Saturday, October 19
Nashville, Tenn.
3 p.m.
University of Missouri
at
Vanderbilt
No. 22 Mizzou Football Opens Three-Game Road Stretch at SEC East Foe Vanderbilt
10/15/2019 10:05:00 AM | Football
Saturday's game kicks at 3 p.m. (CT) on SEC Network
| THREE-GAME SEC ROAD SWING BEGINS SATURDAY AT VANDY | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OPPONENT | LOCATION | DAY | TIME (CT) | WATCH | STATS |
| at Vanderbilt | Nashville, Tenn. | Saturday, Oct. 19 | 3:00 PM | SEC Network | Stats |
#ShowMe Mizzou Game Notes
MIZZOU HITS THE ROAD AFTER PERFECT 5-0 HOMESTAND, HEADS TO VANDERBILT
- No. 22 Mizzou Football (5-1, 2-0 SEC) sits at first place in the SEC East standings after a perfect 5-0 homestand and heads to SEC East Division foe Vanderbilt (1-5, 0-3 SEC) this Saturday (Oct. 19) for a 3 p.m. kickoff on SEC Network.
- The Tigers are looking to win their sixth straight game, which would match their longest winning streak since the 2017 season when they won their final six regular season games.
- Dating back to Oct. 20, 2018, Mizzou has won 11 of its last 14 games.
- Mizzou comes into Saturday's game at 2-0 in SEC play with wins over South Carolina and Ole Miss. The Tigers are atop the SEC East standings as the division's only team without a conference loss.
RANKED!
- Following its 38-27 Homecoming win over Ole Miss last Saturday, Mizzou found itself ranked in this week's Associated Press Top 25 Poll. The Tigers check in at No. 22 in the poll.
- This marks the first time that Mizzou has boasted a national Top 25 rank since checking in at No. 23 in the College Football Playoff standings following the 2018 regular season. Mizzou was also No. 24 in the AP poll that week.
A MEMORABLE HOMESTAND
- Mizzou has a bizarre schedule this season, playing five straight home games from Sept. 7-Oct. 12, matching the longest homestand in program history. The Tigers finished the five-game homestand perfect with a 5-0 mark, including a pair of SEC wins and three wins over Power 5 teams.
- Dating back to Nov. 10, 2018, Mizzou has won its last seven home games, doing so by a combined score of 273-86 (39.0-12.3 avg.).
SERIES VS. OLE MISS
- Mizzou leads the all-time series with Ole Miss, 6-1, with six of the meetings coming outside of the SEC.
- Mizzou won the only meeting between the two teams as SEC foes, 24-10, in Oxford during Mizzou's 2013 SEC East title run.
- Mizzou played three home-and-home series with Ole Miss before the Tigers joined the SEC, the first coming in the 1973 and 1974 seasons. Mizzou won in Columbia during the 1973 season, 17-0, but Ole Miss won the next year in Oxford, 10-0. Mizzou has since won the last five meetings in the all-time series, winning in 1978 (45-14 in Columbia), 1979 (33-7 in Jackson, Miss.), 2006 (34-7 in Columbia) and then in 2007 (38-25 in Oxford). The 2007 win was part of a 12-2 season that saw Mizzou rank as high as No. 1 nationally while claiming a Big 12 North title and the No. 4 ranking in the final AP poll.
A LENGTHY ROAD TRIP AHEAD
- We mentioned above that Mizzou has a very strange schedule this year, and coming off of a five-game homestand, it is no surprise that Mizzou will play its next three games on the road, starting with this Saturday's tilt at Vanderbilt.
- The Tigers will go 35 days between home games as they will not be back in The Zou until Nov. 16 for what should be a crucial SEC East showdown with Florida.
- Between Mizzou's Oct. 12 Homecoming game vs. Ole Miss and the Nov. 16 tilt with the Gators, Mizzou will head to three SEC East foes: Vanderbilt (this Saturday), Kentucky (Oct. 26) and then closing at Georgia (Nov. 9) with a bye week scheduled for Nov. 2.
