Saturday, November 9
Athens, Ga.
6 p.m.
University of Missouri
at
#6 Georgia
Mizzou Football Closes Three-Game Road Stretch at No. 6 Georgia
11/5/2019 10:05:00 AM | Football
Kickoff is at 6 p.m. (CT) on ESPN
| Mizzou Opens November With Top-10 Georgia on the Road | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OPPONENT | LOCATION | DAY | TIME (CT) | WATCH | STATS |
| at #6 Georgia | Athens, Ga. | Saturday, Nov. 9 | 6:00 PM | ESPN | Stats |
#ShowMe Mizzou Game Notes
MIZZOU FACES GEORGIA WITH PLENTY TO PLAY FOR IN SEASON'S FINAL MONTH
- Mizzou Football (5-3, 2-2 SEC) will wrap up a three-game road swing as it heads to No. 6/6 Georgia (7-1, 4-1 SEC) for an SEC East showdown at Sanford Stadium at 6 p.m. (CT) on ESPN. Mizzou is coming off of its second bye week of the season and will look to bounce back from consecutive road losses at Vanderbilt (21-14 on Oct. 19) and at Kentucky (29-7 on Oct. 26).
- Georgia is coming off of a 24-17 win vs. No. 8 Florida last week in Jacksonville. A Mizzou win would create a three-way tie in the SEC East Division standings after Georgia's win over Florida. Georgia, Florida and Mizzou would each have two league losses, though Mizzou has played one fewer SEC game than Georgia and two fewer than Florida.
THOSE WHO WIN IN NOVEMBER...
- ...will be remembered, and Mizzou has done plenty of winning in November under fourth-year head coach Barry Odom. The Tigers are 10-2 in the regular season's final month since Odom took the program's helm and have won the last nine November games dating back to Nov. 25, 2016, when they defeated Arkansas, 28-24, in Columbia. Below are the results for Mizzou during that nine-win stretch:
• Nov. 25, 2016 vs. Arkansas - W, 28-24
• Nov. 4, 2017 vs. Florida - W, 45-16
• Nov. 11, 2017 vs. Tennessee - W, 50-17
• Nov. 18, 2017 at Vanderbilt - W, 45-17
• Nov. 24, 2017 at Arkansas - W, 48-45
• Nov. 3, 2018 at Florida - W, 38-17
• Nov. 10, 2018 vs. Vanderbilt - W, 33-28
• Nov. 17, 2018 at Tennessee - W, 50-17
• Nov. 23, 2018 vs. Arkansas - W , 38-0 - Mizzou is outscoring its opponents 375-181 (41.7-20.1 per game) during that nine-game November winning streak.
- Mizzou has eclipsed 33 points in eight straight November games, hanging 40+ in five of those games.
- Mizzou's only November losses under Coach Odom were in 2016, a 63-37 loss at No. 19 Tennessee, and a 31-21 loss at South Carolina.
- Mizzou and Georgia have never met during the month of November.
SERIES VS. GEORGIA
- Mizzou trails the all-time series against Georgia, 7-1.
- Mizzou's first-ever SEC game came against the then No. 7-ranked Bulldogs in 2012. Mizzou took a 20-17 lead in that game with 2:39 to play in the third quarter before Georgia scored the final 24 points to earn a 41-20 win in Columbia.
- Mizzou's lone win over Georgia came in 2013 en route to its first ever SEC East championship. Mizzou went into Athens that year and earned a 41-26 win, scoring the game's final 13 points. Mizzou improved to 7-0 with that win.
- Mizzou is 1-2 all-time against Georgia in Athens, including the aforementioned 2013 win, a 9-6 loss in 2015 and a 53-28 loss in 2017.
- Mizzou lost last year's game vs. Georgia, 43-29, as a 13-0 second quarter by the Bulldogs helped them escape The Zou with a win.
- Georgia has won the series' last five games.
LAST TIME OUT VS. KENTUCKY
- Mizzou Football dropped a rainy, cold SEC matchup to Kentucky, 29-7, on Oct. 26 in Lexington, Ky. Mizzou struggled to move the ball on a rain-soaked Kroger Field, losing its second consecutive road contest.
- With the loss, Mizzou dropped to 5-3 (2-2 SEC), while Kentucky improved to 4-4 (2-4 SEC).
- Sophomore RB Tyler Badie made two receptions for 82 yards, including a career-long 74 yard TD reception to score Mizzou's first touchdown of the game. Badie also added six carries for 31 yards.
