Missouri Tigers football vs. North Texas: Time, TV and 5 things about the Mean Green
.JPG "Missouri quarterback Connor Bazelak, right, hands the ball off to running back Tyler Badie, left, during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Tennessee Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, in Columbia, Mo. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)")
The Missouri Tigers (2-3, 0-2 SEC) have a losing record for the first time this season following an atrocious 62-24 blowout defeat to Tennessee.
Head coach Eliah Drinkwitz made a coaching change on Sunday, replacing defensive line coach Jethro Franklin with defensive analyst Al Davis. Now Mizzou looks ahead to a Week 6 homecoming matchup against North Texas, its last nonconference opponent of the regular season.
Here are details and five things to know about the game.
THE DETAILS
Kickoff: 3 p.m. Saturday
Where: Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium, Columbia, Missouri
TV: SEC Network
Radio: KMBZ (98.1 FM)
The line: Missouri by 20
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
1. Take two. Saturday’s game will be just the second time the Missouri and North Texas programs have played. The first meeting was a 28-7 victory for the Tigers on Faurot Field on Sept. 3, 1995 — it was one of just three wins for Mizzou that season.
2. Fresh off a bye week. The Mean Green will be well-rested and rejuvenated entering Saturday’s contest. They had their bye week this past weekend following a 1-3 start to the season. The last game North Texas played was at Louisiana Tech on Sept. 25, which it lost 24-17. The team opened its season with a 44-14 win over Northwestern State and has also lost at SMU, 35-12, and against UAB, 40-6.
3. Watch out for DeAndre Torrey. The Mizzou defense will have quite the challenge in slowing down running back DeAndre Torrey. The senior ranks third in the FBS in rushing yards per game (129.0) and 11th in all-purpose yards per game (143.5), and he also has four touchdowns through four contests. The Tigers have been torched by talented backs week in and week out this season; following a change at defensive line coach, will they defend the run better in Week 6?
4. Protect the ball. A key for the Mizzou offense this week will be taking care of the ball. North Texas has forced nine fumbles in four games so far this season, recovering six of them. The Tigers have only fumbled the ball once in 2021, but the Mean Green defense could pose a threat in this area.
5. Keeping the streak alive. Saturday will mark Missouri’s first homecoming in two years. The Tigers haven’t lost a homecoming game since Oct. 22, 2016, when they suffered a 51-45 defeat to Middle Tennessee State. This year’s Mizzou team has lost three of its last four contests and is in desperate need of a win, so it’s vital to keep that streak going.
