No. 14 Tennessee heads to No. 16 Missouri for first meeting with both teams ranked
Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) looks for a receiver during the second half of an NCAA college football game against UConn, Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, in Knoxville, Tenn.
Tennessee tight end McCallan Castles (34) celebrates scoring a touchdown with teammates during the second half of an NCAA college football game against UConn, Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, in Knoxville, Tenn.
Tennessee tight end McCallan Castles (34) celebrates scoring a touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game against UConn Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, in Knoxville, Tenn.
Missouri running back Cody Schrader (7) gets passed Georgia defensive back Javon Bullard (22) as he runs for a touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, in Athens, Ga.
Missouri quarterback Brady Cook (12) is brought down by Georgia linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson (10) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, in Athens, Ga.
Missouri quarterback Brady Cook (12) throws a pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Georgia, Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, in Athens, Ga.
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) 鈥� Eli Drinkwitz has seen enough of Tennessee蘑菇视频 offense over his first three seasons at Missouri.
There was the 2020 game when the Vols piled up 423 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-12 rout that, by the standards of the next two seasons, was relatively close. Two years ago, Tennessee ran for 458 yards and five touchdowns in a 62-24 blowout, and last year, coach Josh Heupel蘑菇视频 crew threw for 460 yards and ran for 264 in a 66-24 shellacking of the Tigers.
No. 16 Missouri (7-2, 3-2 SEC, No. 14 CFP) may have its best defense in years, though, heading into Saturday蘑菇视频 game against the No. 14 Volunteers (7-2, 3-2, No. 13) at Faurot Field. The Tigers are fifth in the SEC and among the top 25 nationally in defending the run, while Ennis Rakestraw Jr. and Kris Abrams-Draine give them two of the league蘑菇视频 top cornerbacks.
Maybe this will be the year the Tigers finally hold the Vols in check.
鈥淟ast year, teams weren鈥檛 able to defend the pass with the dynamic wide receivers they had,鈥� Drinkwitz said this week, 鈥渁nd this year, (Heupel) has been able to do a really good job of scheming up runs, utilizing the quarterback蘑菇视频 legs. But I think he蘑菇视频 always been able to do that. At least against us he has.鈥�
In fact, Heupel has been able to do it against three different Missouri defensive coordinators.
This year蘑菇视频 group is led by a three-headed monster in the backfield that is averaging 5.77 yards per carry, the fifth-best mark in the country. Jaylen Wright is second in the FBS with 7.51 yards per carry and leads the SEC with six 100-yard games, the most by a Tennessee running back in a season since Jalen Hurd in 2015.
鈥淚 mean, he蘑菇视频 got the No. 1 rushing offense in the SEC and the No. 1 rushing defense in the SEC. So, I think Josh, who much like good offensive coordinators do, always starts with trying to figure out how to run the football,鈥� Drinkwitz said. 鈥淭hen, if they try to take the run away, he has answers vertically down the field throwing the ball.鈥�
That蘑菇视频 what happened against Alabama, when its stingy defense held the Vols to just 133 yards on the ground in a 34-20 win. Joe Milton III kept them alive, throwing for 271 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a game Tennessee led at the half.
Still, everything the Vols want to do starts with the run game.
鈥淏eing able to be rated at the top means a lot,鈥� Tennessee offensive lineman Ollie Lane said. 鈥淭hrough this whole offseason, that was a big point of emphasis for us that we have to be able to run the ball. That蘑菇视频 SEC football everywhere.鈥�
SERIES-LY SPEAKING
Even though the Vols have beaten the Tigers by a combined 128-48 over Heupel蘑菇视频 first two seasons, the series has been close over the years with Tennessee holding a 6-5 advantage. This will be the first time both are ranked when they play each other.
STILL COOKING
If there was one positive for Missouri in last year蘑菇视频 lopsided loss to Tennessee, it was quarterback Brady Cook, who threw for 221 yards and three touchdowns while running for another 106 yards. He has already thrown for 2,471 yards with 16 touchdown passes and only five interceptions this season.
鈥淗e蘑菇视频 smart, he蘑菇视频 accurate with the football and he is athletic,鈥� Heupel said. 鈥淲e have to do a great job in the pass game. We have to affect him, not let him be comfortable in the pocket.鈥�
MISSING PIECE
Tennessee is still trying to figure out how to make up for the season-ending injury to cornerback Kamal Hadden in its loss to Alabama. The Vols have been vulnerable defending the pass this season, and Cook has the Tigers averaging 284.9 yards through the air. That蘑菇视频 fifth in the SEC and No. 23 in the country.
MORE ON MILTON
Milton was 3 for 3 for 105 yards and a score in mop-up duty against Missouri last season, and he is coming off a near-perfect game in the Vols鈥� 59-3 whipping of UConn. He only threw 14 times but still had 254 yards passing and two touchdowns. He has thrown a TD pass in 13 consecutive games, tied with Tony Robinson for the third-longest streak in school history.
FAST STARTERS
Tennessee is outscoring opponents 89-29 in the first quarter this season. The Vols have scored at least one touchdown in the first 15 minutes under Heupel in 31 of his 35 games on their sideline. In fact, they have been shut out in the first quarter only once this season 鈥� surprisingly, a 30-13 win over Austin Peay in their home opener.
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