- Mizzou is the only Power 5 team to go that long between home games this season and it is tied with Ball State, Northern Illinois and Kent State for the longest such streak nationally this season.
SERIES VS. VANDERBILT
- Mizzou leads the all-time series with Vanderbilt, 7-3-1.
- The Tigers have won three straight in the all-time series, including a 33-28 win in Columbia last season.
- Mizzou last lost to Vanderbilt in 2015, a 10-3 decision in Nashville and is 2-1 all-time in Nashville.
- The Tigers have won five of seven meetings with the Commodores since joining the SEC.
- The all-time series dates back to 1895 and is Mizzou's oldest against any SEC team.
LAST TIME OUT VS. OLE MISS
- Mizzou Football finished off its longest homestand since 1908 with a 38-27 win over Ole Miss on Saturday, Oct. 12, at Memorial Stadium. It was the 108th edition of Homecoming at the University of Missouri, as Mizzou moved to 63-40-5 all-time in Homecoming games.
- With the win, Mizzou improved to 5-1 (2-0 SEC) on the season while Ole Miss dropped to 3-4 (2-2 SEC).
- Senior QB Kelly Bryant went 23-35 for 329 yards and one TD. His QB rating of 148.4 marked the fifth time in six games this season he recorded a rating of 145.0 or more.
- Junior RB Larry Rountree III carried the ball 21 times for 126 yards and two TDs. It marked his fifth game with multiple rushing TDs, and his ninth career 100-yard rushing game. The junior tailback moved to No. 9 all-time on Mizzou's career rushing yards list, as he now has 2,476 career rushing yards.
- Senior WR Jonathan Johnson recorded his fifth career 100-yard game receiving, as he had eight receptions for 110 yards. He moved up from 10th to seventh on the Mizzou career receiving yards list with 2,171 yards.
- Sophomore LB Nick Bolton had a career-high 10 tackles on the night.
- The Tigers concluded their monster five-game homestand this year with a flawless 5-0 record and outscored their opponents 240-58 in the process.
- Mizzou secured its 11th consecutive game of scoring 31-plus points. It's Mizzou's longest streak of 31-plus points since the 2006-07 seasons (14 straight). It's the nation's second-longest such streak, trailing only Oklahoma (16).
IMPRESSIVE STREAK STARTING WITH 2017 SECOND HALF
- Mizzou's turnaround during the 2017 season is well documented as Barry Odom's team became just the 13th team in FBS to history to start 1-5 and make a bowl game. The Tigers were just the second SEC team to accomplish that feat and were the first team in SEC history to start league play 0-4 and finish 4-4.
- Looking back on that second-half turn-around, the 26 games since the start of the second half of 2017 have showed incredible progress for Coach Odom and his program, one that should paint a pretty vivid picture of where the team is headed.
- Mizzou is 19-7 over the last 25 games, the SEC's fourth-best mark and the ninth-best mark in all of Power 5. Only Alabama (24-2), LSU (21-5) and Georgia (20-6) have better records than Mizzou over their last 26 games. Below is a look at the Power 5 ranks:
| Team | Wins | Losses |
| 1. Clemson | 25 | 1 |
| Ohio State | 25 | 1 |
| 3. Alabama | 24 | 2 |
| 4. Oklahoma | 23 | 3 |
| 5. LSU | 21 | 5 |
| 6. Georgia | 20 | 6 |
| Penn State | 20 | 6 |
| Wisconsin | 20 | 6 |
| 9. Mizzou | 19 | 7 |
SPEAKING OF IMPRESSIVE STREAKS
- Mizzou's six-straight conference wins ranks among the nation's longest streaks.
- That is tied for the fifth-longest active streak in Power 5 and second-longest in the SEC currently.
• Clemson – 17
• Alabama – 13
• Oklahoma – 10
• Ohio State – 8
• Mizzou – 6
• Penn State – 6 - Average margin in those six wins: 21.3 ppg (4-of-6 by 20 pts. or more).
