Missouri Tigers: Drew Lock Ties Touchdown Record
By Charles Lam
The Missouri Tigers have found the quarterback of the future and the quarterback of now. Sophomore Drew Lock is the guy .
After a horrible freshman year as a Mizzou Tiger, Drew Lock looked great in the first two games of the 2016 season. He’s throwing the deep ball with accuracy while also completing short passes. Lock’s 47 of 88 on pass attempts for 730 yards and six touchdowns and zero interceptions in two games this season.
Let’s put those numbers in perception compared to last year. Lock struggled mighty as a freshman. He completed 129 of 263 passes for 1,332 yards with four touchdowns and eight interceptions in 12 games played.
Lock already has more touchdowns (by two) than he did all of last season. He’s 603 yards away from breaking his college career high in passing yards with ten more games to play.
Speaking of career highs, Lock put himself in Missouri Tigers football lore. He threw for five touchdowns against Eastern Michigan on September 10 at home. This puts him tied atop the all-time touchdown leaders for a game in Missouri Tigers history.
Drew Lock ties school record with 5 TDs as Mizzou routs EMU in Barry Odom's home debut: https://t.co/Cild0ObZQO
— Tod Palmer (@todpalmer) September 11, 2016
Georgia’s head coach, Kirby Smart, has been impressed with Locks development.
Kirby Smart says Missouri offense is unorthodox, impressed with Drew Lock. "He throws a great deep ball. He's got great touch."
— Dave Matter (@Dave_Matter) September 12, 2016
Those are kind words from the opponent scheduled for this Saturday at the Faurot Field.
Gabe DeArmond of powermizzou.com likes what he saw from Lock and speaks on behalf of all Missouri Tigers fans in this tweet.
Lock didn’t do all the work by himself. The receiver’s stepped up in a huge way against Eastern Michigan. Five different wide receivers hauled in a touchdown pass from Lock on Saturday. Two wide receivers got over 100 yards receiving in the game as well.
The most impressive wide receivers vs. Eastern Michigan were, Raymond Wingo and Johnathon Johnson. Wingo made only three catches for 125 yards but one went for 68 yards alone. He showed off his speed by passing corners with ease. Johnson may have been even more impressive. He brought in five passes for 115 yards including and 87 yard sprint to the house.
Four other receivers hauled in three or more passes as well. The receiving corp looks much improved this year compared to last year. This group will help the Missouri Tigers win more games than a season ago.
More from KC Kingdom
- Win $650 GUARANTEED Plus $100 Off NFL Sunday Ticket With Caesars, FanDuel and DraftKings Kansas Promos!
- This Plus-Money Bobby Witt Jr. Prop Bet is on Fire (Hit in 15/21 Games)!
- How to Bet on the Chiefs vs. Cardinals in NFL Preseason Week 2
- The Royals Need to Extend Bobby Witt Jr. Immediately
- The 3 Most Intriguing Games on the Chiefs’ Schedule
A couple of running backs stood out to me against Eastern Michigan. Damarea Crockett ran the ball 12 times for 68 yards and a touchdown for a 5.7 average per rushing attempt. He looked powerful and elusive in the backfield for the Mizzou Tigers. He made a few key first downs as well.
Ish Witter looked quick and evasive for the Tigers. He ran the ball 13 times for 64 yards and a touchdown for a 4.7 yards per carry average. The one two punch of Crockett and Witter made Eastern Michigan respect the run, then Lock went over the top of the defense to make big passing plays.
It’s safe to say this Missouri Tigers football team looks leaps and bounds better than a season ago. I know it’s one game against Eastern Michigan but the team looked great. More importantly Drew Lock looked unlocked and confidante in his abilities as an SEC quarterback for the first time in his career, in my opinion.
A challenge meets the Mizzou Tigers this Saturday at Faurot Field, the Georgia Bulldogs are coming to town. The Bulldogs are ranked in the top 25 in the nation. According to AP rankings, the Georgia Bulldogs are 16 in the country.
If the Tigers can upset the “Dogs” at home, that should launch this team to a special season. The Tigers have to face three more ranked foes this season as well in Florida, LSU and Tennessee all of which come on the road.
Next: Mizzou's Top Five Quarterbacks of All-Time
Take it one game at a time Drew Lock and company. You never know what college football will bring each week. That’s why they play the games.