MU notes: What’s in a name? Let cornerback Aarion Penton explain

Missouri senior cornerback Aarion Penton has stood out, even in a secondary that leads the Football Bowl Subdivision with 29 passes defended — 24 breakups and five interceptions — through three games this season.

Penton is making a name for himself, but it was the name on the back of his jersey — “Maxey-Penton” — that drew attention during Saturday’s conference-opener against Georgia because of a slight adjustment.

“I got my name changed a while ago, getting Penton added, and it’s my last year, so I made sure for everyone that my full legal name was on there,” Penton said.

Prior to the name change, Penton’s last name was Maxey. That was before his mom, Kimberly, met George Penton, Aarion’s stepdad, who Penton said “took great care” of him as a child.

Although Penton has intercepted two passes thus far with the name change, he’s not sure if he’s going to keep it.

“I’m going to see how it continues to go and from there,” Penton said. “I don’t want to make anyone feel less-valued family-wise. … I’m all about family first.”

Night kickoff for LSU game

Missouri’s first trip to Death Valley for a game at LSU will be played under the lights.

The SEC announced Monday that first-year coach Barry Odom’s Tigers would kick off against Les Miles’ Bayou Bengals at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 1 on the SEC Network from Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.

LSU is 52-6 under Miles in night games at Tiger Stadium.

The two teams have met one previous time — a 20-15 Mizzou victory in the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 23, 1978, in Memphis, Tenn.

Injury update

Senior running back Alex Ross (sprained left ankle) and sophomore wide receiver Keyon Dilosa (concussion) are expected to be available Saturday against Delaware State.

Ross practiced last week and suited up for the Georgia game, but was a pregame scratch. Dilosa watched the game in street clothes.

The news is also generally good on several players who were injured against the Bulldogs.

Sophomore linebacker Terez Hall was expected back for today’s practice, while junior cornerback Logan Cheadle will be limited today but should be “close to full speed on Wednesday,” Odom said. Both suffered sprained ankles Saturday.

Sophomore center Samson Bailey, who also sprained an ankle against the Bulldogs, shouldn’t miss time this week.

Freshman cornerback Christian Holmes, who was knocked out of last week’s game by a blindside block on the punt-return unit, “was fine after the game,” according to Odom.

Holmes is in Mizzou’s concussion protocol, “but it seemed like everything checked out pretty clear even immediately after the game,” Odom said.

This story was originally published September 19, 2016 at 9:45 PM with the headline "MU notes: What’s in a name? Let cornerback Aarion Penton explain."