushing attack gained the most yards (213) against Kentucky’s defense — ranked third in the country against the run entering Saturday — the Wildcats have allowed all season. Odom expressed concern over Damarea Crockett’s ball security, so Witter’s performance was a major boost for the offense.

Crockett is listed as the starter entering the Georgia game, but Witter is emerging as a very capable second-string back.

Bowl chances are even slimmer If Missouri had beaten Kentucky, the Tigers would have had a realistic chance to be 4-4 through eight games. Though the team will likely lose to Georgia on Saturday, games against Idaho and Connecticut look to be winnable.

With the Kentucky loss, though, Missouri will need those wins over the Vandals and Huskies plus at least three SEC victories to automatically qualify for a bowl game. The Tigers have not won three or more SEC games in a year since the 2014 team, which finished 11-3.

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McCann, field goal unit still seeking stability Oct. 10 If coach Barry Odom had the chance to tie a game with a field goal, he does not know what he would do.

He said Monday it would depend on the length of the kick, and it would depend on the wind. His field goal unit has been far from stable in 2017, and it would leave the coach with a tough decision.

The Tigers are ranked seventh in the SEC in field goals made, but they have yet to convert a kick longer than 43 yards.

Odom said that the whole unit is responsible for the field goal struggles, not just sophomore kicker Tucker McCann. The kicker was pressured on multiple occasions in Saturday’s game against Kentucky, and a high snap from James Workman led to a blocked field goal.

“I do feel good about our kicker,” Odom said. “I feel really good about our holder (punter Corey Fatony). I don’t feel very good about our snapper or our protection. We’ve bought ourselves a whole bunch of work on that unit.”

Workman is no longer listed as the outright starting long-snapper on the depth chart. Drew Wise was also named, and Odom said there will be an open competition throughout the week.

Along with the blocked kick, McCann missed a 38-yard attempt against Kentucky. If the team had converted both field goals, the game would have been tied. The kicker also missed a 32-yard field goal in the third quarter but was given a second chance after Kentucky was called for a running-into-the-kicker penalty.

Heading into the Kentucky game, McCann stressed the importance of having a short-term memory, saying he has been working on staying even-keeled.

“Not getting too stuck on one certain thing; just knowing that you can make every kick,” McCann said.

“Just having a confident mindset.”

To the kicker’s credit, he bounced back from his first miss against Kentucky and made his next two attempts. He’s also made 16 straight extra points, showing improvement from the 2016 season, in which he missed four and was benched multiple times.

Though he’s still finding his way with field goals, McCann has always had superior leg strength. He hit a 60-yard field goal in high school and chose Missouri over powerhouses Alabama and Florida State.

At a Kohl’s Kicking National Elite Camp in July, camp director Jamie Kohl told the Missouri sophomore that he had an NFL leg.

“Jamie doesn’t just throw out compliments to grease somebody’s wheel,” said Jeff McCann, the kicker’s father.

Tucker McCann has shown strides as a sophomore, but the leg Missouri recruited is still searching for consistency.

Hall not happy with performance despite breakout season Oct. 12

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Terez Hall was surfing through YouTube videos when he stumbled upon a highlight of Mike Tyson knocking out an opponent. The seventh grader’s eyes were locked on the computer screen, immediately impressed with the boxer.

“I was like, ‘Man, this is how I’ve got to be,’” Hall said.

Growing up in Lithonia, Georgia, Hall initially wanted to be like Michael Vick, his favorite football player, but watching the Tyson video changed his mind. He would be a hard-hitting linebacker.

Now a junior at Missouri, Hall is a starter for the Tigers’ defense. He is tied for the team lead in tackles with 36, and he still emulates his favorite boxer. He admires Tyson’s tenacity, the intense focus he carried in the ring. Hall even copied the boxer’s haircut — a thin, diagonal line shaved just above his forehead.

“I’m a savage, and Mike Tyson is a savage,” he said.

On Saturday in Lexington, Kentucky, Hall posted a 12-tackle, 2½-sack performance, and Wildcats offensive lineman Logan Stenberg got to experience firsthand one of the linebacker’s better Tyson impersonations.

Felicia Hall, Terez’s mother, said this is nothing new. Since the linebacker was a 7year-old, he would boast about his bright future.

“Mom, I’m telling you,” she remembers her son saying, “they ain’t going to be able to touch me.”

Missouri’s upcoming showdown against No. 4 Georgia is the Bulldogs’ Homecoming game, and it also marks a homecoming for Hall. The junior grew up only 50 miles from Athens.

Hall said he will have numerous loved ones at the game, including family members, former coaches and teachers. Even his high school academic coach will be in attendance. Though he insists it doesn’t serve as extra motivation, Hall said he is looking forward to playing in front of familiar faces.

“I barely get to see my folks,” he said. “You go out and do what you love, and they out here supporting you.

That’s a big experience for me.”

Georgia recruited Hall, and his mother said the Bulldogs were one of his final two choices. He ultimately picked Missouri, though, because he had a clearer vision of his role with the Tigers.

Coach Barry Odom remembers calling Hall the night before 2015 National Signing Day. He reiterated the Tigers’ interest and explained the team’s plans for the linebacker. It was a long night of recruiting, but Odom got his man.

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“I remind him of that now and then, too, when he’s giving me headaches,” Odom said.

Hall said coaches from around the country called him that night, and he ultimately turned his phone on airplane mode. He knew he was coming to Columbia, and no one was going to change his mind.

Hall has already collected more tackles in 2017 than he did his first two seasons combined, and he’s fourth in the SEC in solo tackles. But, because of the team’s 1-4 record, the linebacker described his performance as “trash.”

“We ain’t finna keep losing, man” Hall said after Saturday’s loss to Kentucky. “So Georgia, they better be ready; and we’re gonna come for them.”

The vocal presence, the big plays, the Tyson-esque tenacity — it’s all coming together for Hall in 2017.

Odom is finally seeing the player he envisioned during his late-night recruiting phone calls, and so are Missouri fans.

“They start to develop and start to make plays, and you start to see what you saw a couple years ago,” the coach said. “That’s the fun part of it.”

Opponent preview: Missouri faces biggest test in undefeated Georgia Oct. 12 In Greek mythology, a three-headed dog named Cerberus guarded the gates of the underworld. The monster was known for its ferocity and intelligence, and it was a faithful servant to the god Hades.

Cerberus may have had three heads, but the Georgia Bulldogs' running game has four. Senior Nick Chubb leads the SEC in rushing, and three more tailbacks for fourth-ranked Georgia (6-0, 3-0) are averaging more than 5 yards a carry.

"If the run game isn't working, then I really think you'd have a problem if you're Georgia," The Red & Black football writer Emily Giambalvo said. "But the problem for opponents is that, so far, no one has been able to (stop the run)."

Along with Chubb, senior Sony Michel has developed into an elite back, and both are projected to be 2018 NFL Draft picks. The top two backs have already combined for more than 1,000 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns.

Giambalvo does not see Georgia as a particularly strong passing team, but the Bulldogs have at least found stability with freshman quarterback Jake Fromm. Though Fromm is averaging fewer than 16 pass attempts a game, he has a 60 percent completion percentage and has only thrown two interceptions.

"Obviously, his physical skill set is pretty darn high," Missouri coach Barry Odom said ahead of his team's 6:30 p.m. game against the Bulldogs on Saturday in Athens, Georgia (SEC Network). "When they bring pressure, (he) doesn't really look that affected by it. Pretty calm, really, for the number of snaps he's played, and he hasn't tried to do too much."

Interestingly enough, 2017 is the second straight season Georgia has started a true freshman. Jacob Eason threw for 16 touchdowns in 2016, and fans saw him as an up-and-coming star in Athens. But Eason suffered a knee injury in the Bulldogs' first game this season, and Fromm had solidified himself as the starter by the time the sophomore recovered.

"There is still a real chance that (Eason) is the better quarterback," Giambalvo said. "I just don't know if he's going to be given a chance, because Jake Fromm is winning. And, at the end of the day, what else do you want your quarterback to do?"

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Georgia has not just beaten opponents in 2017. It has destroyed them, winning five games by more than 20 points. The Bulldogs were a solid team in 2016, going 8-5, but their defense is far improved this season. Georgia only lost one defensive starter from last season, and Giambalvo said the unit has been the team's strong point.

"It's pretty consistent, so it's not like it's a defense that looks good for a few minutes each game," she said.

"It's a defense that's really having complete games."

Inside linebacker Roquan Smith leads the team with 45 tackles, and the defense has already forced five fumbles and four interceptions. For a Missouri offense struggling with turnovers during a 1-4, 0-3 campaign, the Bulldogs could wreak havoc.

"They're a heck of a team," Odom said. "They're playing as good as anyone in the country."

Mama's Boy is an iconic breakfast restaurant in an iconic college town Oct. 14 ATHENS, Ga. — When Castle Williams was in his final semester at Georgia in 2014, he and a friend made a pre-graduation bucket list. Three years later, he can distinctly remember one objective: visiting Mama's Boy. Wandering into the restaurant as a college senior, Williams felt as if he was stepping back in time. A server seated him at an indoor patio decorated with powder blue curtains. The scent of fresh food wafted in from the kitchen.

"It's almost like that Southern experience where (you're) eating out on the back porch," he said.

Known for its fresh biscuits, raspberry jam and long lines, Mama's Boy is an iconic breakfast restaurant in an iconic college town. By midmorning Saturday, the wait to be seated was around an hour. A crowd of people extended around the building's exterior, and outdoor fans spun cool air over the eager customers.

Server McKinsey Irvin, a Georgia graduate, said lines sometimes stretch so long that staffers have to turn people away at 1:30 p.m. — two hours before the restaurant closes. A mix of college students, tourists and locals shuffled in Saturday, many of whom were going to the Georgia-Missouri game at 6:30 p.m.

"I feel like we're as busy as we can be every weekend," Irvin said. "But it's a little crazier on game days."

Two Georgia graduates founded Mama's Boy in 2006, and they're opening a second location in Athens on Monday. The original building is only a short walk from the Bulldogs' Sanford Stadium and is less than a block from a bridge pictured on the cover of R.E.M.'s 1983 debut album, "Murmur."

Athens resident Marianna Hudspeth has been coming to Mama's Boy since her kids attended UGA. She loves the staff, the members of which she describes as artistic and unique.

"They're hippies," she said. "And we're just old hippies."

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Mama's Boy takes to-go orders outside the building, and some customers sacrifice the indoor atmosphere for a shorter wait. Georgia sophomore Meredith James prefers a tactical approach. She comes on weekday afternoons and sometimes avoids the crowds entirely.

James recommended the cinnamon rolls, which she said fill an entire plate. Hudspeth loves the vegetable hash with Brussels sprouts, and Williams said the raspberry jam changes the complexion of a biscuit.

Customers can also try the french toast, topped with warm Georgia peaches. The dish is served with whipped cream and almonds on the side, the nuts offering a crunchy texture to the sweet bread.

"You should just order one of everything," said Pat Patton, Hudspeth's brother.

Irvin said people are instantly impressed when she tells them she works at Mama's Boy. Though the restaurant opened fairly recently, it has already caught on as an Athens staple.

"It's a lot of unique things that you can't get somewhere else," Patton said. "Everything about it is local.

It's a kind of a farm-to-table kind of breakfast spot."

As Patton talked, his sister interjected with a reminder: There will always be a wait, but you know that coming in. The food is worth it.

After early excitement, Missouri crumbles against No. 4 Georgia Oct. 14 ATHENS, Ga. — As Missouri’s defensive backs ran onto the field before Saturday’s game, a shower of boos poured down on the players from Georgia’s student section. Students were covered in black and red paint, and cornerback DeMarkus Acy gave a joking wave to encourage the intimidating mass of fans.

His confidence did not pay off. The student section’s jeers quickly turned into applause as Bulldogs quarterback Jake Fromm torched the Tigers’ secondary for a career-high 326 passing yards.

Fromm’s play and a four-headed rushing attack paced No. 4 Georgia, and the Bulldogs (7-0, 4-0 SEC) manhandled Missouri (1-5, 0-4) in the second half to win 53-28.

Georgia racked up 696 yards of total offense, the most against an SEC foe in school history. It was also the second-most overall for a Georgia team. The Bulldogs finished with 713 against Florida Atlantic in 2012.

Coach Barry Odom said after the game that the Tigers needed to find creative ways to have success, and he acknowledged Georgia’s talent.

“Matchup-wise, there’s not many that you look at (and say), ‘Yeah, we’ve got the advantage there,’” Odom said.

For the second straight week, Missouri’s offense showed flashes of the unit Tigers fans were expecting in 2017. For the second straight week, it wasn’t enough to beat an SEC opponent.

Junior quarterback Drew Lock led the way for Missouri, throwing for 253 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. Saturday was a vast improvement from his trip to Athens, Georgia, as a freshman. In 2015, Lock threw for just 143 yards and completed just 42 percent of his passes.

The Tigers’ 28 points are the most any team has scored against Georgia’s stout defense all season. It was an incomplete showing, though, as Missouri was shut out in the third quarter.

“We want to play better than that,” Lock said. “That’s just not good enough for us tonight. We’re definitely not satisfied the least with scoring 28 points, even on that team.”

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Missouri’s run defense looked solid early in the game and limited the Bulldogs’ ground attack to 45 yards in the first quarter. The secondary was a different story. Georgia receivers constantly gained separation from Acy and entered the locker room with 250 yards at halftime.

Defensive lineman Terry Beckner Jr. said Missouri’s problems against the pass are two-fold. He said some of the responsibility for the struggles fall on the linemen.

“We’ve got to have pressure to help out the secondary,” he said. “They’ve got to do the same thing on the back end. They’ve got to hold us up some, let us get home.”

As the game went on, Georgia’s running backs got going. The Bulldogs finished with 370 yards on the ground, and senior Sony Michel scored two touchdowns. Missouri struggled to get stops on third down; Georgia did not have to punt until the fourth quarter.

Odom has stressed the importance of the Tigers winning the turnover margin throughout the season.

Missouri finished the game with one turnover and one takeaway. Linebacker Cale Garrett picked off Fromm midway through the first, snagging the ball with one hand and pulling the interception into his body, and returned the ball inside the Georgia 5-yard line. It was a bright spot for the Tigers, as Lock found tight end Albert Okwuegbunam on a 4-yard shovel pass moments later for a touchdown.

“I was just reading (Fromm’s) eyes,” Garrett said. “He took me to it.”

After collecting 129 receiving yards against Kentucky, Emanuel Hall had another big game, with 141 yards.

Lock danced up the field after hitting Hall with a 63-yard touchdown, and the duo tied the game at 21 with another 63-yard bomb early in the second.

Between Hall, Lock and Garrett, it was another week in which Missouri showed moments of promise. But promise only goes so far in a loss, and the pressure on Odom and his 1-5 team is mounting.

As Puerto Rico recovers, Castillo's thoughts are with family on the island Oct. 17 Three days had passed since Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico, and Neysa Rosario could not get in touch with her parents. It was time to tell her son, Missouri center Trystan Castillo.

After the Tigers’ loss to Auburn on Sept. 23, Rosario and Castillo sat at Imo’s Pizza in Columbia, speaking in a mix of Spanish and English.

Castillo’s grandparents were in Juana Diaz, a town on the southern coast of the island. Cell phone towers were down, electricity was out and contact was impossible.

“It was agony not knowing,” Rosario said. “It was awful.”

Castillo was pretty sure his grandparents were OK. Their region was not hit as hard as others, but a cruel uncertainty ate at him.

The next day, Castillo’s uncle drove from his home in San Juan to Juana Diaz in hopes of reaching the freshman’s grandparents. There were mudslides on nearby mountains, and Rosario did not want her brother to get hurt.

When Rosario received word from her brother, relief washed over the family. Their parents were OK. But fear for the island remained.

Hurricane Maria’s death toll has reached 48, and more than 100 people are still missing, the Puerto Rican State Department announced Sunday.

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Maria’s wind speeds reached well over 100 miles per hour and destroyed billions of dollars in infrastructure. During the storm, Rosario’s brother held his phone outside so she could hear the wind. On Sunday, their parents were still without power.

Even though Castillo was born in Joplin, he considers himself a native of Puerto Rico. He spent his childhood summers on the island, and most of his family still lives there. He visited a collection of the territory’s waterfalls in July, and he and his mother mourned when they saw photos of damage to the familiar terrain.

Castillo is frustrated at the lack of support the U.S. territory received, but he has been encouraged by the territory’s resilience.

“As a whole, the island (is) going to be back better,” he said. “We are really strong people.”

Castillo plans to visit Puerto Rico next summer, and he is considering going back over winter break to help with the relief effort.

It’s been hard for the center to stay focused on school and football, but conversations with his mother have helped. She can do the worrying for both of them, she told her son.

The night before the storm landed in Puerto Rico, Castillo remembers a phone call with Missouri’s offensive line coach Glen Elarbee, who wanted to check on his center.

“You don’t know what you can do to help,” the coach said. “I absolutely wanted to be there for him.”

The conversation lasted over an hour. Elarbee said Castillo has shown maturity through the situation, and the entire offensive line has had the center’s back.

“Obviously you can’t get over something that traumatic in someone’s life, but I think he’s been pretty strong,” tackle Paul Adams said. “He doesn’t really talk about it much, but when he does, we’re there for him.”

Versatile Rountree III finds ways onto the field as a freshman Oct. 19 Most babies walk timidly at first.

They stand up, arms extended for balance, and ease their way into the groundbreaking form of mobility.

After a few wobbly steps, most come tumbling to the ground.

Larry Rountree III was different. His first steps were running.

As a 10-month-old, Rountree crawled into the family den while his father was watching TV. Then, the baby got on his feet and sprinted out of the room.

“I could tell that he was going to be an athlete,” his father said.

Rountree has not stopped running since.

Though only a freshman, Rountree has emerged as a capable running back, averaging over 20 yards-pergame (4.2 yards per carry) as Missouri’s third-string back. He’s made himself an asset on special teams as well, returning kickoffs for the Tigers and starting at right guard on the punt team.

“I’m trying to get him to play a little outside linebacker,” coach Barry Odom joked Monday. “I think he could do that, too.”

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Rountree has found ways onto the field since he started playing football as a 7-year-old growing up in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was initially a lineman, then moved running back and even tried out kicking.

“I’d play any position they needed me to play,” he said. “And that’s the same way I am here. When they tell me to do something, I just do it.”

Rountree’s parents signed him up for USA Football Development Camps throughout his childhood, and he learned strong fundamentals to complement his natural athleticism. By his final year at Millbrook High School, his father was seeing flashes of a Division Icaliber player.

Despite rushing for 21 touchdowns as a senior, Rountree didn’t crack Rivals.com’s top-30 prospect list for the state of North Carolina and was not highly recruited.

Besides Missouri, Boston College was the only Power 5 school to offer him a scholarship.

“It’s a chip on my shoulders,” he said. “I’m just trying to make the best of it.”

Offensive lineman Paul Adams said that, when he sees veteran running backs Damarea Crockett and Ish Witter during games, he sometimes thinks they’re Rountree.

The 5-foot-11, 210-pound freshman runs like an experienced player. Like a kid who’s been running since his first steps.

Rountree took over as the Tigers’ kickoff returner after wide receiver Dimetrios Mason was dismissed from the team. Though he was admittedly nervous before his first appearance in the role at Kentucky, Rountree has averaged a respectable 28-yards per kick return. His season long came against Georgia, when he returned a kickoff 38 yards to Missouri’s 48-yard line.

“I shouldn’t have got caught,” he said about the Georgia return. “That’s the one adjustment I’ve got to make: not second guessing my speed.”

Rountree said he realized he might play as a true freshman after a strong performance in the team’s second scrimmage of fall practice. Since then, he’s kept finding ways to get into the game.

“We hit one there recruiting-wise,” Odom said. “He loves the game, and that’s what I’m really, really excited about.”

Opponent preview: Idaho brings experienced QB to Columbia Oct. 20 Missouri coach Barry Odom spoke to his team about the importance of Homecoming in Columbia. He wants his players to know what Saturday’s game means to the school, and he wants to walk away with a win.

But Homecoming victories have not come easily for the Tigers in recent years. Missouri fans have seen their team lose three of its past four Homecoming games, including 2016’s 51-45 loss to Middle Tennessee.

“There’s not one day that I thought I’d be standing here and have this,” Odom said after that loss.

The Tigers would like to snap the downward Homecoming trend against Idaho at 11 a.m. Saturday.

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“I think Idaho has a chance,” said Josh Grissom, sports editor for the Moscow-Pullman Daily News in Moscow, Idaho. “I think the key factor is how quickly Idaho can get over that initial shock of stepping foot on an SEC field.”

Missouri should beat Idaho (2-4), but it’s far from a guarantee. The Tigers defense has struggled all year and surrendered 42 points to FCS opponent Missouri State, which has only scored a combined 78 points in its five games since. The Vandals, meanwhile, are coming off a nine-win 2016 season that saw them pull off a 61-50 win over Colorado State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and kept up with Western Michigan, a team that played in the 2016 Cotton Bowl, in a Week 3 37-28 loss to the Broncos.

Idaho is led by quarterback Matt Linehan, a four-year starter and son of Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan. The quarterback, an All-Sun Belt Conference performer and MVP of the 2016 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, has thrown for 1,275 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions thus far.

Fortunately for Missouri, Idaho’s offensive line has struggled to protect the quarterback in 2017, evident

by Linehan’s 21 sacks — three less than his total from all of last season.

“I think if you attack Linehan early, don’t give him as much time to throw, he tends to panic a little bit,” Grissom said. “He feels the pressure coming, he throws off his back foot, and it just leads to mistakes that you wouldn’t normally see a four-year starter make.”

The Vandals also have a weak secondary, which could lead to more long passes from Missouri quarterback Drew Lock to wide receiver Emanuel Hall, who have combined for 270 receiving yards and three touchdowns in losses to Kentucky and top-five Georgia.

“I think the secondary has the raw athleticism to be able to keep up, but the inexperience ... leaves the opportunity wide open for the opposing offense to strike,” Grissom said.

Grissom said Idaho’s front seven has been strong in 2017 and that the Vandals have been starting games well on defense. His advice to Missouri? Bring a lot of pressure and get out to a fast start.

Lock picks up first career Homecoming win Oct. 21 Drew Lock had an added responsibility ahead of Missouri's game against Idaho: modeling.

The junior quarterback starred in a midweek video introducing the Tigers' Homecoming uniforms. Lock danced and laughed as he showed off the team's new gear. For the video's climax, he slowly turned his head to reveal that a white block "M" had replaced the standard Missouri design on the new helmets.

It was a logo similar to the one Lock's father, Andy, wore when he played offensive line for the Tigers in the 1980s.

"I used to put his old helmet on all the time," the younger Lock said after the game. "Technology is a little better, a little more comfy in this helmet than (it was in) his. It was cool to be able to go out and play like that in that helmet."

With his dad in the stands celebrating Homecoming, the quarterback passed for 467 yards and six touchdowns, leading Missouri to a 68-21 victory.

While Drew Lock was growing up, his family constantly made the drive from Lee's Summit to Columbia for Tigers games.

Homecoming showdowns carry significance for the quarterback. Andy said Drew values the fans and alumni.

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"A lot of guys that you once watched playing, they're coming back and they're watching you play," Drew Lock said.

Before beating Idaho, the quarterback had not won a Homecoming matchup. He lost to Florida as a freshman, completing less than 50 percent of his passes and throwing two interceptions. Though he passed for nearly 300 yards in the 2016 Homecoming game, Middle Tennessee upset the Tigers.

"I remember my freshman year one pretty vividly with Florida," Lock said. "I've learned a lot since I've been here, put in a good amount of games to where I feel like I've matured enough. I'm going to be able to manage some games here down the road."

Lock's third Homecoming game did not get off to a hot start. He threw into coverage on the Tigers' first play from scrimmage, and Idaho's Armond Hawkins snatched the ball out the air for an interception. The Vandals scored four plays later to take a 7-0 lead.

Lock had a pointed discussion with offensive coordinator Josh Heupel after the interception, and the talk was an early turning point in the quarterback's game. "(The conversation) would not be G-rated," Odom said after the game. "Drew's a tough kid and a great competitor. ... He understands when he doesn't make the right throw. He gets it, and he knew it exactly when it came out of his hands."

Lock was lights out after the mistake. By the end of the first quarter, he had thrown for 216 yards and four touchdowns and Missouri's lead was so large that he did not have to play in the fourth quarter. He connected with tight end Albert Okwuegbunam for three touchdowns and grooved a 20-yard pass to Emanuel Hall for a second-quarter score.

Before the game, Lock gave each of his family members a hug as he walked into the stadium for his third career Homecoming game. He greeted his father last.

"I felt like I used to have to say a lot to him, and now I don't have to say much to him," Andy Lock said.

"He knows what he has to do."

Andy slapped the side of Drew's head as if his son was wearing a helmet. It was almost as if they were Missouri teammates, an offensive lineman supporting his quarterback.

Five things we learned from Missouri's Homecoming win Oct. 23 It’s hard to glean much off of a 68-21 win over a non-Power 5 opponent.

Idaho only has two wins on the year, and the Vandals are moving down to the FCS after this season. It would have been an inexcusable loss for Barry Odom and the Tigers.

So — keeping the opponent in mind — here are a few takeaways from Missouri’s Homecoming win.

Attendance is a problem Missouri only drew 47,648 fans for the Idaho contest, making Homecoming 2017 the lowest-attended home game since a Nov. 12, 2005, win over Baylor, according to the Missouri Athletics website. Current MU students would have been in elementary school when that game was played.

It’s been a concerning season for the Tigers on the field, and it showed in the stands Saturday. An 11 a.m. kickoff and a losing record will do that, even on Homecoming.

Missouri showed it can take advantage of lesser opponents

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The Tigers have not done a great job in games against weaker schools the past two seasons. They lost by more than 30 points to Purdue in Week 3 and allowed Missouri State to score 43 points in the season opener. In 2016, Missouri lost on Homecoming to Middle Tennessee.

Missouri was clearly the more capable team on the field Saturday. Wide receivers burned defensive backs, and the Tigers kept the Vandals from scoring more than 21 points.That’s more than could be said for past games.

Rountree is a capable option at tailback In perhaps the highlight of Saturday’s win, freshman Larry Rountree III trucked a defender, broke a tackle, and rushed the ball 53 yards on the final untimed play of the first quarter.

“I don’t think he’s going to run out of bounds,” Odom said. “He’s a physical player, and he was running really well behind his pads.”

With Damarea Crockett injured, the Tigers will rely on Rountree and senior Ish Witter in the coming weeks. Rushing for 97 yards and averaging over 8 yards per carry, the freshman showed he was up for the challenge Saturday.

Beckner showed explosiveness on the line Terry Beckner Jr. feasted against Idaho’s offensive line. The junior collected a team-high six tackles, along with two sacks.

For the first time this season, Beckner lined up alongside A.J. Logan, who was suspended for the first six games for academic violations. The added pressure seemed to help Beckner, who now has four sacks on the year.

The Tigers were able to rebound after early mistakes In previous games, Missouri faltered after miscues. The team fell apart after a tough second quarter against South Carolina and failed to score a point in the first quarter in losses to Purdue, Auburn and Kentucky.