- It's Mizzou's longest conference win streak since 2014 when the Tigers won six straight (avg. margin then was 11.8 ppg).
- Longest in Mizzou history is 11-straight conference wins from 1940 (1), 1941 (6), 1942 (4).
FOR MIZZOU, INT MEANS TD RECENTLY
- Mizzou's last 12 interceptions on defense have been converted into touchdowns.
- The streak dates started with DeMarkus Acy's INT right before half during last year's Tennessee game, as he returned 76 yards to set up offensive TD.
- Since then, every INT has been turned into a TD by MU's offense or defense.
- The Tiger defense has four pick sixes in that stretch (all this season, which leads the nation).
RANDOMLY SPEAKING
- Mizzou is off to its first 2-0 start in SEC play since starting 3-0 in 2013, on the way to the first of two-straight SEC Eastern Division titles.
- Mizzou's 5-1 start is also its best since the 2013 team started 7-0 on the way to an eventual 12-2 mark, and a final national ranking of No. 5.
- Mizzou came into the Ole Miss game ranked just 12th in the SEC (100th in the NCAA) in fewest penalties per game (7.4 avg.), but the Tigers were called for a season-low two penalties in Saturday's win, for 26 yards total.
- After Ole Miss produced a first quarter touchdown to open the game's scoring, Mizzou responded with 28 unanswered points. It was the second-most unanswered points scored by the Tigers this season (42 vs. Troy – Oct. 5).
TOP-25 NOTES
- This week marks the first time that Mizzou will play as an AP Top 25 team since last season's Liberty Bowl, when MU came into the game against Oklahoma State ranked 23rd.
- This is the first time MU has been ranked during the regular season since 2015, when the Tigers were No. 25 entering 9/26/15 game at Kentucky 3-0. Mizzou dropped that game, 21-13, and fell out of the rankings, not to return until last season.
- The No. 22 spot is the highest for Mizzou since 2015, when a 1-0 Tiger team played as No. 21 at Arkansas State. MU won that game, 27-20 and was No. 22 the next week.
- Mizzou has played only two games as the No. 22 team according to AP, and is 1-1 in those contests: a 21-16 loss at unranked Colorado in 2003, and a 9-6 home win over unranked UConn in 2015.
- Mizzou has played 209 games all-time as a ranked team and holds a record of 132-76-1 in those games (63.4%).
- Mizzou has won 77.3% of its games all-time when playing as a ranked team against an unranked opponent (103-30-1).
- Mizzou has never been ranked when it has faced Vanderbilt.
TIGERS OFF TO THE BEST START UNDER ODOM
- After Mizzou's 38-27 win over Ole Miss last Saturday, fourth-year head coach Barry Odom is off to his best start as Mizzou's head coach, going 5-1 over the first six games.
- Odom's squad has won its first two conference games since he took over the head coaching job as well.
DEFENSE IS STRAIGHT SALTY
- Mizzou's defense has been one of the Southeastern Conference's most pleasant surprises early in the 2019 season. The Tigers have been dominant on that side of the ball, especially since returning home to #TheZou, and the numbers support that. Below is a look at where Mizzou ranks nationally in several categories.
• Yards Per Pass: #4 (5.0)
• Passing Defense: #4 (154.7)
• Total Defense: #6 (262.7)
• Yards Per Play: #6 (4.04)
• Scoring Defense: #11 (15.8)
• Yards Per Rush: #25 (3.15)
• Rushing Defense: #25 (108.0) - Mizzou's rushing defensive numbers took a bit of a hit last week, but that is a bit deceiving based on who the Tigers were playing. Ole Miss came into last week's game averaging an incredible 234.4 yards per game on the ground and one week prior to Mizzou, Ole Miss hung 413 yards on the ground vs. Vanderbilt after making a change at QB to the run-first J.R. Plumlee. Mizzou held Ole Miss to 30 yards below its season rushing average. \
- Aside from the more traditional metrics above, Mizzou also rates highly in several other key defensive categories nationally:
• Defensive TDs: #1 (five)
• Team Passing Efficiency Defense: #3 (92.64)
• First Down Defense: #9 (86)
• Red Zone Defense: #9 (.667)
• Third Down Defense: #18 (.313) - Mizzou's opponents have reached the red zone just 12 times this year - that's the eighth-fewest nationally and the fewest allowed by any SEC team.
