No. 21 Mizzou hopes to bounce back from Texas A&M loss with game at FCS UMass
Missouri quarterback Brady Cook (12) tries to escape Texas A&M linebacker Daymion Sanford (27) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in College Station, Texas. Credit: AP/Eric Gay
No. 21 Missouri (4-1) at UMass (1-5), Saturday, 12 p.m. (ESPN2)
BetMGM College Football Odds: Missouri by 27 1/2.
Series record: First meeting.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Mizzou is trying to bounce back from a 41-10 loss to No. 25 Texas A&M and win its ninth straight nonconference game. UMass has never beaten a Southeastern Conference opponent in 11 tries.
KEY MATCHUP
Mizzou receivers vs. UMass secondary: WR Theo Wease Jr. had 72 yards on two catches, including a 59-yard touchdown, against Texas A&M. Luther Burden III had seven catches for 82 yards against the Aggies and has caught a pass in 27 straight games. He is 74 yards from topping 2,000 in his career.
Missouri running back Nate Noel (8) tries to sidestep Texas A&M defensive back Marcus Ratcliffe (3) during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in College Station, Texas. Credit: AP/Eric Gay
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Mizzou: QB Brady Cook has not thrown an interception in 116 straight pass attempts since his only pickoff against Buffalo on Sept. 7. Last year, he went an SEC record 365 passes without an interception.
UMass: QB Taisun Phommachanh is fourth among FBS quarterbacks with 290 yards after contact when rushing the ball. Even in last week’s 34-20 loss to Northern Illinois he threw for 263 yards and two touchdowns. A week earlier, he ran for 80 yards against Miami of Ohio.
FACTS & FIGURES
Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III (3) is stopped by Texas A&M running back AJ DiNota (25) and defensive back Dalton Brooks (25) after a catch during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in College Station, Texas. Credit: AP/Eric Gay
It’s the first meeting between the teams. … Mizzou is going for a second straight unbeaten record in nonconference play, having already beaten Murray State, Buffalo and Boston College. Last year’s team went 5-0 in nonconference games, including a victory over No. 7 Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. … Mizzou had been ranked as high as No. 6 but dropped to No. 21 after the loss to the Aggies. … The Tigers have been ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 for 18 straight weeks, its longest streak in 10 years. … The offense has converted in 20 of 21 red zone opportunities, 13th-best in the nation and third in the SEC. … RB Nate Noel has led Mizzou in rushing in all five games, including a career-high 199 against Vanderbilt on Sept. 21. … Coach Eliah Drinkwitz is 13-2 in nonconference games at Mizzou. … The Tigers have committed just two turnovers in their first five games – and none in their last three. … Five Minutemen have rushed for a touchdown: CJ Hester (2), Phommachanh (1), Jalen John (1), Brandon Campbell (1) and Jackson Paradis (1). … WR Jakobie Keeney-James had a career-high 150 yards receiving against Miami of Ohio, including a career-longest 66-yard touchdown.
