When Missouri got the ball back with 4:30 left in its game against South Carolina on Saturday, virtually everyone in Faurot Field knew who would get the ball. The Tigers had turned the ball over on two straight possessions, with Connor Bazelak’s second interception of the game resulting in Eli Drinkwitz benching him in favor of redshirt freshman Brady Cook. Leading by three points, the offense needed to hold onto the ball and run time off the clock.
So, the Tigers turned to the player they’ve ridden all season: running back Tyler Badie. Tight end Daniel Parker Jr. acknowledged that the South Carolina defense probably knew what was coming. Stopping Badie would be another matter.
“They just couldn’t stop it,” Parker said. “... There’s nothing they could have done.”
On first down, Badie ran for six yards. The next snap, he exploded through a hole and gained 30 — his longest run of the game. Later in the drive, Missouri faced a third down and three with a chance to seal a win if it could move the chains. Badie gained 11. The run elevated him over 200 rushing yards for the game — his fourth 200-yard rushing performance of the season.
Badie said he relishes the opportunity to put away games for Missouri.
“At the end of the day, I’m just going to keep running the ball,” he said. “If coach leans on me, I’m going to answer to him and just be there for my teammates.”
Badie finished with 209 rushing yards, 22 receiving yards and a touchdown. The performance furthered an already historic campaign. With 1,274 rushing yards this season, he’s already recorded Missouri’s most prodigious season on the ground since the Tigers joined the SEC — in just 10 games. He’s the first Missouri player to record four 200-yard performances on the ground and the third SEC player since 2000 to accomplish that feat during a single season, joining Leonard Fournette and Derrick Henry. Badie leads the country in 200-yard rushing performances and with runs of 30 yards or more.
“If there’s a better running back in our conference,” Drinkwitz said, “I can’t wait to see him.”
Just as impressive as Badie’s production this season has been his workload. Badie tied his career high from two weeks ago with 39 total touches Saturday, 34 runs and five receptions. He’s averaging 21 rushing attempts and 25 total touches per game.
After spending the past three seasons playing in a change-of-pace role behind Larry Rountree III, Badie said he’s motivated to prove that he can thrive as a featured back. Drinkwitz admitted he had questions about Badie’s ability to carry the load for a full season but said “there’s no question now.” Yet Badie still carries a chip on his shoulder and allows it to fuel his performances.
“I read everything,” he said. “Oh,’ what can Tyler do when Larry’s not here?’ I’m going to show what I can do. I believe in my actions and I believe in myself, so every day I step out there, I know I trust myself, I know what I can do, I know what I’m capable of, and I’m just going to show it to you guys every day.”
While Badie admitted he’s aware of what’s being written about him, he shied away from talking about his place on Missouri’s all-time rushing list. His 2021 production currently ranks third in school history in terms of single-season rushing yardage among running backs, behind just Joe Moore and Devin West. He needs 304 to catch West. Asked whether he thought he could get there, Badie hurriedly plugged his ears and said he doesn’t want to know about any records.
“Right now it don’t really mean much,” he said. “At the end of the day, my biggest thing is just getting to a bowl game for our seniors, just finishing the season strong right now. You know, Mike Maietti is like 35 years old, never made it to a bowl game yet. So my biggest thing is just to get him to a bowl game so he can enjoy the experience.”
Drinkwitz credits offensive line, too
While he praised Badie during his postgame press conference, Drinkwitz was also quick to point out that he only had room to run because of a solid showing by the Missouri offensive line. The front five paved the way for Badie’s 200-yard game despite being down several players due to injury.
Right tackle Hyrin White dressed for the game but did not play. Drinkwitz said White has a sprained ankle. Zeke Powell, normally the backup to White, wasn’t available, either, due to an injury sustained during practice this week. So, Missouri turned to junior Bobby Lawrence, who Drinkwitz said had been practicing with the scout team last week, to start in place of White.
Lawrence lasted less than one possession before exiting the game with an injury. That prompted Missouri to shift right guard Connor Wood (who was only starting there because Case Cook is out for the year with an injury) to right tackle and insert Oklahoma transfer EJ Ndoma-Ogar at right guard. Meanwhile, the Tigers rotated between Xavier Delgado and Luke Griffin at the other guard spot.
As a result, Drinkwitz said Missouri leaned on left tackle Javon Foster in the ground game. He heaped praise on Foster as well as offensive line coach Marcus Johnson.