DEFENSE FINDING PAY DIRT
- After Cale Garrett's pick-six vs. Troy on Oct. 5, Mizzou now leads the nation with its five defensive touchdowns.
- Mizzou has eight defensive TDs over the last 13 games, including five defensive TDs in the last five games.
- Mizzou has forced 11 TOs through six games (1.8/game). The Tigers had just 16 forced turnovers last year (1.23).
- Mizzou has 61 points off of turnovers this season (10.2 per game).
- Mizzou is 21st nationally with seven INTs on the year and the Tigers have converted their last 12 INTs into touchdowns. Garrett leads the team with his three defensive scores - a pick-six vs. SEMO, a fumble recovery in the end zone vs. South Carolina and a pick-six vs. Troy.
- Mizzou's five defensive TDs on the year are already tied for the most in a single season in school history. The Tigers need one more defensive score to set the school record of six. Below is a look:
• 5 – 2019 (4 INT / 1 FUM)
• 5 – 2008 (5 INT)
• 5 – 2005 (3 INT / 2 FUM)
• 5 – 1998 (3 FUM / 2 INT)
• 4 – 2014 (3 FUM / 1 INT)
• 4 – 1979 (2 FUM / 2 INT) - Mizzou's defense has scored a mind-blowing 35 points over the last five games.
- Mizzou's defense has forced at least three turnovers in three of its six games this season (doing so against West Virginia on Sept. 7, South Carolina on Sept. 21 and Troy on Oct. 5).
FAST STARTS FOR THE TIGERS
- Something to keep an eye on as Mizzou heads to Vanderbilt this Saturday is its ability to start fast this season. In six games, Mizzou is outscoring its opponents, 82-14, in the first quarter. Dating back to Nov. 10 of last season, that mark is 98-21 as Mizzou is dominating the first quarter of play over its last 10 games (8-2 overall record in that span).
- Mizzou outscored Wyoming, 14-0, in the opening 15 minutes before taking a 10-0 lead over WVU in week two after the first. Mizzou then hung 27 points on SEMO during the first quarter of the shutout win. The Tigers took a 7-0 over South Carolina into the second quarter and hung 21 on Troy trailing, 7-0. Ole Miss outscored Mizzou, 7-3, in the opening stanza last week, but the Tigers scored just five plays into the second quarter as they were driving as time expired in the opening frame.
- The Tigers' red-hot defense has allowed just 318 total yards in the first quarter this season (53 avg.) and has forced a three-and-out on five of its opponents six opening drives. The defense also has a pair of first-quarter scores during that span (Cale Garrett's fumble recovery vs. South Carolina and his pick-six vs. SEMO).
AN IMPRESSIVE OFFENSIVE STREAK
- As Mizzou gets set for Vanderbilt Saturday, it will do so with an impressive offensive streak in tote. After hanging 38 points on Ole Miss, Mizzou has now scored at least 31 points in the last 11 games. That is the longest such streak for Mizzou since doing so in 14 straight from Nov. 25, 2006 through Dec. 1, 2007. Below is a look:
• Oct. 12, 2019 vs. Ole Miss - W, 38-27
• Oct. 5, 2019 vs. Troy - W, 42-10
• Sept. 21, 20189 vs. South Carolina - W, 34-14
• Sept. 14, 2019 vs. SEMO - W, 50-0
• Sept. 7, 2019 vs. WVU - W, 38-7
• Aug. 31, 2019 at Wyoming - L, 37-31
• Dec. 31, 2018 vs. Oklahoma State - L, 38-33
• Nov. 23, 2018 vs. Arkansas - W, 38-0
• Nov. 17, 2018 at Tennessee - W, 50-17
• Nov. 10, 2018 vs. Vanderbilt - W, 33-28
• Nov. 3, 2018 at Florida - W, 38-17 - Over that span, Mizzou is 9-2 overall while averaging 38.6 points per game.
