Mizzou Football (4-3, 4-3 SEC) will have more hardware on the line as it welcomes SEC West cross-divisional rival Arkansas (3-5, 3-5 SEC) to Memorial Stadium for the Battle Line Rivalry, Presented by Shelter Insurance®. The winner will receive the massive Battle Line Trophy, which is made of silver and stands more than four feet tall and weighs more than 180 pounds. The trophy depicts the outline of the two states with the border of the two states being divided by interchangeable silver inserts with the words Battle Line in either gold or cardinal. The color of the Battle Line within the trophy will be reflective of the winner of the series' most recent game. It has been gold for the last four years, as Mizzou has won the last four meetings.
Mizzou, winners of four of five and two straight, is coming off of a dominant 41-0 dismantling of Vanderbilt last Saturday at The Zou. It was Mizzou's first SEC shutout since blanking Arkansas, 38-0, to close the 2018 season. It was also Mizzou's largest margin of victory in an SEC game. Over its last three wins, it has been a complete team effort with the defense limiting opponents to just 20 total points in the last three wins.
Arkansas dropped a 27-24 decision to defending national champion LSU two Saturdays ago in Fayetteville. LSU scored the game's go-ahead TD with 3:59 remaining and held on for the win. Arkansas had an open week last Saturday after COVID cases within its program forced it to cancel its originally-scheduled game at Mizzou.
HONORING THE SENIORS
This Saturday, Mizzou will honor its 17 seniors as part of the annual Senior Day festivities at Memorial Stadium. In a tradition that dates back many years, each senior will walk over to the giant Rock M located in Memorial Stadium's north end zone and pick a rock to commemorate their years in the program. Below is a list of the players who will be honored Saturday:
Last week, Mizzou was originally scheduled to play Arkansas on Nov. 28 before COVID cases dropped the Razorbacks below the threshold required to play. The SEC then moved Mizzou's Vanderbilt game, scheduled for Dec. 12, to Nov. 28. Then last Friday, it was announced that Arkansas and Mizzou would play the make-up game this Saturday (Dec. 5), moving Mizzou's game at Mississippi State to a day TBD. That marked another in a long line of schedule changes that the Tigers have endured this season. It was the seventh time Mizzou has had a game altered in 11 weeks this season. Below is a look:
• Oct. 10 vs. LSU - moved from Baton Rouge to Columbia due to Hurricane Delta.
• Oct. 17 vs. Vanderbilt - Postponed until Dec. 12 due to COVID issues within Vanderbilt program.
• Oct. 24/31 - Mizzou flip-flopped its scheduled games with Florida and Kentucky due to COVID issues within
the Florida program. The Tigers played UK on Oct. 24 (originally scheduled for Oct. 31) and UF on Oct. 31
(originally scheduled for Oct. 24).
• Nov. 14 - Georgia game postponed due to COVID issues in the Mizzou program.
• Nov. 28 - Arkansas game postponed and Vanderbilt game moved from Dec. 12 to Nov. 28.
• Dec. 5 - Arkansas game moved to Dec. 5 instead of originally-scheduled Mississippi State road contest.
Of course, Mizzou's final two games against Georgia and Mississippi State are still TBD as well, so schedule flexibility is a must for this year's crew.
Drinkwitz Has Deep Roots in Arkansas
Mizzou's first-year bench boss Eliah Drinkwitz is no stranger to the Natural State as his hometown is Alma, Ark., a four-stoplight community with a population of around 5,000, located 45 minutes south of Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
Drinkwitz began his coaching career as an assistant on the Alma High School staff in 2005 before moving to Springdale High School to be the offensive coordinator from 2006-09. He moved on to Auburn as a quality control analyst from 2010-11 before heading to Arkansas State as the team's running backs coach in 2012 and co-offensive coordinator in 2013.
Drinkwitz is a 2004 graduate of Arkansas Tech, earning a BS in education.
Familiar Face on the Arkansas Sideline
When Mizzou lines up against Arkansas this Saturday, it will do so against former head coach Barry Odom, who is in his first season as Arkansas' defensive coordinator. Odom spent four years as head coach at Mizzou (2016-19), compiling a 25-25 record, and spent 17 seasons working with the program in some capacity.
Series with Arkansas
Mizzou leads the all-time series with Arkansas, 8-3, and has won the last four meetings. Since joining the SEC, Mizzou is 5-1 against the Razorbacks with the only loss coming in a rainy, cold Fayetteville during the 2015 season.