On his first play from scrimmage Saturday, Drew Lock threw an interception, and Idaho scored a few plays later. It looked as if the team was heading down a familiar path.

But Lock and the Tigers rebounded to score the next 37 points. The game was out of hand by the end of the first quarter.

“We talked about, over the course of the last few weeks, showing poise and playing together and working through adversity,” Odom said Monday. “That was a step in the right direction for our team to be able to do that as things went on.”

Sterk optimistic despite slow start in football, expects Odom back Oct. 24 After the Missouri football team won only one of its first six games, coach Barry Odom faced plenty of criticism. Fans expressed displeasure on social media, and media outlets questioned his job security.

But Odom has the support of athletic director Jim Sterk, who expressed hope for the Tigers (2-5) going forward.

“There’s things that could happen, but I expect (Odom) to be back,” Sterk said Tuesday.

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Odom and Sterk have meetings every few weeks and touch base after football games. When Sterk looks at his coach, he sees reason for optimism.

The athletic director has been pleased with the team’s growth over the past few weeks, citing the Tigers’ explosive offense and improved turnover margin.

“I think we’ve played a heck of a lot better the last three games,” Sterk said. “They’re really looking to flip the season, to go 5-1 (in the second half) instead of 1-5.”

After playing No. 4 Georgia and No. 19 Auburn, the Tigers’ toughest tests are behind them. None of Missouri’s remaining opponents has a winning record, leaving the door open for a late season turnaround.

“Overall, the mentality of the team is good and they’re up to the challenge of this second half of the season,” Sterk said.

In-season ticket sales are down from what the athletic director expected — the Tigers only drew 47,648 fans Saturday — and Sterk thinks 11 a.m. kickoff times and poor performances at home influenced the numbers. If the team starts playing the way Sterk expects, he thinks sales will rise.

Sterk noted improved attitude in the Missouri locker room, saying that Odom has “basically disinvited” players that were not helping the team’s culture. This cost the Tigers short-term talent, but Sterk thinks it will lead to long-term improvements.

“Barry has made changes in that locker room to make it a more positive situation,” Sterk said. “I think that people don’t see that part of it and that culture of the team developing.”

Basketball reflections Before a conversation with women’s basketball coach Robin Pingeton, Sterk had never seen Michael Porter Jr. play. The top-rated prospect was a Washington commit at the time, and the Huskies had not yet fired coach Lorenzo Romar, Porter’s godfather.

Pingeton’s sister is Porter’s mother, and the coach told Sterk that the Porter family was interested in returning to Columbia. Sterk pulled out his phone and looked at YouTube. He was hooked.

About a month after the conversation, Romar was out at Washington and Porter committed to Missouri.

Other talented recruits followed, and the Tigers are one of the hottest topics around college basketball.

The hype around Missouri only grew after a six-point loss to archrival Kansas in an exhibition game on Sunday.

“It’s not a (game that counted), but it counted,” Sterk said. “The players were there to compete as best they could.”

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The rivalry game raised more than $1.75 million for hurricane relief and, even if only for a day, revived the Border War. Sterk said the game had the atmosphere of a conference championship game, as 18,951 fans crammed into the Sprint Center in Kansas City.

Sterk would like to see a similar game in the future, but he echoed Kansas coach Bill Self’s sentiment that it has to benefit both teams.

“We’d definitely be interested,” Sterk said, “and we’re open to it.”

The Tigers tip off against Iowa State on Nov. 10, the same day the team will dedicate a statue to former basketball coach Norm Stewart. Excitement around Missouri basketball is reaching a fever pitch.

“Our student tickets number is way higher than last year,” Sterk said. “We’re going through the process of being sold out of season tickets. ... You need to have a season ticket to see the team this year, which is really special.”

Nonrevenue sports continue to thrive After winning three NCAA titles as a junior last year, cross country standout Karissa Schweizer has continued to impress in 2017, and Sterk has taken notice.

“As a team, they could even score higher than last year,” the athletic director said. “Karissa is back and right where she was last year.”

Though men’s basketball has been the focus around Columbia, the women’s team is possibly the school’s most promising group of players. Junior Sophie Cunningham is coming off an All-American season, and senior Jordan Frericks is back after a season-ending injury last season.

“Women’s basketball could supersede men’s on how far they go,” Sterk said. “So I think people should take notice of that and watch.”

With future starts doubtful, kicker Bartolotta lived his dream Saturday Oct. 25 Nick Bartolotta’s first career tackle didn’t make any highlight reels, but it certainly captivated the Missouri sideline.

During a kickoff late in the second quarter Saturday, Idaho’s Aaron Duckworth caught the ball at the 12yard-line. He moved past a few blocks. A crease emerged before him.

“It looked like he was going to have an open lane,” said Bartolotta, a backup kicker from St. Louis. “He did until I got there.”

It didn’t matter that Bartolotta was the shortest player in the SEC. It didn’t matter that he was a kicker. It didn’t matter that he was playing in his first career game for the Tigers. The redshirt junior was ready to make a tackle.

As the kicker dragged Duckworth to the turf at the 32-yard-line, calls of “Bartolotta!” erupted from Missouri’s bench. Quarterback Drew Lock did a double take. He looked at the scoreboard replay to check that it was the 5-foot-6 kicker who brought Duckworth down.

After the Tigers suspended first-string kicker Tucker McCann for one game, Missouri coaches tabbed Bartolotta as the starter for the Idaho game. He handled the team’s kickoffs and made eight of his nine extra point attempts. On field goals, he was a perfect two-for-two.

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Though it could be the only game Bartolotta ever starts for the Tigers, Saturday was the culmination of years worth of dreams, patience and practice.

“His dream was to play Division I football,” said Denise Bartolotta, the kicker’s mother. “The ultimate icing on the cake was to be at Mizzou.”

The kicker took a winding path to Columbia. He went to summer training camp at Western Michigan but tore his meniscus and left school before classes started. He played a year at a community college in Illinois, then joined the Kansas Jayhawks, appearing in nine games in 2015.

After a year with the Jayhawks, Bartolotta decided to transfer (he did not specify why). Missouri became a possible destination.

Denise warned her son that playing time could be sparse with the Tigers. McCann was the starter, and he was on scholarship. But Nick Bartolotta’s response was consistent: He had a chance to fulfill his dream.

Even if he failed, he was going to take it.

“This was just kind of a reward for him,” his mother said. “Even if he doesn’t go in after this, he will still keep driving himself so that, when he does have to step in, he’s ready and can handle it.”

Though Barry Odom acknowledged a few of Bartolotta’s mistakes against Idaho, the coach said he was pleased with how the kicker filled in. As for the future, Odom made it clear that a kicker competition is not in the cards. “(McCann) will be our kicker,” Odom said.

But Saturday was all about Bartolotta. He ran onto Faurot Field as the starter for his hometown team, and the SEC Network even took notice of his upper body strength. Despite his small stature, Bartolotta can bench press 385 pounds, over twice his body weight.

After the game, Bartolotta walked into the practice complex with two teammates. For the first time all season, reporters were waiting to speak with him.

“I’m on the right side of the border,” he said. “This has been my school all along.”

Opponent preview: Connecticut secondary could leave Missouri with opportunities Oct. 26 Coach Barry Odom knows not to underestimate the American Athletic Conference. He coached with Memphis for three seasons, and said the league is on par with the nation’s other major conferences.

“In my mind, they are a Power Five league,” Odom said Monday. “There’s not many people you’d say, ‘Yeah, I’d like to sign up and go play them.”

But Connecticut is not Memphis, Navy or one of the other top-heavy teams in the conference. The Huskies are 3-4, and have allowed opposing offenses to rack up over 500 yards per game.

For the 2-5 Tigers, it’s a must-win.

Fortunately for the Missouri, Connecticut’s defense plays into the Tigers’ strengths. Offenses have torched the Huskies’ secondary for 373 pass yards a game, and Missouri quarterback Drew Lock is second in the SEC in quarterback rating.

“They’re throwing a couple different looks at us that we’re not used to,” Lock said Tuesday. “So I think once we get that down, work on it in practice, we’ll be ready to go.”

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With Lock and explosive wide receivers J’Mon Moore, Emanuel Hall and Johnathon Johnson, Missouri should not struggle putting up points on Saturday.

Connecticut’s offense is led by Rhett Lashlee, Auburn’s former offensive coordinator. Lashlee coached against Missouri in Auburn’s 59-42 SEC Championship victory in 2013.

The Huskies offense has been productivity has performed under Lashlee. Connecticut has scored 20 or more points in all but one game this season, and the Huskies have averaged over 425 yards per game.

“You see the influence of Rhett on what they’re doing,” Odom said.

Senior Bryant Shirreffs has thrown for 13 touchdowns and to just four interceptions. Missouri’s secondary has struggled at times, which will provide opportunities for Shirreffs and the Huskies’ offense.

Missouri will be the second Power Five team Connecticut faces. The Huskies lost to Virginia in their second game of the season. The team is on a two-game winning streak with wins against Tulsa and Temple.

“They’re playing pretty aggressive,” Odom said. “And, specifically the last two weeks, they’ve played really good.”

DB Sherrils collects first career sack in Missouri win Oct. 28 In both games Anthony Sherrils has played against Connecticut, he’s achieved a milestone. He intercepted his first pass against the Huskies in 2015. On Saturday, he picked up his first college sack.

With around three minutes left in the second quarter, the Tigers pressured Connecticut quarterback Bryant Shirreffs. Sherrils blitzed. The quarterback came down.

It’s been an up-and-down year for the defensive back, but Saturday was a bright spot. He picked up six tackles, and the secondary limited Connecticut to fewer than 250 passing yards.

Marcell Frazier helped bring Shirreffs to the ground, and he and Sherrils were both given credit for half a sack. The defensive back now has 2½ tackles for loss this season.

After the game, Sherrils posted a celebratory tweet: "First career sack feels pretty good but the win with my boys feels much better ... lets keep it rolling! #BowlHunting."

Against Connecticut in 2015, Sherrils' interception was game-changing. Missouri was leading 9-6 when the Huskies faked a field goal late in the fourth quarter. The defensive back read the play and picked off backup quarterback Tim Boyle's pass. He also forced the first fumble of his career earlier in the game.

Sherrils' sack Saturday did not impact the game in quite the same way. The Tigers were already leading 24-5. It was only the second quarter, but the game was all but over.

Missouri's secondary has struggled throughout the season, but it has shown growth the past two games.

The Tigers' senior defensive back will be key in the team's push for a bowl berth.

Wilson solidifying himself as backup With James Foster’s decommitment Thursday, Missouri fans might have been watching their future quarterback late in Saturday’s game.

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Redshirt freshman Micah Wilson entered the game in the third quarter. It was his third career game but the first time he attempted more than one pass. He also rushed for his first touchdown on a quarterback rollout play.

Wilson’s first deep ball was one he likely wants to forget. He underthrew Dominic Collins, and Connecticut’s Jamar Summers intercepted the pass.

Other than the pick, it was a decent showing for Wilson. He completed 3 of 6 passes for 31 yards and also showed off his legs on the touchdown run.

Warren back from suspension T.J. Warren danced off the field after picking off a pass in the fourth quarter. It was Missouri’s only interception of the game and the first of Warren’s career.

After serving a 6-game suspension for academic violations, Warren did not make an appearance against Idaho. He played in every game as a redshirt freshman in 2016 and could give the Tigers a late-season boost.

High school basketball leaves Blanton and Puryear with lasting friendship Nov. 1 The Blue Springs South basketball team trudged off the Raytown High School court. As they filed into the locker room, a few players cried. Some embraced. They soaked in the inconsolable pain of an unexpected lost.

The Jaguars had just fallen to a Drew Lock-led Lee’s Summit squad in the 2014 district championship game. For Kendall Blanton, now a redshirt junior tight end for Missouri, the loss marked the end of his basketball career.

Blanton slowly made his way to each of his teammates. He hugged each of them. He hadn’t played his best game that night, so he apologized.

“It breaks your heart as a coach to listen to things like that and see your kids heartbroken,” Blue Springs South coach Jimmy Cain said. “But you also feel good that you have such high character kids in your program.”

Kevin Puryear, now a junior forward for Missouri, remembers hugging Blanton in the locker room. The two had known each other since middle school, and their days as teammates had just ended.

“There was things that we all could have did to prevent that loss,” Puryear said. “But for him to (take responsibility) just shows how much of a team player he is.”

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Blanton supported Puryear after the loss, and he still supports him at Missouri. An hour after beating Idaho on Oct. 21, the tight end strolled into Mizzou Arena to watch Puryear at Mizzou Madness — the basketball team’s preseason hype event. The friends consistently watch sports and joke around at Blanton’s house. They spend most of the time laughing, just like in their high school days.

The two were not always as friendly on the basketball court. They are similar heights — Puryear is listed at 6-foot-7, Blanton at 6-foot-6 — and would often compete against each other during workouts.

Puryear remembers a high school practice where he and Blanton almost got in a skirmish. They were doing a drill on the Blue Springs South court, and they started jawing.

“We used to go at it in practice — just be a pest to each other,” Puryear said. “We were talking so much, yapping back and forth at each other.”

Cain had to separate his two forwards, sending them to opposite ends of the court. Both players seethed with anger, but, by the time practice was over, their friendship was as strong as ever.

“Once we hit the locker room, it was nothing but hugs and laughs,” Cain said.

The near-fights and competitive workouts had a lasting impact on Puryear. Blanton was a standout defender, and he helped push Puryear in practice.

Blanton holds Blue Springs South’s school record in blocked shots, and Cain believes the tight end’s defense was good enough to play for Missouri’s basketball team.

“If they got beat or if they just didn’t feel like playing defense that day, I came and cleaned up for them,” Blanton said.

Puryear was always stronger than Blanton on the offensive side of the ball, and he has been a standout for Missouri over the past two seasons. With a heralded freshman class, the forward has flown under the radar this preseason in the eyes of some of his teammates. That hasn’t deterred the competitive spirit Cain saw in high school, though, and Puryear’s new teammates have noticed.

“He fights every day in practice,” freshman Blake Harris said. “He’s a sleeper for sure.”

The year after Blanton graduated, Puryear and Blue Springs South won the state title game. Though Blanton never got a state medal, Cain said he paved the way for the Jaguars championship team.

Cain, Puryear and Blanton have kept in regular contact since the players graduated. They have a group text mainly used to argue about who is better between LeBron James and Michael Jordan.

“Those two will talk so much trash about LeBron being the GOAT, and I’ll come back with a Jordan stat,” Cain said. “I’m very blessed to have them.”

When Puryear and Blanton spoke about each other at their respective media days, they used the same phrase word for word.

“That’s my brother.”

Crockett dealing with injury-riddled season Nov. 3 Instead of wearing pads at practice Tuesday afternoon, sophomore Damarea Crockett was wearing sweatpants.

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Entering the season, hype swirled around the running back. He set a Missouri freshman rushing record in 2016, and his 220-pound frame offered reason for excitement.

But sophomore year hasn’t gone as planned for Crockett. He got off to a fast start, rushing for 202 yards in the season opener against Missouri State, but left the South Carolina game with a tailbone injury.

He then suffered a right shoulder injury a few weeks later against Georgia, had a scope on his shoulder and has not played since.

His return this season is in question.

“Anytime you get a season-ending injury, the first thing that you have to get over is the mental side of it,” running backs coach Cornell Ford said. “It’s really kind of fresh right now.”

Crockett was not available for comment.

The team has not ruled out a return this season, but coach Barry Odom has made it clear he wants to do what’s best for Crockett’s long-term future. The running back underwent surgery after suffering an injury against the Bulldogs.

“We needed to get it done,” Odom said. “I look at it like it’s my own kid.”

Ford said Crockett had to watch the team from the hospital during the Homecoming win against Idaho.

He did not travel to Connecticut.

Ford anticipates his player taking on a leadership role during practice.

“That’s what I’ve told him: ‘I’m going to give you a whistle, and you start coaching up the young guys,’” Ford said.

In Crockett’s absence, senior Ish Witter and freshman Larry Rountree III have handled the bulk of the carries. Redshirt freshman Dawson Downing has rushed for 90 yards in his first two collegiate games.

Though he described Crockett’s injury as “devastating,” Downing said the running back has handled the setback as well as possible.

“He’s still a leader in the room, whether he’s playing or not,” he said.

The Tigers have not played an SEC opponent since Crockett’s injury, but the team’s running game has shown signs of promise. The unit has rushed for at least 175 yards in each of the past two contests.

Going forward, Odom’s mindset is simple: He wants Crockett to play, but he needs others to be ready if he can’t.

“Fingers crossed that he might be able to make it back later on in this season,” Odom said. “But we’ve also got to make sure that we prepare like he’s not going to be available.”

Beckner, receivers step up to help Missouri win first SEC game Nov. 4 Most of Missouri's players had trickled into the locker room with 25 minutes to go until opening kickoff.

Two team leaders lagged behind.

Terry Beckner Jr. and J'Mon Moore hugged in the south end zone and shared quick words ahead of Saturday's crucial game against Florida. The Tigers were clinging to hopes of qualifying for a bowl game, and the two standouts needed to step up.

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"Me and Terry have just got an understanding," Moore said. "We've got to lead our sides of the ball. We let each other know, 'Hey, it's business time.'"

Less than two hours later, Beckner forcefully punched the air after sacking Florida quarterback Malik Zaire late in the second quarter. He stared at the Missouri sideline before lumbering back to his place on the defensive line.

The Tigers won 45-16, knocking off a Florida team with an interim head coach, a messy quarterback situation and nine players suspended amidst a felony fraud investigation. Missouri (4-5, 1-4) scored more points against the Gators (3-5, 3-4) than any other team this season.

Beckner and Moore's pregame embrace proved beneficial. Beckner wreaked havoc in the trenches all day and finished with five tackles and a sack. Moore hauled in five catches and his team-leading eighth touchdown reception of the season.

The Tigers' most explosive players did their jobs.

"We saw our record; we didn't like it," Moore said. "We looked at it like, 'Hey, we need to make something happen.'"

Quarterback Drew Lock had another strong showing. After an early interception, the junior threw for 228 yards and three touchdowns, completing 15 of his 20 passes. He moved past Brad Smith into second place on Missouri's career touchdown list with a 15-yard pass to senior tailback Ish Witter. (After one more TD pass in the fourth quarter, Lock now has 58 in his career.)

Missouri trusted Witter, Larry Rountree III and the running game early. It payed off. By the end of the first half, the Tigers had tallied 166 yards on the ground. Even Lock got in on the action, finishing with 35 yards with a long of 11.

With the game still scoreless in the first quarter, fan-favorite punter Corey Fatony excited the crowd with a boot to Florida's 11-yard line. The Gators' return man, wide receiver Brandon Powell, muffed the ball, and Missouri's Anthony Sherrils picked it up.

"Corey did a great job of hanging it up in a sky-punt situation," coach Barry Odom said. "We work every Tuesday on that drill: getting in position to make sure, just in case the ball is fumbled, ... to make a play."

Three plays later, Lock found tight end Kendall Blanton for a highlight-reel touchdown pass and catch to give Missouri a 7-0 lead. It was an early statement, and the Tigers did not look back.

Rountree's physical presence helped take Missouri out of its own end zone when the Tigers started a drive in the second quarter on their own 2-yard line. Success on the ground allowed Lock throw for 53 yards on the 5-minute, 98-yard touchdown drive.

When the MU offense got down to Florida's 2-yard line, it turned to Rountree again. He crashed into the end zone and gave Missouri a 14-0 lead.

"Sometimes you've got to put your shoulder down," Rountree said. "You've just got to out-physical them."

Florida's offense was never able to gain momentum. The Gators drove into Missouri territory multiple times, but the Tigers' defense kept them out of the end zone until late in the fourth quarter. Sherrils intercepted a pass in the second quarter and picked up a key red-zone tackle.

"We can bend," Sherrils said. "We can give them a big chunk of yardage, but just don't give them the touchdown."

Lock continued to vibe with receiver Emanuel Hall. The wide receiver finished with 113 yards and laid out for a 49-yard catch in the third quarter.

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Saturday's postgame was totally different — energetic, lighthearted and fun — than after performances earlier in the season. Kevin Pendleton, Witter and Moore crowded together and attempted to do an interview all together. All three of them were laughing.

"The whole mood is changed," Moore said. "We have enough games to turn it around, so that's the plan."

Bowl berth could be in the cards for Missouri Nov. 6 Phrases such as “one game at a time” echoed around the lobby of Missouri’s practice facility after the Tigers’ blowout win over Florida. “(We’re) trying to be 1-0 this week,” tight end Kendall Blanton said.

“One week at a time,” wide receiver J’Mon Moore said.

“We’re worried about Tennessee this week coming in,” linebacker Terez Hall added.

Occasionally, though, a player would slip and talk about the team’s season goal: reaching a bowl game.

“Getting closer to getting in a bowl game — that’s definitely in our heads, too,” senior Ish Witter said.

When Missouri (4-5) started the season with a 1-5 record, qualifying for a bowl game seemed doubtful, and fans questioned coach Barry Odom’s job security. But since the team’s 53-28 loss to No. 1 Georgia, the Tigers are 3-0 and have outscored opponents 165-49.

Looking at the coming weeks, a bowl game seems like a realistic possibility. The Tigers must win two of their remaining three games to reach bowl eligibility.

Quarterback Drew Lock is playing as well as he has at any point in his career, and Terry Beckner Jr. has emerged as a force on the defensive line. The offensive line is protecting Lock and opening holes for running backs Larry Rountree III and Witter.

Perhaps most important, none of the Tigers’ remaining opponents has a winning record.

The Tigers face Tennessee (4-5) on Saturday at home. The Volunteers have lost four of their last five games and have not won an SEC contest all season. The fire under coach Butch Jones’ seat is at an all-time high.

“We understand that there’s a lot of opportunity for us,” Odom said Monday. “But if we start looking too far ahead or too far behind, then we won’t get where we need to be.”

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The team travels to Vanderbilt (4-5) and Arkansas (4-5) to close out the year. If the Tigers finish the year with three wins, they could push their way into a solid bowl game. Kentucky played in a New Year’s Eve bowl with a 7-5 record last season.

It’s been a two-year postseason drought for the Tigers, who haven’t qualified for a bowl since the 2014 team defeated Minnesota in the Citrus Bowl. They could also qualify for a bowl with a 5-7 record; last year, two teams with losing records — Mississippi State and North Texas — were chosen to fill the 41 bowl games.

Non-qualifying teams with the highest Academic Performance Rating are given priority in the bowl selection process. Missouri is tied for No. 44 nationally in APR. If Missouri players are honestwhen talking about their “one day at a time” mentality, none of the outside noise should mattertoo much. It’s worked over the past three games and has the team playing with confidence.

“We are better than what our record says,” Hall said. “You come play Mizzou, you better strap up and get ready.”

Missouri capitalizes on undervalued recruits in Tennessee Nov. 8 Missouri and Tennessee don’t kick off until 6:30 p.m. Saturday, but you could argue the Tigers have already scored one win over their opponent: finding undervalued recruits in the Volunteer State.

The Tigers’ roster features six players from Tennessee, five of whom have played in each of the team’s nine games this season. Only one of those players had a scholarship offer from Tennessee, according to Rivals.

Missouri has had luck recruiting in Tennessee, snatching commitments from players like Paul Adams, Corey Fatony and Emanuel Hall.

“Tennessee has been good for us,” offensive line coach Glen Elarbee said. “It would be nice to keep it going.”

Here’s a look at the number of Missouri starters from each state: ● Missouri: 8 ● Tennessee: 4 (Adams, Hall, Fatony, wide receiver Johnathon Johnson) ● Illinois: 4 ● Kansas: 2 ● Texas: 2 ● Florida: 1 ● Pennsylvania: 1 ● Oregon: 1 ● Georgia: 1 ● Indiana: 1 ● Louisiana: 1 ● Washington: 1 It’s hard to ignore the players’ impact. Adams is a team captain and leader on the offensive line. Hall is the Tigers’ primary deep threat, and Johnson — the only one Tennessee offered — has quickness that makes him dangerous in the slot receiving position. Fatony is regarded as one of the nation’s top punters.

Fatony said there is an element of state-pride among Missouri players from Tennessee, and he loves playing against schools from his home-state.

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“It’s just an awesome thing to have a couple of teammates from the same area that I’m from,” the punter said.

Missouri is rarely able to bring in as highly-touted recruits as Tennessee, which had the No. 15 ranked 2017 recruiting class by Rivals. The Tigers instead must find players who fly under the radar. None of Missouri’s six players from Tennessee were rated more than three stars, but all have proved to be quality pieces. Even Finis Stribling IV, a two-star recruit, has offered the Tigers stability on special teams.

“You’re recruiting everywhere,” Elarbee said. “They recruit from Missouri, and there’s the guys we’re going to recruit from Tennessee.”

But if the Volunteers are making inroads in Missouri, they aren’t yet apparent. No one on the Tennessee roster is from the Show-Me State.

Though Tennessee’s recruiting class is ranked higher than Missouri, the teams’ on-field performance have been similar. Both teams have a 4-5 record and have struggled in SEC play.

Missouri faces another Tennessee-based opponent the weekend after the Volunteers travel to Columbia: Vanderbilt. Of the six Missouri players from Tennessee, the Commodores only made an offer to Hall.

The players overlooked in high school will have two chances to show what their home-state schools missed out on.

Heupel nominated for award Missouri offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Josh Heupel has been nominated as one of 56 assistant coaches for the Broyles Award.

The field for the award, which recognizes the best assistant coach in college football, will be reduced to 15 semifinalists by a panel of 18 former head coaches, along with representatives of the Football Writers Association of America.

Beneath Brick, Haley's impact on players is traced to his son's impact on him Nov. 10 There’s no definitive story of how Andrea Haley picked up the nickname “Brick,” but there are plenty of legends.

One says he crashed into a wall playing football as a kid. He wasn’t hurt, but he left a chip in the bricks.

His sister-in-law said a local newspaper might have given him the name in high school. A picture showed him tackling an opponent, and the headline read something like, “The brick wall has arrived.”

Haley’s wife heard a story about a car hitting her husband as a kid. He was completely unfazed — tough as bricks.

In many ways, the name fits him. He coaches a physical, sometimes violent, game. Players may tower over his small, stocky frame, but he can kidnap their attention with a few sharp yells. He’s undisputedly tough.

But the name Brick does not reflect Haley’s other side. To understand that, you need to hear about his 17year-old son, A.J., and his journey with autism. You need to witness his patience and see how he listens.

He’s never afraid to talk about love, no matter if he’s talking to his kid or a 350-pound lineman.

“A big, ol’ defensive football player is supposed to be all rough and rowdy,” said Alice Haley, his sister-inlaw. “And he is — he gets down to it. But then he shows ... a lot of compassion.”

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Talking to Haley is like flipping through the pages of a detective novel. The deeper you get, the more you learn and the more you want to keep learning. His eyes dance when he tells funny stories about A.J., and he has used his influence to raise money for autism research and awareness.

“He’s a guy that will give you the shirt off his back,” his wife, Tina, said.

To his players, he offers a firm, compassionate voice with which they can connect. He is a man they must respect.

A.J. Alice Haley remembers visiting Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to watch her brother-in-law coach while he worked at LSU. After the game’s final whistle, she approached Brick on the field with Tina, A.J., and Jeremy, the Haleys’ youngest son.