TREY, WELCOME TO CLUB 2,000
- Junior RB Larry Rountree III entered elite company during Mizzou's week two game vs. West Virginia. He posted 104 yards on the ground, moving his career rushing total to 2,064, becoming the 18th player in program history to eclipse the 2,000-yard mark.
- Needing just 28 games to move past the 2,000-yard mark, Rountree is the fastest Tiger to ever accomplish that feat by games. He is averaging more than 76 yards per game in his career.
- He is the fourth-fastest Mizzou player to rush for 2,000 yards in a career, crossing the threshold on his 374th career carry. He trails only Damarea Crockett (334), Henry Josey (293) and Bob Steuber (281). Rountree's 1,919 yards coming into the season were the most-ever by a Mizzou RB in his first two years.
- After gaining seven yards early in the first quarter last week vs. Ole Miss, Rountree moved into the Top 10 on Mizzou's career rushing yards list. He supplanted James Wilder at No. 10 overall, who totaled 2,357 yards from 1978-80.
- Rountree continued to climb the charts with a 41-yard touchdown run to open the second half. He then surpassed Ish Witter for No. 9 overall, who produced 2,418 rushing yards from 2014-17.
- At the close of the third quarter, Rountree pounded into the end zone for a one-yard score. It secured his fifth career game with multiple rushing touchdowns.
- Rountree's big night continued in the fourth quarter, as he surpassed 100 yards on the ground. It was the third time he eclipsed the century mark this year and the ninth time in his career.
- Heading into Saturday's game, he has a realistic chance if he hits his career single-game average (85.4), to pass more Tigers on the all-time rushing list. He sits just 58 shy of passing QB Corby Jones for eighth place. He needs just 131 at Vanderbilt to tie Darrell Wallace for sixth place. Below is a look:
| Rank. Player (years) | Yards | Total Carries |
| 5. Henry Joesey (2010-13) | 2,771 | 395 |
| 6. Darrell Wallace (1984-87) | 2,607 | 574 |
| 7. Tony Temple (2004-07) | 2,552 | 466 |
| 8. Corby Jones (1995-98) (QB) | 2,533 | 559 |
| 9. Larry Rountree III (2017-19) | 2,476 | 452 |
- Among active FBS players, Rountree's 2,476 yards rank 19th and eighth among non-seniors. Among active Power 5 players, his yardage total is 11th and only Vanderbilt's Ke'Shawn Vaughn ranks ahead of him in the SEC.
JAYJAY ALSO HITS 2,000 YARDS
- The nation's best slot receiver may indeed play at Mizzou in senior Johnathon Johnson, known affectionately by his teammates and those around the program as JayJay.
- Johnson recorded his fifth-career 100-yard game receiving vs. Ole Miss, as he had eight receptions for 110 yards. He moved up from 10th to seventh on the Mizzou career receiving yards list with 2,171 yards.
- Heading into Saturday's game at Vanderbilt, Johnson's career total of 2,171 receiving yards is just 608 away from Mizzou's all-time career record.
- With 52 yards vs. South Carolina, Johnson moved over the 2,000-yard mark, becoming the 11th Mizzou player to accomplish that feat. That put him with some pretty elite company considering the likes of Jeremy Maclin, Danario Alexander and countless other WRs set the standard for receiving in the late 2000s at Mizzou
- He currently sits No. 7 on Mizzou's all-time yards chart, an impressive feat considering all the other players ranked among Mizzou's top 11 played in the NFL.
