MIZZOU
Mizzou came up just short in the Liberty Bowl on Monday evening against Oklahoma State, with QB Drew Lock falling a yard short of converting a crucial fourth down late in the fourth quarter.
The play, which you can see here, was a questionable (at best) call from OC Derek Dooley, who took the ball out of Lock’s talented arm and trusted his legs to get the job done.
It was a read-option play, so Lock could have handed the ball to RB Larry Rountree III, but based on the way the defensive end reacted to the play, Lock kept it. Rountree said after the game that the senior quarterback absolutely made the right call:
Rountree on Lock’s keeper: “It was the right thing to do.” Said the defender Lock was reading crashed down and the pull was the right play
— Dave Matter (@Dave_Matter) January 1, 2019
The problem wasn’t Lock’s decision, it was Dooley’s play call. To not even give the potential first-round quarterback an option to throw was atrocious.
The play cost the Tigers a shot at a comeback victory, and it’s sad that Lock’s Mizzou career had to end on such a disappointing decision.
Another case of the carpet not matching the drapes. The headline makes it sound like Rountree agreed with the play call. The actual story only says he thought Lock did the right thing in pulling the ball.
and that’s why he said the problem wasn’t Lock’s decision but DD’s play call. Maybe.
For a gain of one yard, in a possibly game-winning down, you would want a safe 1+ yard call. Running would be preferable, but then where were the blockers if there was no pass option? Running wide, Lock could have had more blocking from receivers, backs, linemen, etc. And on a team like this, why would there ever be a play called in which there was no pressure valve, no receiver or back available to take a pass or lateral?
Did anyone notice his jersey was misspelled in the bowl game? The N was missing, spelled his name Routree.
It was noticed immediately by some MU fans.