The moment the coach saw his family, he broke off from a conversation. He bypassed Tina and Alice without saying a word, making a beeline toward the boys.

Brick got down on a knee so he could look at his kids eye to eye. He hugged them both, giving them kisses. Alice felt a pull at her heart. She could have pictured the scene in a touching television commercial.

“To me, that’s just so tender,” she said.

Most coaches greet their families after games, but the way Brick did it resonated with Alice. She appreciated that he crouched to be at eye level with his kids. It showed a level of respect, a compassion that A.J. helped bring out.

Alice Haley said Brick was a dominant force in conversations earlier in his life. He was outspoken, even a little aggressive at times. After A.J., he became calmer and was a better listener.

“It makes me be a lot more patient with the things I do in my life,” Brick Haley said. “I have to think about things right now instead of just reacting. I was a big reactor until then.”

The coach’s improved patience has helped him in coaching football. Before A.J., he forced his linemen to do repeated reps at practice. He’s now learned that the players sometimes need more time between reps to improve their quality.

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A.J. (Andrea Jr.) is named after his father, but the two are drastically different. Brick loves Western films.

A.J. hates them. Brick is a full-time coach. A.J. couldn’t care less about sports. The dad is a natural communicator. The son struggles with social skills.

Brick started to notice abnormal traits in his son at 4 or 5 years old; A.J. was diagnosed with autism as an 8-year-old.

“I instantly was crushed,” Brick Haley said.

The coach had dreams of his son becoming an athlete. The diagnosis altered his hopes.

It took Brick weeks to come to grips with his son’s situation. He wondered how he could make everything right. How could he best help A.J.?

“When you’re blessed with a child that has a challenge, it makes you rethink life,” said Harriet Murray, one of Haley’s high school teachers who has served as a mentor. “He knows now that he didn’t know everything. … It’s just a reality check that it’s not all unicorns and rainbows.”

In the weeks of turbulence, there were constants. Haley’s love for A.J. never wavered, and the family was able to embrace their son’s situation.

“What else are you going to do?” Tina Haley said.

A.J. is now at Rock Bridge High School. He is shy before you get to know him but leaps into Brick’s arms whenever Dad walks through the front door of the house. He acts out movie scenes with his brother, Jeremy. He believes in routines, organizing chicken bones in a straight line whenever he eats wings, and his parents can count on him to do his dishes after dinner.

Brick, 51, and Tina have given A.J. some background information on autism.

They’ve made sure he has confidence; he does not see anything wrong with himself.

“He’ll tell you, ‘Yeah, I’ve got an (Individualized Education Plan), but that doesn’t mean I’m not smart,’” Brick Haley said. “He’s kind of embraced it.”

Tina Haley always makes a point to visit school when her son has a new teacher.

Earlier this month, A.J. switched classes at Rock Bridge, and Tina met with his new instructor. They talked about respect and how it’s a virtue that can be taught.

The Haley parents do not put up with disrespect in their house, and they want teachers and other adults to hold their children accountable. Tina told A.J.’s teacher that, if he ever gives her trouble, she should threaten to “call Momma.” That should straighten him up.

“If he doesn’t,” Tina said, “Daddy is the big guns.”

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Brick, one of 10 children, was raised with community discipline in the 11th Street projects in Gadsden, Alabama. His mother worked two jobs, so his siblings and neighbors helped raise him. If he stepped out of line, no one was afraid to tell his mom, a loving woman, but not someone you wanted to anger.

“His momma would wear him out,” Alice Haley said. “She had a spicy vocabulary.”

“She’s a little-bitty woman,” Tina added. “But she is tough.”

Brick road to success Nakia Cahill was driving on a main road in Roswell, Georgia, in 2013 when Brick Haley called.

Listening to Haley’s voice, she knew he wanted to have a serious conversation. She pulled her Nissan Armada into a local park and got out of the car.

“I knew it wasn’t something that I could drive and still think about and be effective,” Cahill said.

Cahill is the executive director of Brick Road to Success, Haley’s foundation. She wandered around the park on the sunny spring day, stopped at a bench along a river and listened to the coach speak.

Haley started the foundation while coaching with the Chicago Bears in 2008. It hosted football camps for underprivileged kids, but NCAA restrictions made hosting camps difficult when Haley agreed to coach at LSU. The foundation became more grant-based and did not host events.

But Haley wanted to do something new. His wife suggested focusing on the thing that had directly impacted their family: autism.

“We just needed to focus on one thing,” Tina Haley said. “Why not that?”

Brick Haley proposed a golf tournament to Cahill. The fundraiser would be held in his hometown of Gadsden, and money could go toward autism research. As they talked, a sense of excitement rose in Cahill’s chest. She could see the tournament growing.

The next June, Cahill and Haley made their vision a reality. The opening tournament in 2014 raised $7,000 for the Alabama chapter of Autism Speaks, an organization dedicated to autism research and awareness. The annual event has brought in almost $40,000 to date.

At this summer’s event, Haley posed for pictures throughout the day. He mingled with old friends and proudly sported a Missouri visor.

A local Kia dealership provided a $25,000 car that golfers could win if they made a hole-in-one. Football memorabilia was sprawled across auction tables. Participants could bid on everything from a jersey signed

by Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller to an autographed Eli Manning football. The tournament is a hit around Gadsden — most years, the mayor even makes an appearance.

A.J.’s role has grown over the past few tournaments. He rides in a golf cart and helps distribute water to players. Sometimes, he fires the starter’s pistol.

As the tournament wound down in June, around 100 people crowded into the golf course dining area.

Brick started by offering a few words of thanks, and his family walked to the front of the room. A.J. helped present the jumbo-sized cardboard check, and they stood in a line and posed for a picture.

It’s an encouraging scene for Brick, who can remember a time his son would never have presented something publicly.

“He’s telling the world, ‘I’ve got this,’” Alice Haley said.

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Defensive end Jordan Harold and his fellow linemen escaped the hot Missouri sun one day over the summer. They filed inside the team’s air-conditioned meeting room and gathered around their coach.

Though he teaches a rugged sport, Haley makes sure to talk about love. He treats his players like family and trusts them. That day, he told them about his childhood and about his experiences raising a son with autism.

“You felt it in the room,” Harold said. “It touched everyone.”

Haley makes efforts to connect with the team outside of football settings. His family hosted a team dinner for players in town over the Fourth of July. Tina Haley says there was plenty to go around: plates of baby back ribs, hot dogs and burgers, deviled eggs and homemade strawberry ice cream.

A.J. was at the dinner and interacted with the Missouri players. Defensive end Tre Williams said Haley often tells the linemen about A.J.’s big heart, and he enjoyed meeting him at the dinner.

“I tell them, ‘Don’t treat them any different,’” Haley said. “He’s no different than any other kid. It may take him a little while to get used to you, but sooner or later after he sees you here for a while, he’ll warm up to you.”

Before Missouri’s blowout win over Florida, Haley wandered around Faurot Field. He hugged opposing coaches and mingled with the referees. Then it was time to prepare his players.

“Let’s go,” he barked. “Let’s go to work.”

As the players went through one-on-one drills, Haley strode behind each pairing.

He watched intently, ready to help in whatever way possible.

“When he gets on us, we know it’s out of love,” Harold said. “To have that side of it, it makes us trust and believe in him way more.”

A day later, you could see Haley’s impact on Los Angeles Rams nose tackle Michael Brockers. Brockers played under Haley at LSU, and he collected four tackles in a 51-17 win over the New York Giants.

But the impact wasn’t on the field. The lineman had called Haley a few days earlier. He was designing new cleats for later in the season, and he wanted them to feature the Brick Road to Success logo.

Chili before football: Stribling wins annual cook-off between Missouri football parents Nov. 11 Expectations were high for Drew Lock’s father heading into the Missouri football parents’ fifth-annual chili cook-off. Andy Lock placed second at last year’s contest, and he was the favorite entering Saturday’s competition. Even Missouri’s starting quarterback talked up his dad’s chili.

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“He thinks the scoring was rigged last year,” Drew Lock said Tuesday. “My dad will bring a good chili this week. Without a doubt.”

But when the competition started at 1 p.m. Saturday, Andy Lock’s chili was a no-show. He was busy the week leading up to the Tennessee game, and the fresh pain of last year’s loss made cooking chili tough.

“Losing sucks,” Andy Lock said. “I felt like I had the best chili last year. I’m not going to lie to you.”

Even without Lock’s highly anticipated chili, the Missouri parents were fully invested in the contest. John Roland bragged about his 2016 victory, and Tucker McCann’s mom joked about bribing the judges.

Photographs of past winners sat next to pots of chili on a long table.

The 2017 cook-off had eight submissions: Finis Stribling III, Cathy Beisel and two submissions each from the Roland, McCann and Abeln families. Judges graded the chili based on aroma, texture, color, taste and aftertaste. Most parents brought standard chili, but Roland and Julie Abeln both brought white chili.

“This is history in the making,” Abeln said before the event.

After 30 minutes of deliberating, the judges reached a conclusion. Finis Stribling III, father of defensive back Finis Stribling IV, came out on top.

Stribling was a first-year competitor at the parents’ tailgate, but he had experience at Boy Scout cook-offs in the past. His chili was based around ground beef, and he made sure to sauté his onions and bell peppers with spices.

“I don’t like it as thick, so it kind of had a medium-type texture to it,” Stribling said. “I had my ground beef mixed up really well.”

After Stribling won, Abeln placed a crown on his head. He smiled for pictures and was greeted with a round of applause. Beisel finished in second place, and Abeln’s white chili finished third.

As event organizer, Abeln sent out a note in the parents’ weekly email announcing the competition. She made sure there were power cords and generators for cooking, and she brought Tums for the after-effects.

“It’s a great way for everyone to come together and celebrate the experience of going down this road together,” she said. “It’s a unique group, and it’s a lot of fun just to come here and to be ourselves and have fun away from the football and the pressures of the football.”

But the pressure was high on the chefs, and it proved too great for Andy Lock to handle. The quarterback’s father promised to make his chili next fall, though.

“I’m calling my shot 12 months out,” he said. “I’m going to win it next year.”

Editor’s note: Missourian reporters Peter Baugh and Anne Rogers served on the judging panel for the annual Missouri parents’ football tailgate. Baugh voted for Abeln’s chili, and Rogers voted for Beisel.

Attendance up and spirits high as Missouri routs Tennessee Nov. 11 Missouri scheduled a blackout for last weekend's game against Florida, but more black — along with a few gold — shirts graced the Memorial Stadium stands during the Tigers’ game against Tennessee.

Winning will do that.

The Tigers (5-5, 2-4) knocked off Tennessee (4-6, 0-6) for their fourth straight victory, outscoring the Volunteers 50-17.

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In the second quarter, Missouri’s student section danced as the Memorial Stadium speakers blared music during a third down. A few fans even waved leftover rally towels from last night’s men's basketball season opener. For the first time since early in the season, the stadium felt alive.

Missouri drew 50,637 fans for the final home game of 2017, the most since a Week 4 51-14 loss to Auburn.

The Tigers' attendance spike could have been bolstered by Michael Porter Jr. and the basketball team.

Missouri sold out its season opener against Iowa State on Friday, and many traveling fans likely stayed in Columbia for the football showdown.

A run-first first half With the game tied at 14 late in the second quarter, freshman running back Larry Rountree III saw a field full of green. Eleven Volunteers streaked behind him and eventually dragged him down in the Missouri red zone, but the damage was done. The 64-yard run led to a Missouri touchdown.

Rountree and senior Ish Witter combined for 219 rushing yards in the first half, and the Volunteers were not able to respond.

Much like the Tigers’ 45-16 victory over Florida, Missouri had success running early. Through the first two drives, Witter ran for 76 yards and a touchdown.

Junior quarterback Drew Lock had high praise for Witter, who finished with 216 yards on senior night.

"Since I've been here, I've never seen someone give so much to the university," Lock said. "Whether that's his time in this building, whether that's him running out there."

Lock throws pick-six early but still leads nation in TDs When Lock has been running down the field in past weeks, it’s usually been chasing after wide receivers while celebrating long touchdown passes.

But in the first quarter Saturday, Lock found himself sprinting after Tennessee defensive back Nigel Warrior. Warrior had picked off the Missouri quarterback and returned the ball 70 yards for a touchdown.

"I didn't make the brightest of reads," said Lock, who thought the defense had jumped offsides before the snap.

Though Lock made a few mistakes throughout the game, he also had a few eye-opening passes. He found junior Emanuel Hall in stride for a touchdown on two occasions and finished with 217 yards.

Lock threw four touchdown passes on the day, giving him a nation-leading 35 on the year. West Virginia’s Will Grier is second with 34.

"It's pretty cool," Lock said. "Playing little league ball, I probably couldn't tell you that I'd look you in your eyes and say, 'I'm leading the nation in touchdown passes.'"

Bledsoe picks up first career sack With defensive end Chris Turner in pursuit of Tennessee’s Will McBride, Missouri safety Joshuah Bledsoe brought down the quarterback for the first sack of his career.

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"He's a baller," senior safety Anthony Sherrils said. "He's a young baller."

Bledsoe was not a highly touted recruit and chose Missouri over the likes of Tulane and North Texas. He has seen a decent amount of playing time as a true freshman.

Rivers makes first appearance A smile broke across J'Mon Moore's face when he was asked about redshirt senior Cameren Rivers, who made his Missouri debut Saturday.

"I'm glad that, on senior night, he can come out and be able to just see the field a little bit," Moore said.

"This is his last time being at the Zou. I'm glad he was able to go out there and get some reps. That's an awesome feeling."

Tennessee's McBride makes highlight play in first career start Freshman QB Will McBride stood in the pocket as Terry Beckner Jr. barreled toward him. He released the ball as the defensive tackle made contact, falling on his back as his pass fell into the arms of tight end Ethan Wolf.

The impressive throw was the first touchdown pass of the young quarterback’s career.

"I think he displayed his grit in standing in the pocket and being able to take a shot and put a ball right where it needed to be," Tennessee coach Butch Jones said.

McBride finished the day with 139 passing yards and two interceptions.

McCann finds consistency Kicker Tucker McCann put together a strong game, connecting for three field goals and five extra points.

He’s now 11-13 on field goals for the year.

One of McCann’s extra-point attempts was blocked in the second half, though the lapse partially falls on the shoulders of his blockers.

Largest SEC victory Missouri's 33-point victory Saturday was the Tigers’ largest victory over an SEC opponent. The previous largest margin was 31 points: a 48-17 decision over Kentucky in 2013.

The Tigers have won by an average of 37.25 points over the past four weeks.

Injury update Missouri center Trystan Castillo injured his ankle during the first half and did not return to the game.

Fortunately for the Tigers, it looks like the injury is not too serious.

"If we needed to get him in we were going to," coach Barry Odom said. "But it felt like we were in control there, and Jonah (Dubinski) did a nice job stepping in."

Missouri picks up commitment from CB Nov. 12 Class of 2018 cornerback Jarvis Ware committed to Missouri on Sunday evening, the recruit announced on his Twitter page.

“I would like to thank my coaches that (have helped) me through this journey,” Ware said in his tweet.

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Oregon, Virginia Tech, and other Division I programs had offered Ware, who is from Apopka, Florida. He is listed as a 3-star recruit by 247Sports.

The Tigers now have 12 commitments from the Class of 2018, highlighted by four-star linebacker Chad Bailey.

Personnel changes, youth benefit Missouri secondary Nov. 14 It was perhaps the most costly play of DeMarkus Acy’s season, but safety Kaleb Prewett saw a spark.

The Tigers were playing Kentucky, and Acy launched himself at Wildcats’ wide receiver Lynn Bowden. Acy stopped the Kentucky freshman at the line of scrimmage with a bone-crushing hit and celebrated in the backfield.

But the referee threw a penalty flag. Acy had hit Bowden’s head with his helmet, and the cornerback was ejected for targeting.

Though it forced Acy to spend the rest of the game in the locker room, Prewett was encouraged.

“When he came up and he made that hit, it was like, ‘OK, he was there to play some football.’” Prewett said after Saturday’s win over Tennessee. “Ever since then, he’s just been balling.”

Acy struggled against Georgia the next week, but he has been a stable force in the secondary the past four games. He’s regained his swagger, and so has his position group. Acy is part of a young core of defensive backs that is coming into its own as Missouri fights for a bowl berth.

In the first six games of the season, offenses averaged more than 275 passing yards against Missouri’s defense. Against Purdue and Auburn, the Tigers did not have a single pass breakup.

During Missouri’s four-game win streak, the Tigers have allowed only 206 passing yards per game.

After the Tigers’ last loss — a 53-28 defeat to Georgia— the secondary changed its film study routine.

Instead of watching individually, they met together to analyze it. The group dissected plays, calling out coverages and talking with one another.

“Everybody was just fed up of losing,” Acy said. “Fed up with the stereotype that we can’t play defense.”

Defensive backs coach Ryan Walters said position changes have helped the Tigers improve. Senior Anthony Sherrils moved from strong side to free safety, giving Prewett the chance to play strong safety.

Freshman cornerback Adam Sparks has also emerged as a starter.

The adjustments have paid off. Sherrils has intercepted passes the past two weeks and has recovered both a fumble and a muffed punt. He was named the SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week after Missouri’s win over Florida.

“I’ve never seen nothing like it — all the turnovers he’s creating. It’s unheard of from one person,” Acy said.

But, when talking about the secondary’s success, Sherrils praised young players like Acy and Sparks.

“Those guys are playing lights out,” Sherrils said. “It’s pretty.”

Missouri’s secondary will face two average passing offenses in its final two games. Neither Vanderbilt quarterback Kyle Shurmur nor Arkansas’ Austin Allen is in the top five in the SEC in quarterback rating.

The defensive backs’ toughest tests appear to be behind them.

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Walters said his players have gained experience throughout the year. They are a young and inexperienced group outside of Sherrils, but growing pains for players like Acy are wearing off.

“They’re starting to go through the natural maturation process in terms of gaining experience,” Walters said. “We’re starting to see the result of that.”

Sherrils turns to Alpha Phi Alpha for brotherhood away from football Nov. 16 When Anthony Sherrils recovered a muffed punt against Florida, it sent the Memorial Stadium crowd into a frenzy.

An uproar exploded from the student section. "We've been waiting on a turnover!" punter Corey Fatony yelled as the Tigers' sideline celebrated. Even marching band members jumped in excitement.

One group of fans cheered louder than the rest as Sherrils was mobbed by his teammates, though: the redshirt senior's Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity brothers.

"It was like a fan club," said Nosa Eke, the president of the Zeta Alpha chapter at MU. "Like his own little Tiger's Lair."

Founded in 1906 at Cornell University on the principles of service, social progress and academic excellence, Alpha Phi Alpha was the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans. Past members have included Martin Luther King Jr. and Olympic gold medalist Jesse Owens.

Former Missouri Students Association President Payton Head was also a brother of Sherrils in the Zeta Alpha chapter.

Sherrils is the only member of the football team in Alpha Phi Alpha. He learned about the fraternity from Tyrone Flowers, who founded Higher M-Pact, a mentorship program for high-risk youth in Kansas City.

Sherrils joined Higher M-Pact after his father was murdered in 2003, and Flowers immediately saw his leadership potential.

Flowers, who became a member of Missouri's Zeta Alpha Chapter in 1993, encouraged the safety to join Alpha Phi Alpha. He thought it would continue teaching Sherrils the lessons of Higher M-Pact.

"It gave you that group of people that were likeminded with an identifiable goal," Flowers said, "which, with Alpha, is service and scholarship and things of that nature."

As a starter on Missouri's football team who's already earned his degree in sociology, Sherrils has plenty on his plate. He has grueling practices and takes graduate school classes. The safety has reaped the benefits of his hard work, though. He's had an interception in both of the past two games, forced a fumble against Tennessee and recovered the muffed punt against Florida.

But sometimes Sherrils needs a break from football, and spending time with his Alpha Phi Alpha brothers can be a breath of fresh air. The safety plays "Madden" and watches television with Eke and his fraternity brothers after most home games.

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"It's really a mental break for him," Eke said. "Really good for him to just relax for a second and not focus on football all the time."

Sherrils joined Alpha Phi Alpha as a redshirt freshman. He celebrated his three-year "Alpha-versary," on Halloween and still smiles when thinking of his initiation.

"It's a brotherhood aside from football," Sherrils said. They support me a lot. Retweet all my stuff and stuff like that."

Sherrils' time as a Tiger is winding down. He has only two regular season football games left in his college career. When reflecting on his time in Columbia, Sherrils is grateful for his fraternity experience. It's kept him involved on campus and has provided valuable networking opportunities.

Flowers constantly encourages Sherrils to continue to grow. Apple didn't stop after making its first telephone, he'll say. They just created the iPhone X. Flowers said Sherrils has been able to use Alpha Phi Alpha as a development tool; he continues to evolve because of it.

"Watching and seeing those brothers excel," the mentor said, "I think that motivates him."

Alpha offers a connection between Sherrils and Flowers, and they still talk on a regular basis. After Missouri's victory over Tennessee, the defensive back found his mentor in the crowd. The fraternity brothers shared a hug as fireworks illuminated the Columbia sky.

To make a bowl, Missouri will have to overcome road demons Nov. 17 The last time Missouri won a road game against an SEC opponent, Maty Mauk was starting at quarterback, and Gary Pinkel was head coach. Current Tigers running back Larry Rountree III was a sophomore in high school.

Now, to automatically qualify for its first bowl game since 2014, Missouri (5-5) must overcome a stretch of road struggles that has spanned almost three years.

The Tigers are riding a four-game win streak into Nashville, Tennessee, ahead of Saturday's matchup against Vanderbilt — 6:30 p.m. on the SEC Network. Three of those victories have been at home, though, and the lone road win came against Connecticut from the American Athletic Conference.

"That was my first road win, which was awesome, a great experience," quarterback Drew Lock said Tuesday. "I can only imagine how it would feel to get a road win against a SEC opponent and secure a bowl game."

Though the Tigers have not won against a conference away matchup this season, they have competed well.

The team only lost to Kentucky (7-3) by six points, and the offense scored 28 points against a stingy top10 Georgia (9-1) defense. After Vanderbilt, Missouri raps up its regular season with a road game against Arkansas (4-6).

Missouri players seemed confident at Tuesday's post-practice media availability, especially outspoken linebacker Terez Hall. The junior said he likes road games. He gets to eat Chick-fil-A and see new cities.

"I don't care where we really play," Hall said. "We can go out there and play Rock Bridge High School.

Same old, same old."

Fortunately for the Tigers, Vanderbilt will not have as hostile an environment as Georgia or LSU, which crushed Missouri 42-7 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, last season. The Commodores drew only 27,346 fans against Kentucky last week, a game that ended in a 44-21 defeat at the hands of the Wildcats. Alabama coach Nick Saban acknowledged that it's not the hardest school to travel to.

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"I'd like for somebody to tell me where we play in this conference that's not a tough place to play," Saban said on his weekly radio show Thursday. … "Maybe Vanderbilt, no disrespect to Vanderbilt."

Vandy's players will be plenty motivated, though. The team, despite losing five of its past six games, needs to win against Missouri and at Tennessee to close out the regular season if it wants to become bowl eligible in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2011-12.

With Missouri's momentum and the less-than-hostile Commodores fans, the Tigers could be in position to pick up a needed road win. And, if they do, the team will be headed to a bowl game.

"We've got to go out there and take it," Hall said, "and make something happen."

Pregame pit stop: Hermitage Hotel offers nation's top bathroom Nov. 18 NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Presidential Suite costs up to $3,500 a night, but the downstairs bathroom at Hermitage Hotel is free to anyone who asks.

The hotel opened in 1910 and has earned a five-star ranking from Forbes. There’s a faint scent of perfume in the dimly lit lobby, and a fireplace crackles next to ornate couches. Classical music loops overhead.

But down the oak staircase, the men’s bathroom steals the show. Its mirrors are perfectly scrubbed, and a McDonalds bag in the trash can looked out of place. Smooth jazz replaces the classical songs from upstairs.

Ranked the nicest men’s bathroom in the nation by Cintas in 2008, the four-stall restroom attracts tourists from around the country. It’s in such high demand that women are permitted entrance to see the striped walls, teal urinals and 1930s design.

“It’s weird, because I’ve never been in another men’s bathroom,” said Mary Greenfield, a foreign language teacher who traveled to Nashville from New Jersey.

Greenfield was one of nine tourists to explore the restroom during a 20-minute stretch Saturday. She and two friends were downtown for a conference, and a tourist app suggested the bathroom.

The restroom features a shoe shining station between the stalls and sinks. You can use a traditional phone to call guest services and request a $9 shining.

“You don’t just come here to go to the bathroom,” Greenfield said. “I can picture men back then would be getting their shoes shined, so it must have been a social kind of place.”

The restroom is surrounded by high-class delicacies. It’s located next to the Capitol Grille, a posh restaurant that charges $55 for bison steak. But, when asked, hosts and hostesses are prepared to leave the restaurant to guide you to the restroom.

Kourtney Hatten recently moved to Nashville for a physical therapy program at Vanderbilt. She made her first trip to the bathroom Saturday and described the room as eclectic.

“I think I could dig this for a guest bathroom,” she said.

A plaque stands outside the entrance, noting the significance of one of the nation’s finest bathrooms.

“By popular request, men and women alike in the Nashville area have asked that we preserve this men’s room and restore it back to its original art deco luster,” it reads.

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Tourists are asked to leave the bathroom if a male customer wishes to use it; like the shoe shining station, the toilets are still functioning. The toilet paper is soft — cushiony as a pillow — and a satisfying flush bids you farewell on your way through the thick wooden door.

Odom reaches first bowl as head coach Nov. 18 NASHVILLE, Tenn. — It’s been fewer than two months since Barry Odom angrily threw his backpack on the ground after the Tigers’ 51-14 loss to Auburn.

“I’m going to win here,” he said that night in a passionate speech.

Turns out the coach was right.

Instead of intense frustration, Odom showed calm confidence after Missouri crushed Vanderbilt 45-17.

Fans had called for the coach’s job after the team’s 1-5 start. Odom kept preaching patience.

“We weren’t that far off,” Odom said after Saturday’s game. “I wanted us to continue to work, because I thought we had and opportunity if we would go do it.”

Odom’s players listened to his message.

“Each week we try to come out and get better and better on the field, give our fans a show to see,” offensive lineman Kevin Pendleton said. “Show the people that this coaching staff has our backs and they’ll be on the right track. Coach Odom, I’m happy for him getting his first bowl as a head coach.”

Odom’s players praised his leadership throughout the tough start. Defensive end Marcell Frazier said he has appreciated Odom’s passion since the coach was defensive coordinator, and lineman Terry Beckner Jr. said he appreciated Odom’s positive mentality.

As for his fiery speech after the Auburn loss? Odom said it was overrated. With the Tigers headed to a bowl game, those days seem to be behind him.

Tigers force turnovers Brandon Lee had a few pick-sixes in high school. On Saturday, the linebacker found the end zone for the first time as a college player.

“It’s a good feeling to be back,” Lee said.

Lee picked off a pass during the second quarter and returned the ball 42 yards for a touchdown, sparking a flood of joy from Missouri players.

The Tigers charged off the field with excitement. The score was 21-0, and they were well on their way to victory.