- Below is a look at Mizzou's all-time career receiving yards chart:
| Career (by yardage) | Yds. | Rec. | TDs | Years |
| 1. Danario Alexander | 2778 | 191 | 22 | 2006-09 |
| 2. Justin Gage | 2704 | 200 | 18 | 1999-02 |
| 3. Chase Coffman (TE) | 2659 | 247 | 30 | 2005-08 |
| 4. J'Mon Moore | 2477 | 158 | 21 | 2014-17 |
| 5. Jeremy Maclin | 2315 | 182 | 22 | 2007-08 |
| 6. Martin Rucker (TE) | 2175 | 203 | 18 | 2004-07 |
| 7. J. Johnson | 2171 | 150 | 13 | 2016-19 |
| 8. Victor Bailey | 2144 | 128 | 12 | 1990-92 |
| 9. William Franklin | 2125 | 143 | 13 | 2004-07 |
| 10. T.J. Moe | 2101 | 188 | 11 | 2009-12 |
| 11. Emanuel Hall | 2016 | 97 | 16 | 2015-18 |
CLUB 2,100 MEMBERSHIP IS RATHER EXCLUSIVE
- Now that you know Mizzou has both a 2,100-yard rusher and a 2,100-yard receiver, we bet you're wondering how many Power 5 schools have one of both. Don't worry, we looked that up, too.
- Mizzou is one of just five Power 5 programs to have each, joining Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, South Carolina and Minnesota. Below is a list:
| School | Rusher | Rush Yds | Receiver | Receiving Yards |
| Oklahoma | Jalen Hurts | 2606 | CeeDee Lamb | 2575 |
| Vanderbilt | Ke'Shawn Vaughn | 2875 | Kalija Lipscomb | 2188 |
| Mizzou | Larry Rountree | 2476 | Johnathon Johnson | 2171 |
| Minnesota | Rodney Smith | 3634 | Tyler Johnson | 2446 |
| S. Carolina | Rico Dowdle | 2118 | Bryan Edwards | 2655 |
BRYANT PROVING HIMSELF AS A PASSER
- Mizzou senior QB Kelly Bryant went 23-35 for 329 yards and one TD last time out vs. Ole Miss. His QB rating of 148.4 marked the fifth time in six games this season he recorded a rating of 145.0 or more.
- In the previous game against Troy, Bryant had an efficient day, as he went 12-19 for 221 yards with three TDs through the air, while adding a rushing TD. His QB rating of 213.0 was a career high and ranks 11th all-time in program history for a single game.
- On the year, Bryant is 31st nationally with his .650 completion percentage and ranks 25th nationally in passing efficiency at 156.1.
- He also ranks in the national Top 25 in passing yards (1,575) and passing yards per game (262.5). His 12 passing TDs rank 28th nationally.
NANCE DEVELOPING INTO ONE OF TIGERS' TOP WR THREATS
- With his 64-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter against Troy, graduate transfer WR Jonathan Nance now leads all Mizzou WRs in touchdown grabs this season (three). The catch was the longest of Nance's collegiate career (previous long was at Arkansas; Nance snagged a 54-yard reception on Nov. 4, 2017 when the Razorbacks beat Coastal Carolina, 39-38).
- Nance's 81 receiving yards on the day were a new Mizzou career-high for the senior. It was Nance's most receiving yards since Oct. 7, 2017 (while at Arkansas, he recorded 116 receiving yards on eight receptions in a 48-22 loss to South Carolina).
- On the year, he has 13 catches for 250 yards (team-best 19.23 average) and his three TD grabs trail only TE phenom Albert Okwuegbunam (five).
- He trails only Johnathon Johnson (275 on 25 catches) in total receiving yards.
BADIE IS A HUGE RECEIVING THREAT OUT OF BACKFIELD
- Sophomore RB Tyle Badie is coming off of a three-catch, 69-yard receiving performance last Saturday against Ole Miss. His 69 receiving yards are a new career-high and he added a 17-yard, go-ahead TD in the game that gave the Tigers the lead for good.
- Badie also tallied a 49-yard strike to set up a Mizzou field goal in the third quarter.