In last year's meeting, Mizzou escaped Little Rock's War Memorial Stadium with a 24-14 win to finish the season 6-6 and 3-5 in the SEC. Arkansas took a 14-10 lead with 13:34 remaining in the third quarter, but Mizzou scored the game's final 14 points on a Tyler Badie 3-yard TD run and a 10-yard TD grab from former Arkansas wideout Jonathan Nance with 8:47 remaining. WR Tauskie Dove made arguably the play of that game, hauling in a 37-yard grab in the middle of two defenders on a third-and-10 that helped Mizzou extend the drive that culminated in Nance's TD grab to ice the game. Mizzou RS freshman QB Connor Bazelak started that game, his first career start. Mizzou is now 5-1 in games started by Bazelak after Mizzou's win over Vanderbilt.
In the 2018 meeting, Mizzou finished the regular season 8-4 (4-4 SEC) after earning a dominant, 38-0, victory over the Hogs. On Senior Day, a day when the program's 19 seniors were honored while playing their final home game, it was Mizzou's defense that was dominant from start to finish. The Tigers posted 8.0 tackles for loss, including a season-high 5.0 sacks, 4.0 of which came in the first half. Mizzou limited the Razorbacks to 187 total yards, including just 52 on the ground. It was Mizzou's first shutout over an FBS team since Nov. 28, 2010, against Iowa State.
Mizzou senior QB Drew Lock, playing in his final home game, went 16-for-25 for 221 yards and two TDs while rushing for two more scores. He exited the game in the fourth quarter to a standing-ovation from the crowd. Lock set the SEC's passing TD record in the Tigers 2017 win at Arkansas before it was broken by Joe Burrow last year.
One of the more memorable matchups between Mizzou and Arkansas came during the 2007 season in the 2008 Cotton Bowl. In that game, Mizzou earned a 38-7 win to finish with an 11-2 record and a No. 4 national ranking. Mizzou senior RB Tony Temple set a single-game Cotton Bowl Classic rushing record with 281 yards and four touchdowns in the victory.
LAST TIME OUT
Mizzou Football defeated SEC East foe Vanderbilt, 41-0, last Saturday afternoon (Nov. 28) at Memorial Stadium, improving to 4-3 (4-3 SEC) in head coach Eliah Drinkwitz's first season at the helm of the program. The Tigers used a stout defensive effort, limiting Vanderbilt to 196 total yards, and a dominant rushing attack from Larry Rountree III and Tyler Badie who helped Mizzou rush for 223 yards on the ground in the win.
The win marked Mizzou's first SEC shutout since the 2018 season-finale when Mizzou defeated Arkansas, 38-0. It was Mizzou's first shutout since a 50-0 win over SEMO, Sept. 14, 2019. The win marked Mizzou's largest margin of victory in an SEC game since joining the league.
The Tigers have now won four of the last five games, with their only loss in that span coming at No. 10 Florida on Halloween night. Mizzou has allowed just 20 points over its last three wins.
Junior Nick Bolton once again anchored a dominant defensive performance, posting nine tackles with 2.0 tackles for loss and one sack with a pass breakup. Rountree also rushed for a career-high three touchdowns and 160 yards on 21 carries to lead the offense. Thanks to the rushing attack, Mizzou never punted in the game.
Junior RB Tyler Badie posted seven catches and 102 yards (both career-highs) while rushing for 18 yards on five carries with a score. He is the first Mizzou running back to post a 100-yard receiving game since Michael Jones (1987-90) had 118 yards receiving against Nebraska in 1990.
OTHER NOTABLES FROM LAST SATURDAY'S WIN
Mizzou secured its first shutout victory since blanking Southeast Missouri a year ago (Sept. 14, 2019).
The Tigers' dominant 41-point triumph Saturday marked their largest-ever margin of victory against an SEC opponent. Mizzou's previous standard was 38 points, as it shutout Arkansas two years ago in Columbia (Nov. 23, 2018).
Mizzou's offense was clicking on all cylinders against Vanderbilt, accumulating 603 total yards (380 passing yards, 223 rushing yards). It's the most single-game total yards produced by the Tigers in two years, as they tallied a collective 637 total yards vs. Oklahoma State in the Liberty Bowl (Dec. 31, 2018). It was their fourth-most yards ever in an SEC game. Mizzou is now 22-3 all-time when hanging 600 yards of total offense on its opponent.
Senior RB Larry Rountree III tallied a 7-yard rushing touchdown on Mizzou's opening drive, marking his fourth consecutive game with a score on the ground. The four-straight contests with a rushing touchdown is tied for the longest of Rountree's career (final game of 2018, plus opening three games in 2019).
