COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri football will host its Southeastern Conference home opener vs. No. 1 Georgia on Saturday, Oct. 1.
Mizzou (2-2, 0-1 SEC) and the No. 1 Bulldogs (4-0, 1-0 SEC) kick off from Faurot Field at 6:30 p.m. CT with the game airing on SEC Network and the Tiger Radio Network.
Saturday's game marks the 12th meeting between the Bulldogs and the Tigers. UGA leads the series, 10-1, including a 9-1 record in SEC play. MU's lone win came during the 2013 season, 41-26, in Athens.
MISSOURI TIGERS
Head Coach: Eliah Drinkwitz (3rd)
Career/Mizzou Record: 25-15 (4th) • 13-14 (3rd)
GEORGIA BULLDOGS
Head Coach: Kirby Smart (7th)
Career/School Record: 70-15 (7th) • Same
GAME INFORMATION
Facility Memorial Stadium / Faurot Field (62,621)
TV SECN (Tom Hart-pxp, Jordan Rodgers-ana, Cole Cubelic-sl)
Online WatchESPN.com / ESPN App
Live Stats StatBroadcast.com
Radio Tiger Radio Network: 1580 AM / 105.1 FM / XM 138 or 191
• Mike Kelly-pxp, Howard Richards-ana, Chris Gervino-sl
Former University of Missouri football head coach Gary Pinkel will be recognized at Saturday's game for his 2022 induction into the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame – an on-campus salute presented by Fidelity Investments – and as a 2022 Southeastern Conference Legend. The ceremony will take place during the first timeout of the first quarter. Learn more.
LAST TIME OUT: MIZZOU
• Missouri had chances to win the game on both the last play of regulation and the last play of the first overtime but Harrison Mevis missed a 26-yard field goal as time ran out in the fourth quarter, and Nathaniel Peat fumbled while going into the end zone for what would have been a game-winning touchdown as the Auburn Tigers survived to win 17-14.
• Auburn's Anders Carlson provided the winning points with a 39-yard field goal in overtime, but that came after he'd missed a 44-yarder but got a second opportunity because of a Missouri offsides penalty.
• In OT, Peat found a big hole and dashed down the left sideline for the endzone. Inside the five, he switched the ball from his left hand to his right reaching for the goal line plane, but the ball slipped free and bounced into the endzone where it was recovered by Auburn's Derick Hall for a game-ending touchback.
• Defense ruled the second half, as neither offense could find rhythm, and the teams combined for 12 punts in the final two frames. With 1:37 to play, Auburn tried to convert on a fourth-and-one situation at the Mizzou 29-yard line. Ty'Ron Hopper stopped Tank Bigsby in the backfield for no gain and Missouri took over on downs. MU's defense held Auburn to 217 total yards, and just 11 yards rushing in the final three quarters plus overtime.
• Brady Cook got his offense moving and completed a 39-yard pass to Dominic Lovett that he caught at the Auburn three-yard line while falling on his back with 0:49 to play. MU moved the ball to the center of the field while running the clock down to 0:03, but Mevis pushed his FG attempt just wide right.
• MU got a 15-yard sack by Isaiah McGuire on a third down that forced the home team to punt. Mizzou took over at its own 21-yard line and marched 79 yards on 11 plays, getting a big pass completion of 40 yards from Cook to Lovett early on. With fourth-and-goal at the one-yard line, Cook called his own number and scored on a QB sneak.
• Auburn had a chance to kick a field goal on the last play of the half, but Carlson missed twice – first from 50 yards, and then from 45 yards after Mizzou was called offsides on the first attempt.
LAST TIME OUT: GEORGIA
• Brock Bowers scored on a 75-yard touchdown run on the second play from scrimmage to get Georgia up and running but the Bulldogs had to work all the way to the end to take down Kent State, 39-22. This one started out like it might be a runaway thanks to Bowers' big burst, but Bulldog miscues (three turnovers, multiple dropped passes and a successful Kent State fake punt) combined with a gritty performance by the Golden Flashes kept the score close all the way through.
• A Kendall Milton one-yard run with 5:30 left in the game made it 39-22, and a Christopher Smith interception soon after finally sealed the victory. Kent State took advantage of another Georgia miscue, a McConkey fumble after a reception, and beat the Bulldog defense with a 56-yard touchdown up the left side, cutting the Bulldog lead to 12-10 with 11:30 to play in the first half.
• Georgia looked to have the Flashes stopped on the ensuing drive, but Kent State pulled off a fake point on fourth-and-1 on their 34 on the final play of the third quarter. Kent State eventually cut Georgia's lead to 32-22 on Marquez Cooper's one-yard touchdown run with 12:13 to play in the game. The Flashes' two-point attempt failed. Georgia, suddenly only up 10, 32-22, in the fourth quarter, had to do something it hadn't all season: make the game-winning plays down the stretch. That included converting a fourth-and-goal from the 1 with 5:30 remaining. With Bear Alexander in as a blocker, Milton ran the ball in to cap the 12-play drive and push Georgia's lead to 39-22.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
• Dominic Lovett's 79-yard reception from Brady Cook vs. ACU is the longest completion to date.
• The Tiger defense is fifth, allowing 301 yards per game.
• Lovett leads in receiving yards per game (94), reception yards (376), and is fourth in receptions per game (5.25).
