老澳门六合彩开奖结果

COLUMBIA, Mo. 鈥� Now for a team with a little more kick.

With mild Murray State dispatched in Week 1, No. 9 Missouri鈥檚 attention has turned to a program that offers more zing than the opener: Buffalo.

As a team that plays in the Football Bowl Subdivision, the Bulls are an inherent degree better than the Football Championship Subdivision Racers. The visitors from the Mid-American Conference will still be heavy underdogs against the Tigers 鈥� the midweek spread is sitting around five touchdowns 鈥� but will bring some intriguing elements to Saturday鈥檚 6 p.m. game.

Among those storylines, and in one indicative of the current college football landscape, Mizzou will be facing a quarterback it has seen before despite having not faced Buffalo since a 2008 victory. CJ Ogbonna, the Bulls鈥� starting quarterback, was SEMO鈥檚 signal-caller during a 2021 game against MU.

鈥淭here is some familiarity there,鈥� Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said.

Mizzou beat SEMO 59-28 in that game, which raised some defensive questions about the Tigers as the Redhawks scored rather easily on the ground. Ogbonna didn鈥檛 make an impact as a passer against MU in that game, completing just seven of 14 passes for 53 yards, no passing touchdowns and an interception.

On the ground, though, he finished the game as SEMO鈥檚 leading rusher, covering 96 yards on 12 attempts.

Since transferring to Buffalo, Ogbonna seems to have become more comfortable as a passer. During the Bulls鈥� season-opening win over FCS school Lafayette, the quarterback was 14 for 24 with 195 passing yards and two touchdowns. He ran the ball only five times for 20 yards.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 going to be the challenge this week,鈥� Drinkwitz said. 鈥淥bviously, we鈥檝e got to do a good job in the read game. They try to get on your edges through zone reads, plus-one run schemes and option. We鈥檙e going to have to be disciplined and multiple in the way we鈥檙e challenging those read schemes.鈥�

To translate: Zone reads involve offenses leaving an edge rusher unblocked and forcing that player to either commit to containing the edge, in which case the quarterback will usually hand off to a running back heading up the gut, or crashing inside, in which case the quarterback can dart around them outside. A plus-one scheme looks to give the offense one more blocker than the defense has players in the area of the field where the ball will go. Option plays give the quarterback the choice of whether to distribute the ball or keep it himself. All generally rely on Ogbonna making reads.

Elsewhere on the offense, running back Jacqez Barksdale led Buffalo in rushing during Week 1, taking 14 carries for 99 yards and a score. Wideout Nik McMillan showed some physicality while securing five catches for 76 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, linebacker Shaun Dolac is the Bulls鈥� centerpiece. After starting at Buffalo as a walk-on, he finished second in the nation in tackles during the 2022 season, bringing down 147 ball carriers. He looked likely to build on that in 2023, posting nine tackles, a tackle for a loss and an interception at Wisconsin but missed most of the season with an injury.

Dolac is healthy this season and made 11 tackles with an interception in the Bulls鈥� season opener.

鈥淵ou can tell he studies tape,鈥� Drinkwitz said. 鈥淵ou can tell he鈥檚 a very smart, physical player at the point of contact. They utilize him in the box, out of the box, they pressure with him. He鈥檚 a really good player. It鈥檚 going to be a real challenge for us. He鈥檚 consistent with what you see in our league. He鈥檚 a guy that, as we work off combo blocks, we鈥檙e going to have to make sure we can get to him, otherwise he鈥檒l make the tackle.鈥�

More broadly, Buffalo is looking for a turnaround season after going 3-9 last season, including four consecutive defeats to close out the 2023 campaign. The Bulls hired coach Pete Lembo in the offseason, whom Drinkwitz called 鈥渙ne of the great program rebuilders and builders.鈥�

Lembo got a late start after being hired in late January, so he likely faces an uphill battle this season. He鈥檚 coached in Missouri鈥檚 Memorial Stadium before, having spent the past three seasons as South Carolina鈥檚 special teams coordinator. Because Murray State coach Jody Wright was the Gamecocks鈥� tight ends coach for the past two years, this week marks the second in a row that the Tigers are facing a team now led by a former South Carolina assistant.

During Lembo was complimentary of Drinkwitz and Mizzou鈥檚 recent rise in stature.

