The Mizzou Tigers are 5-0 and ranked No. 21 in this week’s AP Top 25 football poll. (Photo: Terrance Williams)

Mizzou Football – Gameday Info
Game No. 6 – #23 LSU (3-2) at #21 Missouri (5-0)
Date/Time – October 7, 2023 – 11 am
Location – Faurot Field — Columbia, MO
Broadcast – ESPN
Live Stats – Mizzou Live Stats

Cedric Williams
Staff Writer

COLUMBIA, MO — Opening the season with five straight wins has been truly exciting for University of Missouri football fans. But the real fun may come in the second half of the season, with a flurry of Southeastern Conference games that will all have a much bigger meaning now that the Tigers have begun the year 5-0.

The first of those huge matchups comes this Saturday, when Missouri will host longtime SEC bad boy LSU, in a contest Mizzou fans have had circled since the schedule came out last winter.

“We’re all excited about this matchup,” Mizzou head coach Eli Drinkwitz said in his weekly meeting with the media on Tuesday. “We’re excited to see how our fans look and how fired up they can get for a big game like this.”

When it hits Faurot Field on Saturday, Missouri will be going for its fourth home win this year. The Tigers will also be looking to go 6-0 for the first time since 2013, when the team won the first of two SEC East titles under legendary head coach Gary Pinkel.

Mizzou reached 5-0 by knocking off Vanderbilt 38-21 last week, in what was probably the Tigers’ most impressive performance of the season. Missouri posted 532 yards of total offense and registered 28 first downs on its way to a dominating road win over the Commodores.

LSU is coming off a difficult 55-49 loss last week at Ole Miss. The Bayou Bengals gave up more than 700 yards, including 317 rushing yards, and got pushed all over the field in a way no one ever expected to see — at least not an LSU team.

For the season though, LSU’s pass defense has been even worse. The Tigers are ranked 108th nationally and are giving up 260.2 passing yards per game.

“Honestly, when you go back and watch the game against Ole Miss, I mean Ole Miss’ quarterback played exceptionally,” Drinkwitz said. “A really quick decision-maker. Got the ball to his guys in space. And then you look at the running back, (he) played outstanding. A lot of yards after contact, was able to navigate some really tight holes and (was) very hard to tackle. So, I don’t know that that one all goes on their secondary.”

If the No. 23-ranked purple-and-gold Tigers are going to get their season back on track, they’re going to need a much better performance Saturday at Mizzou.

Players to Watch: The Missouri offense has been dynamite the last few weeks. Quarterback Brady Cook has played better than nearly everyone expected.

He’ll come into Saturday’s game fourth in the SEC in passing yards (1,468), tied for second in touchdown passes (11), and second by himself in QBR rating (187.67). Last week at Vanderbilt, Cook threw 395 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Tigers.

He also set a new record for most consecutive passes without an interception. That number is now up to 347.

Sophomore wide receiver Luther Burden has also been phenomenal. He leads the SEC with 644 receiving yards and also has five touchdown catches.

Last week, he posted his fourth straight 100-yard game, with an 11-catch, 140-yard, two-touchdown effort at Vanderbilt.

Mizzou also has other standout receivers in Theo Wease and Marquis Johnson, along with running back Cody Schrader, who ranks second in the conference with 463 rushing yards.

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is the SEC leader in passing. He has 1,710 yards and 16 touchdowns. Those numbers also rank No. 3 nationally among all quarterbacks and have some thinking if LSU could just win more, Daniels could be a candidate to win the Heisman trophy.

Up Next: Mizzou will be back on the road next week, with a trip to Lexington to take on current No. 20 Kentucky. The Wildcats are on the road at No. 1 Georgia this week, playing what they already consider their biggest game of the season.

Missouri’s next home game will come in two weeks, on October 21, when the Tigers will host South Carolina.

When Missouri Has the Ball

Missouri’s Offense vs. LSU’s Defense

When LSU Has the Ball

Missouri’s Defense vs. LSU’s Offense

2023 MISSOURI TIGERS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

DateTimeAtOpponentLocationTVRadio
October 7, 2023 (Saturday)11:00 AMHome#23 LSUFaurot FieldTiger Radio Network
October 14, 2023 (Saturday)6:00 PM/6:30 PMAway#20 KentuckyLexington, Ky.ESPN or SEC NetworkTiger Radio Network
October 21, 2023 (Saturday)TBAHomeSouth CarolinaFaurot FieldTiger Radio Network
November 4, 2023 (Saturday)TBAAway#1 GeorgiaAthens, Ga.Tiger Radio Network
November 11, 2023 (Saturday)TBAHome#22 TennesseeFaurot FieldTiger Radio Network
November 18, 2023 (Saturday)TBAHomeFloridaFaurot FieldTiger Radio Network
November 24, 2023 (Friday)3:00 PMAwayArkansasFayetteville, Ark.CBSTiger Radio Network