Mizzou Set to Wrap Up Homestand With Auburn
9/19/2017 10:58:00 AM | Football
Mizzou vs. Auburn
Sept. 23, 6:30 p.m.
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The Missouri Tigers (1-2 overall, 0-1 in Southeastern Conference play) conclude their four-game season-opening homestand this Saturday evening as they play host to the #15/#16 Auburn Tigers (2-1, 0-0) at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. (central time), with the game being televised on ESPNU. Fans are encouraged to wear gold Saturday night as part of the annual Gold Rush game.
- Mizzou is looking to break a two-game losing skid coming in, after beginning the season with a 72-43 win over Missouri State. Since the win, the Tigers have dropped games to South Carolina (31-13) and Purdue (35-3). Last Saturday saw Purdue take the game's opening possession and drive for a touchdown and a quick 7-0 lead, and it never looked back as the Tiger offense couldn't find its footing. Mizzou was held to a season-low 203 yards of offense on the day, as the Boilermakers outgained Mizzou 477-to-203, and owned a time of possession advantage of 43:43-to-16:17. The Tigers were just 2-of-11 on third down conversions, and lost the turnover battle by a 3-to-1 margin.
- Auburn comes to Columbia for the first time ever riding a 24-10 home win last Saturday over Mercer of the Football Championship Subdivision. The Tigers held a 17-3 lead into the fourth quarter before Mercer drove for a score to tighten things up at 17-10 with 13:48 to play, but Auburn responded with a touchdown drive of its own, scoring with 4:50 left to ice the game. Auburn dominated the stat sheet, outgaining Mercer by a 510-to-246 margin, but it committed five turnovers (four fumbles, one interception) that helped keep the game close. Tailback Kamryn Pettway ran for 128 yards and three touchdowns to lead the charge, while QB Jarrett Stidham was efficient with a 32-of-37 passing day for 364 yards, with one interception. Auburn opened its season with a 41-7 home win over Georgia Southern, before dropping a 14-6 decision at #3 Clemson in week two.
Week 4 Storylines
- Mizzou is hosting Auburn for the first ever time in Columbia. The two storied programs have met just twice over the years, but never on either campus as both meetings came in neutral settings. The first was a 34-17 Mizzou win in the 1973 Sun Bowl and the next meeting came in 2013 when Auburn defeated Mizzou, 59-42, in the SEC Championship Game, the first of back-to-back appearances for Mizzou.
- Saturday marks Mizzou's first meeting with an SEC West foe in 2017. Since joining the league in 2012, Mizzou is 5-7 against the SEC West with two of those seven losses coming in the SEC Championship Game (2013 to Auburn and 2014 to Alabama). Mizzou is 5-5 against the SEC West in regular season action.
- Saturday's game will mark the final contest of a four-game homestand for the Tigers, which is the first-ever four-game homestand to open the season in school history.
- Mizzou enters the week ranked ninth nationally in sacks allowed (0.67 per game), a mark that ranks second in the SEC. The Tigers also check in at fourth nationally in tackles for loss allowed (2.67 per game), a mark that leads the SEC as well. Mizzou led the nation in that stat last year with the lowest mark in all of FBS since the NCAA began archiving the statistic in 2005.
- Mizzou is fourth in the nation in net punting thanks to golden-toed junior P Corey Fatony who ranks second nationally, averaging 49.9 yards per punt.
Mizzou Again Limiting Negative Plays
- Mizzou led the nation in tackles for loss allowed last season, allowing just 2.92 per game, the lowest mark in FBS since the NCAA began archiving the stat. Mizzou is off to a similar start this year, allowing just eight total tackles for loss through the first three weeks (2.67 per game). To put that mark into perspective, Mizzou has 24.0 tackles for loss through two weeks, three times as many as it has allowed.
- A big key to that is Mizzou's offensive line, which has thrived under second-year OL coach Glen Elarbee. The group checks in at the biggest in the SEC, averaging 6-5.5 and 326 pounds. To offer a little perspective, the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive line averages 6-6 and 316.
- The group has allowed just two sacks this season as well, a mark that ranks ninth in FBS and second in the SEC. Last year, Mizzou allowed just 14 total sacks for an average of 1.15 per game, the 16th-best mark in the NCAA and the best mark in the SEC and fourth among Power 5 teams.
Nearly 20 Yards Per Completion
- Junior QB Drew Lock is averaging 19.13 yards per completion this season. That marks ranks third nationally and tops the SEC as he continues to be a homerun threat every time he drops back in the pocket.
- Lock ranks 11th nationally and second in the SEC with eight passing TDs and ranks in the national top 25 in both passing yards (20th with 899) and passing yards per game (22nd with 299.7). He is 17th nationally in passing yards per attempt as well (9.56).
Playmakers With Good Stretches
- Mizzou's defense has been led by Cale Garrett and Marcell Frazier in the early stages of the season.
- Last week, Garrett had a career-best 12 tackles and his first career sack while quarterbacking the defense from the middle linebacking spot.
- Frazier had a season-high 2.0 tackles for loss with a sack and now has 10 TFLs over his last seven games, the best seven-game streak by a Tiger since 2015.
Players Mentioned
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