by Bob Priddy, Missourinet Contributing Editor
(MIZ)—Well, we know now that they can come back. But maybe more important is that THEY now know it, too.
Missouri’s 38-21 win against Kentucky has vaulted the tigers into the top 20 on both major polls—although ESPN’s computer model doesn’t include them in the top 25. The Tigers are 6-1, bowl-eligible in October for the first time in the Drinkwitz era and are headed for a game against South Carolina they should win (South Carolina is 2-4 and is giving up more than 435 yards per came).
Kentucky broke out to a 14-0 first-quarter lead but the Tiger defense stifled the Wildcats the rest of the way and Missouri owned the last three quarters, outscoring Kentucky 38-7. And they did it without Brady Cook throwing for 400 yards or with Luther Burden catching 100 yards worth of those passes.
Missouri gets an off-week after the South Carolina game and then gets into the rugged part of the schedule with Geogia (7-0, so far), the nation’s top team, Tennessee (5-1 so far), Florida (5-2) and then Arkansas, which has come close to wins several times but is only 2-5. (ZOU)
(COACH DRINK)—Coach Eli Drinkwitz is a winning coach at Missouri. The six wins of the Tigers this season boost his record to 23-20.
Some fans had thought he wasn’t cutting it in his first three years, all losing ones. But his record isn’t unusual in Tiger history. The greatest early coach of the Tigers, Gwinn Henry, started out 2-3-3 but finished 40-28-9. Don Faurot was 3-3-3 in his first year but hit a winning streak the next year. Dan Devine was only 5-4-1 in his freshman coaching season, largely using players recruited by Frank Broyles and Don Faurot in Broyles only season in Columbia before he became an coaching institution at Arkansas. Al Onofrio, who followed Devine’s only losing season with a 1-10 start went 37-31 the rest of the way with a string of notable upsets. Warren Powers started hot at 8-4 but was only 38-29-1 the rest of the way. Larry Smith, who is credited with returning Missouri football to national prominence was 11-22-1 in his first three years. He was 22-24-1 the rest of the way. Gary Pinkel started 22-25 in his first four seasons but retired with the most wins in MU history.
(CHIEFS)—The Chiefs had a long week after dumping Denver 19-8 last Thursday night, their sixteenth straight win against the Denver Shetlands. The Chiefs are not tied for the best record in the NFL at 5-1 with three of those wins coming on the road.
The defense bailed them out against Denver, now 1-5. The Chiefs lack the offensive firepower they have show in past seasons but three of those wins have come on the road.
Patrick Mahomes made Chiefs history in that game by finishing with 2,138 career completions in the Denver game, topping Len Dawson’s record of 2,115.
But they lost a player to injury—when wide receiver Justin Watson came up from a completion with a dislocated elbow. The team says an MRI showed no damage so he’ll be back “sooner rather than later.” He leads Chiefs receivers with a 21.9 yard per catch average.
The defense held Denver quarterback Rusell Wilson to only 95 yards passing and intercepted two of his throws.
Mahomes says the key to this year’s success has been the stout defense. “Its depth. I mean, they’ve done a great job not only drafting but getting key free agents and developing guys,” said Mahomes. “I mean, we have guys that are starters on other teams that are trying to find a way to get on the football field. And when they get on the football field, they’re making plays,” he said after the game.
The Chiefs play the Chargers Sunday afternoon. The Chargers are 2-2.
On the Track:
(INDYCAR/NASCAR)—Kyle Larson wrapped up a huge week for him with a win on the track at Las Vegas, guarangeeing he will be one of the four drivers to run for the championship in the last race of the season.
AND he put in his first laps in an open-wheel car at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Larson plans to run the 500 in May and fly to Charlotte afterwards for the 600-mile stock car race that night, an event being billed as the Hendrick 1100 (for his NASCAR owner Rick Hendrick who has cleared him to run both races that day).
The Speedway requires rookie drivers to prove they can handle a car at the high speeds on the track with severallaps at increasing speeds before they’re allowed to try to qualify for the 500. Larson drew praise for his runs with his fastest lap at 217 mph. He’ll be back for more testing next April when he hopes to work his way up to competitive laps in the 230-plus mph bracket.
But looked good and felt good, as this report from Indianapolis station WRTV shows:
Video: (59) Larson turns laps under watchful eyes of veteran drivers – YouTube
The good times kept rolling for him Sunday when he became the first driver to lock up a position in the final four who will decide the championship in the last race of the year, November 4. Larson edged Christopher Bell by eight one-thousandth of a second at Las Vegas. He led seven times for 133 laps including the last 45. He now has led 1,031 laps this year, the most of any driver.
Larson is bidding for his second NASCAR championship. He won the title in 2021.
Two races are left and seven drivers are competing for the remaining three spots in the final race.
Bell is one of the drivers hoping to make the final four. Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, and Ross Chastain finished third through fifth but are no longer in playoff contention.
Sixth place went to Ryan Blaney at the checkered flag but a post-race inspection resulted in his disqualification and listing as being in last, a penalty that also dealt a death blow to his chances for the final four unless he wins one of the next two races.
However, NASCAR on Monday reviewed its inspection protocol and found a faulty instrument was used on Blaney’s car. His sixth-place finish was restored. Blaney is seventh among the eight contending drivers but is only 17 points out of fourth place, still a contending position.
(Formula 1)—Formula 1 returns to action next weekend with the United States Grand Prix on a new track that snakes its way around a 3.42 mile Circuit of the Americas near Austin, Texas.
-0-