“As much as we're giving Tyler credit, I mean, our offensive line and tight ends deserve a lot of credit, too,” Drinkwitz said. “Those guys were blocking their butt off, and Javon Foster played outstanding tonight. … What we did tonight was with a patchwork offensive line. We were very limited in what we could call and how we could call it. Kudos to Marcus Johnson for having those guys ready and ready to play.”
Asked whether the rash of injuries at the right tackle spot could see Missouri similarly limited when it hosts Florida next week, Drinkwitz implied that could be a concern.
“If you all know any help right there we could sure use it,” he said.
Drinkwitz explains decision to bench Bazelak
Missouri’s quarterback position has been the subject of intrigue for two weeks, since Bazelak left the team’s win over Vanderbilt and did not return. Cook and true freshman Tyler Macon split snaps at Georgia last week in Bazelak’s absence, and the team listed Bazelak as questionable on its injury report leading up to Saturday’s matchup. Ultimately, Bazelak tested out his injured hamstring prior to the game and felt good enough to suit up, so Drinkwitz inserted him back into the starting lineup.
He wouldn’t finish the game, however. Bazelak threw two interceptions, one on Missouri’s first offensive drive on the other on the team’s final pass attempt. That brings his interception total to 10 on the season and nine in his past six starts.
Drinkwitz said the interceptions weren’t the result of Bazelak being limited by his sore hamstring.
“Just really poor decisions,” he said.
After the second interception, which looked like it slipped out of Bazelak’s grasp as he tried to throw the ball, Drinkwitz inserted Cook into the game. He said Cook’s mobility factored into the decision (Cook never attempted a pass), but also said the ball security issues played a role, as well.
“I felt like we were going to need the quarterback run, and Connor was just not, wasn't moving the way I wanted him to,” Drinkwitz said. “And that last pick — just, you know, we needed somebody who could be able to be a threat with his legs.”
Drinkwitz said he didn’t consider turning to Macon, as he did late in the game against Vanderbilt. He didn’t have time to prepare three different quarterbacks for the game, he said, so once it became apparent Bazelak would have a chance to suit up, Drinkwitz planned for him to start and Cook to serve as the top backup.
Drinkwitz and his players complimented the poise of Cook. Both Parker and Badie said Cook lives up to his assertion that he prepares ever week like he’s going to start. He showed his IQ when he slid in bounds at the end of two carries, which kept the clock moving.
“He’s always going to be prepared, and I’m going to trust him because he’s a man of his word,” Badie said of Cook. “I see him every day studying the film, he’s always locked in, learning, studying mental reps. That’s all you can ask for in a backup quarterback.”
Based on Drinkwitz’s postgame comments, Bazelak might have lost his grip on the starting spot. Whereas earlier in the season Drinkwitz consistently said Bazelak gave the team its best chance to win, he said Saturday he would have to evaluate the tape in order to figure out who to start in Missouri’s final two games.
“I’ll sit down tomorrow and evaluate the tape and look at it to see who gives us the best chance to win,” Drinkwitz said. “Who’s playing the best, who gives us the best chance to win.”
Fire drill field goal proves pivotal
In the final seconds of the first half, Missouri found itself in a rare quandary. The Tigers had third down and goal from the one-yard line with 22 seconds left on the game clock and no timeouts. Drinkwitz called a pass, understanding that any rushing play that came up short of the goal line would force the field goal unit to sprint onto the field and try to get a kick off before the running clock hit zero.
As it turned out, the unit had to do exactly that. Bazelak completed the play-action pass to tight end Niko Hea, but Hea got stonewalled short of the goal line. That sent Tiger kicker Harrison Mevis and the rest of his unit scrambling onto the field. Long-snapper Daniel Hawthorne got the ball away just before the clock ticked out, Mevis converted the 19-yard field goal, which wound up being the difference in the game. Drinkwitz complimented special teams coordinator Erik Link for having his unit prepared to execute under the gun.
“We actually practice it on Fridays,” Drinkwitz said. “It's called mayday field goal. And we had an alert. Now, I mean, we honestly didn't think any way in the world on that pass we were either going to be short or it was going to be incomplete, so for those guys to all recognize it — we had said it in the huddle, to get out there and to get that off was pretty, pretty good. Good coaching by coach Link.”
Talk about this story and more in The Tigers' Lair
Make sure you're caught up on all the Tiger news and headlines
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video and live streaming coverage