鈥淚鈥檝e been so impressed with how they鈥檝e gotten better over the time that he鈥檚 been there, how all three phases play such complementary football,鈥� Lembo said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 really got a great beat of the pulse of their whole program. He does a great job of managing the program, managing the team, coaching the coaches, and he gets a lot out of his guys in every level of the program.鈥�

Mizzou Sports News

Why Mizzou uses unusual defensive formation in 3rd-and-long situations

• Eli Hoff

Mizzou Sports News

鈥楬e鈥檚 just Luther鈥�: Mizzou wideout Burden in dual roles as elite player, NIL star

• Eli Hoff

Mizzou Sports News

Mizzou football snapshots: PFF grades, snap counts from Tigers' win over Murray State

• Eli Hoff

Bring your Tigers football, basketball and recruiting questions, and talk to Eli Hoff in a live chat at 11 a.m. Thursday.

Transcript

Eli 贬辞蹿蹿:听Good morning, folks! I hope everyone enjoyed the first weekend of the college football season. I'll be around here for the next couple of hours to answer any questions you've got after seeing the 2024 Missouri Football Tigers make their debut.

罢耻苍诲谤补:听With so many kids transferring these days, do coaches even give all players a playbook anymore?

贬辞蹿蹿:听Yes. I've seen playbooks sitting around the team facility. I don't know if they're all that secretive 鈥� like, anyone who wants to watch a Mizzou game to spot schemes is going to see that the Tigers run a lot of zone and like layered or flood pass concepts. Play calls now come in through the helmets, so there's less emphasis on signs from the sideline. Trick plays might be a little bit more closely guarded, but the majority of what's in the playbook winds up out there on tape anyway. It's the vocabulary of audibles and instructions from the sideline that's more guarded.

顿顿顿:听Norfleet update? Just playing it safe by keeping him out or is it more serious?

贬辞蹿蹿:听Nothing official yet. He was not at the portion of Tuesday's practice that was open to the media. Eli Drinkwitz was pretty adamant in the aftermath of last week's game that it wasn't anything serious. Looking back at the hit he took, it strikes me as the type of play that may have just been a stinger. Drinkwitz told us on Tuesday that the team would be releasing injury reports Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and gameday this week like they will be required to by the SEC for conference games, but the lack of update yesterday suggests that won't actually be what happens. I'm certainly inclined to think this team will opt for the cautious track, especially this early in the season. If the Tigers can't beat Buffalo without their starting tight end, there are bigger issues. In my eyes, Norfleet's status is generically questionable, but only because he didn't practice and I don't have more recent information.

bigron:听Anything new on the mens Bball team?

贬辞蹿蹿:听Not particularly, but they'll start ramping up to the new season soon. It's almost exactly 2 months away. But there are some, shall we say, about Mizzou men's hoops' first opponent of the year: Memphis.

Kurtc:听Why doesn't Mizzou sell naming rights to the stadium. Memorial Stadium is pretty generic. According to the dictionary, memorial means "something, especially a structure, established to remind people of a person or event". There is no person or event attached to Memorial so I'm not sure what it is memorializing. It seems like selling the naming rights would be a great way to raise money for the athletic program.

贬辞蹿蹿:听I want to be clear that this is not reporting but speculation on how things are trending at large in college sports: That could be a necessity at some point in the not-too-distant future. Again, I haven't heard that Mizzou is putting the naming rights on the market or anything, but athletic departments around the country are going to continue to need more and more revenue coming in. That's why you see sponsors on the field now 鈥� which I think were quite subtle and not distracting in the slightest during the first game. Jersey patches are probably a matter of time.

I don't know off the top of my head how much a deal to make it "Faurot Field at (Insert Company) Stadium" would net for the athletics department, but it would probably be a decent chunk of change. With revenue sharing coming and the cost to remain competitive steadily rising, the time to cash in could be soon. Now, will fans grumble about it? That's a separate question but I'm sure something that will come into play.

(Post-chat note: I've confirmed that Memorial Stadium, as another reader mentions below, is like MU's Memorial Union in that it memorializes the 112 Mizzou students who were killed in World War I.)

MG:听How concerned should Mizzou be for next week against BC after they beat FSU last week?

贬辞蹿蹿:听That's a good question. I'd said during the preseason that with Bill O'Brien and a good, mobile QB, the Eagles would not be a cupcake game. I predicted on the podcast here that Boston College would have a lead sometime in the second half of its game in Columbia, and that wasn't me spitting out a take for the heck of it 鈥� I fully believe that.

