On the road for five of their last seven games, No. 21 Missouri embraces home cookin’ when Arkansas comes to Columbia on Saturday for the annual Battle Line Rivalry game.
The Tigers (8-3, 4-3 SEC) are 6-0 at home this season, including one-possession victories in each of their last four contests at Memorial Stadium.
Adding to the atmosphere, the forecast calls for temperatures in the 20s with potential snow on Saturday.
“There are some things as a staff that we’ve already put in place to prepare for (the weather), but the reality is that’s just part of the game,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said.
The Tigers scored a 39-20 victory at Mississippi State in which Marcus Carroll ran for three touchdowns and Brady Cook completed 75 percent of his passes with a TD and no interceptions.
“He’s a really good player,” Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said of Cook. “What he brings to the team with his legs and his arm and his leadership – he’s won a lot of games as the starting quarterback at Missouri.”
Already bowl-eligible, Arkansas (6-5, 3-4) is focused on finishing the season with a winning record. The team disposed of Louisiana Tech 35-14 its last time out as Taylen Green threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more.
The Razorbacks are attempting to win at Missouri for the first time ever. They are 0-6 all-time, although their last two visits resulted in a pair of two-point defeats.
“I think Missouri is right up there at the top of rivals for us,” Pittman said. “Anything that you think of (like the Razorbacks’ record at Missouri) can be a little bit more of a motivator.”
In theory, Arkansas players should be able to use the memory of last season’s meeting as an incentive. The Tigers pounded the Razorbacks 48-14 in Fayetteville, although year-to-year motivation doesn’t always translate in the modern world of college athletics.
“They beat the hell out of us last year,” Pittman noted. “That should motivate us, but the problem is a lot of the kids that are on the team and playing weren’t here last year. So you have to find different ways to motivate (them). That’s my job.”
For his part, Drinkwitz isn’t particularly concerned with generating momentum with a win Saturday. He’s more interested in the bragging rights.
“I don’t know if it’s really that big of a deal – the momentum piece,” he said. “I think it’s more about a legacy piece for this senior class and for this year’s team.”
This will be Arkansas’ national-leading seventh game against a Top 25 opponent this season. The Razorbacks are 1-5 against ranked foes to this point, only defeating then-No. 4 Tennessee back in early October.
Arkansas held the Volunteers to 14 points, not to mention strong defensive efforts against Auburn (24-14 win) and Texas (20-10 loss) at various points this season. Even last week, the team allowed just 229 total yards of offense against Louisiana Tech.
“I do think the defensive identity under Coach Pittman has been consistent (over the years),” Drinkwitz said. “Relentless pursuit to the football.”
–Field Level Media
