College Notes: Missouri Awards, Cozart Playing Time, Lockett and Thompson Back

Sep 21, 2013; Bloomington, IN, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback

(7) takes the field before the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

The fruit of winning is accolades – or “Escalades” if you’re Jamaal Charles – in the form of awards.

Sam’s escalade came in the form of defensive player of the week on the strength of three sacks against Florida. This is the third time he has won the award this season. Sam leads the SEC in sacks and tackles for loss, and is a key reason why Missouri ranks fourth in the SEC in scoring defense.

Sam is the first Missouri player to win three weekly awards in a season since Chase Daniel in 2007.

Mauk received the freshman of the week award after throwing 295 yards, a touchdown and rushing for a touchdown on Saturday. He’s the first quarterback this season to throw for more than 164 yards against Florida’s defense since Teddy Bridgewater threw for 266 yards in the Sugar Bowl. Vanderbilt’s Jordan Rodgers was the last quarterback to throw for more than 295 yards against Florida, doing so November 5, 2011.

Missouri will host South Carolina this Saturday in Columbia. They’ll need another “player of the week” type performance from Mauk in order to effectively put away the SEC East.

MONTELL COZART TO SEE MORE PLAYING TIME

Kansas chose to pull the red shirt off of Montell Cozart in their 34-19 loss to Oklahoma this weekend. Charlie Weis plans to get him more action in the second half of the season.

"“That was part of the plan,” Weis said Monday during the Big 12 coaches’ teleconference. “You can’t say, ‘Well, let’s go play him for nine snaps against Oklahoma, and then sit him.’ Obviously, as we go forward, he’ll definitely be in our thoughts, and you’ll definitely see him show up in the game.”"

What this means for BYU transfer quarterback Jake Heaps is unknown. Heaps managed just 16 passing yards against Oklahoma and has been dreadfully ineffective. Kansas was at its best offensively last season with an option running game which has led some to speculate Cozart will be this year’s Michael Cummings.

Cozart rushed for eight yards on three carries on Saturday.

K-STATE TO GET PLAYMAKERS BACK

Tramaine Thompson and Tyler Lockett are expected to be back for the Wildcats when they take the field against West Virginia in Manhattan this weekend.

Thompson has missed the last two games after suffering an injury against Texas and had been out ever since. Lockett was injured in the game against Oklahoma State and missed the Baylor game.

Without their two biggest playmakers on offense, K-State asked Daniel Sams to make a lot of plays with his feet. He and John Hubert rushed for 327 yards against Baylor but the passing game could only produce 118 yards. Jake Waters, who essentially plays only to pass the ball, was only 6-for-15 for 77 yards without Lockett and Thompson to throw to.