‘He’s a fighter’: Mizzou football’s Rountree continues steady work as Tigers’ rock
Missouri Tigers coach Eliah Drinkwitz stressed the importance of a “downhill run game” from the moment he took over as MU’s top guy.
The Tigers ran downhill in their season opener despite lining up against the talented Alabama defensive line. Mizzou leaned on running back Larry Rountree III for 14 rushes — but that wasn’t enough, according to Drinkwitz.
Drinkwitz said he was impressed with how his offensive line played, especially considering the inexperienced group was hit hard by injuries and COVID-19 during preseason camp. The line opened up running lanes and Rountree hit them to the tune of 67 yards and nearly five yards per carry.
Yet Drinkwitz said he didn’t really call enough plays for the running game to get going.
“I’m glad he has confidence that I can run the ball,” Rountree said. “It makes me feel that the carries that I got, I made the best of them. It wasn’t more of, ‘Larry didn’t really run that hard.’ I always try to run my hardest, whatever game we play.”
Rountree and fellow running back Tyler Badie are arguably the biggest strengths on a MU offense filled with question marks. And through one game, they’ve showcased why the Tigers expected so much from them.
Badie caught quarterback Shawn Robinson’s lone touchdown pass, a 54-yard strike after the Alabama defense didn’t account for Badie on the wheel route. Badie — who said he is the SEC’s most versatile running back — was projected to be a threat through Drinkwitz’s short-yardage pass game and on the ground.
Rountree was the premier back Saturday, handling a bulk of the carries. While the senior took a relative step back last year, he’s still an established SEC back who’s garnered his share of all-conference preseason honors. Rountree also showcased why he’s such a bruiser: He ran for more yards after contact (35) than yards before contact (32), according to secstatcat.com.
It wasn’t all perfect for the Mizzou running backs, though. When the Tigers went for it on a fourth-and-2 on their second drive, Alabama linebacker Dylan Moses stopped Rountree in the backfield after the tailback received the option pitch. Rountree said getting beat there was unacceptable because “I can’t let one guy beat me.”
“I did pretty good; I thought I could do more,” Rountree said. “Obviously, we didn’t win, it wasn’t enough. I still think I could do more just in the offense with the carries that I get. Just do more. I just need to do more. Every carry I get.”
The Tigers will need productivity from their stout rushing attack against No. 21 Tennessee at 11 a.m. Saturday at Neyland Stadium. While they’re not facing the No. 2 team in the country anymore, Rountree said the Vols are a ranked team for a reason.
Tennessee features a veteran-laden line with a number of seniors, including Matthew Butler, LaTrell Bumphus and Aubrey Solomon. South Carolina averaged just 2.3 yards per carry against the Vols, and the MU ground game will need to succeed in order for the Tigers to move the ball.
That’s where Rountree comes in. He rushed for just 43 yards in last season’s Senior Day loss to the Vols as Mizzou’s offense collapsed as a whole. With Drinkwitz’s scheme rejuvenating the Tigers, it could be a different story this fall.
“He’s a fighter,” Drinkwitz said of Rountree. “He runs tough, he runs physical. It means the world to him. I gotta do a better job of feeding him.”
Mizzou’s running attack will also benefit Robinson when he’s in the game. As a dual-threat quarterback, Robinson said his legs account for another option opposing defenses must respect.
The Tigers also added another weapon to their run game in their wide receivers. Whether on screens, jet motions or the option, Mizzou wideouts were behind the line of scrimmage often last weekend as Drinkwitz looked to attack the flats.
But whenever the Tigers need hard-fought rushing yards, that’ll be Rountree’s assignment.
“Whenever I get the ball, I run my butt off for the team and try to get as much as possible,” Rountree said. “Just running for my teammates and that’s about it. Running hard, that’s something I take personally — yards after contact, not letting one person take me down.”