Rountree's impressive four-game streak is the longest by a Tiger since Marcus Murphy, as he accomplished the feat over Mizzou's first four games in 2013. Additionally, Kendial Lawrence was the last Tiger to also produce four consecutive rushing scores in SEC play (2012).
With a pair of 25-plus yard rushes Saturday, Rountree III now possesses 18-such career rushes. He now moves into solo possession of third place all-time of 25-plus yard rushing plays.
In the second quarter, Rountree added another 7-yard rushing touchdown, clinching the seventh multi-rushing touchdown game of his career. The Raleigh, N.C., native tacked on a 25-yard rushing score early in the fourth quarter, tying his single-game career-best mark of three rushing touchdowns. Rountree III is now responsible for the last two Tigers individual performances of three-plus rushing touchdowns, joining his performance two years ago vs. Memphis (Oct. 20, 2018).
Rountree III's fourth quarter score gave Mizzou four overall rushing touchdowns Saturday. It's the first time the Tigers tallied four rushing scores in a single-game in two years (Sept. 22, 2018 vs. Georgia).
Junior RB Tyler Badie filled the stat sheet Saturday, totaling 18 yards and a touchdown on the ground, while totaling 102 yards on seven receptions in the passing game. The seven receptions matched his single-game career-high (seven at Wyoming - Aug. 31, 2019) and his 102 receiving yards easily established a new career-best, surpassing his previous standard of 82 (at Kentucky - Oct. 26, 2019).
Badie's 102 receiving yards marked the Tigers' first 100-plus receiving yards performance by a running back in 30 years. Mike Jones last accomplished the feat with 118 receiving yards from the running back position against Nebraska (Oct. 13, 1990).
Redshirt freshman QB Connor Bazelak was highly productive and efficient despite not throwing a touchdown Saturday, going 30-of-37 (81%) with 318 passing yards. It stood as his second game this season with a completion percentage greater than 81% and 300-plus passing yards. Since 2000, Bazelak and Chase Daniel are the only Tiger QB's with multiple contests of 81% or higher completion percentages.
Behind an highly-productive first half (8 rec., 62 yards), redshirt sophomore WR Tauskie Dove surpassed his single-game career-high in receptions. It surpassed his previous high of six receptions earlier this season vs. LSU (Oct. 10).
Freshman RB Elijah Young easily enjoyed his most productive outing yet as a Tiger, totaling a season-high 52 yards on four attempts. His rush of 35 yards in the fourth quarter was the longest by any player from either squad Saturday.
Freshman QB Brady Cook made his Mizzou debut in the fourth quarter, leading the Tigers to a five play, 67-yard touchdown producing drive. He capped off the impressive drive with his first career touchdown throw, connecting with graduate WR Damon Hazelton on a 25-yard strike in the corner of the end zone. It also marked Hazelton's first career touchdown reception as a Tiger.
For the second-straight game, Mizzou shut out its opposition in the first half. The Tigers limited the Commodores' offense to only 93 total yards (44 passing yards, 49 rushing yards) in the first 30 minutes of action Saturday. Additionally, Vanderbilt only managed six first downs in the opening half.
The Tigers routinely pressured Vanderbilt's quarterback, leading to 3.0 total sacks. Redshirt sophomore DE Trajan Jeffcoat added onto his team-high sack total, now possessing 4.0 takedowns on the year.
Mizzou recorded its first turnover of the afternoon in the third quarter, as sophomore MLB Devin Nicholson registered his first forced fumble of the season and junior CB Jarvis Ware earned his first fumble recovery this year. Following his game-clinching interception last week vs. South Carolina (Nov. 21), Nicholson has now posted turnovers in back to back contests.
Freshman K Harrison Mevis capped off Mizzou's opening drive of the second half with a 21-yard field goal. He has produced at least one made field goal in all seven contests this season.
Mevis added a 44-yard field goal on the Tigers' next drive of the third quarter, marking his third 40-plus yard field goal this season.
BOLTON IS THE NATION'S BEST LINEBACKER, DON'T @ US
As national award season approaches, allow us to take this time to launch a campaign for Nick Bolton to be considered for basically every national defensive player of the year award. He is undoubtedly the best defensive player Mizzou has at any position, and has been a workhorse all season for Coach Drinkwitz and DC Ryan Walters, playing in all seven games. Here are the awards he is currently in consideration for with three games still to play:
o Nagurski Trophy
o Bednarik Award
o Butkus Award
o Lott IMPACT Trophy
o Jason Witten Man of the Year
With a skillset and a track-record known nationally coming into the season, Bolton has not disappointed during his junior campaign when other players with similar credentials were opting out. A projected first-round draft pick, Bolton has done plenty to impress NFL scouts this season. He is coming off of another game where he was just flying all over the field while filling the stat sheet. He had nine tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack and a pass breakup while sitting much of the second half as Mizzou had put the game away, keying Mizzou's first SEC shutout since 2018. All nine of his tackles last Saturday were solo tackles.