It was Missouri’s second interception of the day. On Vanderbilt’s third play from scrimmage, freshman cornerback Adam Sparks jumped a route and intercepted quarterback Kyle Shurmur’s pass for his first career pick.

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Beckner also got in on the action, picking of a Shumur pass late in the fourth quarter. The defensive tackle returned the ball 45 yards to midfield. As the play developed, Beckner thought he was going to score a touchdown.

“I most definitely did,” Beckner said with a laugh. “But I got tripped up.”

Lock TD update Drew Lock threw three touchdown passes Saturday, giving him 38 on the season.

The junior leads the nation in touchdown passes. Here’s a look at how the quarterbacks chasing him fared:

● Will Grier, West Virginia (34) — Grier did not throw a touchdown pass against Texas and left the game with a finger injury. ● Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma (34) — Mayfield threw three touchdowns against Kansas and made headlines with a vulgar gesture at the Jayhawks’ bench. ● Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State (33) — Rudolph threw for three touchdowns in a loss to Kansas State. ● JT Barrett (32), Ohio State — Barrett connected for two touchdowns against Illinois.

And, by securing bowl eligibility, Lock guaranteed another two games to add to his nation-leading numbers.

Tigers pick up first SEC road win in nearly three years Missouri’s win over Vanderbilt marked Odom’s first win on the road against a SEC opponent as head coach.

The Tigers’ last conference road win came against Tennessee on Nov. 22, 2014. Drew Lock was still a high school student.

Webb plays final game in Nashville Vanderbilt running back Ralph Webb has put together a historic career for the Commodores. He has earned All-SEC second-team honors and is the school’s all-time leading rusher.

After Vanderbilt honored him before the game, Webb rushed for 55 yards and a touchdown. He also passed the 4,000-yard career rushing mark Saturday.

Sparsely populated crowd It’s quite possible that there were more Missouri supporters at Vanderbilt Stadium than home fans.

Vanderbilt students were on Thanksgiving break. The weather was lousy, and the Commodores had only four wins on the season. It all added up to a crowd of 22,910.

Rainy weather delays start Reporters jumped in the press box as a clap of thunder boomed about two hours before game time. Heavy showers entered Nashville, and a tornado warning went into effect.

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Because of the storm, the start time was pushed back from 6:30 to 7 p.m.

Albert O. reaches milestone With two touchdown receptions Saturday, Albert Okwuegbunam put his name next to a Missouri legend.

It was Okwuegbunam’s ninth touchdown reception of the year, tying him with Jeremy Maclin for most ever by a Missouri freshman.

Liberty? TaxSlayer? Something else?

Representatives from the Liberty Bowl and TaxSlayer Bowl made an appearance in the Vanderbilt press box.

Both bowls take place Dec. 30. The Liberty Bowl is in Memphis, Tennessee, and the TaxSlayer Bowl is in Jacksonville, Florida.

Pinkel pays tribute Former Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel gave Odom a shout-out on Twitter. “@MizzouAlumni @MizzouFootballCongrats to #Mizzou Coach’s, Staff and Players on going #bowling!

I’m very proud. #mizzoumade MIZ...GP” Third quarter blues After Missouri took a 35-0 lead into halftime, Vanderbilt outscored the Tigers 17-3 in the third quarter.

Lock will do something his father never was able to: play in a bowl game Nov. 19 Around 30 of Drew Lock’s family members crowded in Vanderbilt Stadium’s bleachers Saturday evening.

They huddled close together, blocking one another from the brisk wind and keeping an eye on Missouri’s star quarterback.

Many Vanderbilt fans had trickled out of the mostly empty stadium by the fourth quarter. If Andy Lock, Drew Lock’s father, had to bet, he would have said there were more Tigers fans than supporters of the home team.

Andy Lock watched as his kid dropped back to pass around the Missouri 40-yard line. Tight end Albert Okwuegbunam streaked across midfield, and Lock found him with a 35-yard dart. Okwuegbunam sprinted past three Vanderbilt defensive backs and didn’t stop until he found the end zone. The game was all but over; the Tigers were moments away from securing their sixth win of the year.

In the stands, Andy Lock felt a tear drop down his cheek. He thought about the team’s slow start to the season, and he thought about his son playing in a bowl game.

“After (starting) 1-5, it doesn’t look good,” the father said. “I don’t care how optimistic you are.”

With the win, Lock accomplished something his father never was able to: qualify for a bowl game.

Andy Lock played offensive line for the Tigers in the late 1980s, and the closest he came to a bowl was a 56 finish to the 1987 season.

“His one wish for me since I’ve been here is just to get a bowl game,” Lock said before the game.

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The father and son achieved their goal Saturday night. The quarterback threw a touchdown pass just 2 minutes, 15 seconds after opening kickoff, and the Tigers rolled to a 28-point victory.

Andy Lock thought back to 2015, the last time his son had played against the Commodores in Nashville, Tennessee. Lock, then a shaggy-haired freshman, completed only 14 passes for 108 yards in the Tigers’ 103 loss.

“From 24 months ago when that happened to (Saturday) night, … it really shows how much the team has grown up,” Andy Lock said. “And how much he’s grown up.”

The elder Lock jokes that his son is always the last Missouri player to leave the locker room. Saturday was no different.

“It’s not because he’s busier than everybody,” the dad said. “He’s just slower than everybody.”

After changing out of his uniform, Lock trudged back onto Vanderbilt’s field. He spoke with reporters for a few minutes and grabbed dinner — a bagged burrito — from a table.

As soon as he was done with his interview, the quarterback rushed to Missouri’s three charter busses. He had not yet seen his family, and he said he had a message for his dad.

“I finally did it,” the son said. “We finally did it.”

Okwuegbunam earns SEC honor; draft talk surrounds Beckner and Lock Nov. 20 After catching five passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns against Vanderbilt, Albert Okwuegbunam earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors on Monday. The tight end now has nine receiving touchdowns on the season, tying him with Jeremy Maclin for the most ever by a Tigers freshman.

"For a young guy, he's getting a lot thrown at him," Odom said. "He's handled it. That role for him will continue to grow."

It’s the second time Okwuegbunam has earned the award this year. He was named co-SEC Freshman of the Week after the Idaho game.

Beisel not available for interviews Before Missouri's 2016 game against Arkansas, Eric Beisel intentionally mispronounced Arkansas' name "Ar-Kansas." He said the Razorbacks would be making a mistake if they took a plane to Columbia.

The linebacker backed up his trash talk; the Tigers won 28-24.

Beisel was not available for interviews before this year's Battle Line Rivalry game, as the Columbia Daily Tribune's Danny Jones tweeted out Monday.

Beisel quote-tweeted the tweet with a one-word reply: "Blasphemy!"

Odom discusses draft talk Draft speculation about juniors Terry Beckner Jr. and Drew Lock has ramped up in recent weeks. Both players have had strong seasons and could declare for the NFL Draft and leave Missouri a year early.

"There's a number of guys that will receive a draft analysis," Odom said.

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The coach said he has had conversations with the players about their potential draft stock, and he said he will talk to them more thoroughly after they receive feedback from the NFL's College Advisory Committee about their draft stock.

Garrett thriving in second season Sophomore linebacker Cale Garrett was a force against Vanderbilt, collecting 12 tackles and a sack. He has 85 tackles on the year and — with the addition of the bowl game — is on pace to pass 100 on the year.

McCann making progress After hitting a 41-yard field goal Saturday, kicker Tucker McCann is tied for second in the SEC in field goal percentage.

It was cold and windy Saturday, but Odom had faith in the sophomore to make the kick. Odom said the coaches watch the kickers in warmups, and they take the weather and game situation into account.

Injury update Odom said cornerback Christian Holmes and running back Damarea Crockett both practiced some the week leading into the Vanderbilt game but that neither sophomore was ready to play against the Commodores.

Crockett played in the first six games of the year, averaging 80 rushing yards a game. Holmes was hurt before the season started, so he could take a redshirt season.

"With two games left with Christian," Odom said, "I don’t know how wise (playing him) would be."

Missouri, Illinois renew Braggin' Rights football rivalry Nov. 20 Drew Lock will be just shy of turning 31 years old when Missouri football resumes the Braggin’ Rights rivalry in football.

The Tigers will play Illinois in football in 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029, Missouri announced Monday. The rivalry series will be played on each school’s campus, rotating between Champaign, Illinois, and Columbia.

“This is another opportunity to renew a great football rivalry that we believe Tiger fans everywhere will be excited about,” MU athletic director Jim Sterk said in a statement.

The two teams have not played since 2010, when the Tigers won 23-13 in St. Louis, the neutral-site city in which some of the rivalry has been played. Illinois leads the all-time series 17-7, but Missouri has won six straight against the Illini.

The series will start Sept. 26, 2026, in Champaign. Missouri will host the series on Sept. 18, 2027, and Sept. 15, 2029. The other game in Champaign is set for Sept. 16, 2028. Missouri has not scheduled any other games past the 2025 season.

Also Monday, MU announced it has finalized the opponents on its 2020 schedule with a Nov. 21 home game against Louisiana.

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Players miss home-cooked meal over Thanksgiving weekend Nov. 21 Cale Garrett’s family never had a typical Thanksgiving dinner. The linebacker does not like turkey, so he and his mom cooked steaks together. They call it “Steaks-giving,” and it was the sophomore’s favorite part of the holiday weekend.

But Garrett won’t be home to eat steaks with his mother this year. College football players have to make sacrifices, and a Thanksgiving dinner with family is one of them.

“I’ve adjusted to it over the years, but it’s still always kind of bothersome,” redshirt junior linebacker Brandon Lee said. “The first couple of years, it kind of hit home pretty bad for me.”

The Missouri team travels Thanksgiving afternoon, and it plays Friday at Arkansas. Instead of eating turkey, the Tigers hope to feast on Razorback.

Despite the upcoming game, wide receiver J’Mon Moore said there’s still a holiday spirit around the team.

The players even get to eat Thanksgiving food; they are treated to a catered meal featuring turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing.

“You’ve just got to be with your teammates, just kick it over the holidays,” Moore said. “It’s just holiday season with your teammates.”

The team will crowd into the Mizzou Athletics Training Complex dining hall for the meal, which will happen after practice Wednesday morning. Linebacker Terez Hall wishes it could be in a more intimate, home-like setting, but he knows a 118-player roster makes that tough.

Moore likes the catered food, but he misses his family in Texas. His mother makes a nice ham every year, and Moore raves about her dirty-rice dish.

“You never get my mom’s good ol’ cooking,” he said.

“It’s never anything like being at home and having Mom’s home cooking or Grandma’s home cooking,” Lee added.

When Missouri hosts Arkansas, as it did last season, the coaches let in-state players drive home to see family the day before Thanksgiving. This year’s game location does not allow as much flexibility.

The schedule also takes its toll on players’ parents. Lindi Burns, Garrett’s mother, said she and her son used to visit family in Pittsburg, Kansas, for a meal. This year, she won’t get to see her son until the Tigers play Arkansas on Friday.

“I”m going to still have steak in his honor,” Burns said.

For the veteran players, the Thanksgiving routine is nothing new. But for the younger guys, it’s still an adjustment.

Lee said he sometimes forgets about the holidays because of how focused the team is on playing. With a rivalry game Saturday and a bowl on the horizon, players will not be thinking too much about turkey.

“We’re trying to win games now,” Hall said. “Thanksgiving’s got to get pushed to the side.”

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LB Garrett grows more confident, one bone-crushing hit at a time Nov. 22 Brandon Lee cannot always see sophomore linebacker Cale Garrett make tackles. Sometimes Lee is turned a different direction on the field, and sometimes a blocker is planted in his way. But, when Garrett hits someone straight on, Lee can always hear it.

“It sounds like a car crash,” Lee said.

Lee will look up after the forceful noise. He will see Garrett, his fellow linebacker, leaning over and clapping his hands in celebration. It’s a site Missouri fans have grown used to in recent weeks.

Garrett, the team’s leading tackler with 85 total, is the next in a strong line of Missouri linebackers that include NFL players Kentrell Brothers and Sean Weatherspoon. He beat out senior captain Eric Beisel for the starting job in training camp and is filling a void left by Michael Scherer, who finished his career last season with 266 tackles over four seasons.

“He understands the game really well,” junior linebacker Terez Hall said. “ ... He’s kind of like how Scherer used to be.”

Lindi Burns, Garrett’s mother, said her son has always been a high achiever. When the linebacker began his eighth grade football season, he told Burns that he wanted to start for Kearney High School’s varsity team as a freshman.

“I remember I was looking it him at the time saying, ‘No, that doesn’t happen,’” Burns said.

But it did. He was in the starting lineup his first year at Kearney, and he led the team to a Missouri state title as a senior. His mother learned a valuable lesson: Don’t doubt Cale.

Garrett grew up hoping to play college football for Missouri or another SEC school. But, despite earning Class 4 Defensive Player of the Year honors his senior season, the linebacker did not receive an offer from the Tigers or another team in the conference.

“It was kind of heartbreaking as a mother,” Burns said. “We’d see other kids being given offers, … and my child (was) walking away without his offer he was wanting so badly.”

The linebacker did receive Division I interest, however, and committed to play for Navy. Then, five days before he was scheduled to sign his letter of intent, the Tigers came calling. It took longer than Garrett and his mother would have liked, but the opportunity was too good to pass up.

After earning playing time as a true freshman, Garrett has blossomed in recent weeks. He has 4.5 tackles for a loss in the Tigers’ current 5-game win streak, and he’s had success blitzing up the middle. He had a bone-crushing sack of Vanderbilt’s Kyle Shurmur on Saturday.

“He’s not the fastest guy. Definitely not the best looking guy,” coach Barry Odom said. “But he’s a heckuva ball player.”

Garrett said he was not particularly confident early in the season, but his swagger has grown as the games have gone on. He’s feeding off his recent success.

If Garrett continues to tackle at his current pace, he will finish the season with over 100 tackles. He would be the first Missouri sophomore to eclipse the century mark since Scherer did in 2014.

“That would be cool,” Garrett said. “But a winning record at the end of the season would be better.”

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Lock sets SEC, school marks in MU's win over rival Arkansas Nov. 24 FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Over the summer, Drew Lock got to chuck a football with one of his heroes: Chase Daniel of the New Orleans Saints. The former Missouri quarterback was visiting Columbia, and he and Lock were both preparing for their upcoming seasons.

Ten years ago — when Lock was in elementary school — Daniel was running the Missouri offense and torching Big 12 defenses. He led the Tigers to a 2007 Cotton Bowl victory and a No. 4 national ranking. A year later, he threw 39 touchdown passes, setting a Missouri record.

Lock and his dad often spent Saturdays driving from Lee’s Summit to Columbia for Tigers games. He dreamed of reaching Daniel’s level.

Lock’s hopes came to fruition in Missouri’s 48-45 win over Arkansas Friday. The quarterback hit Emanuel Hall with a 56-yard strike in the second quarter for his 40th touchdown pass of the year. The home-state kid had stamped his name into the Tigers’ record book.

“It might mean a little more for me than a quarterback coming from somewhere else,” the quarterback said at media availability Monday. “Growing up, Chase was an idol of mine.”

Lock didn’t stop after passing Daniel. He added another score in the first half to reach 41, breaking Andre Woodson’s SEC record for TD passes in a season from 2007.

“That’s kind of a big deal,” coach Barry Odom said with a smile after the game.

Lock had a tough time early in his record-breaking game. He threw an interception on his first series and under threw Hall on a deep pass. In the second quarter, though, Missouri’s quarterback found a rhythm.

With 13:21 left in the half, an Arkansas defender jumped offsides, giving Lock a free play to throw downfield. He lofted a beautiful pass to Hall, tying Daniel’s record. He proceeded to throw two more touchdowns in the half, including one to a wide-open Albert Okwuegbunam.

“I’m playing with one of the best quarterbacks in (school) history,” Hall said after the game.

Lock struggled again in the third quarter, and Arkansas led 35-31. It was the first close game Missouri has played since a Week 5 loss to Kentucky, and things looked iffy for the Tigers.

Lock said on Monday that the team would be ready when a tight showdown presented itself, and he proved himself right in the fourth quarter.

He teamed up with Okwuegbunam for a beautiful touchdown early in the fourth.

The game went back and forth throughout the quarter, but Lock always had another answer for the Razorbacks. He found J’Mon Moore for his 43rd touchdown pass of 2017 to give the Tigers the lead midway through the fourth, and he orchestrated a drive down the field after Arkansas tied the game. Lock and the offense got the ball to the 2-yard-line, and Tucker McCann converted a 19-yard field goal to secure the win.

“You dream about that as a quarterback,” Lock said. “It’s a tie ballgame, you’ve got X amount of minutes on the clock to try and go win the football game for your school, for your state, for your university.”

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Lock’s season has taken an interesting path. He had 10 touchdown passes the first four games of the year.

It was a solid number, but far from a record-setting pace. But since the final whistle blew against Auburn, Lock has averaged more than four a game.

Dusk had fallen by the time Missouri’s players joyfully trickled off the field Friday night. Lock lingered around the 50-yard line. He said it was the most excited he’s felt after a college win. He hugged backup quarterback Micah Wilson. He draped his arm around Brandon Lee, and he shook hands with Terez Hall.

“It’s hard to put into words right now,” Lock said. “I’m a little speechless.”

The quarterback gazed at cheering Missouri fans and clapped his hands. He was soaking in his new records, soaking in his team’s win.

Backup receivers step up in Missouri win Nov. 24 FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — When Emanuel Hall left Friday afternoon’s game with a hamstring injury, the Tigers lost one of their primary deep threats. The redshirt junior had 111 receiving yards and two touchdown catches but was not able to play after the second quarter.

Coach Barry Odom turned to a pair of veterans to step up: redshirt junior Nate Brown and senior Dominic Collins.

Shortly after Hall left the game, Collins made a big catch for the Tigers late in the second half. On thirdand-13, quarterback Drew Lock found the wide receiver near the Arkansas sideline. Collins made a leaping catch, barely getting his foot down inbounds.

“It was cool, because I got thrown in there and Drew came to me three times on that drive,” Collins said.

Collins said the play was one of the highlights of his career, and it received praise from teammates and Odom.

Friday was one of only six games in which Collins has caught a pass this season. He finished the night with two receptions and 41 yards.

“I felt like I hadn’t made a play in forever,” Collins said. “The adrenaline kicked in.”

Brown finished with five catches for 49 yards, and he was a primary target for Lock in the fourth quarter.

“They’re mature guys,” lineman Kevin Pendleton said. “They’re team-first guys. They’re preparing every day, every week like they’re going to get the reps other guys are getting. A guy goes down, and they’re able to step up and make plays.”

Best of Barry: Odom's top quotes of the regular season Nov. 27 From warm to gruff to excited, Missouri coach Barry Odom showed a range of emotions during his inseason news conferences. Sometimes he would crack a joke; other times he would answer questions in a reserved manner. He had his go-to phrases, emphasizing the importance of Tuesday practice almost every week.

As the 7-5 Tigers head into a bowl game on a six-game winning streak, the Missourian presents Odom's top quotes of the regular season.

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Power rankings No. 5 — Sept. 5 The context: As Odom walked into a press conference the Tuesday after a 72-43 season-opening win over Missouri State, he noticed media members looking a little sleepy.

The quote: "You guys look tired. We need to start serving coffee or something."

Analysis: It was not common for Odom to crack a joke during a press conference, but it wasn't unheard of either. This was one of his funnier remarks from the season.

No. 4 — Oct. 9 The context: Missouri was coming off a 40-34 loss to Kentucky when Odom made one of his better analogies of the season. The team was 1-4, but he saw reason for hope.

The quote: "I'm not a marathon runner, but I've studied enough and have run a little bit in my time.

There's a high percentage of people that sign up to run a marathon that never finish it. … Once you hit mile-marker 20, human nature tells you, 'That's really, really hard.' And a lot of people drop out. (The players) realize that they've done a lot of work, they've gotten up to that point, and you can see the finish line. Now you've got to go take it."

Analysis: It was a trying time for the Tigers, but Odom showed a level of optimism. His lips nearly curled into a small smile a few times, almost as if he knew good things were on the horizon.

No. 3 — Nov. 24 The context: Before starting his press conference after the Tigers' 48-45 win over Arkansas, Odom brought his nephew Ben to the front of the room. Ben was shirtless and wore a black-and-gold cape.

The quote: "This is game day attire."

Analysis: Odom, leaning back into his chair, seemed relaxed and content after Missouri's seventh win and sixth in a row. The coach battled through an up-anddown regular season, and his mood after the Arkansas game was representative of the way it ended — confident.

No. 2 — Sept. 23 The context: Odom stormed into the team room after Missouri's 51-14 loss to Auburn. He gave a 3½-minute statement filled with passion and frustration. He stressed that he was the right person for the Missouri coaching job and said he was in the midst of a turnaround process.

The quote: "We're going to get there. That's the narrative.

That's the turnaround. That's the state of our program.

I'm disappointed, I'm frustrated — all the above — but I'm in right where I want to be: building this team with a whole bunch of guys who want to go do it the right way."

Analysis: Odom has said this speech was overrated. It's probably true, but the Auburn postgame comments were still a definitive moment in the season. Missouri went 6-2 in its remaining eight games, and most media members view this moment as a potential turning point.

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No. 1 — Sept. 9 The context: Odom was addressing the media immediately after Missouri's 31-13 loss to South Carolina, and he fielded a question about sophomore Damarea Crockett. The running back had left the game with a bruised tailbone, and Odom had a witty reply.

The quote: "Mine's bruised, too. It's called an ass-kicking."

Analysis: This was Odom at his finest: direct, sharp and honest. It was a funny remark, but Odom didn't seem to be trying to make people laugh. His face was stoic, and his message was clear: He was not happy with the loss.

With bowl game looming, Sterk praises Odom Nov. 29 Missouri athletic director Jim Sterk had plenty on his mind as he sat in his office Wednesday morning. He had recently returned from watching the men’s basketball team play at the AdvoCare Invitational in the Orlando, Florida, area, and he was planning a trip to Wichita, Kansas, for Missouri volleyball’s NCAA Tournament opener.

On top of keeping up with his busy travel schedule, Sterk was looking at Missouri’s options for football bowl games — a predicament few Tigers fans would have expected after a 1-5 start. But Missouri went 6-0 the second half of the season, and the fan base rallied around the team.

“It’s fun to see people excited about what’s going on in football,” Sterk said.

The fun surrounding the program is paying off for Barry Odom. Sterk said the university has begun discussing a contract extension for the second-year head coach, though he does not have a timetable of when he expects it to be completed.

Odom and Missouri agreed on a five-year contract in December 2015. The contract pays the coach $2.35 million annually.

Between MU’s improved defense and a better turnover margin, Sterk has enjoyed watching the team’s turnaround on the field. He’s been impressed with the players’ adjusted mindset, which he credits Odom for sparking.

The coach stressed the need for his team not to get ahead of itself after a slow start; he wants them to focus on one game at a time. It’s a cliché, but it’s worked. “(Odom) really got their attention about one-third of the way through,” Sterk said. “He really got everyone dialed in.”

After the Tigers’ second-half surge, the team will almost certainly be heading to one of six bowl games.

Missouri gives the SEC a priority list of bowls it wants to attend, and the conference tries to match the school with a bowl that has mutual interest.

“It’d be great to go to something that’s easier for our fans or we have the most fan interest in,” Sterk said.

“We’ll try to prioritize it that way.”

With the Tigers headed to a bowl game, Sterk laughed when thinking about some of the early-season critiques he heard about his football coach.

Sterk remembers one Missouri fan emailing a passionate criticism of Odom. After the Tigers’ turnaround, the MU supporter emailed Sterk again. He was wondering if an IT person could delete his angry message.

The fan was happy with his team’s football coach, and so was the athletic director.

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Beckner Jr. to return for senior season Dec. 1 Missouri football fans weren’t expecting big news until Sunday’s bowl game announcement, but they got it Friday afternoon. Standout junior defensive lineman Terry Beckner Jr. will return to the Tigers next year instead of entering the NFL Draft.

“I love Mizzou, and I’ve grown so much this year working with Coach (Brick) Haley, but there’s so much more that I can learn from him,” Beckner said in a press release. “I’m really grateful for the opportunity to be a Tiger and I want to do everything I can to help us do big things.”

Beckner has seven sacks on the season and 10½ tackles for a loss. He likely would have been picked in the first few rounds of the NFL Draft.

Beckner has torn both his ACLs in his Missouri career, but he’s remained healthy in 2017. He had constantly pressured quarterback the second half of the season and even had a long interception return against Vanderbilt.

“He certainly did have an opportunity to move on, but he and his family weighed all of the factors and we’re grateful for the faith they have in us as a coaching staff to help him become the best he can be,” coach Barry Odom said in the release. “It’s also very important to Terry and his family that he earns his degree, and he’s on pace to do that.”

Texas Bowl matchup brings back memories of Odom's first game Dec. 3 On the first play of Missouri’s 1996 season, the Tigers kicked off to No. 8 Texas. A freshman linebacker streaked down the field, crashed through a blocker and helped bring down Longhorns return man Wane McGarity.

When the final whistle sounded four quarters later, the linebacker — 19-year-old Barry Odom — walked off the field in defeat. The Tigers fell 40-10 in front of 70,000 Texas fans.

It was the first game of Odom’s college career and marked the start of his journey with the Missouri Tigers.

“I knew I was in the mix to maybe play, maybe redshirt (that season),” Odom said at a joint press conference with athletic director Jim Sterk on Sunday. “I’ve got a lot of memories from that game, obviously, it being your first one.”

Two decades later, as head coach of Missouri, Odom’s path will converge with Texas again. The Tigers are set to take on the Longhorns in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 27, rekindling memories of Missouri’s days in the Big 12 Conference.

Odom can spit out small details about the buildup ahead of the 1996 Texas showdown. He called home to tell his parents he made the depth chart. He remembers wide receivers coach Andy Hill rushing out of practice during game week because his wife was giving birth to their daughter. A thunderstorm pushed back the start time of the opening kickoff.

“I can’t even remember what I had for lunch,” Sterk said with a laugh as Odom finished speaking.

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The 1996 matchup also had historic significance for Missouri; it was the school’s first game in the Big 12, as MU and the Big Eight schools were joined by the Longhorns, Baylor, Texas A&M and Texas Tech from the Southwest Conference.

The Tigers played two games against Texas when Odom was on the team. After the team’s loss in Odom’s freshman season, Missouri beat the Longhorns the next year in Columbia.

“There’s a lot of history between Missouri and Texas, obviously,” Odom said. “And I’ve been a part of a lot of that.”

Lock, three others earn SEC honors from AP Dec. 4 Quarterback Drew Lock earned first-team All-SEC honors from The Associated Press on Monday and was one of four Tigers recognized. Lock led the nation with 43 touchdown passes — 17 more than the nextclosest SEC passer.

Wide receiver J’Mon Moore — who, it was announced later Monday, will also play in the Senior Bowl on Jan. 27 in Mobile, Alabama — tight end Albert Okwuegbunam and defensive end Marcell Frazier earned second-team honors.

Okwuegbunam tied for first in the SEC with 11 touchdown receptions. He was a key member of the Tigers’ red-zone package and one of Lock’s favorite targets throughout the season.

Moore was second in the conference in receiving yards, and Frazier collected seven sacks on the year.

