Brigham Young @ Missouri preview
Arrowhead Stadium
The Missouri football team might be relieved to turn its attention to the field for Saturday’s neutral-site clash with BYU in Kansas City – a non-conference matchup that almost didn’t happen. The Tigers look to end a tumultuous week – and a four-game losing streak – when they take on the Cougars at Arrowhead Stadium.
The contest could have been scrapped, as a group of Missouri players announced Saturday night they would not participate in football activities until graduate student Jonathan Butler ended his hunger strike as part of a protest of the administration’s alleged inaction regarding racial tension on campus. The team did not practice Sunday and coach Gary Pinkel backed his players’ decision until Tim Wolfe, president of the state university system, resigned Monday - prompting Butler to end his hunger strike. “At the time, it wasn’t about football,” Pinkel told reporters. “It was about my players, who needed my support. … I’m talking to guys who have tears in their eyes, and they’re crying. I did the right thing, and I’d do it again.” The Cougars have won five straight since suffering consecutive losses at UCLA and Michigan in September.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, SECN. LINE: BYU -6.5
ABOUT BYU (7-2): BYU’s offense appeared doomed when star quarterback Taysom Hill was injured in the season opener, but Tanner Mangum has put up big numbers (2,198 passing yards, 15 touchdowns) since taking over and needs 119 passing yards and one TD to surpass Jake Heaps’ school records for a freshman. The defense has tightened up lately, allowing an average of 246.3 total yards over the last three contests. The Cougars do a good job of pressuring the quarterback – their 3.33 sacks per game are tied for sixth in the nation – and could cause problems for Missouri freshman quarterback Drew Lock.
ABOUT MISSOURI (4-5): The Tigers ended their three-game stretch without a touchdown in last week’s 31-13 loss, and the offense showed signs of life with a season-high 215 rushing yards. The success on the ground took some of the pressure off Lock, who has struggled since taking over after Maty Mauk was suspended - throwing four interceptions and no touchdowns over his last four games. The Tigers will count on a strong defense, which ranks fourth in the nation in scoring defense (14.6 points per game) and 11th in total defense (298.6 yards per game), to keep them in it.
EXTRA POINTS
1. BYU is 5-4 against current members of the SEC, including 1-0 versus Missouri via a 21-17 triumph in the 1983 Holiday Bowl.
2. Missouri is 12-1 in NFL stadiums under Pinkel, including a 5-1 mark at Arrowhead Stadium.
3. The Cougars have scored on 33-of-34 trips inside the 20, the second-highest red-zone scoring percentage in the nation behind Navy (36-of-37).
PREDICTION: BYU 19, Missouri 16