ZOU TO THE LOU: Football Takes On Memphis in St. Louis Saturday - University of Missouri Athletics (2024)

Football 9/22/2023 9:13:00 AM

COLUMBIA, Mo. - University of Missouri football travels 125 miles east this weekend to face off with Memphis in the Mizzou to the Lou Classic inside The Dome at America's Center. Kickoff for Mizzou's first game in St. Louis since 2010 is at 6:30 p.m. CT for a game which airs on ESPNU and the Tiger Radio Network.

Mizzou is receiving votes in both polls and 3-0 for the first time since 2018 following wins over No. 15 Kansas State, South Dakota and Middle Tennessee. Memphis is also 3-0, defeating Bethune-Cookman, Arkansas State and Navy.

BRING OUT THE POP TARTS
• Harrison Mevis' 61-yard field goal to beat No. 15 Kansas State as time expired was selected as the Pop-Tarts Crazy Good Play of the Week.
• The boot set an SEC record, was the second-longest field goal in Mizzou history and earned the senior SEC Special Teams Player of the Week Honors.

LAST TIME OUT - Missouri 30, Kansas State 27
• Harrison Mevis booted a Southeastern Conference-record 61-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Tigers to a 30-27 victory over No. 15 Kansas State at Faurot Field on Saturday.
• The Tigers moved to 3-0 for the first time in five years in front of a crowd of 62,621—their first sellout since 2019.
• Mevis' kick is the second-longest in MU annals, trailing only Tom Whelihan's 62-yarder against Colorado (1986).
• In a back-and-forth game that saw five lead changes, QB Brady Cook turned in the best game of his career, completing 23-of-35 passes for a career-high 356 yards and a pair of TD passes to WR Luther Burden III.
• With Saturday's performance, Cook has thrown 281 consecutive passes without an interception over MU's last nine games, topping Chase Daniel's school record of 254 straight passes without a pick.
• Burden logged his second 100-yard receiving game in a row, finishing with seven receptions for 114 yards to lead the MU receiving corps.
• Mizzou held K-State to 138 rushing yards–a season low for the Wildcats-while the Tigers stopped KSU on 4-of-5 third-down attempts in the fourth period.
• S Joseph Charleston led the team in tackles with nine, including six solo stops and a pass breakup, while fellow DB Kris Abrams-Draine recorded his first interception of the season.

FEEL THE LOVE
• Several Tigers earned accolades for their performances in the upset win over Kansas State.
• K Harrison Mevis was named the SEC's Special Teams Player of the Week after going 3-of-4 on field goal attempts, including the game-winning 61-yarder.
• QB Brady Cook earned one of the Manning Award's Stars of the Week by the All-State Sugar Bowl, as well as a citation for the Davey O'Brien Award's Great 8 List; Cook finished the day 23-of-35 passing for 356 yards, two TDs and a QB Rating of 64.2.
• LB Ty'Ron Hopper picked up Reese's Senior Bowl Defensive Player of the Week laurels after leading the Tigers with eight tackles – six solos and two assists – along with a pair of pass breakups, two quarterback hurries and a tackle for a loss in the 30-27 victory.

ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL
• The Missouri defense has impressed in each of its first three games, particularly against the run; Mizzou ranks 18th in the nation in rush defense, allowing just 132.3 yards per outing to date.
• The Tigers have yet to yield a rushing touchdown on the season and have allowed a combined total of just seven first-quarter points through three contests.
• Mizzou's defense limited South Dakota to 194 yards of total offense in its season opener, marking the lowest single-game total by a Tiger opponent since Oct. 24, 2020 vs. Kentucky.
• Led by SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week Nyles Gaddy, the Tigers logged 4.0 sacks and 12 tackles for losses against Middle Tennessee (Sept. 9), with the latter total representing the most by a Missouri defense since at least the 2000 season.
• MU followed that up by holding No. 15 K-State to its lowest single-game rushing total (138 yards) over its last 11 games, dating back to Oct. 8, 2022, when they totaled 131 yards at Iowa State.

SENIORITIS
• Eleven Tigers sit on the watch list for the 2024 Reese's Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama: DB Kris Abrams-Draine, LB Chad Bailey, DB JC Carlies, DB Joseph Charleston, OL Javon Foster, LB Ty'Ron Hopper, OL Cam'Ron Johnson, RB Nate Peat, DB Ennis Rakestraw Jr., DL Darius Robinson and WR Theo Wease Jr.