Top conference honors Offensive Player of the Year: Kerryon Johnson, Auburn Defensive Player of the Year: Roquan Smith, Georgia Coach of the Year: Kirby Smart, Georgia Newcomers of the Year: Jake Fromm, Georgia; Jarrett Stidham, Auburn The AP voting panel consisted of 13 reporters, including the Columbia Daily Tribune’s Daniel Jones.

Odom receives contract extension through 2023 Dec. 9 After leading Missouri to its first bowl game since 2014, Barry Odom agreed to a two-year contract extension with the school, the athletic department announced Saturday.

“Coach Odom has tremendous passion for Mizzou, and I look forward to watching him lead our football program for many years to come,” athletic director Jim Sterk said in a release.

Sterk cited Missouri football’s bowl berth and graduation success rate as reasons for the extension. Odom has an 11-13 record in two seasons as head coach. His contract runs through 2023.

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The financial details of Odom’s contract will remain the same, the statement said, though he will have an added incentive for season ticket sales. If ticket revenue for home games exceeds $11.7 million in any season, Odom will receive 20 percent of whatever the revenue is.

Odom makes $2.35 million a year.

“I am excited for the future of this program, as we have made positive steps over the course of the last two years,” Odom said in the statement. “I am so appreciative of my team and staff; they continually work together to make Mizzou Football a great representative of our University.”

Meet Jasmine Pool, Marching Mizzou's first black female drum major since 1999 Dec. 9 The soft hum of wind instruments carries through Loeb Hall. Photos of Marching Mizzou decorate its winding hallways, transforming dull walls into slabs of memories. The marching band is intertwined with football Saturdays, and this is a place where its members are celebrated.

Some pictures show members marching on Faurot Field; some show them posing by the Columns on Francis Quadrangle. There are hundreds of people from decades’ worth of bands, each musician an embodiment of school spirit and pride.

Almost every face is white.

The 2017 group photo hangs in Room 202. Jasmine Pool stands in the front row with the band’s leadership team; the Columns loom overhead. She is the first African-American woman to be a Marching Mizzou drum major — the highest-ranking student leadership position in the band — since Charlisha Greene in 1999.

Pool is a junior law and psychology student from the St. Louis area. A piccolo player in the band her freshman and sophomore years, she was named one of the four drum majors in April after a monthlong process of interviews and auditions.

Pool was a part of a mostly black student body when she attended McCluer North High School in Florissant. She said joining a predominantly white band was an adjustment.

“This year I can count out all the people of color in the band,” Pool said. “I really want it to be more diverse. That (way) when people come they can feel like that’s something they definitely want to be a part of.”

Marching Mizzou practices four times a week during the football season, and Pool makes sure rehearsals run smoothly. She leads band members in stretches and reminds them of marching fundamentals. Pool memorizes every song Marching Mizzou plays, and she signals to the band whenever there is a change of pace during the performance. Director Amy Knopps praised Pool’s tempo at practice and was impressed with how quickly she mastered the time changes of a complicated Elvis medley the band performed earlier in the season.

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On game days, Pool and her fellow band members arrive five hours before kickoff. The drum majors help conduct the halftime show, as well as music throughout the game.

“They are truly the face of our organization,” said Knopps, who was a Marching Mizzou drum major with Greene in 1999.

Sophomore saxophone player Clayton Johnson remembers feeling a little nervous as he waited in the parking lot before the first home game last season. Pool marched up to him and enthusiastically introduced herself. They instantly bonded over being two of the few African-American students in the band.

“Mizzou is a very diverse campus, but you go to band, (and) it’s predominantly white,” Johnson said.

“Having her come to you, talk to you, and get your name and your story and where you’re from, it makes you feel more included.”

Johnson is considering applying for drum major next fall. He said it’s not a position he would have envisioned himself pursuing, but watching Pool planted a seed in his mind.

This will almost certainly be Pool’s last season with Marching Mizzou. She will be applying to law schools next fall and said band would put too much on her plate.

“I get to end it off being a drum major at a bowl game,” she said with a smile.

Johnson is proud of the standard his friend set and hopes it leads to more diversity within the band going forward.

“It’s good to have her come up, but if nobody comes behind her it’s sort of defeating the purpose,” Johnson said. “Just having her there, though, gives every other minority student hope.”

While watching Pool conduct during the 2017 season opener against Missouri State, Johnson filled with pride. He said Missouri is not always the most welcoming state for minorities, and he admired Pool performing with so many people watching.

She was completely unfazed by the crowd. Her beaming face shone on the Jumbotron.

With Beckner set to return, Lock decision looms Dec. 10 To many Missouri fans, it was a foregone conclusion that Terry Beckner was going pro.

The defensive lineman tore an ACL in both his freshman and sophomore seasons, and he likely would have been picked in the first few rounds of the NFL Draft after a productive junior year (35 total tackles, 10½ tackles for loss, seven sacks and an interception).

But Beckner decided against entering the draft. He wanted to see what Tigers could accomplish his senior season, and he wanted to graduate from Missouri.

“I think it’s one of the biggest recruits we picked up from the 2018 class,” defensive line coach Brick Haley said Sunday afternoon.

While people outside the team were surprised by Beckner’s decision, it did not come as a shock to people within the Missouri locker room. Coach Barry Odom said he had known the lineman would return for a while, and Beckner had talked over his options with Haley throughout the season.

Defensive end Marcell Frazier was the most outspoken voice, tweeting a few hours after Beckner announced his decision to stay at Missouri.

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“Lol at all the people who JUST KNEW Terry wouldn’t come back,” Frazier posted. “Money isn’t everything guys. Relationships and the legacy you leave matter.”

Haley still wants to see improvements from Beckner. The coach said he can become more of a presence on all three downs and become more versatilie.

Beckner was not available for comment Sunday, but his teammates noted how much the lineman loves the school. Paul Adams, a team captain, said Beckner has talked about the potential the team has heading into next season. For offensive linemen like Adams, matching up with Beckner provides valuable experience.

“It obviously gets you ready for the next level because he’s one of those guys that’s there,” Adams said.

Beckner will make his collegiate postseason debut against Texas in the Dec. 27 Texas Bowl in Houston, and the junior has been upbeat about the opportunity.

“He’s having fun now,” Haley said. “He’s never played football in December here.”

Neither has junior quarterback Drew Lock, who has not yet announced whether or not he is entering the NFL Draft. Lock’s upcoming decision was a topic of conversation at Sunday’s practice, and he still is awaiting a pre-draft evaluation grade.

Lock thrived under offensive coordinator Josh Heupel in 2017, throwing a nation-leading 43 touchdown passes. UCF hired Heupel as its head coach on Tuesday, but Lock said the move will not influence his decision.

“Coach Heupel has still been in touch about that, because he promised that he would help me all the way through the decision,” Lock said. “He honored his promise to me, so that means a lot.”

It’s unclear whether or not Lock will be a first round pick if he enters the upcoming draft, but his stock rose after a strong second half of the season.

Offensive line responds to Elarbee’s departure When Adams first heard offensive line coach Glen Elarbee would be joining Heupel in Orlando, Florida, as a member of the Knights’ staff, he thought Odom was kidding around.

“We were like, ‘Alright, when’s (Elarbee) gonna walking in the door?” Adams said of his teammates’ reaction to the news Friday. “(He) put so much into it the past two years, ... and then that happens, and you’re just like, ‘Alright, so that’s how it was? Alright, cool.’ You just kind of gotta brush it off to the side a little bit. I guess that’s the business of college football. It’s still tough to me right now. I thought I had a pretty good relationship with him.”

Adams said Elarbee called him after Friday’s practice but that he didn’t have much to say. Adams asked him a few questions before the conversation ended, and he said Sunday he doesn’t think there’ll be much conversation between the position group and its former coach moving forward.

Instead, the linemen will be under the direction of Jon Cooper, a former Oklahoma and NFL offensive lineman who became an offensive staff member in January 2016 after spending three seasons with the Tigers as a graduate assistant. Adams said Cooper’s experience at the professional level — three seasons with the Minnesota Vikings from 2009-11 — has already proved invaluable.

“He knows us personally; he knows exactly what it takes to motivate each and every one of us,” Adams said. “He’s a great coach. I’m excited for the next couple weeks with him.”

Injury update Defensive back Cam Hilton and offensive lineman Tyler Howell suffered slight ankle sprains Friday, but Odom said both will be back on the field next practice.

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Running back Ish Witter has been limited in practice, but Odom did not seem concerned. He said Witter is simply banged up after carrying a heavy workload throughout the season.

“He’s an old man,” Odom said. “I know what he’s feeling.”

Anticipation builds around Texas DL transfer Elliot before he's cleared to play Dec. 13 Friday night football is serious business in Texas, and Jomaul Mason has coached some top-level players at Houston's Westside High School.

There was Germain Ifedi, a starting offensive lineman for the Seattle Seahawks. There was Martin Ifedi, Germain's brother, who has bounced around NFL rosters. There was Deanté Gray, who played offense, defense and special teams for TCU. And then there was Jordan Elliott, a 6-foot-4, 325-pound defensive tackle waiting to make his Missouri debut.

"He's in an elite class of kids that we've coached," Mason said.

Elliott came to Missouri after playing his freshman season at Texas, where he collected eight tackles in 2016. Because of transfer restrictions, however, he is not eligible to play for the Tigers until 2018.

Oddly enough, the final game Elliott has to sit out is the Dec. 27 Texas Bowl against his former team.

Missouri fans have seen glimpses of Elliott's speed in videos he's posted on Twitter, and members of the team have already taken note of his potential. He earned two awards at Missouri's end-of-season banquet: Lifter of the Year and Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year.

Not bad for a guy who has yet to appear in a game for the Tigers.

"You'll see everything that you want to see out of Jordan Elliott," Mason said. "He's going to be ready to go."

When reflecting on Elliott's high school career, Mason sees Westside's 2014 playoff game against perennial powerhouse Katy High School as a defining moment.

Elliot burst through blockers, constantly dragging red jerseys to the ground, and helped his team recover a fumble, landing on the Katy running back as he tried to fall on the ball.

Westside lost the game, but Elliott was the best player on the field.

"He knew who he was playing against, the history behind those guys and how they lean on their offensive linemen," Mason said. "He wanted to prove that he could play with anybody."

Elliott seems to cherish playing against top talent. That's one reason he came to Missouri; he told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in May that the SEC offers a higher level of play than the Big 12.

Mason said Elliott has a special blend of speed and size. His first step is among the best the coach has ever worked with, and his long arms made him nearly impossible to block in high school. With his dynamic skill set, Elliott could continue Missouri's pipeline of defensive linemen to the NFL. "I think he has an excellent opportunity to play on Sundays," Mason said.

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For now, Elliott is gearing up for the 2018 season, and Missouri's defensive line appears to be in good shape. The Tigers will lose seniors A.J. Logan, Jordan Harold and Marcell Frazier at the end of this season, but standout Terry Beckner Jr. decided to return for his senior season instead of entering the NFL Draft.

Beckner and Elliott will likely start at defensive tackle, and young ends like Chris Turner and Tre Williams gained experience as freshmen in 2017. The line will look to veterans such as Nate Anderson and Markell Utsey for depth.

Missouri defensive line coach Brick Haley, in his first season with the Tigers, helped recruit Elliott when he coached at Texas, and they built a strong relationship in Austin. Mason said Haley was a factor in Elliott's decision to come to Missouri.

Haley was impressed with the lineman while the two were with the Longhorns, and he's excited about his potential going forward.

"He's got quickness; he's got speed — a lot of the things that you look for at that position," Haley said.

"We've got to just continue to keep him working and doing the little things, and I think we'll be fine."

After Beckner announced he would return to Missouri in 2018, a fan tweeted at Elliott expressing excitement for the duo's potential. Elliott responded with a proclamation.

"Best in the country."

It was a simple statement, a goal he sees as feasible.

Late-season comeback could be in store for Crockett Dec. 16 Larry Rountree III said Damarea Crockett’s personality did not change in the weeks following the Georgia game. The running backs still cracked jokes at practice. They’d hold one another accountable, going back and forth with advice during drills.

The only difference was that Crockett wasn’t playing.

Crockett has been out with a shoulder injury since Missouri’s 53-28 loss to No. 3 Georgia in October. The sophomore underwent surgery a week later, and the Tigers rattled off six straight wins with Rountree and senior Ish Witter carrying the load.

By making a bowl game, Missouri gave Crockett an extra few weeks to make a comeback in 2017. A return that once seemed doubtful now seems probable as the Tigers gear up to play Texas on Dec. 27.

“I anticipate him playing,” coach Barry Odom said.

The running back has practiced the past few weeks, though he’s been limited and is still wearing a red nocontact jersey.

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If Crockett plays against the Longhorns, it’s unclear what his role will be. If he’s at full health, his size and physicality could be a game-changer. At the very least, his presence will take pressure of Witter and Rountree.

Crockett was not available for comment at Saturday’s practice.

Rountree said he thinks Crockett will be ready to play, though he does not know what the coach’s decision will be.

“He honestly don’t even look like he had a shoulder (injury),” Rountree said. “He’s not running like it.”

Crockett rushed for 1,062 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2016, both records for a Missouri freshman. He set high expectations for himself heading into his sophomore year, even writing the word “Heisman” as a goal inside his locker.

He got off to a fast start, torching Missouri State for 202 yards and two touchdowns in the season opener, but bruised his tailbone in the Tigers’ Sept.

9 loss to South Carolina. He did not rush for more than 74 yards in any of the next four games.

Odom has repeatedly said he’s handling Crockett’s injury as if the running back was his son; he’s wants what’s best for the sophomore’s long-term health.

That was part of his thought process when deciding Crockett should undergo surgery in October.

His older teammates echoed their coach’s sentiments. It’s exciting to have Crockett practicing again, but they only want him to return for the Texas Bowl if he is ready.

“I told him, if he can get out there and really feel like he can be out there, then do it,” senior receiver J’Mon Moore said. “I just don’t want him to rush into anything.”

Hall raves about Texas Bowl gifts Dec. 17 White tables surrounded the turf field inside Devine Pavilion on Dec. 9. Appliances, furniture and accessories were on display.

The Texas Bowl gifts had arrived.

Each Missouri player was given four “points” to spend on gifts courtesy of the bowl’s corporate sponsor, Academy Sports + Outdoors. Bowl-eligible teams across the country are enjoying the perks of postseason play.

Junior linebacker Terez Hall chose to spend his points on an electric blender bottle, a portable charger and a two-point pair of JBL headphones.

“I thought about a little scheme,” Hall said. “I can listen to some music in the weight room with the headphones I got, plus I’ve got my shake with the blender. Then, if my phone needs charging, (I have the) portable charger.”

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Beckner wants to earn degree, skips draft Terry Beckner Jr. surprised Tigers fans by deciding to return to Missouri for his senior season instead of entering the NFL Draft. He’s excited for his last year of eligibility and to graduate with a degree in communications.

“Without the education, you can’t play sports,” Beckner said. “I felt like that was the greatest decision that I’ve made since I’ve been here.”

Missouri’s defensive line could be formidable in 2017. Coach Barry Odom raved about Texas transfer Jordan Elliott, and young players such as Kobie Whiteside, Chris Turner and Tre Williams, a member of the 2017 SEC All-Freshman team, have earned playing time this season.

Mix budding underclassmen with some veterans and a few incoming recruits, and “D-Line Zou” could be in full force in 2018.

“We’re way closer than we was when this season started,” Beckner said. “It’s just going to roll into next year. There’s going to be some big things happening.”

Odom feels ‘solid’ about early signing period Between Texas Bowl preparations and searching for new assistant coaches, Odom wishes there were more hours in a day. This year brings a new responsibility: dealing with the early signing period.

In the past, recruits could not sign official letters of intent until the first Wednesday in February. This year, they can sign early during a 72-hour window starting Wednesday.

“For us, it looks really favorable,” Odom said. “We feel solid with the number that we’re going to get.”

Alabama coach Nick Saban has voiced his displeasure with the new signing period and told reporters Friday that he doesn’t think it’s in the players’ best interests, but some players like the rule change. Terez Hall said it would have been good to end the stressful recruiting period earlier in the year.

The Tigers currently have 18 scholarship commits in their Class of 2018, the most recent being Charlotte, North Carolina, three-star linebacker Gerald Nathan Jr., who announced his commitment Saturday night.

247Sports.com has Missouri’s class ranked 40th nationally.

Tigers get walk-on commit from St. Louis-area RB Fort Zumwalt West running back Zhiyir McCloud said he plans to join the Tigers next fall. McCloud did not receive a scholarship offer but wants to walk on at Missouri.

“I’m very grateful and blessed to the coaches that have offered and shown interest but I have decided what is best for me and my family is to be a Walk On commit,” he said Sunday morning on his Twitter account.

As captain, Adams brings humor, leadership to football team Dec. 18 The sharp hum of Scottish bagpipes carried through the open windows of Drew Lock’s white truck on Oct. 19. Six football players crowded inside the GMC Sierra as they drove home from G&D Pizzaria.

Thursday night dinner has been a weekly tradition for Missouri offensive linemen who have come through the program since around 2000. They always go to G&D, often inviting a few other players to tag along.

On the drive back, the linemen blast the Scottish version of “Amazing Grace.”

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That night, the six teammates added a new element to the tradition. In a moment of spontaneity, each player peeled off their shirt, letting the cool autumn air whip against their bare skin. After the final notes of “Amazing Grace,” they blasted “Party Up” by DMX. Paul Adams sang along from the back seat. The right tackle gazed out of his window, pointing at passing cars and pedestrians. Missouri beat Idaho two days later, and shirtless singing became part of the weekly routine.

“We don’t put shirts on until we leave the vehicle,” Adams said.

This was the type of group Adams envisioned when he committed to Missouri — silly, fun and caring. It’s now a group he leads.

Adams remembers walking into Missouri’s indoor practice facility as a high-schooler during his official visit. He stood in the southeast corner and chatted with Mitch Morse, Justin Britt, Connor McGovern and Evan Boehm, all of whom now play in the NFL. The linemen did not talk much about football; they wanted to learn about the recruit.

Adams felt welcomed. He knew Columbia was the place he belonged.

As a redshirt junior, Adams has served as a source of humor and leadership for the Tigers. His teammates voted him captain before the season started, and he’s helped turn the offensive line into one of the most tight-knit position groups in the country.

“We try to hang out as much as possible because we know this doesn’t last forever,” Adams said. “There’s not too many friendships like you have in college football.”

Aside from G&D, the offensive linemen bond over everything from Chipotle burrito bowls to the television series “13 Reasons Why.” The position group even owned a pet betta fish named Boneyard. Adams is often at the center of the line’s antics; when Boneyard passed away in January, he was the one who wrote the obituary.

Lock said Adams is often the last player out of the Tigers’ locker room. The lineman loves to hang out with teammates, and it shows when they interact.

“Paul knows everyone on this team front and back,” Lock said. “I think that’s something that guys need.

Guys need to have someone they relate to in the locker room.”

But when Adams walks onto the football field, any trace of goofiness fades away. He’s quiet, physical and makes constant adjustments to deal with pass rushers. He’ll help younger linemen along between plays; coach Barry Odom said the captain is like an extension of a coach.

Adams occasionally thinks about his NFL goals, though he said he generally likes to focus on his daily responsibilities. This mentality seemed to pay off in 2017, as Missouri’s offensive line allowed only 34 tackles for loss, the fewest in the nation. Lock leads the country with 43 touchdown passes, and the line has done its part by allowing only 12 sacks.

While it’s hard to measure statistics for individual offensive linemen, Adams’ 6-foot-6, 315-pound frame size projects well for the next level.

“He’s got unlimited potential,” said tight end Kendall Blanton, one of Adams’ roommates. “He should have been All-SEC. ... I don’t think there’s too many tackles in the nation better than Paul Adams.”

Since he arrived in Columbia in 2014, Adams said he thinks the offensive line has grown even closer than it was when he visited in high school. It gives him comfort, and it has paid off on the field.

When Lock looks at Adams, he sees a guy for whom players are willing to fight. The lineman has earned respect from his teammates, and it’s clear when you watch them interact.

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As freshman linebacker Jamal Brooks walked past at practice Saturday, he peered over the captain’s right shoulder.

“We love you, Paul!” he called out.

Adams smiled. These are the bonds he’s savoring.

Recruiting perspective: Stars values don't guarantee success Dec. 23 Recruiting news flashed across TV screens during the Early Signing Period this week. High school players signed letters of intent, officially inking commitments to schools across the country.

The recruiting cycle can throw fans into a frenzy. Rankings and analysis fill Twitter feeds. As letters of intent role in, schools can officially welcome the next faces of their football program.

Clearly, recruiting matters.

Players are ranked with star values, and the top recruits are pinned with five-star rankings. And while these labels indicate high-potential players, it’s not always a predictor of future team success.

Missouri rarely features top-ranked recruiting classes. Instead, the coaching staff mostly makes its mark with three-star players. Missouri has even benefited from two-star recruits like Charles Harris, Justin Britt, Michael Sam and L’Damian Washington, all of whom played or are playing professionally.

Here’s a look at the rankings of Missouri’s starters against Arkansas, according the Rivals recruiting service: Offense QB: Drew Lock — Four stars RB: Ish Witter — Three stars WR: J’Mon Moore — Three stars WR: Emanuel Hall — Three stars WR: Johnathon Johnson — Three stars LT: Yasir Durant or Tyler Howell — Both three stars LG: Kevin Pendleton — Three stars C: Trystan Castillo — Three stars RG: Tre’Vour Sims — Three stars RT: Paul Adams — Three stars TE: Albert Okwuegbunam — Three stars Defense DE: Jordan Harold — Not ranked (zero star)

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DT: Terry Beckner Jr. — Four stars DT: A.J. Logan — Three stars DE: Marcell Frazier — Three stars LB: Terez Hall — Three stars LB: Cale Garrett — Three stars LB: Brandon Lee — Three stars CB: Adam Sparks — Three stars CB: DeMarkus Acy — Three stars SS: Anthony Sherrils — Three stars FS: Kaleb Prewett — Three stars Average: 2.95 stars Missouri’s offense ranked seventh nationally in yards per game and highest in the SEC. Aside from Lock, every player was given a three-star ranking. Defensive end Jordan Harold was not even ranked by Rivals out of high school. He transferred to Missouri from Northwest Missouri State and became a team captain.

The Tigers don’t draw many hot-shot recruits. For them, development is key.

Missouri takes on the Texas Longhorns in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 27. The Longhorns consistently have recruiting classes ranked in the Top 25 nationally. Here’s a look at their starters: Offense QB: Shane Buechele — Four stars RB: Kyle Porter — Four stars WR: Collin Johnson — Four stars WR: Joe Lorenzo — Four stars WR: Reggie Hemphill-Mapps — Three stars LT: Tristan Nickelson — Two stars LG: Terrell Cuney — Three stars C: Zach Shackelford — Three stars RG: Jake McMillon — Three stars RT: Derek Kerstetter — Three stars TE: Kendall Moore — Three stars Defense DE: Charles Omenihu — Four stars NT: Poona Ford — Three stars

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DE: Chris Nelson — Three stars LB: Naashon Hughes — Three stars LB: Anthony Wheeler — Four stars LB: Malik Jefferson — Five stars (doubtful to play) LB: P.J. Locke — Three stars CB: Kris Boyd — Four stars CB: Davante Davis — Four stars SS: DeShon Elliott (not playing in Texas Bowl) — Four stars FS: Brandon Jones — Four stars Average: 3.5 stars The Longhorns had a worse record than the Tigers and played in a conference with fewer ranked teams.

Stars don’t always mean wins.

Missouri had one of its most successful seasons ever in 2013, going 12-2 and finishing the season ranked No. 5 nationally. In the four years leading up to that team, the Tigers average recruiting class ranking was 35th.

This is not meant to discredit recruiting rankings. It’s just not the ultimate determination of team quality, and we can see that looking at Missouri’s past, as well as its Texas Bowl matchup.

Frazier ready for bowl after season of lingering injuries Dec. 26 HOUSTON — For Marcell Frazier, motivation for the Texas Bowl is simple. He wants to raise his NFL Draft stock.

“I need this game,” he said at the Texas Bowl news conference Tuesday.

Missouri’s senior defensive end has put together a solid highlight reel in 2017. He led the SEC in tackles for a loss with 13.5 and earned all-conference honors from the league’s coaches.

Despite the recognition, Frazier described his season as up and down. Coming off a broken arm from spring practice, Frazier revealed that he played the beginning part of the year on a torn quad and didn’t feel healthy until the Georgia game in October.

“It showed up on film,” Frazier said. “You watch me the first couple of games, it’s like, ‘Who is this guy?’

Once the Georgia game hit, it was just a clear-cut difference.”

While Frazier hopes to raise his draft value in the bowl game, Longhorns standouts Connor Williams and DeShon Elliott are skipping to protect their stock. Both are projected to go in the early rounds of the NFL Draft in April and do not want to risk injury.

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Frazier said this was not a route he considered; he has an insurance policy that will cover whatever money he will lose in draft stock should he get injured.

Draft ranking services project Frazier to go anywhere from the second to seventh rounds.

The Longhorns’ offensive line has performed poorly in 2017 — its ranked 103rd nationally in sacks allowed — but Texas coach Tom Herman said he feels as confident in his unit as he has all season The Tigers finished the season ranked in the top 25 in sacks, so a Longhorns’ weakness could play into a Missouri strength. Frazier still thinks the Texas offensive line could present a test. The Longhorns consistently attract high-profile recruits, and they’ll have plenty of big bodies in the trenches.

In the second half of the season, Frazier had 5.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for a loss. He racked up 3.5 tackles for a loss and a sack in the team’s finale against Arkansas.

“If I was healthy the whole year, who knows what it could’ve been,” Frazier said. “I think I salvaged what I could from the season.”

He’ll have one more chance to leave an impression Wednesday, with his lingering injuries now behind him.

Texas Bowl trophy manager cherishes game week Dec. 27 HOUSTON — Bill Rubinsky has season ticket packages for three college teams: Texas, Houston and Rice.

He's obsessed with football — about as Texas as it gets.

"My wife is a sports fan thankfully," he said.

So it made sense that Rubinsky started volunteering at the Texas Bowl 12 years ago. His assignment at the game has changed over the years, but it has remained consistent over the past three — he manages the 128-pound Robert C. McNair Texas Bowl trophy.

Rubinsky, 65, lives in Houston and works in marketing and sales for Xerox. He describes the week leading up to the bowl game as his personal fantasy camp.

"Wherever this trophy goes, we go," he said. "And this trophy doesn't miss a party. It goes to every event during the week."

That means going to the Rodeo Bowl — a best-of-seven, rodeo-themed contest between the two participating teams — as well as the pregame party, a formal dinner and multiple other events.

The trophy has around 15 stops set for the evening of the Texas-Missouri game. It will stop by a few suites, and it visited the Texas and Missouri tailgates. At each location, Rubinsky keeps an eye on fans as they pose with the trophy and snap pictures.

Julie Abeln, the mother of Missouri senior offensive lineman Alec Abeln, made sure to take a good look as the trophy passed through a Missouri tailgate inside a building next to NRG Stadium before the game.

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"I love that the trophy was here," she said. "It shows what we're going to be taking home."

Rubinsky loves seeing fans like Abeln. Meeting people is his favorite part of the job.

