Mizzou leaned on its veterans to walk away with an easy, breezy win in beautiful Amherst.
Welcome to the MV3, a weekly piece where Rock M Nation’s staff votes on the three most impactful players in Mizzou’s previous game.
While last week’s MV3 was quite a bit of fun to put together, it’s always nicer to write this piece after a win. We love to celebrate the great things Mizzou does on the gridiron, and games like Saturdays make it simple. So why delay for another sentence or two of filler? Let’s see who our staff thought were the most valuable players this week.
1. Corey Flagg, Jr.
Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Quentin’s sidebar perfectly summarizes the impact Corey Flagg had on this game — though I would’ve gone with the headline “Planting the Flagg” — so it’s hard to argue with his top billing here. With UMass on the verge of completing a big middle-eight swing, Flagg stepped in front of a Taisun Phommachanh pass and took it 80 yards to set up a Blake Craig field goal just short of the half. It was the dagger that effectively killed the game, as Mizzou would prevent UMass from ever threatening again while adding a few quick scores to start the second half. Adding three tackles is the cherry on top of Flagg’s most important contribution yet as a Tiger.
2. Luther Burden III
Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Burden’s junior season perhaps hasn’t been as explosive as most Mizzou fans would’ve liked thus far, but he’s been the picture of steady excellence. Before a shoulder stinger — my guess, at least — forced him out of action in the third quarter, Burden racked up 127 total yards of offense on seven touches, including a 61-yard run sweep that started the game on a high note for the Tigers. He’s up to 498 total yards and six touchdowns on the season, and is primed to have more big games with some prime time match ups in the near future.
3. Marcus Carroll
Eric Canha-Imagn Images
It’s hard not to feel a little bad for Marcus Carroll, who served as the first big name transfer portal addition for Mizzou this offseason. But with the emergence of Nate Noel as an explosive threat out of the backfield, Carroll has mostly been relegated to bruiser and goal line carries — not that he’s complained, of course. But with Noel dealing with some back tightness, Carroll got the bulk of the touches against UMass before ceding way to the youngsters. He didn’t disappoint either, averaging 6.1 yards per carry for a total of 91 yards and three scores. He also busted a 35-yard explosive play, proving he’s more than the thunder to Nate Noel’s lightning.
Others receiving votes: None
What say you? Did anyone else stand out to you during Mizzou’s win? Let us know in the comments!