Missouri senior running back Tyler Badie entered Saturday’s Southeastern Conference game against Tennessee averaging 104.3 yards per game and 6.3 yards per carry.
In the 62-24 loss to the Volunteers, Badie managed 41 yards and 2.0 per rush.
“Tyler Badie is one of the best backs in the SEC,” Tennessee junior safety Jaylen McCullough said. “Coming in, it was our goal to eliminate him, because that’s where their offense comes from. We played our keys and played our technique when he got the ball, and we brought it to him and kept him boxed in.”
For all the eye-popping statistics compiled by Josh Heupel’s offense at Faurot Field, his defense was equally as stout against a Mizzou attack that was averaging 38.8 points per game. The Vols racked up eight tackles for loss and intercepted Connor Bazelak twice, with linebacker Jeremy Banks and McCullough combining for 61 yards on the two returns.
Tennessee held Missouri to one offensive touchdown – the Tigers did have a 100-yard kickoff return early in the third quarter – until 5:47 remained in this surprising mismatch.
“Defensively, we played really well,” Heupel said. “After their initial touchdown, I thought we played with suffocating energy and strain to the football. It wasn’t just one guy making a tackle. There were a bunch of guys there. White shirts were breaking from the core on pass plays. I thought we played tight coverage for the most part.
“Their outside run game had been a huge part of what they had done, and I thought we handled that pretty well for most of the day.”
Junior linebacker Aaron Beasley and sophomore safety Tamarion McDonald had career bests with eight and five tackles, respectively.
“This really started on Monday with our preparation leading up to this game,” McCullough said. “We wanted to create more negative plays and make their offense react to us. It goes back to our preparation and how locked in we were, because we came in here and executed like we wanted to.”
AP photo by L.G. Patterson / Missouri running back Tyler Badie (1) is tackled by Tennessee defensive back Theo Jackson during the first half of Saturday’s game in Columbia, Mo.Whitehead’s big day
Tennessee redshirt freshman running back Len’Neth Whitehead, a 6-foot-2, 220-pounder from Athens, Georgia, had an afternoon to remember with nine rushes for 76 yards and a 10-yard reception.
“Len’Neth didn’t get any reps coming back from shoulder surgery during the course of spring ball, so I didn’t know what we were really getting as a player,” Heupel said. “From the first day of training camp until now, he’s just got great work habits and is starting to really grow. I feel there was growth early, but I feel like he’s starting to pick up speed in his acceleration as a football player in what we’re doing offensively.
“There were a lot of really good things from him during the course of play today.”
Injuries continue
The Vols continued to battle injuries Saturday, when running back Jabari Small, offensive lineman Dayne Davis, defensive lineman Elijah Simmons and safety Theo Jackson were among the more notable players who suffered setbacks of varying degrees.
“I thought for the most part that our guys were ready when their opportunity came and that they played at a really high level and executed,” Heupel said, “and in particular on the offensive line and on the D-line, because you saw that when Elijah got nicked up early. It was the same at linebacker, and we’ve got to continue to push our young guys, because they’ve got to play real meaningful snaps.”
Three starters for the Vols – center Cooper Mays, linebacker Juwan Mitchell and safety Trevon Flowers – were held out Saturday.
Odds and ends
The Missouri-Tennessee series is now a 5-5 deadlock, with the Vols having won the past three meetings. … There were three first-time starters for the Vols: safety Christian Charles, defensive end Roman Harrison and defensive tackle Omari Thomas. … Tennessee has posted a 7-1 turnover margin the past three games after enduring an 0-5 margin through the first two contests. … The Vols committed just two penalties for 20 yards, while Mizzou had nine for 97. … The Vols have outscored foes 73-13 in the first quarter this season. … Tennessee’s 45 first-half points were the most since the 2000 Vols hung 49 on Louisiana-Monroe in a 70-3 victory. … Heupel when asked if he can use Saturday as a future template: “We can use it as a template of how we prepare, absolutely.” … Former McCallie School running back BJ Harris had a 15-yard carry for Mizzou.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524. Follow him on Twitter @DavidSPaschall.