Mizzou Football Dominates Kentucky, 20-10

Saturday, October 24

Columbia, Mo.

3 p.m. (CT)

University of Missouri

3-2 , 3-2

Kentucky

2-3 , 2-3

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Kentucky

Missouri

10/24/2020 7:32:00 PM | Football

Box Score 2020 Mizzou Football Season Stats Game Book Mizzou 20, Kentucky 10 2020 Football In Game Notes

Larry Rountree III rushed for 126 yards on 37 carries against the Wildcats

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Football dominated both sides of the field as the Tigers posted a 20-10 win over Kentucky on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium. The win ended a five-game skid to the Wildcats and moved Mizzou to 2-2 on the season.

Mizzou's defense held Kentucky to 145 yards of offense, 47 passing and 98 rushing. The 47 passing yards allowed were the fewest ever by a Southeastern Conference opponent since the Tigers joined the league in 2012. It also marked the first time Mizzou allowed fewer than 150 yards of total offense since Delaware State on Sept. 24, 2016. The Tigers forced four three-and-outs and only allowed two third down conversions on nine attempts and were the first team this season to not allow Kentucky to enter the red zone.

Senior RB Larry Rountree III led the Tigers offense with 126 yards rushing on 37 attempts, a career-high. He moved into third place on the Mizzou all-time rushing list with 3,144 yards and fifth on the Mizzou all-time rushing touchdown list with 29 touchdowns. Rountree's 37 carries were more than Kentucky's total offensive plays (36). Mizzou had a 43:10 to 16:50 time of possession advantage in the win.

Mizzou was 14-of-25 combined on third and fourth down (10-for-20 on third, and four-for-five on fourth), leading to the lopsided possession advantage.

Recap

Mizzou took a 10-3 lead into the locker room at the intermission, using a Larry Rountree one-yard TD run and a Harrison Mevis 18-yard FG as time expired in the second quarter. The Tiger defense was the story of the first half, limiting UK to just 65 yards and a 1-for-6 mark on third down. Key in that was just nine passing yards allowed by Mizzou.

The Tigers got the ball to open the third quarter and orchestrated a 21-play drive that ate up 9:35 of playing time down to the Kentucky seven-yard line. But the Tigers got stopped trying to convert their third fourth-down conversion of the drive as QB Connor Bazelak was sacked by UK's Yusuf Corker, giving the ball back the Wildcats as the Tigers camp up empty.

Mizzou increased its lead to 17-3 with 45 seconds left in the third quarter on Rountree's second rushing touchdown of the day.

The Wildcats responded with a touchdown of their own early in the fourth to cut the game to 17-10. After a three-and-out by the Tiger defense, Mizzou ran 7:04 off the clock in a 15-play drive that ended in a 20-yard field goal by freshman K Harrison Mevis for a 10-point Tiger advantage.

Senior S Joshuah Bledsoe then a forced fumble on Kentucky's ensuing possession to seal the Mizzou victory. It was his second consecuitve game posting the game-clinching play on defense, following his game-winning, fourth-down pass breakup against LSU on Oct. 10.

TOP TIGERS

Senior RB Larry Rountree III scored both of Mizzou's touchdowns on the day and finished the day with 126 rushing yards. His 37 carries were a career high.
Rountree passed Brock Olivio and moved into third-place, second among non-quarterbacks, on the Mizzou all-time rushing yards list with 3,144 career yards. He moved into fifth on the career touchdowns list with 29.
Redshirt Freshman QB Connor Bazelak threw for 201 yards and rushed for a career-high 40 yards. Bazelak was 210-for-30 on the day.
Junior LB Nick Bolton led the Tiger defense with seven tackles and a sack.
Freshman K Harrison Mevis was 2-for-2 on field goal attempts and 2-for-2 on PAT attempts.
Sophomore TE Niko Hea posted career highs in receptions (four) and receiving yards (31), including two first down grabs to move Mizzou into field goal position right before halftime.
Receivers Jalen Knox (60 yards) and Damon Hazleton (51 yards) led the Tigers through the air.

Up Next

Mizzou will head to Gainesville, Fla., next Saturday to take on the Florida Gators. The game is set to kickoff at 6:30 p.m. CT and will air on SEC Network Alternate.