Liberty Bowl preview, Part V: Special teams/intangibles
On most Mizzou football game weeks, PowerMizzou gets you set for the matchup with everything you need to know in our Ultimate Preview. But given the month-plus layoff between the end of the regular season and Missouri’s matchup against Oklahoma State in the Liberty Bowl, we decided to do something a bit different. Each day between now and New Year’s Eve, we’ll take a more expansive look at every facet of the matchup.
In our final preview section, we take a look at each team's special teams, as well as the great unknown in bowl matchups: motivation.
Special Teams/Intangibles
Special teams has been a major issue this season for Missouri. The Tigers have had three punts or field goals blocked, a bad snap that led to a turnover on a punt, and allowed a punt return touchdown. They rank No. 126 out of 130 teams in punt return average. Punter Corey Fatony has been solid, but placekicker Tucker McCann has struggled at times, missing eight of 30 field goal attempts plus two extra points on the season.
Oklahoma State has not exactly been a special teams juggernaut — the Cowboys have just one special teams touchdown on the season, which came on a blocked punt against Boise State. Placekicker Matt Amendola has made 15 of 21 field goals and missed two extra points this season. But on special teams alone, we’d give Oklahoma State a slight advantage.
However, this category is taking into account more than just special teams, including perhaps the biggest factor in bowl game success: motivation. It’s difficult to predict which teams will emerge from the month-long layoff after the end of the regular season motivated for a bowl game, but in this matchup, there is reason to believe both sides should be hungry for a win.
Missouri saw last season how a lackluster bowl performance can erode the momentum from a strong end to the regular season. Players have talked repeatedly about the importance of getting a ninth win on the season — it would be just the eighth nine-win year in program history. Plus, it stands to reason that the players will want to send quarterback Drew Lock out a winner.
Oklahoma State, meanwhile, desperately needs to generate some momentum after a up-and-down regular season and assembling a recruiting class that ranks No. 40 nationally after the early signing period. A loss in the Liberty Bowl would result in the Cowboys’ first losing season since 2005, Mike Gundy’s first year as head coach. The Oklahoma State coaching staff surely realizes the importance of ending the year with a win, but one wonders whether Gundy and company can convince the players to adopt a sense of urgency after an underwhelming regular season.
Advantage: Push
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