Matthew Terry
Drew Lock’s run of dominance against group of five and FCS schools continued today, as he shined with 377 yards and five touchdowns in a crushing 52-12 win over the Connecticut Huskies.
The game started out with a struggle for the Tigers, as their first drive ended on a safety after a snap went over the head of punter Corey Fatony to give Connecticut an early 2-0 lead. After that it was all Mizzou, as the Tigers scored touchdowns on four out of their next five possessions, including a pair of touchdowns to redshirt freshman tight end Albert Okwuegbunam, bringing Okwuegbunam to five first quarter touchdowns in his last two games. From then, Mizzou coasted along, with both teams bringing primarily backups for the fourth quarter
This marks Drew Lock’s second straight game with 5+ touchdowns, bringing his total up to 15 in the past three games. Lock has come into his own since the bye week, putting up 18 touchdowns and throwing just two interceptions in the four games since Mizzou’s 1-3 start. The Lee’s Summit native has now put up 28 touchdowns on the year, tied with West Virginia’s Will Grier for most passing touchdowns for all of FBS quarterbacks. However, out of those 28 touchdowns, 18 of them are against the three non-P5 schools Mizzou has faced this year (Missouri State, Idaho, and now Connecticut). Lock’s improvement will be tested as Mizzou finishes with four straight conference opponents.
Mizzou currently sits at 3-5 on the season, and need one more win to match Barry Odom’s win total from his inaugural season last year. With games against struggling SEC teams Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Arkansas on the horizon, Odom has a chance to match or possibly increase on last year’s win total. Next week, the Tigers will play host to the Florida Gators, a team they haven’t beaten since a 42-13 victory in Gainesville in 2014. Florida is currently 3-4, and are coming off a 42-7 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs.