COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina coach Will Muschamp isn’t surprised by the early success of freshman quarterback Jake Bentley.

“I don’t think the moment is too big for him,” Muschamp said.

It hasn’t been so far, anyway.

Bentley improved to 3-0 as a starter, throwing for 254 yards and two touchdowns as South Carolina handed Missouri its 11th straight SEC loss 31-21 on Saturday. Bentley showed poise, strength and accuracy in the pocket, completing 22 of 28 passes to lead the Gamecocks (5-4, 3-4 SEC) to their third straight victory and keep them in contention in the SEC East.

The Gamecocks are in the midst of a rebuilding project with 78 percent of their roster consisting of underclassmen, but they appear to be on the right track. Freshman running back Rico Dowdle ran for 149 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries and also hauled in a 17-yard TD strike from Bentley.

“Jake is bringing a lot of energy to the offense and when we have a man-to-man matchup we like we’re going to take it,” said wide receiver Deebo Samuel, another young star for the Gamecocks.

Samuel, a sophomore, had 125 yards receiving on nine catches and also ran for a score.

“He muscled us around a little bit,” said Missouri coach Barry Odom.

Bentley was off limits after the game because of a team rule instituted by Muschump preventing freshman from talking to the media.

“He’s very level headed and a very humble young man,” Muschamp said. “He handles the moment very well.”

Drew Lock threw for 302 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions for Missouri (2-7, 0-5).

South Carolina didn’t let down after pulling a 24-21 upset of 18th-ranked Tennessee last week. One of South Carolina’s assistant coaches set mousetraps around the locker room earlier in the week to remind players it was a trap game.

“Everyone is patting you on the back, but I told our players `Don’t take the cheese,” Muschamp said.

With the game tied at 21 late in the third quarter, Rashad Fenton intercepted Lock near the goal line on a deep ball along the right sideline. Bentley led a 98-yard drive, culminating in a go-ahead 20-yard TD run by Dowdle .

Bentley showed poise beyond his years in his third start.

Late in the first half, he took a sack on a second-and-goal at the 1 rather than throw the ball away. Rather than dwelling on the loss, Bentley tossed a 6-yard TD pass to tight end K.C. Crosby on the next play to give the Gamecocks a 21-14 lead at half.

“When Jake is in there we feel like we can score from anywhere on the field,” said Gamecocks tight end Hayden Hurst.

THE TAKEAWAY

MISSOURI: Odom said “it hurts on a lot of different levels” that he wasn’t able to get this group of seniors into a bowl game. “They entrusted me in putting them in position to have a great senior (season) and that one is going to bother me,” Odom said. “… I’m frustrated in myself that we haven’t played a complete game yet.”

SOUTH CAROLINA: Bentley looks like the real deal for the Gamecocks, which makes you wonder why they waited so long to play the true freshman. The defense, which hasn’t allowed an opponent to score 30 points all season, can hang with anyone.

TARGETING THE QB: Missouri linebacker Cale Garrett was ejected less than five minutes into the game for targeting Bentley. Garrett became the fourth Missouri player ejected for targeting this season, joining Ronnell Perkins, Marcell Frazier and Brandon Lee.

South Carolina’s Chris Lammons was ejected from the game in the second quarter for a similar hit on Lock.

JUST FOR KICKS: Senior kicker Elliott Fry became South Carolina’s all-time leading scorer when he converted an extra point in the second quarter to give him 331 for his career. Fry called it a “special honor” to be at the top, even if someone knocks him off that pinnacle soon.

STREAK CONTINUES: The Tigers haven’t won an SEC game since Oct. 3, 2015 when they won at home against South Carolina.

SCORING OUTBURST: South Carolina isn’t used to playing high-scoring games, at least in conference play. The Gamecocks’ 31 points were their most in an SEC game since a 45-42 overtime loss to Vanderbilt in 2014.

MISSED CHANCES: Missouri’s Tucker McCann missed a pair of fourth quarter field goals, including one with 4:49 left in the game that would have cut the South Carolina lead to seven.

UP NEXT

MISSOURI: The Tigers return home to host Vanderbilt next Saturday.

SOUTH CAROLINA: The Gamecocks travel to Florida on Saturday to face the Gators, who have they have beaten in four of the last six meetings.

