By Bob Priddy, Missourinet Contributing Editor
(MIZBB)—Missouri’s SEC losing streak is now 21 after falling to Auburn Saturday afternoon, 84-68—and the game was not as close as the final score indicates.
Missouri was miserable from beyond the arc, going 2-17 to start and finishing 7-23. They were below 40% in overall shooting and their usual penetrate-and-draw-fouls or buckets offense also was ineffective.
Auburn, on the other hand, hit 57 percent of its shots from the field and was 10-21 from the outside.
Missouri is at home for the next two games—against Vanderbilt and LSU, two of the lower-ranked teams in the conference.
MIZFB)—Missouri Quarterback Brady Cook says he’s making himself available to the NFL NFLDRAFTBUZZCOM evaluates him as a clipboard-holding backup quarterback, a late day three choice or a high-priority undrafted free agent.
Here’s how the page rates him;
Strengths
- Boasts elite wheels for a QB, clocking a blazing 4.62 in the 40, putting him in the 88th percentile at his position
- Shows good touch on his dimes, especially in the short game, consistently hitting receivers in stride for YAC opportunities
- Possesses above-average escapability, demonstrating the ability to extend plays and pick up chunk yardage on designed runs
- Exhibits poise under fire, showing the ability to climb the pocket and reset his base while keeping his eyes downfield
- Demonstrates sound mechanics when throwing in rhythm, utilizing proper weight transfer and shoulder alignment
- Displays good touch on intermediate and deep balls, able to drop it in the bucket over defenders with appropriate arc
- Shows football savvy with pre-snap reads, identifying favorable matchups and leverage situations
- Exhibits plus leadership qualities and toughness, earning respect from teammates as a two-time team captain
Weaknesses
- Possesses only average arm strength, limiting his ability to drive the ball consistently on deep outs and seam routes
- Can be late to process post-snap rotations, occasionally missing open receivers or throwing into clouded windows
- Footwork in dropbacks can be choppy at times, affecting timing and rhythm with receivers on timing-based routes
- Tends to predetermine deep shots, leading to some ill-advised throws into double coverage
- Lacks elite physical tools to consistently create off-script, limiting his ceiling as a playmaker at the next level
To summarize, says Wyatt Brooks, Cook “looks like a potential QB@ at the next level…His local ties and leadership qualities could make him an attractive option for teams looking to bolster their QB room with a high-character backup who can run the scout team effectively and step in if needed.”
(PORTAL)—The newest addition to the football program is a third-team all-American safety Jalen Catalon, who is moving to Columbia from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. He’s the fifteenth portal player joining the program.
Missouri will be his third school and 2025 will be his SEVENTH college football season. He was a four-star recruit for Arkansas but played in only 21 games in four years, most of them in 2020 when he was an all-SEC pick by the Associated Press, with 99 tackles for then-coach Barry Odoms. For his Arkansas career, he had five interceptions, four fumbles forced and 158 tackles.
He moved to Texas in 2023 and got into eight games, then joined Odoms at UNLV in ’24.
How has he managed to play college football for seven years? He redshirted his freshman year in 2019, got an additional year because of the pandemic in 2020 and had a season-ending injury at the start of 2022. (ZOU)
(CHIEFS)—-The Chiefs had nothing to play for against the Broncos, except for some opportunities to meet some financial incentives. Resting the key first-string guys was the goal, giving them three weeks between their last regular season game and their first game in the playoffs.
The result was the first shutout for the Chiefs in the Andy Reid era and kept him for recording his 300th victory as an NFL coach, a milestone unimportant to him in this game. More important was resting the regulars—which he did brilliantly, resulting in a 38-0 loss.
Kansas City has joined the 1971 Vikings and the 1977 Broncos as the only teams in NFL history since the 1970 merger to finish with the best record in the NFL without scoring more than 30 points in any single game.
Several players went into the game looking for some milestones. Xavier Worthy needed one touchdown to tie Rashee Rice for most TDS by a first-year Chiefs player. Obviously that did not happen.
Center Creed Humphrey started against Denver, continuing his consecutive game streak that began when he was a rookie in 2021. Only one Kansas City player has more consecutive starts since his rookie year than Humphrey—Gary Barbaro, who started his first 101 games.
The Chiefs have two weeks to prepare for their first playoff game.
The playoff brackets for next weekend:
Chargers at Texas; Steelers at Ravens (both Saturday; Denver at Buffalo, Packers in Philadelphia, Commanders against the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay on Sunday and the Vikings against the Rams in Los Angeles on Monday night.
Motoring along
We haven’t checked in on motorsports very much lately, so let’s do a quick rundown:
(INDYCAR)—Sam Schmidt, one of INDYCAR’s most inspirational figures is leaving his “life’s work” as he gives up his final share of ownership in McLaren Schmidt-Peterson Motorsports, leaving McLaren the sole owner of the team.
He was a rising star in the Indy Racing League and raced in three Indianapolis 500s and finished fifth in points in 1999. But during offseason testing at Walt Disney World Speedway, he crashed and was left a quadriplegic. For five months he was on a respirator.
He became the most successful car owner in the Indy Lights series, the feeder series for the top series in open-wheel American racing. He bought out Fazzi Motorsports in 2011 and fielded his first INDYCAR entry that year with driver Alex Tagliani grabbing the pole for the Indianapolis 500.
The team has been sponsored by Arrow Electronics since 2019. In 2016, Arrow developed a system that enabled Schmidt to drive again—a modified 2014 Corvette that utilized infrared cameras to capture head and breathing movements to control the car.
Arrow later developed the SAM suit that enables Schmidt to stand and walk.
His team became Schmidt-Peterson Motorsports when Canadian businessman Ric Peterson brought in, in 2013. It became Arrow McLaren SP in 2021 when McLaren stepped back into American motorsports, buying 75% of the team with an option to buy the rest after 2024. The final buyout came with the start of the new year.
For the past five years, Pato O’Ward has been the team’s leading driver. He’s finished in the top ten at the Indianapolis 500 four times, second twice—both times by narrow margins.
Schmidt and Peterson will stay connected as members of the team’s board of directors.
Schmidt commented, “This team has been my life’s work, growing from a dream into a competitor at the highest level. I’m endlessly grateful to the drivers, team members, partners and fans who made it all possible, and to McLaren for elevating the team’s potential. While I’m stepping back from ownership, my heart will always be with this team, and I’ll be cheering for its continued success every step of the way.”
The first race for the all-McLaren team will be March 2, when INDYCAR will race on the street course in St. Petersburg, Florida.
(Photo Credits: Schmidt—Bob Priddy; O’Ward—Schmidt Peterson Motorsports)