Still, it's tough to know exactly how much of a threat they are. Beating Florida State in Tallahassee is obviously a big win. But was that more about the Eagles being really good or FSU being really bad? My assumption is it's a bit of both. Maybe BC is an 8-win team and FSU is barely going to be bowl-eligible. BC plays Duquesne this weekend, so there won't be much more room to learn about the Eagles.

But look: Even if they are the type of team that can go 8-4 this year, one of those four should absolutely be to Missouri. The Tigers should still be able to beat them, and the final score probably shouldn't be all that close. It might be a little tougher or a little more nervy, but the expected result has not and will not change.

Palmetto State Fan:听I am "all in" in regards to the Athletic Department marketing naming rights to Memorial Stadium with one caveat. All revenue from a naming rights deal is designated for improvements to the stadium and the game experience. Ditto in regards to Mizzou Arena. Patches on the game jerseys and on the coaches and staff game wear. Absolutely. (Tough with Coach Gates and his three assistant coaches as they always are, to borrow ZZ Top, sharp dressed men). Times have changed. Let's stay ahead of the revenue sourcing curve.

贬辞蹿蹿:听That's an interesting thought. I could see the value in that, particularly with the north concourse project being a $250 million undertaking. I'm sure if or when stadium naming rights become a talking point with Mizzou, what designations that revenue will come with will be a worthwhile consideration.

Palmetto State Fan:听Eli, how is Coach Nutt's health? Also, has Laird Veatch's name been mentioned in any way regarding the University of Memphis apparent MBB mess?

贬辞蹿蹿:听Coach Nutt was doing well the last I heard. He's still around the program as much as he can be, which is great for everyone involved. Hopefully he'll be around the arena as the preseason ramps up and games start being played, since I know he was not a fan of having to watch them from afar on TV.

I have not seen Veatch named in any of the stories about the Memphis hoops kerfuffle. I haven't read everything out on it yet, but it doesn't seem there's an immediate connection.

DCG:听Eli: What can you tell me about the other TEs behind Norfleet? Obviously, I'm hoping his shoulder injury was a stinger and not structural, especially as I see the TE position being crucial this year. I know the WRs are the stars, but I think Mizzou will see a lot of what they saw last year after their fast start, which is more umbrella coverage to take away the deep ball. In that scenario, the TE spot would have a lot of space in the middle of the field. Norfleet, with his size and hands, would be pretty hard to stop. I don't think Mizzou did a good job countering that counter last year, and the running game bailed them out. I'm hoping they're more prepared to play intermediate ball this year if necessary.

Hoff:听Your assessment of the tight end spot in a lot of Mizzou's passing schemes is right on 鈥� Kirby Moore told me as much when I asked him about what Brady needs to be doing this year for the offense to work. A big part of that is knowing when to check down to a tight end or running back and knowing where they'll be, Moore said. So it's definitely a factor.

Tyler Stephens is the 2nd-stringer there. He's experienced at this point, but has actually caught more passes at Buffalo (15 in 2021) than he has at Mizzou (12 from 2022 through last week). Jordon Harris is also in his second season. He has size just like Norfleet does but hasn't gotten quite as many reps. Harris is a real asset as a blocker, though.

Jude James and Whit Hafer both took more reps than many thought they would in camp, but that was also due to Norfleet and Harris being limited or absent for a good chunk of camp due to injuries. The freshmen maximized the opportunity, though, and showed promise as contributors in the passing game. Probably not for this year though.听

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On this week's episode of the Eye on the Tigers Podcast, Eli Hoff and Ben Frederickson enjoy having real college football games to talk about and all their implications 鈥� including Missouri moving up to 9^th听in the AP Top 25. A couple of the Tigers' upcoming opponents look a few degrees tougher, which Eli and Ben dive into. They also talk about why Buffalo is helpful preparation for the games that lie ahead and Eli gets a surprising curveball about Ben's football hobbies 鈥� or lack thereof.

Boston College beating Florida State should be a good thing for Mizzou

Welcome to BenFred's 5, a weekly recap of the this week's biggest 老澳门六合彩开奖结果 sports topics

Why Mizzou uses unusual defensive formation in 3rd-and-long situations

鈥淚t鈥檚 a way to utilize the most speed and also versatility that we can get on the field 鈥� also with our pass rush,鈥� Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said.