- On the year, Badie is fifth on the team with his 210 receiving yards while his two scores are third-most on the team.
- He's averaging 11 yards per catch as well.
OTHER NOTABLES FROM LAST WEEK'S WIN
- With a first quarter fumble recovery by DE Jatorian Hansford, the Tigers have forced and recovered a fumble in three-consecutive games. The play also marked Hansford's first career fumble recovery.
- After allowing a turnover aided touchdown in the first quarter, Mizzou's defense pitched a goose egg the rest of the opening half. The Tigers have allowed seven points or less in the first half in five-consecutive games.
- Sophomore LB Nick Bolton reached double-digit tackles for the second time this season, joining his 10 tackle performance vs. West Virginia (Sept. 7).
- Safety Tyree Gillespie was also active on the defensive side, producing a career-high nine tackles. His old benchmark of seven tackles occurred in the Tigers' 2019 season opener at Wyoming (Aug. 31).
- The Mizzou secondary was busy and effective all night, as S Joshuah Bledsoe also finished with a career-high in tackles. His seven tackles against the Rebels surpasses his previous high-water mark of five tackles earlier this year vs. South Carolina (Sept. 21).
- Junior DT Jordan Elliott continued to wreak havoc in opposing backfields, as he recorded Mizzou's only tackles for loss on the night. On the season, he now paces all Tiger defenders with six tackles for loss.
- In the third quarter, QB Kelly Bryant hooked up with RB Tyler Badie for a 49-yard reception. It marked a new career long reception for Badie, nearly doubling his previous single-game best (25-yarder vs. Georgia – Sept. 22, 2018).
- Mizzou used another big play for its second touchdown of the third quarter, as RB Dawson Downing rumbled 54 yards for the score. The big burst established the longest rush in his career, surpassing his old mark of 29 yards at UConn (Oct. 28, 2017).
- Downing's 54-yard score also cemented a new single-game career-high in rushing yards. His previous mark was 60 total yards on the ground in the aforementioned contest at UConn
YES, HE McCANN DO IT ALL
- Senior K/P Tucker McCann left his imprint all over the game in Mizzou's dominating 50-0 win over Southeast Missouri last month, scoring 14 points, (including three field goals of 40 yards or more), while he averaged 55.4 yards on five punts (two inside 20-yardline, plus a career-long 62-yarder), and booted all nine kickoffs through the end zone for touchbacks.
- According to sports-reference.com, McCann became the first FBS player this century to average at least 50 yards per punt (minimum four punts), while making three field goals of 40 yards or more.
- His three field goals were good from 42, 44 and 52 yards, with the latter giving him three career kicks of 50 yards or more (third-most in MU history).
- McCann has been virtually automatic on kickoffs so far, as he is first nationally with a touchback percentage of 95.56% (43-of-45). One of his two kickoffs that did not result in a tocuhback came after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty vs. Ole Miss that forced him to kick off from the 20. He still booted it down to the goal line, forcing a return and Mizzou's coverage team came up with a forced fumble and recovery on the kick.
- He ranks 14th nationally and sixth among kickers in scoring through six games (59 points), while he also ranks 57th in net punting (38.54 avg.).
- McCann has a shot at leaving his name all over the Mizzou record book. He enters week seven with 335 career points, which is third on the MU chart, and 27 points behind the record of 362 set by former great Jeff Wolfert (2006-08). He's 20 back of second place.
- Against West Virginia, McCann passed Brad Smith (284 points from 2002-05) on Mizzou's all-time scoring list to rank third.
- With 56 career field goals (74 attempts), McCann is 10 behind record-holder Andrew Baggett (66 from 2012-15).
- McCann made a 57-yarder in the final two minutes at South Carolina last season that gave MU a lead – it was the longest made field goal in the NCAA in 2018 by any kicker.
