Here’s one positive takeaway on offense from Missouri’s loss to Georgia

Missouri’s loss against Georgia was painful for fans as the Tigers spotted the Bulldogs 14 points and missed a chance to upset the No. 2 team in the nation, but there was a positive outside of the defense’s play — the run game is trending upward.

The Tigers combined for 172 rushing yards, fewer than the 233 they put up at Purdue, junior Damarea Crockett got going after running for just 17 yards against the Boilermakers.

“It’s been something we stressed out on the practice field,” senior offensive lineman Kevin Pendleton said. “It’s good to see it carrying over. There’s always, that six-yard run could have been an 18-, 20-yard run.”

Georgia’s shell defense suppressed the passing game and caused Drew Lock to lean more on his running backs and tight ends in short-yard packages. Crockett and Co. answered the bell.

All four of Missouri’s touchdowns came on the ground.

Lock said the run game was one of the lone positives he took from the Georgia game.

Missouri’s run game was supposed to be a strength after returning both Crockett, who missed half of last season to injury, and Larry Rountree, who emerged as a star in his absence.

In Missouri’s first two games, against Tennessee-Martin and Wyoming, the Tigers struggled to get the run game going. Against Purdue, Rountree rushed for 168 yards. True freshman Tyler Badie also rushed for 50 yards and was the hero of Missouri’s final drive, which set up the game-winning field goal.

Coach Barry Odom thought Missouri’s run game looked improved against Georgia and tipped his hand to the offensive line for opening holes that weren’t there the first two games. Crockett, Rountree, Badie and Lock each scored rushing touchdowns.

“We had times where we ran the ball really well,” Odom said. “I thought our runners did a little more north or south. There were times where we were able to get a push.”

With South Carolina, Missouri’s next opponent, ranking No. 75 nationally in rushing defense, the Tigers have a good opportunity to pick up where they left off against the Bulldogs.

Pendleton said that while the run game has improved, it’s still not up to the standard that the Tigers expect, given the experience at the position.

“We want to be a team that can pound the ball at will,” he said. “That’s the mentality we have to have if we’re going to do what we can do.”

Columns Club renamed

Missouri announced earlier this week that it’s renaming the Columns Club at Memorial Stadium to the Walsworth Family Columns Club after the family donated $10 million for the stadium’s new South End Zone Facility, which is under construction. The family has contributed more than $25 million to Mizzou Athletics over the years.

Don Walsworth is a 1957 graduate of the University of Missouri with a degree in education and is the Chief Executive Officer of Walsworth, an 80-year-old family-owned printing company. His wife, Audrey, is a 1956 graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism.

Alex Schiffer

Alex Schiffer covers University of Missouri athletics for The Star.

This story was originally published September 26, 2018 at 10:37 AM.