- Senior QB Kelly Bryant went 10-19 for 130 yards and one TD vs. the Wildcats.
- Junior RB Larry Rountree III led the team in rushing with 53 yards on 13 attempts, and moved to seventh on Mizzou's all-time rushing list.
- Sophomore LB Nick Bolton led Mizzou in tackles for the third-straight contest, as he recorded 12 stops in the game, including nine solo tackles. It marked the third-consecutive game Bolton has recorded 10+ tackles, and the fourth overall game with 10+ stops this season.
- In just one half of play, junior S Tyree Gillespie recorded five tackles, 2.0 TFL, one forced fumble and one pass break-up.
BY THE NUMBERS
- 9: Consecutive November games won by Mizzou dating back to the 2016 season. Mizzou has outscored its opponents 375-181 during those nine-straight November wins (41.7-20.1 average).
35: Days between Mizzou's home games as Saturday's tilt at Georgia is its final of a three-game road swing with a bye mixed in on Nov. 2.
37: Tackles by sophomore LB Nick Bolton over his last three games. Bolton is having an All-SEC caliber year during a breakout sophomore season. He leads the SEC in tackles (8.8 per game and 70 total), solo tackles (5.9 and 47 total) and he is also leading the SEC with 11.5 tackles per game during league contests. He has an incredible 33 solo tackles in four SEC games.
13: Mizzou's last 13 interceptions have all been converted to touchdowns, dating back to last year's game at Tennessee. Every interception it has had since that game has been converted to a touchdown, including four pick-six scores.
5: Defensive TDs for Mizzou this season, the nation's best mark. Mizzou had a streak of four-straight games with a defensive TD snapped vs. Ole Miss.
45: Rushing yards needed by junior RB Larry Rountree III to move into sixth on Mizzou's career rushing yards list.
3.9: The catch-touchdown ratio for junior TE Albert Okwuegbunam. He is averaging a TD every 3.9 catches in his career after hauling in his 23rd at Vanderbilt. He is now second in Mizzou history with his 23 receiving TDs.
+108: The difference in Mizzou's national rank in pass defense from last year to this year. In 2018, Mizzou ranked 112th nationally at 262.0 passing yards allowed per game. This year, Mizzou is fourth nationally at 144.5/game.
PASS DEFENSE AMONG NATION'S BEST
- Heading into Saturday's game in Athens, Mizzou ranks fourth nationally in passing yards allowed per game, limiting opponents to just 144.5 yards through the air over eight games. That is a stark contrast from last year's group that finished 112th nationally, allowing opposing teams to throw for 262.0/game through the air. Right now, that is a 108-place improvement in the national rankings, the best among any FBS team. Below is a look:
| Team | 2018 Rank | 2019 Rank | Difference |
| 1. Mizzou | 112th | 4th | +108 |
| 2. UTSA | 122nd | 24th | +98 |
| 3. Oklahoma | 129th | 24th | +91 |
| 4. Ohio State | 86th | 1st | +85 |
| 5. San Jose State | 126th | 43rd | +83 |
- Mizzou also showed noticeable improvement in passing efficiency defense, ranking fourth nationally (98.67) after ranking 75th a year ago. The +71 turnaround in that category is the nation's fifth-best mark. Below is a look:
| Team | 2018 Rank | 2019 Rank | Difference |
| 1. Navy | 117th | 23rd | +94 |
| 2. Louisiana | 110th | 21st | +89 |
| 3. Baylor | 94th | 19th | +75 |
| Colorado St. | 126th | 51st | +75 |
| 5. Mizzou | 75th | 4th | +71 |
- Mizzou, no surprise when looking at those numbers, leads the SEC in both categories as well.
FOR MIZZOU, INT MEANS TD RECENTLY
- Mizzou's last 13 interceptions on defense have been converted into touchdowns.
- The streak started with DeMarkus Acy's INT right before half during last year's Tennessee game, as he returned it 76 yards to set up an 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).
- At Vanderbilt, MLB Cameron Wilkins picked off his first career pass and rumbled 42 yards to the Vanderbilt six-yard line. Larry Rountree III scored on the next play to make it 13 straight INTs that resulted in a Mizzou TD.
- Mizzou did not record a pick against Kentucky last time out. In games that Mizzou tallies an interception, the team is 4-0. In games without a pick, the Tigers are just 1-3.
