MU notebook: Logan Cheadle records first interception, Dimetrios Mason gets first touchdown in Mizzou loss

Saturday was a second for the Missouri football team — the second time the Tigers lost to Kentucky at Memorial Stadium in the teams’ four-game playing history in Columbia. But for many Missouri players, it was a day of firsts.

With the absences of senior linebacker Michael Scherer, who tore his ACL and MCL last week against Middle Tennessee, and senior cornerback John Gibson, who suffered a knee injury last week, juniors in cornerback Logan Cheadle and linebacker Eric Beisel earned their first career starts.

Against Georgia weeks ago, Cheadle suffered an ankle injury that sat him out three games. Although he said after Saturday’s game the ankle still isn’t 100 percent, the Lee’s Summit native finished with three tackles and recorded his first career interception with 10 seconds remaining in the first half.

“It was exciting,” Cheadle said. “I wish it could have come with a W with it, but it was exciting for sure. It was about time.”

Beisel has played in every game this year — mostly on special teams — and he’d made four tackles prior to Kentucky. On Saturday, he finished with five tackles and three tackles for loss.

Missouri sophomore linebacker Brandon Lee also assisted in replacing Scherer’s production. On the third down of Kentucky’s fourth drive, Lee garnered his first career sack on Kentucky quarterback Stephen Johnson to force a Wildcats punt. Lee finished with four total tackles.

Offensively, Missouri freshman wide receiver Dimetrios Mason found the end zone twice — his first scores in a black and gold uniform.

“It felt good, but losing took a part of that away,” Mason said. “We needed those touchdowns, but I was really hoping we were going to win.”

Mason’s first touchdown came with 2 minutes, 22 seconds remaining in the first half as the Loganville, Ga., native snagged an over-the-shoulder grab from 27 yards out. His second came with 4 minutes, 22 seconds remaining in the game as sophomore quarterback Drew Lock found Mason for a 57-yard bomb.

Overall, Mason finished with four catches and 101 yards and two touchdowns.

Nate Howard notches time

Multiple defensive ends stood in for junior defensive end Marcell Frazier, who was suspended for the first half after being called for targeting in last week’s game, including junior Jordan Harold and sophomore Spencer Williams.

But there was also a new name in the mix — sophomore defensive end Nate Howard.

For the first time this year, Howard, who had 12 tackles and two tackles for loss last year and was coming off of a knee surgery this past spring, took snaps.

“We’ve got to get him more game ready,” coach Barry Odom said. “There’s certain limited things that he could do, and I think we got the chance to get him in position that he can help us here a lot more than he did today.”

Although he did not finish with a tackle, Howard’s playing burns a possible redshirt.

About that, Odom said: “We had many conversations the last two weeks and he wanted it. He said, ‘Coach, if I can do anything to help this team, I want to do it.’ ” I admire his attitude and I’m going to lean on him a little bit here these next couple of weeks.”

Freshman defensive tackle Markell Utsey also played on the defensive front Saturday, due in part to the absence of sophomore defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr., who suffered an ACL tear last week.

A number of other Tigers were out, including junior offensive lineman Alec Abeln, who sat last week, and sophomore linebacker Terez Hall, who did not play.

“(Terez) re-injured (his ankle) Wednesday in practice,” Odom said. “The linebacker room has taken a hit, no doubt, but next guy up and we’ve got to get better.”

Missouri senior linebacker Donavin Newsom was also ruled out at halftime after suffering a quad injury midway through the first quarter.

“That stung a little bit,” Odom said. “We’ve got two guys there in Scherer and Donavin who have played a lot of ball. Really, at the one linebacker position we were down to (redshirt freshman cornerback) T.J. Warren, who we moved there earlier in the week, so more of a nickel look. … He played every snap from then on out.”

Safety starters

For the first time since Missouri’s game in Baton Rouge against LSU, Anthony Sherrils earned a start at safety. Opposite sophomore Cam Hilton, who also earned his first start since Delaware State, Sherrils recorded three tackles.

Hilton, who started in place of junior safety Thomas Wilson who was dinged up last week against Middle Tennessee and only played a few snaps against Kentucky, led the team in tackles with 10.

Scoreboard struggles

The game clock went out midway through the second quarter. Although the scoreboard worked at times toward the end of the first half, officials read off the time and told game attendees to disregard the scoreboard clock.

To open the second half, the clock manager failed to run the play clock, but the scoreboard held the clock for the rest of the game — long enough to see the final 35-21 score when the zeroes grazed the time slots.

This story was originally published October 29, 2016 at 6:36 PM with the headline "MU notebook: Logan Cheadle records first interception, Dimetrios Mason gets first touchdown in Mizzou loss."