— Associated Press —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri sophomore guard Sophie Cunningham was voted First-Team Preseason All-Southeastern Conference by the league’s coaches, it was announced Thursday. Mizzou was also selected to finish seventh in the SEC.

Each coach in the league voted for an All-SEC first-team, a second-team and Player of the Year. This is Cunningham’s first career Preseason SEC honor. Cunningham became Mizzou’s first SEC Freshman of the Year in program history after a stellar 2015-16 campaign in which she started all 32 games and averaged a team-high 14.0 points per game.

Cunningham set an SEC record with six Freshman of the Week awards. She reached double figures 21 times and scored 20 points or more in a game on 10 different occasions on her way to steering the Tigers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2006 and first NCAA Tournament victory since 2001.

Mizzou wraps up exhibition play against Truman State on Monday, Nov. 7. The Tigers officially open the regular season on Friday, Nov. 11 in the opening round of the Preseason WNIT. Tip times for both contests are slated for 7 p.m.

For all the latest on Mizzou Women’s Basketball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

2016-17 SEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. South Carolina
2. Mississippi State
3. Tennessee
4. Florida
5. Kentucky
6. Auburn
7. Mizzou
8. Texas A&M
9. Vanderbilt
10. Arkansas
11. LSU
12. Georgia
13. Alabama
14. Ole Miss

Player of the Year
A’ja Wilson, South Carolina

First Team All-SEC
Jessica Jackson, Arkansas
Ronni Williams, Florida
Makayla Epps, Kentucky
Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State
Sophie Cunningham, Mizzou
A’ja Wilson, South Carolina
Alaina Coates, South Carolina
Diamond DeShields, Tennessee

Second Team All-SEC
Brandy Montgomery, Auburn
Eleanna Christinaki, Florida
Shandricka Sessom, Ole Miss
Dominique Dillingham, Mississippi State
Morgan William, Mississippi State
Mercedes Russell, Tennessee
Marqu’es Webb, Vanderbilt

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, MO. – No. 24 Mizzou Women’s Basketball improved to 13-0 in exhibition games under head coach Robin Pingeton by defeating Central Missouri, 65-35, at Mizzou Arena. The Tigers’ gritty defense was on full display as Mizzou held UCM to just 17 percent shooting and forced 23 turnovers en route to a 30-point victory.

As a team, Mizzou dominated down low all game, outscoring the Jennies 28-8 in the paint. Mizzou also racked up seven blocks and 10 steals leading to eight fast break points.

Sophomore guard Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) finished the game with a team-high 21 points on 53 percent shooting (8-for-15). Last season’s SEC Freshman of the Year added a pair of assists and six rebounds in the warmup contest.

Senior guard Lindsey Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) led the team with seven rebounds during the exhibition. She also tallied 19 points, thanks to a remarkable 75 percent shooting night (6-for-8). Lindsey also played a big role on defense for Mizzou, contributing two blocks and three steals in 33 minutes of action.

Together, the Cunningham sisters accounted for 40 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Tigers.

Senior guard Sierra Michaelis (Mercer, Mo.) was the third Tiger to score in double digits. She collected 11 points on 50 percent shooting and a perfect 4-for-4 effort from the foul line. Michaelis drilled two three pointers on three attempts.

Mizzou received excellent defensive play from freshman guard Amber Smith (Shreveport, La.). Smith, who started the contest, led the team with three blocks. She also added two assists, four rebounds and two points.

After allowing an early three-pointer to start the game, Mizzou went on a 21-2 run to give the Tigers a 21-5 lead early in the second. Mizzou continued to build on that lead throughout the game, leading by as much as 34 points in the fourth quarter.

Mizzou will take the court once again for its second and final exhibition game of the season against Truman State on Monday, Nov. 7 at Mizzou Arena. Tip off is slated for 7 p.m. and admission is free for all fans. The Tigers will begin regular season play Nov. 11 against Abilene Christian as a part of the Preseason WNIT.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou women’s basketball was tabbed No. 24 in The Associated Press preseason poll. It’s the first time Mizzou has cracked the preseason rankings since 1984 and the fourth time in program history.

