Knox, Bolton Will Have Expanded Roles as Mizzou Gets Set to Head to Wyoming
8/30/2019 9:56:00 AM | Football
Tigers know about the altitude, but are prepared for the challenges it may bring.
Mizzou Football heads to Wyoming this Saturday to open up it 2019 campaign. War Memorial Stadium in Laramie will be a unique environment, with the elevation providing an unprecedented experience for many of the players on the roster.
"I'm a down south boy,'' said sophomore wide receiver Jalen Knox. "The farthest north I've ever been is probably Arkansas and Missouri."
Knox is not the only one unfamiliar with the elevation. Fellow sophomore and newly appointed starting linebacker Nick Bolton has also never been to the mountains, but has found a trusted source on the situation.
"I talked to Cale (Garrett) about it,'' Bolton said, "he's been on a hiking trip in Colorado."
As Knox pointed out, there is no way to truly prepare for Wyoming's the elevation while practicing in Missouri. The players are doing their best to prepare by staying hydrated on water and beet juice.
The players don't appear bothered by the elevation increase, and their focus remains on the field.
"I'll be alright," Knox said, "I'll go out there and do what I do; play football."
"We're just focused on ourselves,'' Bolton added. "Really just trying to be the best we can come Saturday. Digging into film, watching more film, being prepared, over-prepared, really, going into Wyoming."
Both Knox and Bolton are stepping into bigger roles during their sophomore campaigns in 2019 after both being contributors as true freshmen a year ago. They each appear eager to get the season rolling.
"It's definitely about building on the season I had last year," Knox said. "Trying to do as much as I can for the team. Make sure we come out with wins every week and be the best group that we can be."
Knox says the game has slowed down a lot for him coming into his sophomore season. With a year under his belt, he still takes advice from senior wide receiver Johnathon Johnson and noted that one major difference from last year is having people younger than him on the team.
"There's more young guys under me," Knox said, "Teaching guys like Maurice (Massey) and C.J. (Boone) some of the things I know and learned last year, trying to pick them up and help them."
The wide out believes that the group of freshmen receivers can make an impact this year and continue to build on what the group did last year.
On the other side of the ball Bolton spoke about the tightness of this year's linebacking corps.
"We have a bunch of comedians in the locker room," Bolton said. "We crack jokes all the time."
The linebacker room may be full of comedians, but most of the time is spent getting down to business.
"When it comes to work, we're all communicating. In the meeting room we will talk about fixing things we didn't do well in practice. It's a good learning environment with jokes here and there as well," Bolton said.
No matter the side of the ball, the goal remains the same: get better and win football games.
"I haven't really thought about any personal goals," Knox said. "I've just been going out there trying to win. That's all that really matters to me."
"We go out there to get wins, and out here we come to work and we get better every snap," Bolton added when talking about the linebacking corps work hard play hard mentality.
Bolton also had individual praise for a few of his fellow linebackers both on and off the field.
"Cale's the best leader we have on defense," Bolton said. "I'm flying behind his wing this year."
Leadership comes in many forms, and Bolton also noted the significance of junior Aubrey Miller's presence.
"His attitude," Bolton said. "Aubrey's always the most verbal guy there is, always the most energetic."
The offense is moving into year two under offensive coordinator Derek Dooley and with a season under their belt, there is a higher level of comfort among the players.
"Last year there were a lot of guys still learning the system, even during the season. This year we can expand it and do more things we didn't do last year," Knox said.
The offense will feature a new face under center. Clemson transfer Kelly Bryant will take the helm, and Knox seems comfortable with the new quarterback.
"We definitely have chemistry, that's my guy," Knox said. "He's not a hard guy to get along with or try to build chemistry with. Really from day one it started clicking, now were here better than ever."
Kickoff in Laramie is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and the game will air on CBS Sports Network.
