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Theo Wease Jr. wanted to win every game he played this season at Missouri, because of course, he did. But there was one game on the 2024 schedule that meant a little (or a lot) more to the senior wide receiver, and that one game is this Saturday night when the Tigers host Oklahoma in a 7:45 p.m. ET kickoff on SEC Network.
Sure, Missouri vs. Oklahoma means a little more to everyone involved in this matchup, because it’s the first time the schools will play as SEC football rivals. Years ago, they used to be Big 12 rivals, so Oklahoma’s first season in the SEC means that this showdown will have different overtones than it ever has.
But for Wease, it means even more, because Wease transferred from Oklahoma after the 2022 season. Wease spent 4 seasons in Norman, with his 2021 season being cut short because of a foot injury, before transferring to Mizzou for the 2023 season.
While Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz said his team knows the steep football history between the Tigers and Sooners, Wease is dealing with his own personal history.
“I kinda had something built up inside of me to play this game, but now I know it’s (a) rivalry, so it’s built up even more,” said Wease on Tuesday.
#Mizzou and Oklahoma are rekindling an old grudge fest this weekend at Faurot Field.
Head coach Eli Drinkwitz said his team is aware for the history between these two programs.Theo Wease Jr. (who transferred from Oklahoma) said: “I kinda had something built up inside of me to… pic.twitter.com/G1Zoblr373
— Nathalie Jones (@NathalieABC17) November 5, 2024
Wease has 37 catches for 482 yards and 1 touchdown this season for the Tigers. He’ll hope to add a lot to those totals on Saturday against his former school.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