Mizzou returns four Tigers from a season ago who started at least 24 games in redshirt senior Lindsey Cunningham, SEC Freshman of the Year Sophie Cunningham, senior Sierra Michaelis and sophomore Cierra Porter. Mizzou spent eight consecutive weeks in the AP Top 25 poll during the 2015-16 campaign, the longest run for the program in more than 30 years.

The Tigers are coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance and their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2001 after taking down 7-seeded BYU in the opening round as a No. 10 seed.

Mizzou opens exhibition play Tuesday against Central Missouri. The regular season officially tips off Nov. 11 when the Tigers take on Abilene Christian in the Preseason WNIT. Tip off for both contests is slated for 7 p.m. at Mizzou Arena.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Football sophomore punter Corey Fatony (Franklin, Tenn.) has been named a candidate for the Ray Guy Award, announced Monday (Oct. 31) by the Augusta Sports Council. The Ray Guy Award honors the nation’s top punter each year. Fatony was one of 66 punters in the nation selected to the 2016 list and the honor comes one year removed from earning the same distinction as a true freshman in 2015.

Fatony is enjoying a standout season as Mizzou’s primary punter as he is 20th nationally and fourth in the SEC in punting, averaging 44.3 yards per kick. Mizzou ranks 22nd nationally and fifth in the SEC in net punting at 40.69 yards. Of his 49 punts, Fatony has booted 13 of them for 50+ yards and has 18 kicks that have been downed inside the opponent’s 20. He had just one touchback through Mizzou’s first seven games this season (40 punts).

The list will be narrowed down to ten semifinalists to be announced on Friday, November 11. Following the announcement, a national body of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Sports Information Directors, coaches, media representatives and previous Ray Guy Award winners will vote for the three finalists who will be identified on Tuesday, November 22. The voting body will then cast ballots to select the winner. The 2016 Ray Guy Award winner will be announced live on ESPN during The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, December 8.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Kentucky running backs Benny Snell and Boom Williams were just infants in 1999 when the Wildcats won three consecutive Southeastern Conference games.

Saturday, their performance helped Kentucky accomplish that feat for the first time in 17 years.

Snell rushed 38 times for 192 yards and two touchdowns, and Williams added 19 carries for 182 yards and a touchdown as the Wildcats defeated Missouri 35-21. It’s the first time in school history two running backs have rushed for at least 175 yards apiece in a conference game.

Snell said he was not fazed in carrying the ball 38 times.

“I’m very happy about this win,” Snell said. “I’m used to this in high school, but I just take a different approach, that I’ve got a better line in front of me, so I just tried to attack the defense.”

“We didn’t play strong enough run defense,” Missouri coach Barry Odom said. “They were able to get a few formations in that we didn’t stop.”

Stephen Johnson completed 14 of 23 pass attempts for 208 yards, two touchdowns and an interception as the Wildcats piled up 582 yards of offense, their highest conference output since Nov. 11, 2006, when they had 597 yards in a 38-26 win against Vanderbilt.

“It’s about our preparation,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said of his team’s effort. “It’s about the way they go to work each day throughout the week, starting on Mondays. I enjoy coaching these guys and that is why. They take to coaching and they take to criticism and they know we can do so many things better.”

Missouri (2-6, 0-4 Southeastern Conference) has allowed 500 or more yards of offense in four consecutive games, the worst such stretch in school history.

“This is a very elementary statement but we’re not a good football team,” Odom said. “If we work together and continue to follow the plan we have in place, then we will get there, I promise you that.”

Drew Lock was 18 of 31 for 220 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed six times for 34 yards.

Dimetrios Mason caught four passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns for Missouri. The freshman entered the game with 22 catches for 249 yards.

Damarea Crockett was one of eight ball carriers for the Tigers, leading the way with 13 carries 55 yards. Fullback Josh Augusta had the only rushing score, a 1-yard touchdown run set up by a 63-yard punt return by Johnathon Johnson. Johnson also caught two passes for 27 yards and had a 25-yard carry on a reverse.

Kentucky (5-3, 4-2 SEC) dialed up a number of big plays, averaging 7 yards per play to Missouri’s 5.6. The Wildcats converted on all three of their red zone trips and nearly doubled Missouri’s time of possession.

The Tigers managed 18 first downs, but struggled on third down, converting just 4 of 15 attempts. They were also flagged 9 times for 65 yards after surrendering 125 penalty yards last Saturday in a 51-45 loss to Middle Tennessee State.

