Football

IN DEPTH | Crockett Becomes Go-To Guy on Mizzou Offense

On a frigid November afternoon at Faurot Field, junior RB Damarea Crockett provided the igniting spark Mizzou needed to fire up their offense as the team overcame an 11-point deficit to defeat Vanderbilt, 33-28.

On a frigid November afternoon at Faurot Field, junior RB Damarea Crockett provided the igniting spark Mizzou needed to fire up their offense as the team overcame an 11-point deficit to defeat Vanderbilt, 33-28.

The Little Rock, Ark., native filled the offensive statsheet, rushing for 122 yards and an eight-yard rushing touchdown midway through the first quarter, while also recording his first receiving touchdown of the season on a crucial possession early in the second half.

Crockett credited his strong performance to the past week's preparation in practice and the film room.

"I just got back into my groove and started learning the offense more, learning whether it's a zone scheme or a power scheme," Crockett said. "I feel like learning that helped me so much in getting comfortable in today's game."

After a solid performance against Florida in Gainesville last Saturday, where Crockett rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown, Crockett accounted for 137 of Mizzou's 506 total yards of offense and just under half of his team's total points against Vanderbilt.

Sophomore RB Larry Rountree III praised Crockett's performance as well as his willingness to help Rountree improve his own game.

"He's always there to help me get better," Rountree said. "Whether it's 'Crock' running over the defense or it's me running over the defense, it just wears them down all the way."

Saturday's game marked the third time Crockett has rushed for over 100 yards in a contest this season, and ninth overall in his career. He has scored a rushing touchdown in seven of the Tigers' 10 total games played thus far.

"His practice habits have improved and so have his leadership skills from a vocal standpoint," Head Coach Barry Odom said of his junior running back. "He's done a really nice job and I'm proud of him for that."

Crockett has tallied 699 total rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns on the season, all while averaging an impressive 4.9 yards per carry.

With upcoming contests against Tennessee and Arkansas in the next two weeks, Crockett has the potential to reach the 1000-yard rushing mark for the season, a feat he previously accomplished during his stellar freshman campaign in 2016.

Mizzou football travels to Knoxville, Tenn., next week to take on Tennessee at Neyland Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 17. The game will be televised on CBS, with kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT.