Mizzou Visits Kentucky for SEC Opener

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Football begins SEC play on Saturday night (Sept. 11) when the Tigers visit Kentucky in an early season divisional meeting. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

On the airwaves, Mike Kelly, Howard Richards and Chris Gervino will have the call on the Tiger Radio Network.

LAST TIME OUT

Behind running back Tyler Badie’s 248 all-purpose yards and linebacker Blaze Alldredge’s 6.0 sacks, the Mizzou Tigers bested Central Michigan, 34-24, in game one. Connor Bazelak was 21-of-32 for 257 yards and two touchdowns. Keke Chism led all receivers with four catches for 47 yards. The long catch of the day – 69 yards – came from D’ione ‘Boo’ Smith on the first play of the game, setting up Badie’s 12-yard touchdown run. Alldredge led all defenders with 10 total tackles and 6.0 tackles for a loss of 35 yards.

LAST TIME OUT: KENTUCKY

The Wildcats are coming off a 45-10 win over ULM on Sept. 4. Will Levis passed for 367 yards and four touchdowns. The Cats held the Warhawks to 87 total yards (70 passing, 17 rushing) in the game. ULM had 43 yards on its first drive of the game, then 44 yards the rest of the game.

SERIES VS. KENTUCKY

• The Tigers’ 2020 win over the Wildcats was Mizzou’s first since 2014.
• Mizzou trails the all-time series with Kentucky, 7-4, and the Wildcats have won five of the last six meetings dating back to the 2015 season, however three of those setbacks have been by eight points or fewer.
• Mizzou won the first three meetings with UK when it joined the league, winning 33-10 in 2012, 48-17 in 2013 and 20-10 in 2014, winning a pair of SEC East titles in that span.

THE “BELL HORSE” BADIE

• Senior running back Tyler Badie isn’t a bell cow or workhorse, no, he’s the best of both worlds, a “Bell Horse” as the dual threat back closes in on history.
• Badie is 141 receiving yards away from becoming the first Mizzou player to ever record 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving.
• In the season opener, Badie showed he was more than ready to step into the feature back role, toting the rock 25 times for a career-high 203 yards.
• The 203-yard performance was the first by a Tiger since Larry Rountree went for 204 in Dec. 2018 against Oklahoma State.
• Badie’s 203 rushing yards are the fourth most in the nation (yards/gm) to start the season. The total leads all SEC backs after week one. His 248 all-purpose yards rank fifth in the country and also lead the SEC.
• His 203 rushing yards in the season opener are the 15th most in Mizzou history.
• Badie surpassed the 2,000-yard mark in all-purpose rushing yards (2,198) and the 2,500-yard plateau in overall all-purpose yards (2,718).
• The senior grew stronger as the game progressed, reeling off his career long 69-yard run in the game-sealing drive late in the fourth quarter.
• The senior has a shot at Mizzou history in 2021, needing just 181 receiving yards to become the first Tiger to ever go for 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in his career.
• Badie is already one of five Tigers to accumulate 500 yards on the ground and receiving alongside:

Mike Jones         1987-1990          1390 rush/686 receiving

Ronnell Kayhill   1989-1992          959 rush/713 receiving

Jeremy Maclin   2007-2008          668 rush/2315 receiving

Jon Staggers       1967-1969          833 rush/573 receiving

BLAZE-ING INTO THE BACKFIELD

• Graduate transfer Blaze Alldredge had a memorable debut in the Black and Gold, recording 3.5 sacks and a team-leading seven pressures.
• The 3.5 sacks were the most by a Tiger since 2006 when Brian Smith set the school record with four sacks against New Mexico.
• Alldredge is just the 10th Mizzou player to record three or more sacks in a single game since the year 2000.
• His 3.5 sacks paced a Mizzou defense that racked up nine total sacks in the game, the most since at least 2000.
• Alldredge leads the country in TFL (6.0), sacks (3.5) and sack yardage (32). He is second in the nation in TFL yardage (35).

MEVIS MAGIC

• Sophomore kicker Harrison Mevis started his season with a bang, drilling a 53-yard field goal in the waning seconds of the first half to give Mizzou the lead. The kick was a career-long from Mevis and had plenty of leg to spare.
• Mevis is now 4-for-4 in his career from beyond 50 yards through his first 11 collegiate games.
• The kicker finished 2-for-2 on field goals, also hitting from 44 yards and a perfect 4-for-4 on extra points.
• His 53-yard kick is tied for the second longest in the country this season.
• Mevis has now made 10 consecutive field goals, a streak that ranks second in the SEC and fifth in the country.

EVANS MAKES IMPACT

• Tulsa transfer Akayleb Evans was a notable addition to the Mizzou secondary on opening day, defending three passes including recording his first career interception.
• Evans ranks third in the country with his trio of passes defended and the total leads all players in the SEC after one week.
• According to PFF, Evans was targeted 11 times by the Chippewas but ceded just three completions for 55 yards.
• In his previous four years at Tulsa, Evans recorded 11 pass breakups. His single-season high is four, set in 2018.

BAZELAK STARTS STRONG

• Redshirt sophomore Connor Bazelak picked up right where he left off in 2020, going 21-for-32 for 257 yards and two touchdowns against Central Michigan.
• The 257 yards marked the fourth time Bazelak has thrown for 250 or more yards in a game.
• Bazelak and the Tigers jumped out of the gate fast, hitting a 63-yard shot on the first play of the season. The pass was the second-longest of Bazelak’s career (69 yds – 2020 vs. LSU).