Rubinsky and Bill Scott, his coworker, wheel the trophy around on a black cart until the presentation. The hardware features a polished wood top and is topped with a glass bowl. The game's winners since 2006 are inscribed on the side of the trophy. Rubinsky went to each of those games.

As Rubinsky interacted with fans at the indoor Missouri tailgate, another bowl worker tapped his shoulder. It was time to wheel the trophy away from the dim banquet hall; its next destination was waiting.

Turnovers cost Tigers in 33-16 bowl loss to Texas Dec. 27 HOUSTON — Barry Odom walked into NRG Stadium with his usual pregame demeanor: stoic, composed and unfazed. Dusk had fallen, and the coach marched through rain-soaked pavement and into the Texas Bowl.

While Odom appeared to be all business, his team acted a little differently than normal. Trystan Castillo waved at a fan. Brandon Lee gazed at the 125,000-square-foot stadium. J’Mon Moore filmed himself with his iPhone. For most members of the team, it was their first experience playing in bowl game.

It showed early.

An offense that averaged nearly 40 points a game couldn’t move the ball past the 25-yard-line in its opening four series. The defense committed 40 yards worth of penalties on the Longhorns’ first drive.

Even punter Corey Fatony struggled, failing to boot the ball farther than 41 yards on his first three attempts.

And while the Tigers (7-6) outgained Texas (7-6) 390 to 280, they never could get the game closer than five points. The Longhorns held on for a 33-16 win, pleasing a crowd of 67,820 (mostly Texas fans).

“We beat ourselves tonight,” quarterback Drew Lock said. “That’s a good team, but we beat ourselves tonight.”

Texas scored its first touchdown less than two minutes after Tucker McCann’s opening kickoff when Shane Buechele hit Daniel Young for a 22yard pass. The Longhorns extended their lead with a Sam Ehlinger touchdown pass nine minutes later, and the Tigers failed to respond in the first quarter. Even Missouri’s first first down had drawbacks; Drew Lock overthrew Kendall Blanton, forcing the tight end to make a diving reception instead of taking a clear path to the end zone.

“We were very anxious to go play,” Odom said.

“And (we needed to) settle down a little bit.”

After a slow first quarter, Lock and Moore started to find a pulse early in the second. The duo connected for two first downs, and Ish Witter rushed into the end zone to put the Tigers on the board.

But Witter’s success turned sour fast. Texas defensive back P.J. Locke stripped the football from the senior tailback’s arms, and linebacker Anthony Wheeler took the fumble to the house. Instead of driving with a chance to tie the game, Missouri found itself down a pair of scores.

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Just a minute later, tight end Albert Okwuegbunam fumbled after a 6-yard pass from Lock. Two of Missouri’s most consistent offensive players made costly mistakes on back-to-back drives.

Missouri’s first half offense was defined by conservative play-calling. Lock did not have a completion longer than 23 yards. The Tigers made a clear adjustment in the third quarter. On the first play from scrimmage, Lock hit Johnathon Johnson with a 79-yard dart, the longest completion in Texas Bowl history.

“There was no point in time where we thought, ‘we can’t come out and win this game,’” Lock said. “We came in the locker room very excited coming out of the half.”

While Witter struggled at points during his last collegiate game, his freshman teammate did not. Larry Rountree III rushed for 74 yards and caught three passes for 37 more yards. The two running backs combined for 69 all-purpose yards during a third quarter drive resulting in a Missouri field goal.

Missouri got the ball back with a minute left in the third quarter, and the Tigers had a chance to take the lead. But a miscommunication between Castillo at center and Lock led to a bad snap, which rolled out of the back of the end zone for a safety.

Oddly enough, the Longhorns’ most impactful player was likely their punter. Michael Dickson pinned the Tigers inside their own 20-yard-line 10 times and finished the day with 452 yards, earning the Texas Bowl MVP award. The junior won the Ray Guy Award for the nation’s most valuable punter, and is forgoing his senior year of eligibility to enter the NFL Draft. Odom said he had never seen a punter influence the game so much.

“It was a field position game, and the way that they can control it is pretty impressive,” Odom said.

A penalty cost the Tigers again late in the game. After Missouri stopped Texas on a key third down, defensive back DeMarkus Acy picked up a controversial roughing-the-passer flag after running into Ehlinger. Instead of Missouri getting the ball back, Texas picked up a field goal to make it a twopossession game.

Missouri’s hopes of winning were snuffed with just more than three minutes left in the game. Lock threw into double coverage, and Texas’ Davante Davis picked off the pass.

Odom had a consistent message throughout the regular season: Winning the turnover battle is key. The Tigers didn’t Saturday, giving the ball away four times. It was likely the difference.

With the loss, Missouri failed to become the second team in college football history to finish a season with an 8-5 record after starting 1-5. It was a season of growth for Odom and his team, but it ended with a step back.

“We obviously didn’t send the 18 seniors out right,” redshirt junior Paul Adams said. “I think that’s what hurts me the most, because they just put so much into this team, and the end result is obviously not what you want.”

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Joint Efforts McCann named starting kicker heading into season Aug. 28 (Peter Baugh and Anne Rogers) Coming into college, Tucker McCann had already shown off his leg talent. He hit a 60-yard field goal in a high school game, and he made field goals of more than 50 yards in each of his last three seasons before coming to Missouri.

But when the kicker got to Columbia last fall, he had a hard time on the field. McCann only connected on 50 percent of his field goals and struggled with extra points.

The kicker said he improved every week his freshman year, and he did not miss an extra point in each of the team’s last two games.

“It honestly got better as each game went on,” McCann said.

The sophomore’s improvement continued during fall camp, and coach Barry Odom said Monday that McCann will handle field goals and extra points for the Tigers to start the year.

“I know the things that he’s done over the course of the last three weeks looked better than at any point last year,” Odom said in a conference call. … “He’s crossed some hurdles there to be a much better, consistent kicker.”

McCann believes that, at this point in his career, the mental aspect of kicking is most important.

“I think it’s 90 percent mental, 10 percent physical,” the sophomore said, “because at this age, at this level, you’re going to get the kids that have the leg talent.”

McCann has shown that he has the physical talent, and Odom thinks his success during fall camp will transfer to in-game situations.

Roster updates Odom said defensive lineman Akial Byers (knee sprain) is ahead of his recovery schedule, which was initially thought to be three weeks. The coach anticipates the freshman will resume practicing early next week.

Odom does not plan on redshirting Byers, a former Alabama commit who flipped to Missouri.

“I anticipate him playing and playing really well for us this year,” Odom said.

Redshirt junior Ray Wingo is now academically eligible and has practiced with the team, Odom said. The wide receiver sat out the first few weeks of fall camp.

Depth chart will reveal backup quarterback With junior Drew Lock as the veteran starting quarterback, some eyes will be on the No. 2 spot when Missouri’s depth chart is released this week. Offensive coordinator Josh Heupel said the backup quarterback has not been named.

“I have not had the conversation with the kids who are fighting for that spot,” he said. “I want Drew to play well, be sharp and be a leader on scoring drives.”

The spring depth chart listed junior Jack Lowary as backup, with redshirt freshmen Micah Wilson and Hayden Rymer in the third and fourth spot, respectively.

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In other depth chart news, Heupel said that the starting positions for right guard and center have been filled, but he declined to reveal the decisions until the depth chart is released.

Rountree looking to get significant touches Sophomore Damarea Crockett and senior Ish Witter have the running back starting spot seemingly locked up on a shared basis, but Heupel said he hopes to “have an opportunity to get our young kids in the ballgame, as well, whether that’s in situational football or whether it’s a specific drive in the second quarter.”

Later on, Heupel clarified that freshman Larry Rountree III is one of the young players whom he hopes to see on the field on Saturday. Rountree has impressed coaches in camp and, from the looks of things, will see some notable touches this week and beyond.

Odom eager to get started Since Missouri’s season ended last November, the Tigers have had the record 4-8 attached to their name.

On Saturday, the slate is wiped clean as Missouri takes on in-state foe Missouri State.

“For our kids to have the chance to step into the competitive arena, they’re anxious and ready to go,” Odom said. “You’re not guaranteed much of anything, but we know we’ve got one game coming up on Saturday.”

Experienced offensive line brings ‘consistency’ A year ago, the offensive line looked like one of the weakest position groups on Missouri’s team. The unit was not battle-tested, and inexperienced players were asked to step up.

Fast forward a year, and the position that seemed the weakest has become one of the strongest. The same starters — including Paul Adams and Kevin Pendleton — are back in 2017, bringing more experience with them.

Heupel said the line has improved in double-teaming, creating movement and protecting the pass. He also noted that the group is one of the most consistent since January, when the team started practicing.

“They’re confident in what they’re doing,” Heupel said. “That group is going to have to lead us as far as their mentality and toughness throughout the season.”

Missouri defeats Missouri State despite poor defensive performance Sept. 2 (Tyler Kraft and Brooks Holton) When the 2016 season ended, it was hard to imagine the Missouri defense getting any worse.

The unit had regressed from one of college football's top defenses to one of the worst. Coming into 2017, the Tigers were looking forward to having a clean slate.

But on Saturday, the Missouri defenders didn't appear to have taken any steps forward. In fact, they may have taken a few back.

Missouri surrendered six touchdowns to Missouri State, five of which came during the first half. The Bears won only five games in the past two years, and they play in the FCS. The majority of Missouri's defensive woes came by way of the secondary. There were multiple instances of coverage breakdowns, including an 89-yard catch-and-run on a third-and-24 from Missouri State's Malik Earl.

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"Guys have got to get used to game speed," defensive back Anthony Sherrils said. "Game speed is different than practice speed."

Missouri's run stoppers weren't much better. Although the defensive line was able to record four sacks, it was also gashed for three touchdowns along the ground.

"All those fingers point directly at me," coach Barry Odom said. "We didn't play worth a darn in the first half. I thought we tackled poorly and our intensity wasn't very good."

The defense did show signs of improvement in the second half, as it clamped down and allowed just one more touchdown. Still, with 43 points on the board against it, the Missouri defense found few positives to take away from its first test of the season.

"I feel like, in the second half, we were flying to the ball," Sherrils said. "We only gave up seven (eight) points, so I feel like we were doing a pretty good job on that end."

Steckel performs well in return to Columbia Missouri State coach Dave Steckel, who served on the Tigers' coaching staff from 2001-14 (the final six seasons as the defensive coordinator), said earlier in the week that he had mixed emotions about his return to Memorial Stadium to face off against former colleagues and players. He looked forward to seeing familiar faces on the opposing sidelines but said it would be a business trip for his team.

After Saturday's 29-point lost, in which his team seemed to have an answer for every Tigers score and trailed just 48-35 heading into halftime, the Bears coach joked about the way he was treated by his former school.

"I thought they were supposed to be nicer," Steckel said. ... "They call it a homecoming."

Steckel could begin his postgame news conference on a lighter note because his team showed him plenty to be happy about during the season opener. The Bears took the lead five times during the back-and-forth first half behind strong showings from quarterback Peyton Huslig (353 yards and two touchdowns in his debut) and running back Calan Crowder (124 yards and two touchdowns) and appeared to match and at times best the Tigers' confidence and enthusiasm despite entering the game as underdogs from the Missouri Valley Conference.

The first thing on the coach's mind after the game, though, was the L that will be placed on Missouri State's schedule.

"I told them in the locker room I loved them; it's not good enough, though," Steckel said. "We're proud of them, yeah. Am I happy for them? Yeah. But we've gotta win the football games, we've gotta go back and we have to learn from it, ... and then we'll take it further."

Crowder said Steckel referenced his past history with the Missouri program to help make the team feel more comfortable heading into Saturday's game. Wide receiver Earl noted that Steckel's decision to bring the Bears' nontravel players to the game to provide sideline support made Faurot Field "feel like home."

But they, too, shared in the coach's frustration with the result. Earl said it's indicative of the change in culture Steckel is pushing for.

"Like Coach Stec said, at the end of the day, this is still an L," Earl said. "So there's nothing to pat us on the back about, there's nothing to be happy about.

"Yeah, we played an SEC team, but our goal is to win every game. That's the culture we're trying to change in this program," Earl added. "Most of it is the mindset and the attitude of not just going out and hoping to win. Our motto is, 'It's Year 3; it's time to expect it.'"

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"We knew it meant a lot to him, and we wanted to get the win," Crowder added. "Unfortunately, we couldn't get it, but we wanted to show how much better we've gotten because of him."

Logan to miss first six games because of ongoing NCAA review After Saturday's game, Odom announced that redshirt senior defensive lineman A.J. Logan will miss the Tigers' first six games of the season because of his involvement in an ongoing NCAA investigation into academic misconduct.

Missouri Athletics released a statement on Logan's behalf but could not comment any further on the situation to protect the investigation's integrity.

"I want to let Tigers fans know that I will not be playing during our first six games this season," Logan said in the statement. "Please accept this penalty as a consequence of my actions and that I have fully cooperated with both the university and the NCAA throughout the review process.

"I believe my integrity remains intact," he added, "and I am now focused on working hard in the classroom ad on the field in the weeks ahead."

Crockett runs wild While Drew Lock torched Missouri State through the air, Damarea Crockett burned the Bears on the ground.

The running back showed no signs of a sophomore slump, running for 202 yards and two touchdowns.

His performance gave him back-to-back 200 yard rushing games going back to last season's performance against Tennessee.

"I just want to thank God and my offensive linemen," Crockett said. "Just got to continue to work hard and take it to another level next week."

He would have had a third touchdown, on a 73-yard run, but it the score was negated when his dive into the end zone was deemed excessive celebration.

"I was running looking at the big board, and I saw two guys behind me," Crockett said. "One guy grabs my ankle, and I jump out of it, so I just know the second guy is coming. ... So I just dove. It was a stupid mistake."

Youth movement Saturday's game showcased a lot of new faces in the black and gold.

Missouri introduced nine true freshmen to the field as well as several redshirt freshmen and junior college transfers. Notable performances came from transfer defensive tackle Rashad Brandon, who recorded five tackles and a sack; freshman running back Larry Rountree III, who rushed for 41 yards and a touchdown; and freshman safety Jordan Ulmer, who led the team with six tackles.

"I feel like they did a good job," Sherrils said. "I feel like they held their own. We're going to need them — we need that depth."

MU's 2007 team returns to Faurot Perhaps it was fitting that Lock set Missouri's single-game passing touchdown record on Saturday. He did so in front of a former Missouri team that was known for its high-flying offense.

Missouri's 2007 team was honored for its performance 10 years ago. Chase Daniel — who quarterbacked that team and shared the previous record four times over for touchdown passes with five in a game (which Lock also accomplished twice previously) — did not make the trip, as his wife was giving birth.

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Sean Weatherspoon, another key piece to the 2007 team, was also honored during the game for his induction into the Missouri Intercollegiate Hall of Fame.

Despite concerns, Odom has hope for Missouri's defense Sept. 4 (Tyler Kraft and Peter Baugh) Coach Barry Odom began watching game footage immediately after his postgame press conference Saturday. The Tigers defense stood out.

“As bad as it seemed on the field, it was that bad on video,” he said.

Missouri allowed 43 points in its Week 1 win over Missouri State — 72-43 — and Odom blamed himself for the team’s struggles defensively. He was frustrated with missed tackles and said he made mistakes with play calling.

Missouri State burned the Tigers on long plays, which was concerning for Odom. Three of the Bears’ touchdowns came on runs or passes that were more than 30 yards.

“If you are going to be an average-to-good defense ... you have to eliminate explosive plays,” Odom said.

Despite the defensive struggles against Missouri State, Odom exuded confidence heading into Saturday’s matchup with South Carolina. He said many of the team’s mistakes are correctable, and he was impressed with some defensive players, including tackle Rashad Brandon.

Rookie offensive linemen impress Odom said he also was pleased with how offensive linemen Trystan Castillo and Tre’Vour Simms played in their first game as starters.

“They were able to make adjustments on the sidelines when needed,” Odom said. “And then they blocked very well at the point of attack.”

Tempo is here to stay The Tigers averaged a touchdown every 2 minutes, 6 seconds, when they had the ball Saturday. Their average touchdown drive time was even shorter.

Josh Heupel made his offensive strategy well known last year, with the Tigers running one of the fastest offenses in the SEC. Saturday’s offensive onslaught showed Missouri’s second-year offensive coordinator has no intention of slowing down.

Concerns were raised last year that the tempo could work against the team as a whole when the offense wasn’t scoring, forcing the defense to go back out on the field on short rest. However, Heupel believes the benefits outweigh the positives.

“It can tilt the scale in our favor,” Heupel said. “At the end of the day, as an offense, I don’t care if you’re huddling or not — the goal is to score touchdowns.”

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Johnson forces defenses to pick their poison It only took Johnathon Johnson one play to create a matchup nightmare Saturday.

The slot receiver lined up in one-on-one coverage against a Missouri State safety for Missouri’s first play of the 2017 season. Sixteen seconds and 65 yards later, Johnson was making the Bears pay for leaving the safety on an island with him.

Johnson provides a constant threat for Missouri coming out of the slot, forcing defenses to leave other defensive backs in one-on-one situations or pulling pass-rushers away from the line to help in pass coverage. The problems Johnson causes create a dream scenario for Heupel.

“That slot player can eliminate some of the roll coverage to one of the outside guys,” Heupel said. “His ability to play fast inside and maybe be a matchup issue for some defenses as far as, ‘Do you want to keep a third backer out there, or do they want to play with a nickel?’ ... I think it’s critical in how you game-plan as an offense.”

Roster updates Safety Ronnell Perkins suffered a hamstring injury in training camp and did not play Saturday, though Odom said he practiced Sunday and is making good progress. Defensive lineman Akial Byers still has not practiced after spraining his knee in August.

Notebook: Clock fumble dooms Missouri Oct. 8 (Tyler Kraft and Peter Baugh) LEXINGTON, Ky. — When time was of the essence, the ball was nowhere to be found.

Missouri had a chance to win the game inside the final two minutes despite all of the mistakes the team made throughout the game. The Tigers offense took over with 1:48 left on the clock, down six points, and moved the ball effectively as seconds ticked away.

Then, J’Mon Moore caught a 1-yard pass but did not manage to get out of bounds. Twenty-one seconds remained on the clock.

As Moore ran back toward the line of scrimmage, a Kentucky player poked the ball out of his grasp. The ensuing 17 seconds involved the referees scrambling to pick up the ball, set it and then reset the spot of the ball. When Missouri spiked it to stop the clock, only three seconds remained.

The Tigers were only able to get one play off as a result of the placement issues from the officials. Drew Lock’s pass fell short, and Missouri was sent home with a 40-34 loss.

“I know what I saw, and I know how the ball was placed or not placed,” coach Barry Odom said.

Tigers shooting themselves in the foot Missouri was its own worst enemy when it came to playing football Saturday night.

The Tigers amassed seven penalties for 55 yards. The vast majority of errors came on defense, mainly dealing with when it was OK for pass rushers to start rushing.

The Missouri defensive line jumped offsides four times, and the secondary was responsible for a targeting penalty and a pass interference call that injected life into Kentucky drives.

The miscues were not limited to Missouri’s defense. The offense fumbled twice, and Kentucky capitalized, scoring 10 points off of the drops.

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Tucker McCann’s right foot also had a few missteps throughout the game. Missouri’s kicker missed one field goal, had another blocked after a bad snap and pushed a kickoff out of bounds, awarding Kentucky field position at its own 35-yard line. He also would have missed another field goal attempt had the play not been negated by a penalty.

In the end, the Tigers’ repeated shots to the foot squandered one of Missouri’s best opportunities to win early on in the 2017 season. The Tigers fell by six points, the number of points left off the board by missed or blocked field goals.

Secondary struggles again The most Stephen Johnson had ever thrown the ball in a Kentucky uniform was against Georgia Tech, when he aired it out 34 times. That record held on for just more than 10 months. Then Johnson came up against Missouri.

Johnson was just 12 passes shy of his personal record after two quarters. With Missouri keeping the game close throughout, Kentucky was forced to keep the ball in its quarterback’s hands.

Missouri’s secondary was as helpless against Johnson as it has been most of its opponents in 2017. The nation’s 104th-ranked pass defense was torched again, as Kentucky’s quarterback went 22-for-36 on his passing attempts and threw for 298 yards and two touchdowns.

“We knew that there were some fast guys in their secondary,” Johnson said. “We wanted to try to maybe not go down the field as much but just dink and dunk them every now and then.”

Missouri run game dominates While Missouri’s passing game yielded most of its touchdowns, the Tigers' running backs churned up Kentucky’s defense on the ground, as well.

The Wildcats were ranked third in the country when it came to run defense, only allowing an average of 74 yards on the ground per game. Missouri eclipsed that number in the first half and continued to pile on throughout the game, eventually winding up with 213 rushing yards, the most yards Kentucky has given up on the ground this season.

Ish Witter was Missouri’s featured running back, rushing 17 times for 140 yards. When the ball wasn’t in his hands, Damarea Crockett did some more carving up of Kentucky’s defense, adding 74 yards of his own.

“You’ve got to give it to the O-linemen,” Witter said. “They’re opening up holes, and the tight ends were doing their jobs up front.”

Quarterback Drew Lock even got in on the act, scoring the Tigers' only rushing touchdown of the night.

While he is not known for his speed, Lock managed to earn 5 yards along the ground.

DeMarkus Acy ejected for targeting Cornerback DeMarkus Acy’s celebration was short-lived.

He stopped Kentucky’s Lynn Bowden with a major hit at the line of scrimmage, but the sophomore led with his helmet and was ejected for targeting.

Fortunately for Acy, he was ejected in the first half and will not have to miss any of the game against Georgia this upcoming Saturday.

Turnover margin still a problem

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For a moment, linebacker Cale Garrett sent a jolt of energy through the Missouri sidelines. The sophomore intercepted a Johnson pass in the third quarter, giving the Tigers the ball in Kentucky territory.

But on Missouri’s first play after the pick, Crockett fumbled. Kentucky proceeded to march down the field and score, making it 27-17. It was a defining moment in the Tigers’ loss.

Turnover margin is something Odom stressed at press conferences leading into the Kentucky game, and Missouri lost the battle 2-1 on Saturday.

Rountree the returner Freshman Larry Rountree III is finding ways onto the field. He helped Missouri with return duties, which were previously handled by Dimetrios Mason. Mason was dismissed from the team ahead of the Kentucky game.

Kentucky kicker sets record When Austin MacGinnis nailed an extra point in the second quarter, the special teams unit mobbed him.

The senior had just broken the Kentucky scoring record with his 306th career point.

“I’ve never been more nervous for an extra point in my whole life,” he said after the game.

It was a big day for MacGinnis, who hit a 53-yard field goal to win the game.

“He doesn’t flinch at all,” Johnson said. “I can’t wait to watch him on Sundays doing the same thing.”

Odom appreciates SEC's 'transparency' in dealing with swatted ball incident Oct. 9 (Brooks Holton and Anne Rogers) After Saturday’s 40-34 loss to Kentucky, Missouri coach Barry Odom said “I know what I saw” on the Tigers’ second-to-last play from scrimmage.

On Sunday afternoon, the SEC confirmed it saw the same thing: Kentucky junior linebacker Josh Allen knocking the ball out of J’Mon Moore’s hands as Moore was trying to toss the ball back to officials, with 17 seconds running off the clock — from 21 seconds remaining to just three — as officials scrambled to pick up the loose ball and reset it at the line of scrimmage.

In a prepared statement, the conference said had officials seen Allen knock the ball loose when it happened, the clock would have been stopped and reset. The Tigers would have had enough time to run at least one more play than they were able to.

“After postgame video review and discussion with the on-field officials, it was determined the officials did not see the ball dislodged by an opposing player as the Missouri receiver attempted to return the ball directly to the official,” the statement said. “Had that action been seen by the officials in real time, the clock would have been stopped at approximately 0:16 seconds and restarted on the ready for play signal.”

During his weekly news conference Monday, Odom said he appreciated the conference’s transparency in dealing with the situation but added, “you hate to hear that,” and stressed personal accountability on his team’s part to be in a better position to win at the end of regulation.

“The lesson’s learned for us,” Odom said. “Let’s get back in a situation like that … where it’s a real game, it’s back and forth, which was awesome. It was a lot of fun. And then let’s do enough up to that point where we don’t put ourselves in that position at the end of the game.”

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Tigers looking to build on improved performance in Lexington Saturday’s loss wasn’t like the past three defeats, Odom said Monday. It stung a bit more — maybe because of the close ending, or maybe because of the work Missouri put in during its two-week preparation for the game.

Maybe both.

“It hurts, and that’s probably a good thing,” Odom said. “It’s a sign to me that we’re making some progress and eventually we’re going to break down the wall and get back in the winner’s circle.”

Odom mentioned that a number of coaches across Missouri athletics have supported the football team as it looks to get back on track the rest of the season, including Missouri women’s basketball coach Robin Pingeton.

Pingeton endured similar problems when she was hired in 2010. Faced with turning a losing program around, Pingeton is now entering her eighth season as reigning SEC Coach of the Year after the Tigers completed their second straight 22-win season for the first time since 1983-84 and 1984-85. “(Pingeton) gave me a saying about pushing the rock,” Odom said. “And it’s a sign that people care about it in the program, and I appreciate her, and I appreciate the support we’ve gotten this week from people who see that we’re making some progress.”

Although Odom expressed disappointment that his team didn’t win the game, he said he was happy to see the energy, passion and desire to play inspired football the Tigers brought to their first road tilt of the season.

“We grew up just a little bit as a football program,” Odom said.

Now, Missouri has to keep playing the way it did against the Wildcats, although this Saturday poses an even tougher challenge on the road.

Odom impressed with No. 4 Georgia Georgia is one of two SEC teams undefeated on the season, the other being No. 1 Alabama.

Missouri vs. Georgia — the Bulldogs’ homecoming game — kicks off at 6:30 p.m. (SEC Network). Georgia is an early 28-point favorite over the Tigers. “(They’re) playing as good … , as complete football as anyone in the country.” Odom said. “Athens is one of the best environments I’ve ever been in.”

Odom said the Bulldogs have a number of running backs who can play for anyone in the country, including seniors Nick Chubb and Sony Michel and freshman D’Andre Swift. Georgia rushed for 423 yards in its 45-14 win over Vanderbilt this past weekend — the most rushing yards in 30 years for the Bulldogs.

Georgia’s offensive line also garnered praise from Odom on Monday. The unit is protecting freshman quarterback Jake Fromm and giving him time to throw to his receivers. Fromm, who took over for starter Jacob Eason after he suffered a knee-ligament injury in Week 1, went 10-for-14 on Saturday and threw for 126 yards.

Nineteen points are the most the Bulldogs defense has given up this year, in its 20-19 Week 1 win at Notre Dame. Georgia held Mississippi State to a field goal on Sept. 23 and didn’t allowed Tennessee a score on Sept. 30.

“Defensively, they’re not giving up many yards, not giving up many points,” Odom said.

Depth chart changes; Acy’s ejection

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Redshirt freshman defensive end Tre Williams, a Rock Bridge High School grad, cracked the depth chart for the first time during the regular season after registering one tackle and a quarterback hurry against Kentucky. Williams is listed as an “OR” second-string defensive end with junior Nate Anderson behind redshirt senior Jordan Harold.

“I think, through a number of reps, things have slowed down a little bit for him, so he’s worked his way into helping us out, and he did a nice job the other night.”