ALBERT O SCORING AT SCORCHING PACE
- Stop us if you've heard this before, but Mizzou RS junior TE Albert Okwuegbunam found the end zone multiple times in Mizzou's week two win over West Virginia. He posted touchdown receptions of 26 and 16 yards, good for his 18th and 19th career touchdowns.
- Okwuegbunam's 16-yard touchdown snag in the second quarter vs. Troy was the 22nd of his career, moving him into a tie for second place in Mizzou history (tied with former Tiger receivers Danario Alexander and Jeremy Maclin). Okwuegbunam trails only Chase Coffman (30 receiving TDs) in all-time Mizzou touchdown receptions.
- Keep in mind, he's tallied those 22 touchdowns in just 28 career games.
- He had a streak of four-straight games with a TD snapped last week vs. Ole Miss. Okwuegbunam was the first Tiger to record receiving touchdowns in four-consecutive games since Jonathon Johnson did so in 2017-2018 (recorded at least one receiving touchdown from the 2017 Texas Bowl through the first three games of the 2018 season).
- Albert O is averaging a touchdown every 4.0 receptions in his career. He has 16 catches this season and five have went for scores as his knack for finding the end zone is almost unprecedented at Mizzou. Below is a look at Mizzou's top five pass catchers ranked by number of touchdowns, and their reception-TD ratio.
| Player (years) | TDs | Receptions | Ratio |
| 1. Chase Coffman (2005-08)* | 30 | 247 | 8.2 |
| 2. A. Okwuegbunam (2017-19)* | 22 | 88 | 34.0 |
| Jeremy Maclin (2007-08) | 22 | 182 | 8.3 |
| Danario Alexander (2006-09) | 22 | 191 | 8.7 |
| 5. J'Mon Moore (2014-17) | 21 | 158 | 7.5 |
- As you can see, Albert O is scoring touchdowns at an incredible pace. The next-best player among Mizzou's top all-time TD catchers is J'Mon Moore at one every 7.5 catches.
- In addition, Albert O now has six multiple-score games in his career as his performance vs. WVU was his first since housing three catches against Memphis on Oct. 20, 2018, vs. Memphis. His six multiple-touchdown games are the most-ever by a Mizzou TE, passing Chase Coffman who had five. Okwuegbunam tallied his six career multiple-TD performances in just 23 games. Coffman did his five in 50 career games.
- Expectations both inside and outside the program are big for Albert O in 2019 – he's been named a preseason first-team All-American by Sports Illustrated, College Football News, the Associated Press and Phil Steele and he also began the season on both the Mackey and Biletnikoff watch lists.
- His full name is Albert Chukwueneka Okwuegbunam, and the Nigerian translation of Okwuegbunam means "Evil cannot bring us down" while his middle name means "God has done wonderful for us."
ESPN'S FPI LOVES MIZZOU, TOO
- Through the first six weeks of play, Mizzou ranks 18th nationally in ESPN's Football Power Index, which is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team's performance going forward for the rest of the season. FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule.
- The No. 18 ranking in the FPI is bolstered in large part to Mizzou's No. 7 rank in defensive efficiency. That is the SEC's third-best mark, trailing only Auburn and Alabama.
- Mizzou is 26th in offensive efficiency as well.
Players Mentioned
Defensive Back
/ Football
Running Back
/ Football
Safety
/ Football
Linebacker
/ Football
Quarterback
/ Football
Running Back
/ Football
Running Back
/ Football
Defensive Lineman
/ Football
Linebacker
/ Football
Safety
/ Football
Wide Receiver
/ Football
Defensive Lineman
/ Football
Wide Receiver
/ Football
Kicker
/ Football
Wide Receiver
/ Football
Wide Receiver
/ Football
Tight End
/ Football
Running Back
/ Football
Running Back
/ FootballMizzou Live Pregame Show Presented by Paytient
Saturday, September 27
MU Health Care Kid Captain - Hazel Hopkins
Thursday, September 25
MU Health Care Kid Captain - Courtland Sisler
Thursday, September 25
MU Health Care Kid Captain - Noah Gilion
Thursday, September 25
