An awesome performance by star running back Ahmad Hardy helped No. 23 Mizzou overcome its rival, South Carolina, giving Mizzou back the Mayor’s Cup.
Heading into tonight’s game against South Carolina, there were quite a few questions surrounding the Tigers, mainly about its offensive line and its defense’s ability to cover the star quarterback of the Gamecocks, LaNorris Sellers.
The Tigers managed to run for nearly 300 yards without starting left tackle Cayden Green, trampling over the Gamecock defense even without their entire offensive line. The LaNorris situation on the other hand was much harder to answer, as despite the poor secondary play throughout the game, the secondary stepped up when it mattered the most in the fourth quarter to win the game.
Although the game started very slow, with no scoring in the first quarter, the game’s intensity and scoring accelerated immediately, with the offenses coming alive for nearly 700 combined yards throughout the game. Both teams made crucial plays, like the sack on Sellers before halftime to sap momentum from the Gamecocks, the many explosive passes that LaNorris made and the clutch kicking and defense at the end of the game to win back the Cup for the Tigers.
The kicking game on the other hand was a mixed bag, despite a missed extra point, Freshman Robert Meyer settled in, making all three field goal attempts, including the game’s dagger.Head Coach Eliah Drinkwitz said after the game that had full confidence in Robbie to seal the game. That confidence paid off late, as that kick sent Mizzou to 4-0, but Drinkwitz has maintained the mentality that the Tigers are 1-0, to not make the team complacent mentally.
Beau Pribula has been a dynamo for the Tigers, because, despite his interception in the second quarter, he managed to rack up around 250 all-purpose yards. When asked about how he managed to rattle off after the interception, he mentioned that he installed a mentality that makes him less rattled from big plays in general, instead focusing on the next play time and time again.
LaNorris Sellers gave the Tigers problems all night, passing for over 300 yards despite his questionable condition, making explosive plays to a questionable secondary all night long. When asked about it, Drinkwitz voiced his frustrations, and vowed to fix that problem immediately. Linebacker Nicholas Rodriguez, when asked about how the team clutched up to seal the win on the last drive, talked about the fists up mentality the team has, and the next man mentality as well.
When it comes to the defensive line, defensive lineman Chris McClellan and friends made the running game impossible to get going for the Gamecocks, holding them to a total of -9 rushing yards. When asked about how they managed to stop the running game, McClellan simply appreciated his teammates and looked forward to more stiff competition.
For South Carolina, this loss, no matter how hard fought, was a major disappointment, as despite how strong they capitalized on Mizzou’s mistakes, their poor running attack and 14 total penalties meant they were very undisciplined when it mattered the most, likely costing the Gamecocks their opportunity at a playoff birth.
For Mizzou, they’re celebrating tonight, but tomorrow is all focus on UMass for the rest of the week, as homecoming weekend arrives early for Mizzou.