The Missouri offense is clicking in 2016, thanks in large part to first-year offensive coordinator Josh Heupel.
During the Week 5 SEC Media Presser, first-year head coach Barry Odom had a lot to say about the work Heupel has done, especially with sophomore QB Drew Lock:
“Our QB room has outworked everyone in the program,” he said. “There’s ownership in protecting the football. There’s ownership in leading the program. Because Josh was such a good QB and been around other good QBs, he knows what it takes to be successful.”
The Tigers will need the offense in top form Saturday night when they travel to Baton Rouge to take on LSU.
Odom said preparing to play at Death Valley is difficult, but the Tigers are working hard ahead of this week’s game:
“I don’t think there’s any one magic thing we can do,” he said. “It’s one of the best [atmospheres] in college football. Such a great opportunity for our student athletes. I’m looking forward to it. We have made our practices as high tempo as we can to affect our communication. We have cranked it up this week to help prep our communication skills.”
The Tigers will square off against an team led by interim coach Ed Orgeron, who will be coaching his first game for LSU. Though Coach O hasn’t had much time to prepare, Odom said he won’t take Mizzou’s foes lightly:
“I’ve got a lot of respect for him and Coach Miles,” he said. “I know he’ll have them ready to play. Our guys will be ready to compete. I’ve been through a coaching change before, I understand it but they’ll be ready.”
One big issue from last week’s game was the lack of fans cheering for the historic Mizzou victory.
Though Faurot Field wasn’t packed for last week’s 79-0 win over Delaware State, Odom said he’ll work hard to fill the seats moving forward:
“I’m very appreciative of our fans,” he said. “If I do my job, the atmosphere will be what it should be.”
Saturday night’s game in Baton Rouge is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. Central time and can be seen on the SEC Network.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