A look at the St. Louis natives on NFL rosters as the 2024 season begins

The Detroit Lions continue to best represent St. Louis, with six players who hail from the area.

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COLUMBIA, Mo. 鈥� Watching No. 9 Missouri鈥檚 seasoning-opening demolition of Murray State provided plenty of opportunities for observing the game鈥檚 minutiae.

For all intents and purposes, the result was secured in roughly five minutes of game time. The Tigers鈥� first touchdown was the game winner, after all.

Among the details that were present from the very start of the game: On some third downs, Mizzou鈥檚 defense was subbing a lot of defensive backs onto the field.

Normally, MU plays a 4-2-5 defense. There are four down linemen 鈥� two defensive tackles, a field end and a joker, or boundary end. There are two linebackers, one in the middle, one on the outside. There are two cornerbacks. There are three safeties 鈥� one on the field side, one on the boundary side, one hybrid safety, called the STAR, tucked closer to the box.

But on these third downs, which came in situations where the Racers had quite a ways to go for a first down, the defense was much tougher to define. A positional count would call it a 3-1-7.

A Murray State third-and-9 with 6:34 on the clock in the first quarter is a clear example. Missouri only had one down defensive lineman 鈥� a tackle lined up either head-on with the center or in the left A gap. The joker stood in a two-point stance on the edge closest to the sideline. The field end crouched in a two-point stance on the opposite edge.

Khalil Jacobs, who isn鈥檛 a starter but has the skill set that defensive coordinator Corey Batoon wants for this package, was the lone linebacker, pressed up close to the line of scrimmage between the tackle and the joker. Safety Sidney Williams Sr., playing a role similar to the STAR, was positioned like Jacobs but on the other side.

Daylan Carnell, the usual STAR, fell back into a boundary safety position. A typical field safety, Joseph Charleston, stood on the opposite hash marks. Tre鈥橵ez Johnson occupied the empty space between the line and the high safeties on the boundary side.

Interestingly, Mizzou deployed three cornerbacks: Dreyden Norwood and Nicholas Deloach Jr. split out to either side, but Deloach followed a receiver in motion across the formation, suggesting he was in man coverage. Toriano Pride Jr. lined up across from an interior receiver.

Three linemen, one linebacker, four safeties, three cornerbacks. That鈥檚 something interesting 鈥� but not entirely unique.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a carryover from the package we鈥檝e had in the past,鈥� coach Eli Drinkwitz said. 鈥淥bviously, we鈥檝e got some new fingerprints to it, but it鈥檚 something that our guys are familiar with. It was the base third-down package that we carried the past two years, and then Corey (Batoon) and the rest of the defensive staff have added their fingerprints to it.鈥�

There鈥檚 a tactical purpose to swapping one linebacker and one defensive lineman for a bonus safety and extra cornerback.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a way to utilize the most speed and also versatility that we can get on the field 鈥� also with our pass rush,鈥� Drinkwitz said.

Mizzou leveraged a similar look last year at times under defensive coordinator Blake Baker, also on third-and-long plays 鈥� those where an opponent is likely to pass, adding to the benefit of extra defensive backs in the game.

Manny Diaz repped it at Penn State, crediting the NFL鈥檚 Detroit Lions for the moniker 鈥減rowler package鈥� to refer to the seven-defensive-back personnel grouping. Trying to stop Joe Burrow and a juggernaut 2019 Louisiana State offense, Auburn used the 3-1-7 as a curveball that slowed that unit.

One of the more compelling elements of Mizzou鈥檚 3-1-7 is the strength of the Tigers鈥� three cornerbacks. While replacing two starters makes that position a question mark this early in the 2024 season, MU feels confident enough in its top three corners to use all of them in the seven-DB package.

鈥淚t allows you to play man to man and put somebody on the slot, which typically when your (opponent lines someone up in the) slot, the position they match up on is a safety who鈥檚 not used to playing man to man quite as well,鈥� Drinkwitz said. 鈥淪o for us, we slide Daylan back to the boundary safety and move Toriano into the slot.鈥�

Pride, a Clemson transfer who enjoys a physical style of play, practiced both out wide and in the slot with the orange-and-purple Tigers, so he鈥檚 comfortable sliding inside at times for his new team.

鈥淪lot鈥檚 different than corner,鈥� Pride said. 鈥淵ou got to have a lot different technique for it.鈥�

Having versatile enough cornerbacks to make the prowler package work is now a routine point of emphasis for Missouri鈥檚 defensive assistants.

