Mizzou quarterback Brady Cook has 1,132 passing yards and five touchdowns this season. (Photo: Cedric Williams)
AMHERST, MA — One week after taking one of the program’s most deflating losses in several seasons, the University of Missouri football team will hit the road for one of its strangest road games of recent memories.
Missouri’s going to play at UMass on Saturday in a game that really seems like it has no reason being played.
Even after last week’s debacle loss to Texas A&M, Mizzou is still one of the best teams in the country. They play in the SEC. And they are ranked No. 21 in the country.
UMass is a long way from that. The Minutemen rank No. 100 or worse in everything but pass defense. And that’s mostly because teams don’t throw the ball against them because they usually have no trouble running the ball on UMass’s defense.
Mizzou will face UMass licking its wounds after last week’s beatdown. But the Tigers can put themselves back on track with a strong showing against the lowly Minutemen.
Mizzou’s Nate Noel leads the team with 471 rushing yards this season. (Photo: Cedric Williams)
Players to Watch: Mizzou’s running backs should be the primary stars of this game. Starter Nate Noel is sixth in the SEC in rushing, with 471 yards and a 6.0 yards per carry average.
Backup and line banger Marcus Carroll has 190 yards and averages 4.4 yards per carry. Both players have two touchdowns this season.
Quarterback Brady Cook has thrown for 1,132 yards and five touchdowns this season, with receivers Theo Wease, Jr. and Luther Burden III leading the team in receiving.
Wease has 28 catches for 359 yards and a touchdown. Burden is right behind, with 26 catches for 339 yards and four touchdowns.
The Tiger defense is led by linebacker Corey Flagg, Jr., who has a team-high 26 tackles (14 solo). Safety Marvin Burks, Jr., has 25 tackles and defensive lineman Chris McClellan has 20 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, and 1.5 quarterback sacks.
Linebacker Corey Flagg, Jr., leads Mizzou with 26 tackles this season. (Photo: Cedric Williams)
UMass is led by dual threat quarterback, Taisun Phommachanh, who leads the Minutemen in passing (1,280 yards, 7 touchdowns) and rushing (253 yards, 1 touchdown).
UMass’s top big-play threat is receiver Jakobie Keeney-James, who has 23 catches for 462 yards and three touchdowns. Teammate T.Y. Harding has only eight catches this season, but has scored three touchdowns and averages 24.8 yards per catch.
Defensively, the Minutemen are led by linebacker Jalen Stewart, who has 37 tackles (15 solo) and safety Te’Rai Powell, who has 29 tackles (16 solo).
Probable Starters
Missouri Offense Missouri Defense
QB – 12 Brady Cook – Sr. DE – 9 Zion Young – Jr.
RB – 8 Nate Noel – Sr. DT – 5 Kristian Williams – Gr.
WR – 1 Theo Wease, Jr. – Sr. DT – 7 Chris McClellan – Jr.
WR – 3 Luther Burden III – Gr. DE – 15 Johnny Walker, Jr. – Gr.
WR – 5 Mookie Cooper – Sr. LB – 14 Triston Newson – Gr.
LT – 52 Marcus Bryant – Sr. LB – 30 Chuck Hicks – Gr.
LG – 70 Cayden Green – So. CB – 2 Toriano Pride, Jr. – Jr.
C – 55 Connor Tollison – Jr. S – 1 Marvin Burks, Jr. – So.
RG – 74 Cam’ron Johnson – Gr. S – 13 Daylan Carnell – Jr.
RT – 79 Armand Membou – Jr. S – 28 Joseph Charleston – Gr.
TE – 87 Brett Norfleet – So. CB – 12 Dreyden Norwood – Jr.
PK – 19 Blake Craig – Fr. P – 93 Luke Bauer – Gr.
UMass Offense UMass Defense
QB – 1 Taisun Phommachanh – Sr. DE – 13 Jaylen Hudson – Gr.
RB – 21 Jalen John – Jr. DT – 10 Tim Grant-Randall – Gr.
WR – 4 Sterling Galban – Gr. DT – 49 Shamdre Jackson – Jr.
WR – 11 Jakobie Keeney-James – Jr. DE – 18 Louce Julien – Jr.
WR – 2 Jacquon Gibson – So. LB – 23 Jalen Stewart – Sr.
LT – 63 Brayden Rohme – Gr. LB – 22 Gerrell Johnson – Sr.
LG – 66 Wyatt Terlaak – Jr. LB – 15 Derrieon Craig – Jr.
C – 60 Josh Atwood – Sr. CB – 7 Lake Ellis – Gr.
RG – 72 Ethan Mottingers – Sr. FS – 21 Te’Rai Powell – Sr.
RT – 79 Ryan Mosesso – Jr. SS – 4 Tyler Rudolph – So.
TE – 81 Dominick Mazotti – Gr. CB – 2 Isaiah Rutherford – Sr.
PK – 29 Jacob Lurie – Gr. P – 95 C.J. Kolodziey – Sr.
Up Next: The Tigers will be back home next weekend, with a matchup against the Auburn Tigers on Saturday, October 19. Kickoff will either be at 11 or 11:45 a.m., and the game will be televised on either ESPN or the SEC Network.
MISSOURI TIGERS 2024 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | TV | Radio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
October 12, 2024 (Saturday) | 11 AM | Away | UMass | Amherst, Mass. | Tiger Radio Network | |
October 19, 2024 (Saturday) | TBA | Home | Auburn | Columbia, Mo. / Faurot Field | Tiger Radio Network | |
October 26, 2024 (Saturday) | TBA | Away | #7 Alabama | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | Tiger Radio Network | |
November 9, 2024 (Saturday) | TBA | Home | #18 Oklahoma | Columbia, Mo. / Faurot Field | Tiger Radio Network | |
November 16, 2024 (Saturday) | TBA | Away | South Carolina | Columbia, S.C. | Tiger Radio Network | |
November 23, 2024 (Saturday) | TBA | Away | Mississippi State | Starkville, Miss. | Tiger Radio Network | |
November 30, 2024 (Saturday) | TBA | Home | Arkansas | Columbia, Mo. / Faurot Field | Tiger Radio Network |