TAKEAWAY

Kentucky: Snell and Williams are just the second backfield duo in the last decade to record at least 175 yards apiece in an SEC game. Snell had runs of 32, 23 and 19 yards, and Williams had three rushes of 20 yards or more, including a 60-yard touchdown to give Kentucky a 7-0 lead near the end of the first quarter.

Missouri: The Tigers recorded one sack and six tackles for loss, and forced two turnovers, but failed to convert them into points. Missouri took the opening drive of the second half deep into Kentucky territory but was stopped on third down, setting up a 24-yard field goal attempt by Tucker McCann, which he missed wide right.

MASH REPORT

Missouri’s defense was short-handed after losing senior linebacker and leading tackler Michael Scherer for the season with a torn ACL. Scherer was one of several Missouri players injured against Middle Tennessee State, including defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr. and cornerback John Gibson. Beckner is out for the season with a torn ACL, and Gibson, who injured his left knee, did not play Saturday.

“We will piece it together,” Odom said. “Everybody in the country is banged up, and that’s just college football. We will be all right.”

UP NEXT

Kentucky: The Wildcats will host Georgia next Saturday. The Bulldogs beat Kentucky 27-3 last season in Athens.

Missouri: The Tigers visit South Carolina next Saturday. Missouri defeated the Gamecocks 24-10 on Oct. 3, 2015 at Faurot Field, its most recent SEC win.

— Associated Press —

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — The first time Missouri played Middle Tennessee State was Sept. 20, 2003, when the Tigers narrowly defeated the Blue Raiders 41-40 in overtime.

Missouri coach Barry Odom was a graduate assistant coach on that team, and earlier this week, fondly recalled a walk-off touchdown in the south end zone of Faurot Field.

After Saturday, new memories of Middle Tennessee State will likely occupy Odom’s thoughts.

The Blue Raiders spoiled Missouri’s 105th homecoming, defeating the Tigers 51-45 Saturday.

It’s the most points Missouri has ever scored in a loss.

“I’m frustrated that we didn’t win the football game,” Odom said. “We played very poorly in a lot of aspects.”

Brent Stockstill was 23 of 41 for 280 yards and four touchdowns, and added 70 yards rushing on seven carries as the Blue Raiders amassed 584 yards of offense, including 300 rushing yards.

“I definitely think that’s the biggest win I’ve ever been a part of,” Stockstill said. “It was huge for us. I think it starts with the no turnovers. I thought we were able to move it and protect it…overall we moved it all day and protected the ball and that’s what wins games.”

Middle Tennessee State coach Rick Stockstill described it as “a phenomenal win for us.”

“Our guys competed their tails off,” Brent Stockstill said. “They battled. They never flinched. They never relaxed. It was back and forth the whole game.”

I’Tavius Mathers rushed 28 times for 215 yards and a touchdown for Middle Tennessee, and also caught 8 passes for 48 yards and a touchdown. It’s the highest individual rushing total Missouri has surrendered since Auburn’s Tre Mason rushed for 180 yards in the 2013 Southeastern Conference championship.

Missouri (2-5) had 629 total yards on 104 plays, its highest play total of the season.

Running back Damarea Crockett had 29 carries for 156 yards and 4 touchdowns and Ish Witter added 19 carries for 121 yards. Crockett’s four scores are the most by a freshman running back in school history.

Missouri quarterback Drew Lock was 20 of 40 for 281 yards and two touchdowns and rushed 10 times for 63 yards.

“It’s hard to describe how it feels,” Lock said of the loss. “It’s dull. It’s not something that you want to repeat. I thought we did a good job during practice to get ready and make sure that this didn’t happen. Now that it did, we just have to practice even harder and make sure that we don’t get this feeling again.”

Middle Tennessee State (4-2) jumped out to a 10-0 lead before Crockett’s first touchdown made it a one-score game. The Blue Raiders held a 34-28 lead at halftime in a game that saw seven lead changes.

Missouri took its final lead of the game with 13:27 remaining in the third quarter when Crockett’s fourth touchdown put the Tigers up 35-34.

The Blue Raiders only targeted seven pass catchers, with Richie James leading the way with 5 catches for 129 yards and a touchdown. Dennis Andrews added 5 catches for 65 yards and two touchdowns, including a 5-yard score with 10:31 left, extending the Blue Raiders’ lead to 48-38.