鈥淐oach (Al) Pogue has done a really good job of training up those corners in order for us to have confidence in it,鈥� Drinkwitz said.

Tigers move into AP Poll top 10

A 1-0 start to the 2024 season proven quite lucrative for Missouri, which moved up to No. 9 in the first AP Poll released after games have been played.

With the Tigers鈥� 51-0 victory over Murray State, they jumped up two spots in the poll from their preseason position of 11th.

Mizzou moved past Florida State, which went from No. 10 to not receiving a single vote in the wake of back-to-back losses to start the season, and defending national champion Michigan, which beat Fresno State by just 20 points in its opener.

Further down MU鈥檚 schedule, Texas A&M dropped out of the Top 25 after losing at home to No. 5 Notre Dame but remained the first team out of the poll. Boston College, which beat Florida State and visits Columbia on Sept. 14, is the second team out.

Vanderbilt, one of the surprises of Week 1 with an upset win over Virginia Tech, received a smattering of votes alongside Auburn and Arkansas, two other teams Missouri will host this season.

Alabama, at No. 5, and Oklahoma, at No. 15, remain Mizzou鈥檚 highest-ranked opponents on the schedule.

Mizzou Sports News

New Mizzou defensive coordinator Corey Batoon settling in with new vibe, similar scheme

• Eli Hoff

A week after steamrolling an overmatched foe, No. 9 Mizzou's degree of difficulty ratchets up a notch when the Tigers host Buffalo on Saturday night in Columbia, Missouri.

Mizzou, up 35-0 at halftime, eventually won 51-0 in its opener, as the second half provided opportunities for the Tigers to showcase their depth.

Like Mizzou, Buffalo began its season vs. a football championship subdivision foe on Thursday, Aug. 29.

The Bulls, in their first game under new head coach Pete Lembo, faced a much tougher FCS foe in Lafayette, which is ranked in the top 25 in that division.

Buffalo led 16-0 at halftime and prevailed 30-13 in that game.

The Bulls were in the 12-team Mid-American Conference.

Here's how to watch Mizzou vs. Buffalo football:

Mizzou Tigers vs. Buffalo Bulls TV, live stream and radio

Game time: 6 p.m. CDT Saturday, Sept. 7

Location: Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field in Columbia, Missouri

TV channel: No traditional television broadcast. Game airs only on SEC Network Plus and ESPN+, both of which are available via streaming.

Live stream:听 and

Radio: KTRS (550 AM and 106.1 FM) in St. Louis, across Missouri and online through the

Storylines

Why Mizzou uses unusual defensive formation in 3rd-and-long situations

Luther Burden is Mizzou鈥檚 first national superstar in the name, image and likeness age of college sports.

BenFred: What we learned in Week 1 about Mizzou's opponents.

Mizzou football snapshots: PFF grades, snap counts from Tigers' win over Murray State

Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz doesn't need a "celebrity quarterback." What do the Tigers need from Brady Cook this season?

For safety Marvin Burks Jr., becoming a starter means becoming more vocal 鈥� and that requires him to become a little louder.

Season ticket sales for Missouri football have crossed the 40,000 threshold for the first time in nearly a decade.

An examination of whether Mizzou could make College Football Playoff with 2 losses in 2024.

One eye-catching overtime win. One dangerously close call. One ripple-creating defeat. And a bunch of blowouts, with one that said more than the others.

Mizzou鈥檚 upcoming SEC opponents posted a range of results in their respective season openers. If a College Football Playoff appearance is going to become a reality for the Tigers, keeping tabs on the opposition matters more than ever before. First impressions aren鈥檛 everything, but they鈥檙e not nothing.

Let鈥檚 review what we learned:

Vanderbilt: In a surprising twist, the Commodores made the loudest opening SEC statement. Their 34-27 overtime home win against Virginia Tech suggested Mizzou鈥檚 SEC opener could be tougher than expected.

Vandy coach Clark Lea overhauled his roster this offseason, adding more than 50 new players and bringing in respected offensive mind Jerry Kill as an analyst. Initial feedback was encouraging. After coughing up a 17-point lead and missing what could have been a game-winning field goal, Vanderbilt rallied to win in OT in front of a home crowd populated heavily by Virginia Tech fans.

