Missouri gets another stern SEC road assignment Saturday, this time in Athens against No. 1 Georgia.
The Tigers are trying to shake off last week’s 34-20 home loss to Texas and put together the kind of performance that can turn a tough trip into something bigger. Missouri enters at 6-3 overall and 3-3 in SEC play, while Georgia comes in at 8-1 overall and 6-1 in conference action.
Missouri’s setback against Texas was its first home loss of the season, but there were still a few bright spots. Austin Simmons finished 23 of 43 for 252 yards and two touchdowns, and one of the biggest plays of the day came when he found Naeshaun Montgomery for a 72-yard touchdown - the first of Montgomery’s career. On defense, Nicholas Rodriguez kept doing what he’s been doing all year, piling up 12 tackles against the Longhorns.
Georgia, meanwhile, is rolling after a 42-7 win over Ole Miss in Oxford. The Bulldogs controlled the game on both sides of the ball, holding one of the SEC’s top teams to seven points while putting up a lopsided score of their own. They’ve been as imposing as anyone in the country, averaging 41.1 points per game and allowing just 14.
Saturday’s matchup also brings a quarterback and skill-position comparison that shows just how dangerous both teams can be. Simmons has thrown for 2,204 yards and 18 touchdowns, while Jamal Roberts leads Missouri’s ground game with 1,071 yards and nine scores. For Georgia, Gunner Stockton has passed for 1,857 yards and 20 touchdowns, Dwight Phillips Jr. has rushed for 841 yards and two touchdowns, and Talyn Taylor leads the Bulldogs in receiving with 426 yards and six touchdowns.
Missouri On SI beat writers will also provide coverage with a live blog featuring updates throughout Saturday’s game.
In Other News...
Mizzou-Georgia Suddenly Has A Travel Problem Fans Didnt See Coming
Missouri got to Athens before the Federal Aviation Administrations nationwide ground stop hit, so the Tigers are already in place for Saturdays game against Georgia. The FAAs safety-related order has created widespread delays and cancellations across the country, turning what is normally a routine travel day into a logistical mess for teams, officials and broadcast crews trying to get where they need to go.
For Missouri, the good news is that its own travel is already out of the way, but the broader ripple effect still matters around an SEC matchup like this one. The officiating crew and broadcast crew for Missouri-Georgia are confirmed to be on their campuses, while other teams around the country are now weighing alternate travel plans or even delayed kickoffs as they work around the flight restrictions. [Read more 🡒]
Missouri Fans Had The Same Reaction To Georgias First-Half Statement
Georgia wasted little time turning Saturdays matchup into a statement, jumping on Missouri early and carrying a 31-7 lead into halftime. Gunner Stockton was efficient and in control for Georgia, while Nate Frazier did plenty of damage on the ground, and the Bulldogs defense set the tone from the opening snap by forcing an interception on Missouris first play.
For Missouri, the first half was the kind of stretch that leaves a crowd restless and searching for answers. The Tigers were held to 115 total yards and never found much rhythm against a Georgia defense that kept shrinking the field, leaving Missouri fans with the same uneasy reaction as the scoreboard kept tilting further the wrong way. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Faces An Early Test As Jason Crowe Jr. Tries To Back It Up
Missouri heads to Chicago with a quick chance to steady itself after an uneven first week. The Tigers are 2-1 and coming off a loss to Saint Louis, then a 38-point win over Southern Illinois University Edwardsville that was fueled by freshman Jason Crowe Jr.s record-setting 34-point performance, a reminder of how much scoring punch he can bring when Missouri gets rolling.
Marquette is also 2-1 and trying to bounce back after falling to Michigan, which adds a little more edge to this matchup at the United Center. The Golden Eagles have enough talent to make this an early measuring-stick game for Missouri, with Royce Parham and Nigel James Jr. among the players the Tigers will have to track if they want Crowes breakout night to be more than just a one-game headline. [Read more 🡒]