Mizzou DB Martez Manuel shares why he considers Kentucky more of a rivalry game than Arkansas
While Mizzou’s annual cross-division clash with Arkansas is billed as a rivalry game, Tigers defensive back Martez Manuel feels that there’s a more heated rivalry with division foe Kentucky.
At SEC Media Days, Manuel was asked for his thoughts on the rivalry with Kentucky in recent years. He compared it to the rivalry with Arkansas.
“I feel like Kentucky, to me, is more of a rivalry game than Arkansas,” Manuel said, emphasizing it was his personal opinion. “Arkansas, yeah, we have the Battle Line Rivalry, but we don’t have that (bad) blood there. We don’t like Kentucky. They don’t like us. It’s been that way…”
Manuel recalled the last few Mizzou-Kentucky games, including the pass interference penalty that led to an untimed down for the Cats in 2018, his senior year of high school.
“There’s actually some bad blood there,” Manuel said of UK. “With Arkansas, we want to win that game, but I don’t hate them personally. That’s just me speaking. I don’t hate those guys. But Kentucky, I just hate that white and blue, not going to lie.”
Missouri DB Martez Manuel talks the UK/Missouri rivalry.
Says he dislikes Kentucky more than Arkansas 👀 pic.twitter.com/s4uSQweHGl
— Aaron Gershon (@agershon99) July 18, 2022
Mizzou hosts Kentucky on Nov. 5 and wraps up the regular season against Arkansas on Nov. 25.
Interesting!
Imagine that, rivalries develop on the field and not in a senior leadership brainstorming workshop…
Could not agree more with Mr. Manuel. Manufactured rivalries seldom take. I believe the leadership committee thought they could recreate the Border War but we don’t have the political and athletic history to do it. I’m glad you’ve got something going with Kentucky but I’d love to see you schedule Kansas every year at Arrowhead. We‘Ll focus our ire on our southern border rival.
LSU doesn’t view us as a rival. Fayetteville and Baton Rouge are like 8-9 hours apart by car. I’m interested in seeing if a rivalry develops with Oklahoma. Norman is just 3.5 hours away from Fayetteville.
If Arkansas can win even in the numbers they did with Texas that will be bigger than Missouri. And you’re right about LSU not seeing it as a rivalry game. They have much bigger games with long histories.
It’s funny that you guys keep thinking that all these blue chip schools like LSU, Texas, and OU are going to think of Arkansas as a rival. Never gonna happen.
Tell us where that mean Razorback touched lol. Was it in Football, Basketbal, or one of the dozen other sports we beat you in this past year hahaha.
Tiger, I literally just stated that LSU doesn’t view us as a rivalry. Learn how to read. Arkansas-Texas is a rivalry dating back 100 years. You just don’t know what you’re talking about there. As far as OU, we’ll see. Hope that helps.
You mean like you actually think Missouri has a rivalry with Texas and Oklahoma. Hilarious story about “restoring” a rivalry with Texas as if Missouri would ever come up in conversation about their rivalry games. Stick to the Kentucky dream. It’s you only chance.
I agree with Martez. While Mizzou has no true SEC rivals, UK has been a unique pain in our ass and I think a real hatred is brewing on our side.
But it’s most likely a one-way deal, a rivalry takes two teams to hate each other and, as the fans of every other SEC team like to remind us, no one gets excited about playing Mizzou.
While these aren’t rivalries, the teams I most want to beat every year are:
1: Kentucky
2: Florida
3: Tennessee
4: South Carolina
5: Arkansas
My five exactly, and in that order.
First on a list of teams I want to beat, yet another sign of how far Stoops has improved the program. Go CATS!!!
While these aren’t rivalries, the teams I most want to beat every year are:
0: Georgia
1: Kentucky
2: Florida
3: Tennessee
4: South Carolina
5: Arkansas
fify
Oh and I would take a loss to Vandy EVERY year to win those 6 games.
A few questionable calls by the officials that seem to affect the outcome of a game every few years can help to create a rivalry between teams that did not previously have one. I think the bad blood development between UK and Mizzou has happened that way. Throw in a few really close games and one or two where one of the teams is apparently better than the other, but can’t get it done. All of that has happened in the UK vs. Mizzou games over the years. In 2018 Mizzou looked like the better team but did not get a first down in the entire second half, plus a questionable call, plus a miracle comeback, etc. In 2020 UK was likely the better team but was reeling from the death of our O-line coach and couldn’t seem to function at all.
A rivalry game isn’t just about hate. And it seems like Missouri fans are liking the Arkansas rivalry games.
Mizzou fans don’t give two sh!ts about the Arkansas game.
Beggars can’t be choosey TD. None on your list see you as a rival. You have an out of proportion image of Missouri’s worth. Most SEC fans don’t give two sh!ts about Missouri. Sorry for ya.
Some posts have mentioned renewing the rivalry with Texas. The only games Texas fans have mentioned is A&M and Arkansas from the old SWC days.
In a 3 rival system, yes. But make no mistake, Texas will consider Oklahoma and TAMU as their main rivals. They really don’t care about Arky. Once they’re here they will probably work on building up a rivalry with LSU.
You just know everything about what these fanbases think lol. Your a dope nobody goes out of their way to schedule ” The Mighty Zou”. Texas or whomever doesn’t care what you do. Seriously if you requested to leave the conference tomorrow nobody would care.
Name one school who would give a rat’s ass if Arkansas left the SEC. Go ahead, I’ll wait.
Like it or not, you’re in the same boat as Mizzou. You Arky fans have too high of an opinion of yourselves, especially considering how terrible your program has been. You have no traditions or rivalries in the SEC. There’s a reason they stuck you with us. Get over yourselves, seriously.
No traditions? Seriously cant even begin to talk about how dumb your school is? Your mascot is a Tiger which I can think of 4 schools that most people would refer to before Mizzo while Arkansas is the Razorbacks the only one of its kind. We were Top 10 in Learfied Cup Rankings again where you dont break the Top 100 lol. Is it sad that nobody values Wrestling like you do? We put players in every draft and athletes on 6 different continents call themselves Arkansas Alum. We owned the White House when Bill Clinton was in office because he was such a diehard fan. Our donors out duel yours at every stop with our facilities and it’s not even close. You can’t name one thing you’ve added since your arrival. We’ve won National Championships were you can only hope for conference.
Name one school would hate to see Missouri leave. You can’t. Missouri’s athletic programs are so outclassed. Get over yourself. Vandy should be your rivalry game.
Someone inform the kid that his animosity is from continually losing to UK.
Kansas is your rival. Kentucky is your daddy.
Love it!
Idk I’m annoyed with Odom going to arkansas and recruiting our state’s players