FIRST TIMERS
• First-time starters in 2022 include: Kibet Chepyator (TE), Jayden Jernigan (DT), Tyler Stephens (TE), Connor Tollison (C), Mitchell Walters (RG), Kristian Williams (DT)
• First Division I snaps in 2022 include: Luther Burden III (WR), LJ Hewitt (DB), Tyler Jones (DB), Armand Membou (OL), Mekhi Miller (WR), Ja'Marion Wayne (DB)
JACK ATTACK
• Jack Stonehouse took over punt duties vs. ACU. He punted twice on the day, neither of which were returnable, including a 53 yarder and a touchback.
• At Auburn, he punted eight times for an average of 48 yards, booting three over 50 yards, including 60- and 68-yard punts while dropping five inside the 20.
• Stonehouse's 68-yard punt is the longest by a Tiger since Corey Fatoney booted a 69-yard punt in the 2018 Liberty Bowl against Oklahoma State.
HOP TO IT
• Through four games, Ty'Ron Hopper totals 25 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss of 24 yards, including two sacks for 15 yards, and one interception for 15 yards.
• He leads the Tigers in total tackles in three of four games played. His 23 solo tackles ranks second among SEC defenders.
• Hopper has logged at least four tackles in all four games this season. Against LA Tech and Auburn, he had multi-TFL games, including a sack in each game.
• Against LA Tech, he snagged the first interception of his career in his first game in Black and Gold.
AIR IT OUT
• Three Tigers have double digit receptions through four games: Dominic Lovett (21), Barrett Banister (11), Luther Burden III (10). Both Lovett (376) and Banister (114) have reached the century mark in totals yards.
• Mizzou has had at least six receivers haul in a reception through four games:
at Auburn - six different receivers
vs. ACU - seven different receivers
at K State - seven different receivers
vs. LA Tech - nine different receivers
WELCOME WILLIAMS
• A transfer from Oregon, Kristian Williams earned the first start of his career vs. Abilene Christian. He also got the nod at DT at Auburn.
• He has one tackle in each game this season, including four in the last two games.
• Williams recorded his first career sack with a loss of two yards on Auburn's Robby Ashford.
FIRST-DOWN BANISTER
• Sixth-year receiver Barrett Banister has played in 48 career games and has hauled in 27+ receptions in three-straight seasons. He's made catches in seven straight games, dating back to Florida in 2021, and three in the first three games of 2022.
• Banister's three receptions in Game 1 made him the third Tiger in history with a reception in five seasons, joining Lamont Downer (1974-78) and George Shorthose (1980-84).
• Against Abilene Christian, Banister had four catches for 44 yards, surpassing 100 career receptions. He's the 25th Tiger to hit the milestone. He totals 102 catches and 912 yards.
• A Spring 2021 cum laude graduate, Banister is a 2022 AFCA Good Works Team nominee and was a 2021 Burlsworth Trophy nominee. He is Mizzou's nominee for the NFF Campbell Trophy, the Wuerffel Trophy and the AFCA Good Works Team. He is a four-time member of the SEC Honor Roll and was a 2021 CoSIDA Academic All-District selection.
DOWN FOR DOMO
• At Auburn, Dominic Lovett racked up 102 receiving yards on the Auburn defense. He is the first Mizzou player to have consecutive 100-yard receiving performances since Emanuel Hall in the first two games of 2018.
• Against Abilene Christian, Lovett hauled in his first career receiving touchdown on a 79-yard dot from Brady Cook, MU's longest play from scrimmage since Drew Lock connected with Johnathon Johnson for an 85-yard score in the 2018 Liberty Bowl against Oklahoma State.
• Lovett finished his career day with seven receptions for 132 yards. He tacked on his second touchdown of the day on a 13-yard score in the waning moments of the third quarter.
• His 132 receiving yards are the most by a Mizzou receiver since Johnathon Johnson racked up 185 yards in the 2018 Liberty Bowl against Oklahoma State.
CODY'S AT HOME
• Cody Schrader is living the Tiger tale. A transfer from Division II Truman State and native of St. Louis, he joined the Missouri program in January, 2022.
• He's scored rushing touchdowns in three of Mizzou's four games this season, totaling 40 carries for 173 yards.
• Schrader earned his first DI start on Sept. 1, making the most of his opportunity with a five-yard touchdown to open up the second quarter.
• In 2021, Schrader lead all of Division II with 2,074 rushing yards on 300 carries and 24 touchdowns. He played in 29 career games.
TO THE HOUSE
• Luther Burden III took a 78-yard punt return to the house following Abilene Christian's first drive of the game. This is the first time Mizzou's initial score was a punt return since the 1939 contest against Oklahoma.
• Burden becomes the seventh Tiger in program history to record a rushing, receiving, and punt-return score in the same season, last accomplished by Marcus Murphy in 2014.
• Burden's return was the first for the Tigers since Richaud Floyd took a 71-yard punt return for six against SEMO in 2019, and the longest since Floyd took an 85-yard punt return to the house against Idaho in 2017.
• Burden racked up 111 yards off of punt returns on Saturday, making him the seventh player in program history with at least 110 punt return yards in a game, and the first since Richaud Floyd in 2017 against Idaho (118).
2022 FOOTBALL TICKETS
Season, single-game and group tickets are available for the 2022 football season at Faurot Field by calling 1-800-CAT-PAWS or by visiting the football tickets page online.
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