Odom also declared an “open competition” for long-snapper this week after sophomore James Workman had a number of miscues in Lexington. Workman’s snap went low on Tucker McCann’s missed 38-yard field-goal attempt in the first quarter Saturday, and, most importantly, another went too high and allowed Kentucky to block a 45-yard attempt that would have tied the game at 37 with just more than six minutes left to play in the fourth quarter.

“I do feel good about our kicker … . I don’t feel very good about our snapper and our protection,” Odom said.

Because DeMarkus Acy‘s targeting penalty occurred during the first half of Saturday’s game, the sophomore corner will be allowed to play the entirety of this weekend’s game at Georgia. Odom spent a portion of Monday’s news conference discussing Acy’s ejection after it appeared Kentucky receiver Lynn Bowden lowered his head to brace for the hit.

“It’s a little bit difficult in teaching in that sort of situation,” Odom said. “I love the rule; I think it’s good for any level of football, the safety component of it. The hardest thing to teach in that is knowing the target zone for the defender on where to approach. ... DeMarkus had already went into the action of making the tackle, and you first look at it, and you slow it down — his eyes were down, but right before contact, they came back up, and he led with the front of his face.

“We’ve got to continue to target lower, and I think a little bit of that is ... we’re trying to tackle lower, and I think that has been some of our issues,” Odom continued. “You want to go tell them to face them up, but you also have to be careful to stay away from the head and neck area.”

Injury report Odom said redshirt senior tight end Jason Reese should be ready to play at Georgia after he hurt a leg muscle during warmups Saturday and that the injury report as a whole “looked pretty good” heading back from the road trip.

Redshirt senior safety Anthony Sherrils, who had concussion-like symptoms during the bye week, didn’t travel with the team to Kentucky because he wasn’t able to clear concussion protocol, but Odom said Monday the defensive back should be cleared for Tuesday’s practice. Redshirt sophomore Ronnell Perkins is still listed ahead of Sherrils on the depth chart Missouri released Monday.

Homecoming game vs. Idaho set for early kickoff Missouri’s Oct. 21 homecoming game against Idaho (2-3, 1-1 Sun Belt) is scheduled for an 11 a.m. kickoff, the conference announced Monday. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.

Idaho is coming off a 21-16 loss to Louisiana on Saturday and will host Appalachian State this weekend.

Well dries up for Missouri's passing attack in loss to No. 4 Georgia Oct. 14 (Tyler Kraft and Anne Rogers) ATHENS, Ga. — Missouri’s wide receivers are “speed guys,” junior Emanuel Hall said.

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He showed that Saturday during the Tigers’ 53-28 loss to No. 4 Georgia.

Hall sprinted down the field for a 63-yard touchdown late in the first quarter and again in the second for another 63-yard touchdown. He gave credit to the Georgia defense for covering senior wide receiver J’Mon Moore well, which created space for his two scores.

Drew Lock’s rocket of an arm helped, too.

“When J’Mon is hot, it opens up me. When Damarea (Crockett) is hot, it opens up me. And then, when I’m doing well, it opens up other things,” Hall said.

With the two long passes and a 4-yard touchdown shovel pass to Albert Okwuegbunam, Missouri put up more points against Georgia than any other team has this season. It only took the Tigers two quarters.

“I fully expected that,” Lock said. “Going into it, we were thinking that there wasn’t much difference in the defense than the year before, so that’s the mindset we attacked it with.”

The Tigers (1-5, 0-4 SEC) faded in the second half, but Lock’s comfort with the long ball against the Bulldogs (7-0, 4-0) is something to build on.

“Without a doubt,” Lock said. “Being another year in the offense, feeling the defenses better, knowing when guys are getting over our receivers, I think that makes me a little more confident being able to throw it out there.”

But Lock’s long-ball strategy failed a few times. In the end, the Tigers’ offense wasn’t able to find the end zone enough to keep up with the Bulldogs. Georgia’s Dominic Sanders forced the only turnover of the night when Lock threw into triple coverage and was picked off in the second quarter.

Lock wasn’t able to complete a pass longer than his 27-yard touchdown to senior tight end Jason Reese during the second half.

“We’re not satisfied the least with scoring 28 points, even against that team and who they are in the public eye,” Lock said. “I’m not happy with how we played.”

Locker room is ‘where it needs to be’ Despite having only one win game this season, Odom said after the game he’s happy with the feel of the locker room. His quarterback agreed.

“I think we have a lot of guys stepping up that you might necessarily think would be stepping up vocallywise,” Lock said. “I think one thing you can’t do is turn on each other, because if you start turning on each other now, the six games to go can go downhill really fast.”

Secondary struggles lead to Fromm’s career night Georgia freshman quarterback Jake Fromm knew Missouri’s weakness heading into Saturday night, and he didn’t shy away from taking advantage of it en route to a career night.

In his five previous games as Georgia’s starting quarterback, Fromm had never thrown for more than 230 yards. But, against Missouri’s spotty secondary, the freshman showed why he was a five-star recruit by throwing for 326 yards and two touchdowns and running for a score as well.

The Tigers gave up passes of 28, 21, 30, 22 and 19 yards in the first quarter. Missed tackles resulted in a 35-yard touchdown run from wide receiver Mecole Hardman to open Georgia’s scoring and a 36-yard run from senior running back Sony Michel early in the second quarter.

Three different Georgia players hurdled a Missouri defensive back over the course of the game.

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“Our man-to-man coverage wasn’t very good, and, in our zone concept, we didn’t get enough rush in time to be able to cover up all of the zones,” Odom said.

Ross ejected for targeting Missouri redshirt junior linebacker Tavon Ross was ejected for targeting in the middle of the fourth quarter after a helmet-to-helmet hit on Hardman, who was returning a kickoff.

The ejection marks the Tigers’ third targeting penalty of the year. Ross will sit out the first half of Missouri’s homecoming game against Idaho next week.

Injury report Damarea Crockett went down in the third quarter after taking a hit near Missouri’s sideline. The sophomore tried to get up and walk off to the sideline but ended up sitting down and being helped off by the Missouri training staff.

Crockett did not return for the rest of the game and was seen with ice on his right shoulder.

Missouri isn't where it wants to be, but Odom thinks a spark could be there Oct. 16 (Anne Rogers, Brooks Holton) A red-and-black can of CharKing Instant Ignite lighter fluid hid behind the Missouri football team room lectern Monday.

When Barry Odom was asked what went down at a team meeting held in the same room the night before — a meeting the Tigers’ coach had just described as “very open and direct” — Odom reached for the can and held it up for everyone in the room to see.

The remaining fluid inside the can swished around as he talked with it in his hand. He smiled.

“I don’t think we got any marks (anywhere); sprinklers didn’t go off, so we probably need to get those tested,” Odom said.

Heading into this weekend’s Homecoming game against Idaho (2-4, 1-2 Sun Belt), Odom and his players are putting the first half of the season — Saturday’s 53-28 beatdown at top-five Georgia included — behind them.

“Look at the big picture and see what’s happened up to this point and what we’ve got left,” Odom said.

“We’ll be ready to go. We’ve got some guys who are excited to go play. That’s fun for me.”

A 1-5 record and 0-4 in the SEC is not where anyone in the Missouri locker room wants to be, but Odom believes things haven’t gone up in flames just yet.

Logan back on depth chart After serving a six-game suspension because of his involvement with an ongoing NCAA investigation into academic misconduct, senior defensive lineman A.J. Logan is back on the depth chart.

He is listed as an “OR” starter with sophomore Markell Utsey at nose tackle.

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“I’m so proud of that guy,” Odom said of Logan. “He’s going to graduate in December, and he’s done an unbelievable job on handling the situation. Really, quite honestly, a lot better than I did, probably, on his maturity level and how he handled the circumstance going through that time.”

Logan played snaps on both the offensive and defensive scout teams during his suspension, and his head coach anticipates the redshirt senior will see a lot of playing time.

“He said last night, ‘Coach, I got to find a way to get on the field for kickoff return,’” Odom said. “He wants to play as many snaps as he can because he knows he doesn’t have much time left.”

Other depth chart changes Redshirt junior Kaleb Prewett is listed at free safety behind senior Thomas Wilson after playing linebacker through the first six games.

Prewett originally played safety at Kansas State before transferring to MU in the spring of 2016 and making the switch to linebacker during fall camp. Odom said redshirt junior Brandon Lee has progressed and will fill Prewett’s vacated spot at linebacker.

Redshirt sophomore linebacker T.J. Warren is on the depth chart after not playing the first half of the season. Warren is the third-string SAM linebacker behind redshirt junior Brandon Lee and freshman Joshuah Bledsoe.

Junior Cam Hilton, who is not listed on the depth chart, is taking reps at cornerback, both safety positions and the nickel linebacker spot. Odom said they have packages in which Hilton can help the defense.

Heupel looking for balanced offense Missouri scored more points on now-No. 3 Georgia than any of the Bulldogs’ other opponents so far this season, but the Tigers still lost.

And that’s all that matters to offensive coordinator Josh Heupel.

“Nobody is happy with the outcome of the ballgame,” he said. “Nobody is happy with only scoring 28 points. At the end of the day, it’s our job to score enough to be plus-one.”

Missouri’s passing game looked good during the first half, but when Georgia shut down the Drew Lock-toEmanuel Hall connection, and the entire offense sputtered out.

Heupel saw positives in Lock’s decision-making at Sanford Stadium behind strong protection from the offensive line. He was not impressed, however, with the Tigers’ run game.

With sophomore Damarea Crockett limited during practice this week after leaving Saturday’s game with a shoulder injury, Heupel might turn to senior Ish Witter and freshman Larry Rountree III for stability at the position heading into the Homecoming game against Idaho.

He also said Missouri must be better at third-down conversions — the Tigers were only 6 for 14 against Georgia.

“Every play is it’s own play,” Heupel said Monday. “That’s the approach we’re teaching our players. Play every play like it’s the first play — the previous play does not matter; the next play does not matter; the only one that matters is this one. And 11 guys have to do it together.”

Injury Report Redshirt senior Anthony Sherrils did not travel with the team the previous two weeks because of concussion-like symptoms, but Odom said the defensive back will be ready to play this week. He is listed as “OR” with redshirt sophomore Ronnell Perkins at strong safety.

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Connecticut slated for evening kickoff Missouri’s Oct. 28 game at Connecticut will kick off at 5:30 p.m., the SEC announced Monday. The game will air on CBS Sports Network.

Ten years later, 2007 Border War game remains one for the ages Oct. 20, 2017 (Peter Baugh, Tyler Kraft, Brooks Holton, Anne Rogers) Missouri and Kansas were not supposed to be two of the top teams in the nation in 2007. The schools were coming off eight- and six-win seasons, respectively, and neither program was ranked to start the year.

But, as the season progressed, the Big 12 rivals kept winning. Heading into the annual Border War game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, undefeated Kansas ranked No. 2 nationally and 10-1 Missouri was No. 4. The winner of the November showdown would go to the Big 12 title game and play for a berth in the BCS National Championship Game.

The stage was set — frigid temperatures, high-level football and a fierce rivalry.

"I certainly know the feeling on our side was, 'All the marbles are really going to come down to that game against Missouri,'" Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing said. "It just had all the makings of a great Midwestern football classic."

**** Gary Pinkel coached on the biggest of stages throughout his career, from the Rose Bowl during his time as an assistant at Washington to the SEC Championship Game. But no game was bigger than that cold November night when Pinkel stood on the sidelines of Arrowhead, facing off against his team's biggest rival.

Chris Harris has played in the Orange Bowl and NFL games — even the Super Bowl — but the 2007 Missouri-Kansas contest was a unique atmosphere. Harris was a cornerback for the Jayhawks, and Todd Reesing was the starting quarterback.

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Mike Alden was nine years into his 17-year tenure as Missouri's athletic director. He spent 23 years in athletics administration and has been going to games his entire life. He has seen it all, but nothing comes close to what he experienced on Nov. 24, 2007.

Then a Border War rookie who couldn't have cared less about Missouri football, Brian Garner forgets how he snagged two tickets to the biggest football game in Tigers-Jayhawks history; but that night in Arrowhead changed everything.

Pregame Kickoff was scheduled for 7 p.m., but fans in colors ranging from black and gold to blue and crimson had been packing into Arrowhead Stadium's massive parking lot since gates opened 12 hours earlier for ESPN's broadcast of "College GameDay." The weather may have been cold — falling to a low of 25 degrees after a 4:58 p.m. sunset — but an electric atmosphere palpitated throughout tailgates as the two teams made their way to the stadium.

Gary Pinkel The noise was impossible to ignore. As buses carrying the Missouri football team snaked their way toward Arrowhead Stadium, Tigers fans pounded their fists on the sides of the vehicles, making it sound as if the Mizzou Drumline had ridden along for the trip.

In one one of those buses sat Gary Pinkel, well aware of the magnitude of the events that were about to unfold that night.

"I knew it would be the biggest game in the history of the school," Pinkel said.

Pinkel's focus during game week was to keep his team under control. The Missouri coach was in his seventh season in Columbia, and the stakes had never been higher. The night before, No. 1 LSU fell at home to unranked Arkansas in triple overtime. The Border War would now decide which of the two bitter rivals became the top-ranked team in the nation.

As game day grew closer, Pinkel tried to keep his team from short-circuiting on the energy that radiated through Columbia. Pinkel's staff had done its best to teach the players how to stay in a controlled mindset — to not care about outside noise.

The pounding, however, was impossible to ignore.

Kansas The Jayhawks' bus was having trouble.

Throngs of fans packed around the road leading up to Arrowhead. Tailgates extended across the parking lot. Supporters from both teams exchanged pregame smack talk.

The bus could not move. The Jayhawks were 30 minutes late to the biggest game of their season.

Kansas cornerback Chris Harris, now with the Denver Broncos, said the delay proved costly. The team's pregame routine was disrupted. Their drills were hurried, and they came out slow against Missouri.

Even before kickoff, the fans were making their mark on the Border War. "I think that just goes to show how big it was," Reesing said. "It was just such an exciting, explosive atmosphere outside of the stadium that we couldn't even get our dang bus to the locker rooms."

Mike Alden

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Missouri Athletic Director Mike Alden joined Pinkel and the team on the bus rolling down Interstate 70 into Kansas City.

He, too, heard the pounding. They pounded on the vehicles with a full credence that the team would soon leave on the same buses with a victory in its hands. "M-I-Z!" Fans lined the streets and spilled over into massive tailgates as the busses slowly made their way to the stadium entrance. "Z-O-U!" Alden looked around the bus. He saw the players reacting to the thousands of fans outside with smiles and waves. Yet there was no yelling or whooping from the athletes.

A sense of calm confidence filled the air.

Brian Garner Brian Garner and his son, Kurt, then in his early 20s, sat stuck in traffic a couple of hours before kickoff.

Brian Garner, eager to get to his first-ever Border War game, was pissed.

The rehab medicine specialist from St. Louis couldn't have cared less about Missouri football before that night. He researched the rivalry's history after getting tickets and went into the game expecting an atmosphere similar to the Texas-Oklahoma Red River Shootout games he had watched on TV. Those expectations were quickly exceeded when he parked his Ford Focus, stepped out into the cold evening and gazed upon the sprawling crowd that engulfed Arrowhead.

"Look at this crap," Garner remembered thinking. "This is too cool. I'm never letting that happen to me again."

Garner learned a valuable lesson: Show up early. For future Border Wars, the father-son duo got a hotel room in Kansas City so they could be at the Chiefs' stadium 45 minutes before gates opened.

At their upper-deck seats, Brian Garner, wearing multiple layers of clothes to combat the fierce wind, fiddled with the radio he brought until he found the Kansas City station that carried the Tiger Radio Network broadcast of the game. He wanted to listen to Mike Kelly's call of the action — a tradition he continues today.

But, at the peak of Garner's fever-dream-like baptism into Missouri superfandom, the radio wouldn't do much good. The Border War crowd drowned out Kelly's voice in a white noise of hysteria.

7:03 1Q All eyes were on the Tigers' and Jayhawks' potent offenses when the game started, but for a while there was nothing to see. For a brief moment, though, Missouri's offense found its groove before stalling just shy of the red zone. Pinkel sent his field goal unit onto the field.

Gary Pinkel "We needed to make a play."

For the first time all year, Missouri was struggling to move the ball. Pinkel watched from the sidelines as Chase Daniel, Jeremy Maclin and a host of other playmakers were rebuffed play after play by the Jayhawks' defense. But, midway through the first quarter, the Tigers began marching into Kansas territory.

The Missouri drive was stunted, however, when an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on senior receiver Will Franklin forced the Tigers into fourth-and-12 at Kansas' 22-yard line.

The scoreboard still had doughnuts on both sides, and it appeared to be an obvious field goal situation.

But Pinkel needed his team to make a play.

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Instead of kicking, Pinkel opted for a fake field goal attempt, leaving Franklin on the field near the sideline in hopes that the Jayhawks wouldn't notice the 6-foot, 205-pound receiver. The attempt was executed perfectly but wasn't enough to fool the Kansas defenders, who recovered in time to push Franklin out of bounds. The score remained tied.

Missouri wasted its best chance of putting points on the board up to that point.

Brian Garner Opting for a fake field goal instead of taking the easy points seems like the perfect moment to explain Garner's idolization of Pinkel , the man who hooked him on Missouri football and the final member of Garner's coaching holy trinity: Gerald O'Connor, his high school football coach; Dallas Cowboys legend Tom Landry; and GP. Garner coached baseball for 27 years, most recently in the St. Louis Ametuer Baseball Association. It was easy for him to gravitate toward Pinkel's dynamic offense because of the parallels Garner drew to his own high-powered lineups on the diamond. His teams were also built around some Pinkel-esque decisions to push the envelope with steals, bunts and squeeze plays.

"I was gutsy as hell," Garner said.

Watching Pinkel pace the sidelines with his head lowered after Franklin came up no more than 5 yards short of the first down on the fake, Garner couldn't have imagined how quickly Missouri would go from wallowing in a backfired gutsy call to being in the driver's seat against the No. 2 team in the country.

O:29 1Q — 9:21 2Q Missouri finally had the ball near the end zone as the first quarter ran down but stalled once again. On fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, quarterback Chase Daniel looked to his left and noticed his four receivers matched up against only three Kansas defenders. He capitalized on the mismatch with a screen pass to tight end Martin Rucker, who scored behind blocks from Danario Alexander and Jeremy Maclin. In the second quarter, Daniel scrambled across what seemed like the entire field and found Alexander for an 11-yard touchdown pass. Up 14-0, the Tigers appeared to have hit their stride.

Mike Alden Alden has been around athletic environments his entire life. This game, however, was an environment like none he'd been a part of before.

"I don't remember an atmosphere that had greater electricity, just buzz and energy, than that game," he said. "Everything centered around that game."

So when Missouri began to find the end zone without Kansas answering in the first half, there was no way he was about to utter the words, 'We got this.'

The donors he was with in the box seats at Arrowhead, however, were quick to jump to conclusions after Missouri went up 7-0 in the first quarter. After Alden talked with all of them, he made a strategic exit to watch the game.

Alden found a spot up in the rafters of Arrowhead. He sat amongst cables and wires with two of his staff members.

With no eyes on them, they sat back and watched the game unfold.

Gary Pinkel Pinkel continued to test the Kansas defense throughout the first quarter, poking and prodding with different schemes and play-actions. Eventually, he settled on a type of play that existed when the two rivals played each other in the early 1900s.

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The Tigers didn't try to tear through Kansas' talented defensive backs by airing it out with Chase Daniel.

Instead, they ran it straight at the heart of the Kansas defense, utilizing Tony Temple as effectively as they had all season.

The diminutive 5-9 running back plunged repeatedly into the trenches, stumbling out the other side of the line more often than not. And while Missouri scored both of its touchdowns through the air, it would not have been in position to have a chance at the end zone if not for Pinkel's emphasis on churning up the Jayhawks' defense using the ground game.

Brian Garner Rucker's fourth-and-goal tunnel-screen touchdown remains Garner's favorite play ever in college football.

Garner high-fived his son and joined the rabid Tigers fans populating his section in screaming "M-I-Z! ...

Z-O-U!" chants and throwing verbal jabs at Kansas fans, such as "Take that, Chickenhawk!"

As a Border War newbie who didn't like confrontation, Garner stayed out of any beef between the fan bases that circulated around the parking lot before kickoff or followed spectators up the spiral entrance ramps into Arrowhead, where access to beer vendors — not allowed at games in Columbia or Lawrence, Kansas — only heightened the insanity.

When Missouri got the lead, however, Garner embraced the overjoyed mob mentality.

"It just kept building, and I thought, 'Mizzou just can't lose … to these rat-hole people from across the border," Garner said. "It didn't take me long."

The Tigers' star-studded roster quickly won Garner over, too. He was just learning of what Daniel, Alexander, Maclin, Chase Coffman, Temple and Sean Weatherspoon were capable. He didn't have to follow Missouri up until that point; the '07 Border War told him everything he needed to know about his soon-to-be favorite team.

Kansas Harris remembers the frigid air. The defensive back has since played in freezing games at Sports Authority Field at Mile High with the Denver Broncos, but he said nothing compared to the 2007 Border War. Much like the weather, Kansas started off cold. The highflying Jayhawks offense did not muster a single point in the first two quarters.

"Looking back, we had probably one of our worst first halves of that whole season," Reesing said.

Harris remembers lining up against Missouri's offensive weapons. Daniel was an accurate passer, and he had plenty of targets. Maclin, Franklin, Alexander, Coffman and Martin Rucker all went on to play in the NFL. They all caught passes against Kansas.

"We were facing great talent (going into the game)," Harris said. "But not as good as Chase Daniel."

Halftime Gary Pinkel Nothing was different.

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It didn't matter that Missouri was up 14-0 on its biggest rival and was only one half away from becoming the top team in the nation. The halftime activities inside Missouri's locker room at the intermission were the same as they'd ever been.

"They were at the point where they could play their best every week and not get caught up in all of the stuff," Pinkel said.

As a result, Pinkel didn't need to pump up his guys with a speech or anything of the sort. The team still knew that it had a game left when it came back out of the tunnel, with the film Pinkel and his players studied during the week still ingrained inside each helmeted head.

The Tigers ran back out into the cold November night moments later, 30 minutes away from the biggest win in Missouri history.

2:03, 4Q Reesing scrambled forward in the pocket and found wide receiver Marcus Henry in the back of the end zone. Henry jumped to catch the ball, and his feet landed inbounds. After converting the extra point, Kansas was within six points of Missouri.

Mike Alden It wasn't unusual for Alden to watch games in isolation, but he always made an appearance on the field to watch the final minutes.

Alden departed from his spot with the cables in Arrowhead with 10 minutes to go in the fourth quarter.

Missouri held a 31-14 lead, but Kansas was beginning to come back.

He stood at the corner of Missouri's end zone and nervously watched as the clock ticked down. The Jayhawks came within six points of tying the game.

Brian Garner As "those damn Jayhawks" chipped away at Missouri's lead with Reesing's three touchdown passes during the fourth quarter, Garner saw the roles reversed throughout Arrowhead.

Now, Kansas fans got their chance to "act a fool," and they made up for their team's dormant first-half performance by throwing enough shade toward the Missouri faithful to cover what the now-silent, nervous Tigers fans had been dishing out all night.

From a wide-eyed, relatively uninformed Border War newcomer at kickoff to being fully invested in this monumental moment hours later, Garner began to fear the worst.

"Oh, my God. Mizzou's gonna give this game away?" Garner thought then. "Dude, you can't let these guys from Kansas beat you."

Gary Pinkel Pinkel could taste victory when Kansas scored its first touchdown.

That taste didn't leave even as Kansas clawed back within two scores in the fourth quarter and then tightened the Missouri lead to just one score with two minutes left to play. Pinkel maintained his poise while pacing the sidelines, doing his best to provide a calming influence over the sideline.

Missouri would go on to recover the ensuing onside kick but couldn't run out the clock without getting past the first-down marker. Facing a third-and-5 situation, Pinkel had a choice to make.

With 1:15 left in the game, Pinkel opted to make Kansas go the length of the field in as little time as possible. He ran Temple up the middle, where Jayhawks defenders swarmed the running back to force a

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fourth down. Missouri's punt team rewarded Pinkel's judgment, wrapping up the Kansas returner at the 11-yard line.

Kansas The Kansas offense come out of hibernation in the second half. But the Jayhawks were not only battling the Tigers, they were battling the clock.

"This was a game that was so competitive," Harris said. "It was like war."

Kansas cut the lead to one possession late in the fourth quarter, and the Jayhawks got the ball back with less than 30 seconds on the clock. Though the team was deep in its own territory, a win was not out of the question.

"The only thing you can think of to potentially score is just throwing the ball and doing a bunch of laterals back and forth," Reesing said, "hoping for some sort of miracle out there.

0:12, 4Q It started when Stryker Sulak broke through the left side of Kansas' offensive line. Lorenzo Williams and Ziggy Hood followed suit, converging on a helpless Reesing. The Jayhawks' quarterback came crashing to the turf of the Arrowhead Stadium end zone as the crowd roared, some in disgust, some in sheer joy.

Kansas Moments after Williams' sack, ESPN cameras found Reesing's face. He wore a stoic expression with sealed lips. A chunk of the sod was stuck to his facemask.

The image, known as "Sod Reesing" in Columbia, has arguably become the most famous meme in Border War history.

"I know (it) was turned into plenty of good banter and ammunition for Missouri fans over the coming years," Reesing said.

The former quarterback is able to laugh about the meme, but the Kansas team knew it allowed a great opportunity slip away.

"When you're one game away," Harris said, "you're always going to think about that."

Gary Pinkel Pinkel's mind didn't stop racing when Reesing got up with a clump of end zone turf wedged inside his helmet.

Had the Tigers just clinched a victory with the safety? Probably. But probably wasn't a finality in Pinkel's mind.

"I knew at that point that what you're going to do is kick off after the safety and the first thing we'd better do is catch the ball," Pinkel said.

Missouri handled the kick. Missouri took a knee. Missouri won. Gary Pinkel was euphoric.

"I was still a little bit numb," Pinkel said. "I couldn't let the barrier down. ‌ I was kind of rigid, trying to take it all in."

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Mike Alden "Alden! Alden!" An elderly Tiger fan screamed at Alden as the Missouri side of Arrowhead Stadium erupted. Williams had just sacked Reesing.

Alden turned his head and spotted the man from the front row right behind the end zone. The Missouri athletic director walked over to find that the fan had tears streaming down his face.

"And he says to me, still crying, 'Mike, I have to tell you. I've been a Mizzou fan my entire life, and I never thought that I would ever live to see the day that we would win a game like this. I just want to thank Coach Pinkel and all the players,'" Alden said.

You think about that: He said this is the best moment of 'my entire life.' Wow. What a prophetic statement from a gentleman like that. It was just incredible to me. That, I remembered more than anything. Because it really signified the rivalry. The emotions, how much that meant to people. Not just that game, but beating Kansas."

Alden held the man's hand and thanked him for being a fan before going into the locker room with the players.

"Man, I don't know what else to tell you besides ... I love you and I love the fact that you're a Mizzou fan," Alden said. "I'm so glad we could bring this joy to you and all the fans."