New Vandy quarterback Diego Pavia, a transfer from New Mexico State, where he started under Kill as head coach, was just named SEC offensive player of the week. He completed 75% of his passes for 190 yards and two TDs. He also ran for 100-plus yards, including the game-winning TD in OT. He鈥檚 got some play-making swagger, and his new team feeds off it.

Vandy鈥檚 defense, which Lea now coordinates, posted four sacks and a pick. Virginia Tech was favored by nearly 14 points. Impressive debut, Dores.

Texas A&M: The Mike Elko era began with a gritty but unsuccessful showing at home, where a crazed Kyle Field crowd watched their No. 20 (but not for long?) Aggies score just one touchdown and fizzle late in A&M鈥檚 23-13 loss to No. 7 Notre Dame. The Aggies looked vulnerable against the run as Notre Dame chewed up nearly 200 rushing yards.

Bigger problem: A&M QB Connor Weigman disappointed. He completed 12 of 30 passes for 100 yards against Notre Dame鈥檚 strong secondary and also threw two interceptions on a night his defense created none. It will not help Mizzou鈥檚 strength-of-schedule concern if the Aggies are unranked when they host Mizzou for its first road trip of the season.

For now, A&M鈥檚 home-game atmosphere remains better than its team.

Auburn: What stood out most from Auburn鈥檚 73-3 thrashing of FCS opponent Alabama A&M was returning starting quarterback Payton Thorne鈥檚 ability to show off an improved receiving group that added seven new faces this offseason. Big, explosive gains in the passing game were the result. Five different Auburn receivers had receptions of 40-plus yards, including freshmen Malcom Simmons and Perry Thompson, plus Penn State transfer Keandre Lambert-Smith.

Auburn鈥檚 451 passing yards in the easy win marked a program high since 2014. Defenses beware. You don鈥檛 have to be in the Hugh Freeze fan club to know he鈥檚 going to come up with ways to score.

Alabama: Kalen DeBoer鈥檚 new-hire honeymoon continued despite some glitches in college football鈥檚 new helmet communications gear and a pregame shoulder injury to starting offensive lineman Kaydn Proctor. No. 5 Alabama mauled Western Kentucky 63-0.

Returning starting QB Jalen Milroe, who was the lead catalyst in 600 yards of total offense, is a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate. Bama鈥檚 defense, which allowed only 145 yards of offense, looked fast and mean as it created two turnovers and secured the team鈥� first shutout since 2022. Bama鈥檚 starters sat most of the second half.

From his new spot on the TV set, Nick Saban probably nodded in approval.

Oklahoma: Former five-star recruit Jackson Arnold has gone from Sooners backup to starter, and it appears he has a new favorite target. He threw three of his four touchdown passes to Purdue transfer receiver Deion Burks in No. 16 Oklahoma鈥檚 51-3 thrashing of Temple.

More impressive? The Sooners defense had six sacks and forced six turnovers, four on fumbles OU recovered. Pretty good debut for new OU defensive coordinator Zac Alley.

SEC newcomer Texas has made the most noise. What if Oklahoma is just as good, if not better?

South Carolina: College football guru Phil Steele鈥檚 ranking of overlooked teams had me convinced the Gamecocks could be ripe for a breakthrough in Year 4 of Shane Beamer ball. Maybe that鈥檚 still true, but a 23-19 close-call home win against Old Dominion stirred serious concerns.

Old Dominion tied the game in the first and third quarters and even took a fourth-quarter lead before South Carolina scored the game-winning touchdown with fewer than seven minutes left.

It gets worse. The only two touchdowns South Carolina scored came after the Gamecocks recovered fumbles less than 10 yards from the end zone.

Freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers looked, well, like a freshman. He completed 10 of 23 passes, took four sacks and overthrew multiple passes. Beamer bemoaned his team鈥檚 blocking, dropped passes, penalties and mental breakdowns.

Perhaps most concerning was the tame performance of the offensive line. Old Dominion had 10 鈥� 10! 鈥� tackles for loss. No other SEC team allowed more in Game 1.

Beamer looked stressed in his post-game TV interview. For good reason.

Mississippi State: The Bulldogs turned 35 unanswered points to start the game into a cruise-control 56-7 blitz of FCS opponent Eastern Kentucky in new coach Jeff Lebby鈥檚 debut. Lebby promised high-octane offense and fast tempo. Against an overmatched opponent that had one of the FCS鈥� worst defenses last season, his Bulldogs delivered.