He now ranks 16th nationally and seventh in Power 5 in tackles per game (10.86). That mark is third-best in the SEC as well.
Bolton has 28 more tackles than the next-closest Mizzou defender with 76 on the year (53 solo), and leads the team in tackles for loss (7.0).
He is fifth in the SEC in tackles for loss as well.
Bolton was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week following Mizzou's win over Kentucky, posting seven tackles in the dominant defensive performance, while the seven tackles may not seem like many by Bolton's lofty standards, it's important to note that he tallied those seven solo tackles among just 28 team tackles against Kentucky as the Wildcats ran just 36 offensive plays.
Since Oct. 12, 2019, after Mizzou senior captain LB Cale Garrett went down with a season-ending injury, Bolton has tallied 147 tackles over the last 14 games (10.5 per-game average).
The last Tiger to average better than 10.5 tackles per game over a similar span was LB Kentrell Brothers during his All-American 2015 season when he led the nation with 152 tackles. Brothers averaged 12.7 tackles per game that year and 12.2 over the final 14 games of his career.
Bolton's 17 tackles at Tennessee are tied for the second-most at Mizzou since the turn of the century and are the most since a 20-takcle performance by LB Sean Weatherspoon against Buffalo on Sept. 20, 2008.
Bolton has entered the prestigious 21-MPH club at Mizzou as the strength staff tracks each players' top speed. At 6-0, 235 pounds, Bolton is by far the heaviest player on the team to run faster than 21 MPH, showing why he has NFL scouts turning their heads to watch him play.
Bazelak is The Guy at QB
With Mizzou winning four of its last five games, one of the keys to the recovery from an 0-2 start was the emergence of RS freshman Connor Bazelak as the team's starting quarterback. In his young career, Bazelak is now 5-1 as a starting QB dating back to his first career start at Arkansas last season.
In his six career starts, Mizzou's freshman QB is now 134-for-183 (73.2%) for 1,416 yards and five touchdowns against only one INT, most importantly winning five of those six games.
He was highly productive and efficient despite not throwing a touchdown last Saturday vs. Vandy, going 30-of-37 (81%) with 318 passing yards. It stood as his second game this season with a completion percentage greater than 81% and 300-plus passing yards. Since 2000, Bazelak and Chase Daniel, a 2007 Heisman finalist, are the only Tiger QBs with multiple contests of an 81% or higher completion percentage.
He was the first Mizzou QB to complete 30 passes in a game since Kelly Bryant did so in last year's season-opener at Wyoming.
Running Game Revived as Borom, Delgado Return
In Mizzou's dominant win over Kentucky on Oct. 24, the Tigers ran the ball for 220 yards (then a season-high) as it won its second straight game. Unfortunately in that game, Mizzou lost its starting left guard Xavier Delgado and starting RT Larry Borom to injury late in that game.
With Borom and Delgado on the shelf with those injuries, Mizzou struggled to get the run game untracked against Florida and South Carolina. In fact, in those two games Mizzou rushed for just 138 yards on 57 attempts (2.4 avg.), and in turn it managed just 34 points in those two games.
But, last Saturday against Vanderbilt both Borom and Delgado came back from their injuries and Mizzou seemingly got the run game going again, rushing for a season-high 223 yards and four scores on the ground. It was Mizzou's most rushing yards in a game since hanging 233 on Ole Miss in a 38-27 Homecoming win on Oct. 12, 2019, a span of 12 games.
Borom is Mizzou's highest-graded O-Lineman this season according to Pro Football Focus, checking in an 82.4 over 364 snaps this season. He has allowed just one QB hurry and no QB hits this season.
A DECEMBER TO REMEMBER
Mizzou is expected to play three regular-season games during the calendar's 12th month for the first time since 1896 when it went 4-0 in such games. The Tigers are 9-6 in regular season games December games and 9-10 in the month of December if you count conference championship games.
Mizzou's last regular season non-championship game in December came during the 2001 season.
Mizzou's last regular season December win was a 15-13 decision over Kansas on Dec. 1, 1952.
