Mizzou football wins two straight with victory over Connecticut

HARTFORD, Conn – For the first time in Barry Odom’s tenure as head coach, Mizzou won back to back games with a 52-12 victory against Connecticut.

After the win, the Tigers improve to 3-5 (0-4 SEC).

ABC 17 Sports Director Andrew Kauffman caught up with the team after the game.Quarterback Drew Lock finished 31 for 37 passing with 377 yards and give touchdowns. Chase Daniel is the only Mizzou quarterback with more touchdowns in a single season with 39 in 2007 and 33 in 2008. Lock is now tied with West Virginia quarterback Will Grier for the most touchdown passes in the nation at 28.

Tight End Albert Okwuegbunam finished with two touchdowns and now leads the FBS among tight ends with seven touchdowns. Wide receiver J’Mon Moore led all Tiger receivers with eight catches for 96 yards and two scores.

The Tigers’ offense had 572 total yards and averaged 8.1 yards per play while its starters were in the game.

Mizzou’s defense allowed the fewest points it had all season. The Tigers all finished with a season-high seven sacks. Defensive lineman Marcell Frazier led the way two sacks.

Mizzou football got off to a poor start with more problems at long snapper. The ball sailed over the head of Corey Fatony into the end zone for a safety giving the Huskies a 2-0 lead just 1:20 into the game.

The Tiger offense responded on the following drive as Drew Lock and J’Mon Moore connected three times for 48 yards. Lock found Moore in single coverage for the four-yard touchdown giving Mizzou a 7-2 lead with 10:48 left in the first quarter.

Tight end Albert Okwuegbunam continued to stay hot after a three-touchdown performance against Idaho. He snagged a four-yard pass from Lock in the back of the end zone on Mizzou’s next drive giving the Tigers a 14-2 lead with 6:48 left in the first quarter.

The Lock and Okwuegbunam duo was not done in the first quarter as the two connected for another touchdown making it 21-2 at the end of the first quarter. Lock completed 14 of 15 passes in the first quarter for 160 yards and three touchdowns.

After a both teams traded field goals to make it 24-5, Ish Witter capped off a nine play 63-yard drive with a six-yard touchdown run to make it 31-5 Mizzou with under four minutes left in the first half.

Mizzou had its highest sack total of the season in the first half alone with five sacks.

In the second half, J’Mon Moore caught his second touchdown of the night to give Mizzou a commanding 38-5 lead with 13:03 left in the third quarter.

Lock was not done as he found Johnathon Johnson on a slant route and Johnson used his defense to beat the defense on a 72-yard touchdown for Lock’s fifth through the air on the day. The score gave Mizzou 45-5 lead with 10:26 left in the third quarter.

UCONN added a touchdown late in the third quarter, but it would not be near enough. Drew Lock and most of the starters for the Tigers sat out the end of the third quarter and whole fourth quarter as Mizzou cruised to victory.

Mizzou returns home to face Florida Saturday, Nov. 4 at 11 a.m.