Making his first MSU start, Baylor transfer quarterback Blake Shapen threw for three touchdowns and ran for another. MSU scored on a blocked punt and a pick-six. An all-around impressive showing before a more telling trip to Arizona State.

Arkansas: Of all the season-opening SEC blowouts, this one was the most legitimately encouraging for that team and its fans. Sam Pittman鈥檚 seat seems to be the hottest in the SEC, so any sign of struggle against Arkansas-Pine Bluff would have caused message-board meltdowns, like the ones Florida fans are having after their Gators got embarrassed by Miami at home.

Instead, the Razorbacks poured it on to the point of overkill in a 70-0 win that marked Bobby Petrino鈥檚 first game back as offensive coordinator. Petrino鈥檚 offense scored on every single possession.

Boise State transfer quarterback Taylen Green and Utah transfer running back Ja鈥橯uinden Jackson can play. Green threw for 229 yards and ran for 88 more while accounting for four touchdowns. Jackson turned eight carries into 101 yards and two scores. And neither played in the second half.

Anyone else wondering if Petrino is the Arkansas head coach by the time Mizzou faces the Hogs?

Mizzou Sports News

鈥楬e鈥檚 just Luther鈥�: Mizzou wideout Burden in dual roles as elite player, NIL star

• Eli Hoff

Mizzou Sports News

Mizzou football snapshots: PFF grades, snap counts from Tigers' win over Murray State

• Eli Hoff

Mizzou Sports News

Running back tandem debuts effectively for No. 11 Mizzou in season opener

• Eli Hoff

EAST ST. LOUIS 鈥� Seated in tidy rows, a couple hundred kids screamed from the bleachers. They all wore matching white T-shirts with Luther Burden III on them, which is why they were cheering.

The preseason All-American wideout was still a ways away from his high school field, where he held a free youth football camp in late July, just before Missouri鈥檚 preseason began. The clamor was a dress rehearsal for when a golf cart ferried Burden from where he waited inside East St. Louis High School and onto the field.

An emcee cued the crowd noise for real once Burden arrived, wearing Off-White suede shoes that cost roughly the same as a credit hour at MU.

Just a few years ago, he was a five-star recruit who set Illinois high school football records for the Flyers, scoring 34 total touchdowns during his senior season. Now, Burden is Mizzou鈥檚 first national superstar in the name, image and likeness age of college sports.

That鈥檚 the transition, the balance that unfolded over the course of his camp. Burden threw passes to kids and danced in TikTok fashion to Lil Uzi Vert鈥檚 鈥淛ust Wanna Rock.鈥� He seemed comfortable and genuinely excited.

鈥淥ne of you guys can be next up,鈥� Burden said his message to kids in East St. Louis is now. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to be the most privileged, the most 鈥� what鈥檚 the word? 鈥� guaranteed everything, growing up. I just want to give them hope.鈥�

No fewer than four cameras followed Burden around during the event. An ESPN crew rigged a camera onto a short track for moving shots. And while he played two-hand touch football with campers, his agent was engaged in a conversation about one of his other clients, Louisiana State gymnast-turned-model Olivia 鈥淟ivvy鈥� Dunne.

Less than a month after, Nautica released an ad for its fall clothing line featuring Burden and Dunne together on a high school football field. Two flavors of Burden-branded potato chips are still popular and expanding into bigger bags. You can use his name as a promo code for 10% off purchases from a football accessory brand.

This is unique. Unprecedented, really, at a school like Missouri. NIL is still new to college sports, something being figured out in real time. Burden, 20, is growing into this million-dollar, endorsement-driven environment.

鈥淗e鈥檚 a young man who鈥檚 really matured into understanding it鈥檚 bigger than him,鈥� Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz said. 鈥淚f he鈥檒l use his platform in a positive way, good things will happen.鈥�

That鈥檚 where the on-field component comes in 鈥� not Luther Burden III, the marketable athlete but Luther Burden III, the wide receiver. That鈥檚 who the 11th-ranked Tigers are particularly excited about as the 2024 season begins.

鈥淚 got one mindset,鈥� Burden said at Southeastern Conference media days. 鈥淢y mind鈥檚 set on a national championship.鈥�

After posting 1,197 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in 2023, he opened 2024 as one of the favorites to win the Biletnikoff Award, which goes to the nation鈥檚 best wide receiver. Burden is also on the fringes of the Heisman Trophy discussion.