Brian Garner All Daniel had to do was take a knee, and Garner was back out in the parking lot surrounded by Tigers fans going ballistic at the prospect of their team taking over the No. 1 ranking in the country with the upset win ‌ and potentially making a national championship depending on the outcome of the next week's Big 12 Championship Game against Oklahoma.

Kansas fans, meanwhile, didn't have much to say and navigated through the madness and occasional jeer targeted their way so they could vacate the premises as quickly as possible. Garner refrained from kicking the defeated Jayhawks while they were down because, despite seeing no incidents of physical altercations breaking out that evening, he didn't want to take his chances.

"I didn't get in on that, because I didn't want to get hit on the head with a bottle," he explained.

Besides, Garner didn't have time to cultivate negativity. He was on cloud nine of a Missouri football high that even today doesn't look like it'll be ending anytime soon.

"After that game was over, shit, my feet didn't touch the ground all the way back to St. Louis," Garner said.

10 years later: Rivalry, memories and fandom stronger than ever Mike Alden Missouri jumped to No. 1 in the country and clinched the Big 12 North with its Border War win. Yet bigger than the score and bigger than what Missouri achieved that season was the fact that the Tigers had beaten the Jayhawks.

Alden believes that the rivalry draws people together — on both sides.

"That rivalry and those types of emotions and traditions and memories are lifetime type of deals," he said.

"Think about the people that were at that game and will talk about that game for the rest of their lives.

That's what those games do."

Alden hopes the Border War will revive as time passes. And when it does, he thinks it might even be greater than before.

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Gary Pinkel The downstairs area of Pinkel's house is adorned with memorabilia from his time as Missouri's head coach. There are game balls lining the bar area and massive pictures hung on the walls, commemorating games like Missouri's 2007 blowout victory over Nebraska or the win of No. 1 Oklahoma.

Looking to the right from the staircase, there is a collage of sorts hung chest high on the wall. In the center is the iconic Sports Illustrated cover showing Chase Daniel fist-pumping behind the words "Mizzou, That's Who." Pinkel, now happily retired and with a recently published book, stares at the collage for a moment, thinking back to that cold night in Kansas City.

"I can't say it's the favorite, because that devalues other games, but unquestionably one of the biggest wins in the history of Mizzou football," Pinkel said, "is going to be that game against Kansas at Arrowhead Stadium."

Brian Garner Garner sat in the lobby of the Columns Club at Memorial Stadium for the Aug. 31, 2016, ceremony honoring Missouri wrestler J'den Cox for winning a bronze medal at the Rio Summer Olympics. He was talking to a Missouri athletics usher he befriended over the previous nine years when Pinkel walked in with his wife, Missy.

"I'm sorry; I've gotta take care of this," Garner told his friend. He pulled a black marker out of his pocket and approached Pinkel.

Garner has a prosthetic leg made out of wood and fiberglass laminate. He had the leg amputated at age 4 after a birth defect in his hip caused it to grow differently than his left. Now a Missouri superfan who hasn't missed a home game since he bought season tickets in 2008, the leg has come to define him … in a good way.

The 61-year-old has 189 autographs on the prosthetic limb. Guess which one means the most — Pinkel, the man whose mammoth victory over the second-ranked Jayhawks that night in 2007 turned Garner from an uninterested spectator to bona fide fanatic who comes to the verge of tears when he explains what his time following the football team — befriending players, their families and others he's been lucky enough to come in contact with on road trips to visiting stadiums — has meant to him.

"You are the damn reason I'm a season ticket holder," Garner told Pinkel then. "I am so grateful for you, I can't even see straight."

Odom stays focused on his team despite Florida shakeup Oct. 30 (Peter Baugh and Tyler Kraft) For the second straight year, Missouri will face an SEC opponent with an interim coach.

LSU fired Les Miles less than a week before Missouri traveled to Baton Rouge in 2016, and Florida parted with Jim McElwain on Sunday.

“I think (McElwain) is a great coach,” Odom said. “I hate it for him on a personal level. He’s a good dude.”

Odom said he can’t compare the Florida situation to the one with LSU last fall. Missouri’s team is different, and so is its opponent.

The Tigers’ coach expects some tweaks to Florida’s game plan after the coaching change, but he does not anticipate drastic changes.

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“If you look at offensively and defensively what they’ve done up to this point, I would imagine they would stay pretty true to that,” Odom said. “We need to prepare really well, and we need to make sure we focus on us.”

Coaches praise Lock An argument can be made that Drew Lock is not the best quarterback on the Missouri football team.

While Lock is tied for the national lead in touchdown passes (28) with West Virginia’s Will Grier and has a passer rating of 167.8, he still isn’t on anybody’s Heisman Trophy watch list. Josh Heupel, on the other hand, was the Heisman runner-up in 2000 when he quarterbacked Oklahoma to a national title.

Heupel was quick to dismiss the comparisons Monday, noting that the game has changed since his time running plays instead of calling them.

“He’s a lot better of a player than I was,” Heupel said. “He’s got some physical tools that are special. ... I think the way he’s grasping defenses now is so much different than where he was at.”

Lock threw 18 touchdowns in the month of October to just two interceptions. It was the best single month he has had in his Missouri career.

Heupel sees some similarity between quarterbacks he has groomed throughout his career. Missouri’s offensive coordinator has watched Lock grow into the role that is expected of him.

“He has become a much more mature player,” Heupel said. “He was extremely young and raw when I got here after (his freshman) season. The light bulb is coming on for him, and it’s coming on when it typically does for the young quarterbacks I’ve coached.”

Lock’s dominance in October helped him become a Manning Award Star of the Week for the second week in a row. The Missouri quarterback set a personal record in both completions and completion percentage against Connecticut when he he finished 31-of-37.

Game time for Tennessee announced Missouri will be back under the lights against the Volunteers. The game will begin at 6:30 p.m. and air on the SEC Network, the league announced Monday.

Recruiting update Missouri has had a tough few days on the recruiting trail. Quarterback James Foster decommitted from the Tigers on Thursday, and St. Louis defensive lineman Ronnie Perkins picked Oklahoma over Missouri and other schools on Sunday. Trevor Trout, another Missouri target from St. Louis, did not include Missouri in his list of top five schools.

Odom cannot address specific recruits, but he alluded to Missouri’s situation at his press conference.

“We’ll finish it up with hitting the right fit for the right position,” Odom said. “Next week, we’ll get some more news. Some good, some bad.”

Missouri chomps its way to a 45-16 win over Florida Nov. 4 (Tyler Kraft and Anne Rogers)

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Paul Adams stormed off the field, making long slow claps with his hands, after Missouri scored its seventh touchdown of the day.

Adams was doing the “Gator Chomp,” Florida’s signature gesture, to mock the disgruntled Gators (3-5, 34 SEC). He and the rest of the offensive line had earned that right, as they steamrolled the Florida defense to lead Missouri (4-5, 1-4) to a 45-16 win. “(The offensive line has) a little more trust in each other,” coach Barry Odom said. “I think they’ve got an opportunity still down the stretch to become an advantage for us.”

Missouri ran behind its offensive line a season-high 46 times for 227 yards. The commitment to the run allowed Larry Rountree III to rush for three touchdowns and both Rountree and Ish Witter to scamper for more than 80 yards a piece. “(The offensive line) is like our big brothers,” Witter said. “They fight off the bigger guys, so it’s great having them. They’ve been doing their job.”

Defense led by Sherrils, Hall and Beckner Jr. For the majority of Missouri’s season, the Tigers’ defense has been faceless.

It took Missouri six games to limit a team to fewer than four touchdowns. In its past two games, the defense looked better, but questions were still raised as to whether the success had to do with the defenders or the offenses it went up against.

Those questions were put to bed Saturday.

The Tigers had their most complete game on the defensive side of the ball against a conference opponent in two years. Missouri allowed 349 total yards and a garbage-time touchdown.

Safety Anthony Sherrils had his best game of the season, reading Florida quarterback Malik Zaire’s eyes to intercept a pass in the second quarter. He also recovered a muffed punt in the first quarter to set up Missouri’s first touchdown.

Sherrils — along with the rest of the defense — had his best game when it came to tackling, as well. Often the culprit of missed tackles, Sherrils held his ground and recorded six tackles (five solo) on the day.

Missouri’s sure tackling was led by Terez Hall, who continued to make his case for being one of the best linebackers in the SEC. The junior accounted for 11 total tackles (five solo), as well as a pass breakup.

“The thing was physicality and out-team the other team,” Hall said of the team’s performance. “We can’t be missing tackles no more. … We’ve just got to man up and do what we’ve got to do.”

On the defensive line, Terry Beckner Jr. continued to impress. As time wound down in the first half, Beckner was part of a crucial stop that forced the Gators to kick a field goal. The junior had a sack and forced fourth down by making a tackle near the sideline, far from his normal spot on the interior. He finished with five total tackles (three solo) and one sack.

Time of possession tilts in Tigers’ favor Missouri dominated most parts of Saturday’s game, including the time of possession in the first half. The Tigers had the ball 15 minutes, 32 seconds at halftime, and the Gators trailed with 14:28.

The longest drive for the Tigers in the first half was a 5:45 scoring drive that ended in a 15-yard touchdown pass to Witter. It seemed as though Missouri learned how to hold onto the ball and score when it does.

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Florida took back the time-of-possession lead in the third quarter, but the damage was done. The Tigers led 28-6 at the start of the third quarter, and Florida held onto the ball for 7:20 on the first drive of the quarter.

It ended in only a Gators field goal. And Florida had used up two of its three timeouts on the drive.

Lock passes Brad Smith With three touchdowns and 228 passing yards, quarterback Drew Lock continued his recent success. The junior passed Brad Smith’s 56 touchdowns for second place on Missouri’s all-time touchdown rankings.

Lock now has 58 touchdowns in his career.

After an end zone interception on the first drive of the game, Lock and the Missouri offense figured things out and scored on almost every drive, with the exception to two punts and the interception.

Not limiting himself to just passing, Lock emerged with his feet, too, rushing for 35 yards. He exited Saturday’s game in the middle of the fourth quarter to a round of applause from the crowd at Memorial Stadium.

“I think it opens up the offense quite a bit,” Lock said of his running. “I’m light in the box, but people are going to have to respect me on the run. I’ve always been like this, but we were just rolling the dice today, driving a little bit.”

Missouri makes SEC history A 29-point margin was enough to make history for Missouri on Saturday. The 45-16 victory over Florida was the largest SEC home win ever for the Tigers. The largest margin of victory for Missouri in any SEC game was the Tigers’ 48-17 win at Kentucky in 2013.

Injury report Missouri came out of the game no worse for wear than when it walked into the stadium.

Linebacker Brandon Lee was briefly sidelined in the third quarter but later returned. Damarea Crockett is still recovering from shoulder surgery and did not suit up.

Shannon’s first game as head coach doesn’t go as planned Randy Shannon was at a loss for words with what happened to his team. The only thing he could say is that he hoped to find an answer in the film room.

Shannon was unable to snap Florida’s losing streak, which extended to four games on Saturday, in his first game as Florida’s interim head coach. While he believed his team played well in spurts, he knew the performance was not up to the Gators’ capabilities.

“Today’s game doesn’t represent the University of Florida,” Shannon said. “Defensively, we couldn’t get any stops on the football field. … That’s not like us. We’ve got to continue to play.”

Florida’s once-vaunted defense did not record a sack and gave up 455 total yards, the most it has allowed in a game this season.

The Tigers are going bowling — but where?

Nov. 27 (Anne Rogers, Peter Baugh) Nine SEC teams are eligible to play in a bowl game. Three of those teams — Alabama, Auburn and Georgia — will likely play in the College Football Playoff or one of the other four major bowl games. That leaves six SEC teams to fill seven open bowl slots.

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For the first time since the 2014 season, Missouri (7-5, 4-4) is headed to a bowl game, and it will find out its fate Sunday. Bowl speculation is just that — speculation — but a little analysis is never a bad thing.

Here are the bowl games the Tigers could end up in, ranked by likelihood: Liberty Bowl — Dec. 30 in Memphis, Tennessee, vs. Big 12 Probability: Likely.

Why: Liberty Bowl representatives were at two of Missouri’s last three games. Geographically, this bowl makes sense for Missouri fans; Memphis is around a sixhour drive from Columbia. CBS bowl expert Jerry Palm projected Missouri in this bowl against West Virginia.

Oddly enough, the Tigers played the Mountaineers last season and lost 26-11 in Barry Odom’s debut as Missouri’s head coach.

Texas Bowl — Dec. 27 in Houston vs. Big 12 Probability: Likely.

Why: Giving Missouri a slot in the Texas Bowl would bring back some memories from its Big 12 days, and it could offer an enticing matchup with a team such as the Texas Longhorns. With LSU probably going to a bigger bowl and Texas A&M playing in this bowl last year, there are not many logical teams closer to Houston than Missouri.

Music City Bowl — Dec. 29 in Nashville, Tennessee, vs. ACC or Big Ten Probability: Somewhat likely.

Why: Nashville is a shorter drive for Missouri fans than bowls in the Southeast, leaving the door open for a slot in the Music City Bowl. Kentucky or Mississippi State are both closer, though, and could make more sense for the SEC representative.

TaxSlayer Bowl — Dec. 30 in Jacksonville, Florida, vs. ACC or Big Ten Probability: Somewhat likely.

Why: The TaxSlayer Bowl sent a representative to one of Missouri’s late-season games. It’s possible that it could select the Tigers, but don’t bet on it. Geography could be an obstacle.

Belk Bowl — Dec. 29 in Charlotte, North Carolina, vs. ACC Probability: Unlikely.

Why: Geography will be a huge roadblock for Missouri in this bowl. A team like South Carolina (8-4) would make sense for this bowl because Charlotte is fewer than than two hours away from Columbia, South Carolina.

Outback Bowl — Jan. 1 in Tampa, Florida, vs. Big Ten Probability: Unlikely.

Why: It’s a New Year’s Day game, and two eight-win teams played in it last season (Florida and Iowa). It would be a far commute for Missouri fans, so odds are against the Tigers playing in the Outback Bowl.

Citrus Bowl — Jan. 1 in Orlando, Florida, vs. Big Ten Probability: Not likely at all (it’s not gonna happen, Tigers fans).

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Why: After the College Football Playoff and major bowls are selected, the Citrus Bowl gets its top choice of SEC teams. With schools like LSU (9-3), Mississippi State (8-4) and South Carolina (8-4), it’s hard to imagine the bowl picking a Missouri team with five losses.

Season superlatives: Missourian football writers hand out endof-the season accolades Dec. 18 (Peter Baugh, Brooks Holton, Anne Rogers, Tyler Kraft) The 2017 Missouri football season looked bleak when the Tigers started the campaign 1-5, but a six-game winning streak that included wins over SEC foes such as Florida, Tennessee and Arkansas to end the regular season earned the team its first bowl berth since 2014 — a Wednesday Texas Bowl matchup against former Big 12 rival Texas at NRG Stadium in Houston.

Barry Odom and company supplied fans with plenty of great moments over the course of the second-half turnaround, but which players and moments reigned supreme?

The Missourian’s football writers — Peter Baugh, Brooks Holton, Tyler Kraft and Anne Rogers — reflected on the Tigers’ 7-5 regular season and created their own superlatives. Check out the winners below: Best to media Winner: Paul Adams (OL).

Adams is as friendly as he is ginormous. The 315-pound junior offensive lineman, who was one of the four team captains, always greets reporters with a smile and never hesitates to share a good anecdote.

Other nominees: Terry Beckner Jr. and Ish Witter.

Most entertaining interviewee Winner: Terez Hall (LB).

Hall talked about “Mortal Kombat” and his Mike Tyson haircut this season. You never knew the next thing out of his mouth.

Other nominees: Adams and Kevin Pendleton.

Offensive MVP Unanimous winner: Drew Lock (QB).

When you set a Missouri and SEC record for single-season touchdown passes (43), you’ll likely get a shoutout from the Missourian. Lock was a no-brainer choice.

Defensive MVP Winner: Terry Beckner Jr. (DL).

Beckner emerged as a dangerous pass rusher late in the season, logging seven sacks in 12 games. As the cherry on top of his standout campaign anchoring the strongest unit on the Missouri defense, he intercepted a pass during the Tigers’ 45-17 win over Vanderbilt and returned the pick 49 yards. He’ll have a chance to win this superlative again next year, too. The junior decided not to enter the NFL Draft and will be back for his senior season.

Other nominee: Cale Garrett.

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Most valuable senior Winner: Ish Witter (RB).

Witter transformed himself from a decent second-string tailback into one of the SEC’s best when sophomore starter Damarea Crockett went down with an injury halfway through the season. Working in tandem with freshman Larry Rountree III, the senior posted a career-high 992 yards and his first career receiving touchdown and provided great blocking support for Lock in the backfield. He should eclipse the 1,000-yard mark against the Longhorns to cap off a solid collegiate career.

Other nominee: J’Mon Moore.

Best touchdown Unanimous winner: Albert Okwuegbunam’s fourth-quarter touchdown grab in the Tigers’ Nov. 24 win over Arkansas.

It was a close game, a beautiful throw from Lock and an incredible full-extension diving catch.

Okwuegbunam, a redshirt freshman, was a bright spot all year for Missouri and led all Division I tight ends in regular-season touchdown receptions with 11. This was his shining moment.

Best hair Winner: Eric Beisel.

The bright red hair was nice, but the beard pushed Beisel over the top. He claims to have been a gladiator in a past life, and he looked like one on Saturdays.

Other: Finis Stribling IV and Samson Bailey.

Most likely to bench press you Winner: Nick Bartolotta.

Bartolotta, a Kansas transfer who arrived in Columbia after the 2015 season, made his first start for Missouri when he filled in for Tucker McCann in the Tigers’ 68-21 Homecoming win over Idaho. In the game, he made both of his field-goal attempts and eight of his nine extra-point attempts. He also recorded his first career tackle on a kickoff during the second quarter. At 5-foot-6, he’s the shortest player in the SEC, but Bartolotta’s got some guns. According to previous Missourian reporting, the kicker can bench press 385 pounds — more than twice his body weight. His toned physique even earned him a shoutout from the SEC Network during the game.

Other nominees: Adam Ploudre, Yasir Durant and Tyler Howell.

Best nickname Winner: “Ish Witter the Ballcarrier.”

Fans didn’t expect to hear those words echo throughout the bleachers of Memorial Stadium as much as they did during the 2017 season, but it became commonplace — and a welcome announcement — once Crockett went down against Georgia and Witter stepped up as the primary ballcarrier.

Other nominee: Dawson “The Vanilla Gorilla” Downing.

Best dance moves Winner: Jamal Brooks.

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If football reporters were up for this award, Peter Baugh would easily get the nod (with special thanks to sensei Tyler Kraft and a disapproving look from Anne Rogers). But, because we are sticking to football players, we have to go with Jamal Brooks’ fancy dances. Despite being sidelined with an injury he suffered on Nov. 24 against Arkansas, he broke out the Michael Jackson moonwalk during a Dec. 10 practice, which really put him over the top for this award.

Other nominees: Drew Lock and Jason Reese.

Game of the year Winner: Missouri’s 48-45 win over Arkansas in the Nov. 24 Battle Line Rivalry game in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Close game? Check. Tigers win? Check. Rivalry? Check.

Other nominee: The Tigers’ 45-16 win over Florida on Nov. 4 in Columbia.

The Long Road Home: Moore’s growth leads him back to where he started Dec. 20 (Peter Baugh and Tyler Kraft) The Missouri football team crowded in the south end zone tunnel and twitched with excitement as players prepared to take the field for the first time in 2017. Linebacker Jacob Trump hoisted the Missouri state flag above his shoulder and sprinted forward.

He wasn’t the only flag-bearer.

The first flag out of the tunnel featured a red-and-white stripe with a lone white star on a blue background. Texas.

J’Mon Moore grasped the flagpole with his left hand. Just a week earlier, Moore’s hometown was ravaged

by Hurricane Harvey. Parts of Missouri City, Texas, were still underwater.

It was a heartfelt statement from a unique player. Once again, Moore was speaking up in his own way.

The horrors of the storm No matter where Betty Jones Moore went, the shelves were bare.

The smaller grocery stores were hopeless. Most had been picked dry days ago.

Citizens of Missouri City and the Houston area had better luck trying to make their way through the hordes at Kroger to find any last scraps of fruit. The stores were replenishing as fast as they could before the storm hit.

Hurricane Harvey was a day out from Houston, and the city had finally started to realize what was coming. The storm had intensified from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane within 48 hours and was expected to bring upward of 40 inches of rain to the area.

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While her son prepared to play the first game of his senior season against Missouri State in Columbia, Jones Moore chose to stay home, in a city just 17 miles outside Houston, instead of evacuate. Her first concern was that her daughter’s Mercedes would be covered with water. Moore called constantly from Missouri to make sure his family was okay.

Soon, the storm was upon them.

“It looked liked the scene of a horror movie,” Jones Moore said.

Harvey made landfall over Corpus Christi, Texas, and continued north, barreling straight toward Houston. It brought 44.91 inches of rain to the Missouri City area while adding even more water with a storm surge that reached up to 4 feet.

What the water didn’t touch, the winds did. The hurricane inflicted massive amounts of destruction with its initial gusts as well as sprouted multiple tornadoes that damaged the Houston area. One tornado spun right into Missouri City.

As Jones Moore watched the storm batter her home, she noticed bubbles of water forming in the drywall.

Water came through the back door of the house, but it never rose above the baseboards. Her home was one of the lucky ones.

Jones Moore’s home on Declaration Drive is up the road from the pond. The overflow didn’t reach her house, but it spilled into the homes sitting on the corner of the street.

The neighborhood may as well have been an alien planet when she was finally able to venture outside. It was impossible to tell what damage was caused by the hurricane or by a tornado. A block away from Jones Moore’s house, the roads were barricaded and the floodwater reached the roofs of cars parked along the street. The electrical lines were damaged, and the neighborhood’s electricity flickered in and out.

Dennis Brantley, Moore’s coach at Elkins High School, used social media to make sure players were safe.

Like Jones Moore, the coach chose to wait in his home for the storm to pass.

Elkins is just 26½ miles southwest of downtown Houston and sits in an area full of lakes and rivers. By the time the hurricane had swept over the city, two of Moore’s old practice fields were under 4 feet of water.

Coming into his own When Moore first walked onto the Elkins High School field as a freshman, Brantley immediately noticed his potential. He also saw a kid that needed to be whipped into shape.

Sometimes, the receiver would pout if a pass wasn’t thrown his way. His punishment? A tongue-lashing in front of the entire team.

“A lot of times, good athletes are selfish,” Brantley said. “You’ve got to beat it out of them one way or another.”

Moore had matured by the time he came to Missouri, but his fundamentals were still inconsistent. He struggled with focus and was as eager as he was impatient.

“He was a pain in the butt,” said Andy Hill, the wide receivers coach.

Hill saw constant progress as Moore grew older. He never had to question the receiver’s athleticism, and quarterback Drew Lock said Moore’s work ethic is one of the best on the team. The receiver has always been outspoken; he helped organize the 2015 football team boycott.

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Moore had developed into an explosive player for the Tigers by 2016, and an early-season game against Georgia seemed to symbolize the early portion of his college career. He torched the Bulldogs’ secondary throughout the night, darting past defenders for two touchdowns.

But the receiver’s explosive plays were overshadowed by a fourth-quarter miscue. Georgia led 28-27 with a minute left when Moore caught a pass around the 45-yard line. He had open field ahead. But, as Moore sprinted past midfield, a Georgia defender poked the ball out of his hands. The Bulldogs recovered the fumble, and the game was over.

Moore hung his head as he walked to the sidelines. Instead of the hero, he was the goat.

Though he could have passed up postgame interviews that night, Moore spoke to reporters minutes after the heartbreaking defeat. He admitted he lost focus on the final play. He said it was the toughest loss of his career.

He took responsibility. He showed maturity, growth.

Developing a presence Video cameras, voice recorders and cellphones danced in front of DeMontie Cross’ face after the first fall practice of 2017. Pens scribbled on notepads, and the August sun beat down like a hammer on a stubborn nail.

But the biggest distraction to Cross, Missouri’s former defensive coordinator, was not the heat or the phones or the scratch of pens on paper. The biggest distraction came from a 6-foot-3 wide receiver fidgeting and waving behind the throng of reporters.

Moore was not going to leave the crowd until Cross gave him a shoutout. The coach finally worked Moore’s name into an answer about leadership, and the wide receiver gave an appreciative nod. He wandered away, chuckles following him into the locker room.

It was a classic Moore moment. The redshirt senior was the center of attention, his goofiness on display for the world to see.

Moore has always exuded confidence in his actions, no matter if they’re serious or silly. It’s helped him become one of the faces of Missouri football.

When former Tigers standout Justin Britt hosted a free summer football camp in Lebanon, Missouri, he wanted three current players to join him. The center, now playing in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks, asked Drew Lock, Paul Adams and Moore for help.

It was a sign of how the receiver’s role has developed. He is more of a leader, someone Britt wanted at the camp.

The receiver is still not perfect — Hill said he can be a bit abrasive toward teammates — but maturity has always been a process for Moore.

“Every year, he’s moved the needle,” Hill said.

Adams said Moore will challenge him while he bench-presses. If the receiver thinks Adams can lift more, he’s not afraid to yell over to him. The 315-pound lineman listens; if J’Mon says he can do it, it’s worth a shot.

Moore has always been a ball of energy. His mother said he’d get in trouble for doing flips off walls in middle school. Missouri has managed to harness Moore’s electricity, and it’s paying dividends on the field.

“I think he’s still goofy, but he knows that the time is dwindling down with college football,” Adams said.

“He’s taking it a lot more serious.”

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Moore’s 2017 season has been the most successful of his career. He earned All-SEC honors, was second in the conference in receiving yards and led the Tigers’ wide receivers with 10 touchdown receptions. When his Missouri career is over, he will go on to play in a senior all-star game. If all goes well, he will be selected in April’s NFL Draft.

But first up is the Texas Bowl on Wednesday in Houston. It will be Moore’s first trip home since the hurricane hit.

Homeward bound Brantley had to wait for the alligators to leave the Elkins football fields.

There were two. In the flooding, they were able to swim over the gates that protect Elkins’ practice fields.

Moore’s former stomping ground looked like a lake.

As the water drained away, the alligators followed suit. When Brantley and the players were able to walk on the fields without sinking into mud, they took sticks to sweep the ground for snakes that had taken up residence.

The rebuilding of Houston is nowhere near complete. Parts of the city remain destitute.

The city is still working to clear debris and trash.

As they worked toward rebuilding their hometown, they saw a video of Moore sprinting onto Faurot Field, raising the Texas state flag above his head before the season opener.

“He’s using his voice and the spot that he’s in to help others and fight for what’s right,” Brantley said. “I’m very proud of him.”

As he returns to Texas, Moore will see how far his city has come. His city will see how far he’s come, too.

“Everyone’s working together to get it back up and running to how it was,” Moore said. “It’s just a blessing to come from a place like that that is able to take adversity.”

The Missouri State game was an emotional start to his final season with the Tigers, and Wednesday will be an emotional finish. He’ll get to play in the Houston Texans’ stadium in front of family, friends and coaches.

“That’s a crazy finale,” Moore said. “It don’t get no better than that.”

Once again, he will carry the Texas flag onto the field.

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