Missouri tight end Kendall Blanton caught two passes for 37 yards and a touchdown and Ray Wingo caught his first pass since Sept. 10, a 17-yard touchdown.

INJURY REPORT

The Tigers lost four starters to injury, three of which occurred in the first half. Linebacker Michael Scherer and cornerback John Gibson both sustained knee injuries that sidelined them for the day. Tight end Jason Reese sustained an injury to his ribs, and defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr. went down in the third quarter with a left knee injury and did not return.

THE TAKEAWAY

Missouri: The Tigers were flagged 13 times for 125 yards, allowing the Blue Raiders to extend multiple drives. In the second quarter, Missouri punter Corey Fatony booted a 57-yard punt that was called back because of an illegal motion penalty. On the ensuing re-kick, a high snap forced Fatony to dive on the ball at the Missouri 7-yard line, setting up a rushing touchdown by Richie James.

“We’ve got to look back and evaluate where they came from,” Odom said of the penalties. “Is it technique? Is it habits in practice? That will never win. Our margin for error is so low. That’s 100 hidden yards right there. Inexcusable.”

Middle Tennessee State: The Blue Raiders took care of the ball the entire game. They did not turn the ball over to a Missouri defense that has 14 takeaways on the season. Missouri had two turnovers and the Blue Raiders capitalized, converting them into 10 points.

UP NEXT:

Missouri: The Tigers host Kentucky next Saturday. The Wildcats defeated Missouri last year 21-13 in Lexington.

Middle Tennessee State: The Blue Raiders play at Florida International next Saturday. Middle Tennessee won the last meeting 42-34 Oct. 17, 2015 in Murfeesboro.

— Associated Press —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has received yet another major gift toward its planned football facility.  The confidential donor has made an $8 million gift for the new football facility in the south end zone at Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field.

This gift comes on the heels of two other recent gift announcements which rejuvenated the push for new football facilities.  The $8 million gift, coupled with a previously announced $10 million gift, means that in the past two months, Mizzou Athletics has received two of its top-five largest donations in program history.

“We are so grateful for such a transformational gift,” said Director of Athletics Jim Sterk.  “We’re very excited to continue this process and keep momentum going.  Our next steps include meeting with architects to determine all of the details of the project and then our goal will be to present our final plan with the funding model to our Board of Curators for their approval in February,” he said.

The latest gift puts the current fundraising total for the project at approximately $67 million.

“This is such an exciting time for our program, and I’m so impressed with our donors and the support they’re giving for this project,” said Head Football Coach Barry Odom.  “I can’t say enough just how thankful we are for gifts like this.  We’re going to create a first-class facility, something that our fans will be proud of, and something that will have a huge impact for years to come for our student-athletes,” he said.

Specific details and scope of the campaign and project will be unveiled at a later date, after plans are approved and finalized.

— Mizzou Athletics —

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — When Steve Spurrier spoke to No. 18 Florida earlier in the week, he talked about how one player can affect the entire team.

The message stuck with Jalen Tabor, who wanted to be — and was — that guy Saturday.

Tabor and Quincy Wilson returned interceptions for touchdowns, helping No. 18 Florida beat Missouri 40-14 and move into first place in the Southeastern Conference’s Eastern Division.

The cornerback tandem provided nearly as many highlights as either offense and seemingly saved the Gators (5-1, 3-1) from a fourth homecoming loss in the last seven years.

“Anytime you get a defensive score or a non-offensive score, it’s a momentum shift for the whole team,” Tabor said. “I felt like I did that for my team today.”

Tabor, widely considered a first-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft, squatted on a short pass by Drew Lock and went untouched for a 39-yard score in the second quarter. It was Tabor’s second Pick Six in as many years against the Tigers (2-4, 0-3). Not to be outdone, Wilson stepped in front of Sean Culkin on the ensuing possession, picked off Lock’s pass and went 78 yards the other way for his first career touchdown.

“When you’ve got two great corners like that, they’ve got to pick one side of the field,” Gators coach Jim McElwain said. “It’s like pick your poison. Where you going to go with it?”

Florida, at least early, looked like it might need both of them on a rainy day in the Swamp.