Being on the list for the latter honor is 鈥渄efinitely鈥� one of Burden鈥檚 goals, too, he said.

鈥淚 should be on top of it by the end of the year,鈥� he said.

It鈥檒l take a lot to get him there. DeVonta Smith, the only wideout to win the Heisman since 1991, had 98 receptions, 1,511 receiving yards and 17 touchdown catches on the books when the award was given out in 2020.

To statistically match the Alabama wide receiver, Burden will need to average 134 yards and more than a score per game through Mizzou鈥檚 11 other regular season games.

His first showing of the 2024 campaign was a relatively quiet one, though not for the Tigers鈥� lack of trying to showcase their star. The first play of Thursday鈥檚 season-opening win over Murray State was a jet sweep handoff to Burden. He scored the first touchdown, juking a defender to the ground for a celebratory jaunt into the end zone.

Burden was open over the top of the Racers鈥� defense at times, but a pass interference call and an incompletion meant that he never cashed in on those opportunities. A trick play looked like it might even have set Burden up to throw the ball, but he fumbled the pitch to him.

It鈥檚 no secret that Burden is talented, nor that he鈥檚 the focal point of Missouri鈥檚 offense. To accentuate his prowess, the team moved him into a slot role last season, which paid dividends. Now, it鈥檒l be working to move him around even more.

鈥淒efenses are always going to try to take away players, so it鈥檚 our job to find ways to be creative and work him around the field a little bit,鈥� wide receivers coach Jacob Peeler said.

Burden, for his part, wants to get looks as the Tigers鈥� punt returner 鈥� which it seems he will be at least some of the time, based on the opener.

鈥淚 feel like I could take a huge step in that aspect to help us win more games,鈥� he said.

鈥楬e checks everything off the list鈥�

Step back, for a moment, and consider Burden鈥檚 talent. Set aside the NIL deals, the awards discourse and the video game rating that tried to quantify his skills.

He鈥檚 very good. That鈥檚 undeniable 鈥� or at least agreed upon 鈥� at this stage of his career. But how did that become the case? Why is Burden as good as he is?

The Post-Dispatch asked that of Mizzou coaches and players, on both offense and defense, to understand the football component of the program鈥檚 new-age star. NIL deals might be private, but skill is displayed in the public domain.

鈥淐ompetitive character,鈥� Peeler said. 鈥淲hether it鈥檚 playing dodgeball or putt-putt, the kid loves to win. He loves the process that it takes to win. But I think the biggest thing that he does so well is once he gets the ball in his hands, his refusal to be tackled. 鈥� Getting the ball in his hands and (he becomes) kind of an old-school running back once he gets it. It鈥檚 a scorer鈥檚 mentality. It鈥檚 a guy that wants to get in the end zone.

鈥淧laymaker,鈥� second-year wide receiver Joshua Manning said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 never afraid of the big moments. Yeah, he鈥檚 built for the big moments.鈥�

鈥淗is twitchiness, his route-running, his yards after the catch,鈥� said wideout Daniel Blood. 鈥淵ou see it work in a game every game, so you put that in your game and see how you can use it.鈥�

鈥淛ust turn on the tape 鈥� you can see it yourself,鈥� receiver Mekhi Miller said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a great teammate, great athlete. He goes out there and puts in the work. How you practice is how you play, and whatever he does in practice, he goes out there and shows in the game 鈥� sometimes he does even more practice that he doesn鈥檛 do in the game.鈥�

鈥淎 lot,鈥� cornerback Dreyden Norwood said. 鈥淟uther is just a great player all around and he makes us better, guarding him.鈥�

鈥淓verything,鈥� corner Toriano Pride Jr., who played with Burden at East St. Louis, said. 鈥淗e checks everything off the list. His catching, his yards after the catch, his routes, his mentality. Whenever he gets into pads, he gets in a different mode. Not a lot of people can stop it.鈥�

But it was another St. Louis-area wide receiver who struggled the most with articulating what makes Burden good and made clear how unique of a talent, of a star, Mizzou has on its hands.

鈥淗mm. Just 鈥� I don鈥檛 know,鈥� Mookie Cooper said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 just got something different. I don鈥檛 know. He could be chilling, calm, quiet and then go make a crazy catch. I don鈥檛 know. He can do whatever 鈥� you can鈥檛 put too many words on it. I don鈥檛 know. He鈥檚 just Luther.鈥�

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