NICK BOLTON ENJOYING BREAKOUT SOPHOMORE YEAR
- When Mizzou MLB Cale Garrett went down with a pectoral injury against Troy on Oct. 5, many around the nation thought Mizzou lost its chance to have an All-SEC linebacker this season. But those who thought that haven't been paying attention to sophomore WLB Nick Bolton, who is putting together a season worthy of national accolades at the end of the year.
- Since Garrett's injury, Bolton has arguably been the SEC's most productive linebacker, totaling 37 tackles over the last three games while adding 3.5 tackles for loss.
- Bolton now leads the SEC in tackles per game (8.8) and solo tackles per game (5.9) and leads the team with 74 total tackles. He is averaging an incredible 11.5 tackles per game in four SEC contests and has an incredible 33 solo tackles in four SEC games (8.3/game), also an SEC-best. The SEC's next-best solo tackle number is 32 by Arkansas Joe Foucha, who has played six SEC games. Bolton has played just four.
- Bolton has stuffed the stat sheet all year, posting a pair of INTs, including a pick-six against West Virginia, and 6.0 tackles for loss, second-best on the team behind only All-SEC DT Jordan Elliott.
- Bolton was the SEC's Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 9 following an incredible performance against West Virginia. He set then-career-highs in tackles (10), tackles for loss (3.0) and added a pair of interceptions, the latter of which was a 20-yard pick six. Bolton was the first Mizzou player since Sean Weatherspoon to record two interceptions in the same game with at least one being a touchdown return. Of course, Weatherspoon is one of Mizzou's all-time greats.
- According to ProFootballFocus.com, Bolton is grading out at a 91.0 for the year and a was a Midseason Second-Team All-American by the national outlet. His 91.0 grade through eight games is the second-best of any Tiger defender.
JORDAN ELLIOTT DOMINATING THE TRENCHES
- Speaking of players who are grading quite well by ProFootballFocus.com, Mizzou junior DT Jordan Elliott is not-so-quietly putting together an All-SEC type season and maybe one of the most dominant seasons for a Mizzou DT since Sheldon Richardson in 2012.
- On the year, Elliott leads the team with his 8.0 tackles of loss, third-most in the SEC.
- He is grading out at 92.0 for the season, best on the team, just ahead of LB Nick Bolton (91.0) and has been one of the SEC's elite interior defenders.
- Elliott had a then-career-high five-tackle performance at Vanderbilt when he was virtually unblockable. He followed that with a six-tackle outing at Kentucky, including five solo stops.
- He has at least a half TFL in the last six games.
SAFETY PLAY HAS BEEN ELITE
- One of the key reasons for Mizzou's turnaround defensively this season has been the play of its junior safety duo in Tyree Gillespie and Joshuah Bledsoe. The duo ranks third and fourth on the team, respectively, in total tackles this season while combining for 5.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, 11 pass breakups, one fumble recovery and a pair of forced fumbles.
- Gillespie missed the first half of the Kentucky game last time out, but stuffed the stat sheet as his play kept Mizzou in the game for much of the second half. He tallied five tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, forced a fumble and added a pass breakup in the second half alone. He has 33 tackles on the year.
- Bledose had a career-high 10 tackles vs. Vanderbilt and is fourth on the team with his 32 tackles. His seven pass breakups are a team-high.
- This year's starting safety duo has 63 tackles, 5.0 TFLs and 11 pass breakups on the season with one third of the schedule yet to play. Last year's duo combined for just 79 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss and six pass breakups. The safety play has been a key reason why Mizzou has been bale to shore up its pass defense.
DEFENSE IS STRAIGHT SALTY
- Mizzou's 2019 defense has been one of the Southeastern Conference's most pleasant surprises. The Tigers have been dominant on that side of the ball, especially since the season-opener at Wyoming, and the numbers support that. Below is a look at where Mizzou ranks nationally in several categories.
• Yards Per Pass: #3 (5.5)
• Passing Defense: #4 (144.5)
• Yards Per Play: #10 (4.44)
• Total Defense: #11 (281.4)
• Scoring Defense: #16 (18.1) - Aside from the more traditional metrics above, Mizzou also rates highly in several other key defensive categories:
• Defensive TDs: #1 (5)
• Team Passing Efficiency Defense: #4 (98.67)
• First Down Defense: #6 (118)
• Red Zone Defense: #11 (.706)
• Third Down Defense: #12 (.300) - Mizzou's opponents have reached the red zone just 17 times this year - that's the seventh-fewest nationally and the second-fewest allowed by any SEC team, trailing only Georgia (12 through eight games).
Players Mentioned
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Quarterback
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