Playing for the first time in a month, Luke Del Rio threw three interceptions in his return from a sprained left knee. And the Gators were flagged for eight false starts.

“Knee felt great,” Del Rio said. “Brett Favre said it: Playing injured or hurt is not an excuse for playing poorly. The knee didn’t affect me at all. It was just bad decisions, bad throws.”

Florida’s defense once again bailed out a less-than-sharp offense, which has become an all-too-often occurrence in Gainesville.

Missouri went three-and-out on its first six possessions, and Lock threw for a meager 39 yards. The result was a ninth consecutive conference loss for the Tigers.

“It’s definitely one of the worst feelings as a quarterback when you can’t hold up your end,” Lock said. “It’s on you. You force your defense back out on the field and they can barely get off the field because they’re so tired. We’re out there making them play for 10 minutes at a time and that’s not right.”

Mizzou’s latest loss came after an off week in which coach Barry Odom retooled his defense in hopes of better results. The Tigers allowed 418 yards rushing in a 42-7 loss at LSU two weeks ago.

Florida finished with 523 yards.

“They took advantage of mistakes we made, and that’s what good teams do,” Odom said.

Tabor and Wilson have done that before and surely will again.

“It’s like a domino effect with those guys,” Florida defensive tackle CeCe Jefferson said. “If one gets one, the other’s guaranteed to get one. That was big, man. That was big. It definitely changed the momentum of the game. We were definitely rolling from there.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Missouri: The Tigers will surely face more questions about an inept offense and a run-porous defense that has struggled to adjust to a new scheme.

Florida: Despite losing to rival Tennessee last month, the Gators now control their fate in the SEC East. But to win the division for the second consecutive year, Florida probably will need to beat Georgia, Arkansas, South Carolina and LSU in consecutive weeks down the stretch.

KEY INJURY

Florida linebacker Jarrad Davis, the team’s leading tackler, injured his left ankle in the third quarter and had to be helped off the field. McElwain said Davis was getting tests to determine the severity, but said it was not broken.

FOLEY’S FINALE

McElwain gave the game ball to retiring athletic director Jeremy Foley. It was Foley’s final game at Florida Field. He officially steps down Nov. 1.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Florida should move up a few spots in the next AP poll . The Gators topped 500 yards for the second time this season and would have enjoyed an even easier time had it not been for four turnovers.

UP NEXT

Missouri: Hosts Middle Tennessee next Saturday. The Tigers won the only other meeting, 41-40 in overtime in 2003.

Florida: Gets another off week before playing rival Georgia in nearby Jacksonville. The Gators have won 20 of the last 26 in the series.

— Associated Press —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri and Boston College have agreed to a two-game football series, as announced mutually today by both schools.  The first game of the home-and-home arrangement is set for Sept. 25, 2021 at Boston College, with the return game at Mizzou scheduled for Sept. 14, 2024.

The 2021 meeting in Chestnut Hill, Mass. will mark the first-ever meeting between the Tigers and Eagles.  It will also mark the first time since 2000 that Mizzou has faced a sitting member of the Atlantic Coast Conference during the regular season.  Mizzou defeated North Carolina in the 2011 Independence Bowl (W, 41-24), but the last time the Tigers met an ACC foe in regular-season play was a two-game series with Clemson during the Larry Smith era (Mizzou won a 38-24 game in Columbia in 1996, and fell at Clemson in 2000, 62-9).  Mizzou did face current ACC member Syracuse in the 2012 season, but that was a year before they joined the league.

“We’re pleased to announce this series,” said Executive Associate Athletic Director Bryan Maggard, who oversees scheduling.  “Boston College is certainly a quality program with good name recognition so we feel this is an attractive matchup for our fans.  It also gets us into an area in the Northeast where we don’t often get to, and we certainly have a lot of Mizzou alumni in that region who will have the chance to see their Tigers in person,” he said.

With the BC game in the fold and an Oct. 16 home game with North Texas, Mizzou is still working to add two more non-conference games in 2021. Mizzou is working to fill the remaining three non-conference games for 2024.

“I’m excited to have this added to our schedule, it will be a great experience for our program down the road,” said Head Coach Barry Odom.  “We appreciate everyone coming together to make this happen,” he added.

— Mizzou Athletics —