What do Lindsey Scott and Jack Lowary bring to MU’s offense as backup quarterbacks?
For the first time in years, Missouri finds itself in uncharted waters with its backup-quarterback situation as the Tigers currently have no true heir to Drew Lock once he leaves at season’s end, likely for a seat in the NFL Draft green room.
Every quarterback under former coach Gary Pinkel had their understudy ready to step in when the starter graduated or went pro, which started with Brad Smith and ended with Maty Mauk.
Throughout the spring and summer, curernt head coach Barry Odom has said he wants to use Lock as much as he can and will play a backup when the score dictates it.
Junior Jack Lowary and sophomore Lindsey Scott are each both listed as co-backups on the depth chart, and each brings a different skill-set to the position.
Lowary, when he was in high school, ran the same offense that new offensive coordinator Derek Dooley plans to run. Lowary has been approached by the other quarterbacks, including Lock, to help teach them the finer points of the system.
“I’m not trying to act like I know more than the (coaches), but I can definitely answer questions from my experiences,” Lowary said. “The only difference is we’re a lot more multiple here. We had more of a pro-style progression in high school. Here we do it all with the (run-pass option).”
Despite his experience with a fast-paced pro-style offense, Lowary said he doesn’t believe his resume gives him an advantage over Scott.
Even with his heads-up on Dooley’s system, Lowary said he hasn’t treated fall camp any differently than the previous ones he’s participated in as a quarterback.
“That’s the best way for me to go about it,” he said. “Don’t make it bigger than it is. I just focus on myself.”
For Scott, it’s his fourth offense in four years after transferring from LSU his freshman year to East Mississippi Community College.
While Lowary has spent more time in a system like Dooley’s, Scott thinks his own journey has had its benefits.
“They all kind of have similarities,” Scott said. “Learning these different offenses has kind of helped. I’ve seen some similarities in all of them. It’s had its ups and downs, but I don’t think it’s been much of a problem.”
Missouri also has Taylor Powell and Micah Wilson on its roster, who could also make a run at the backup spot. Wilson was Lock’s backup last season and mostly played in blowouts, while Powell had an impressive showing at the spring game in April.
Wilson is one of the fastest players on the team and is the Tigers only real dual-threat quarterback. Scott prides himself on his ability to make throws out of the pocket, regardless of the look he’s getting from the defense.
“Some of these guys like Micah, even Jack, they’re all kind of mobile,” Scott said. “I like to pride myself on the ability to get outside the pocket and work outside of it also. I wouldn’t say so much as an edge because they all do it well also, but it’s something I want to get better at and improve on.”
Odom is weeks away from naming a backup, and the situation could remain fluid going into the regular season.
While a decision isn’t expected anytime soon, Dooley has already told the players what he’ll be looking for.
“(Dooley) always says offense is about production,” Scott said. “When you’re in, you need to produce.”