Crockett a leader

Missouri Coach Barry Odom credited running back Damarea Crockett, a junior from Little Rock, with being a team leader after the Tigers’ 15-14 loss to Kentucky when the Wildcats scored a touchdown on the game’s final play.

“He had a voice in the locker room after the game, and I thought it was a great message,” Odom said Wednesday. “Then he and I spoke, and I said, ‘We need more of that. Keep coming, keep going, keep pushing and lead our team, because the way that you’re playing, you’ve earned the right to be vocal.’ ”

Odom said Crockett showed his maturity in addressing his teammates amid the disappointment and frustration of the Kentucky loss.

“It sounded like one of our coaches talking,” Odom said. “It was about using that feeling and that moment to fuel your motivation to play better.”

The Tigers responded to the Kentucky loss by winning 38-17 at Florida as Crockett rushed 21 times for 114 yards.

“He was looking for me to push the guys and keep everybody’s head on straight, keep the team from spreading apart and make them come together,” Crockett told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch after the Florida game. “When you have a loss like [Kentucky], that’s close and really heartbreaking, it’s really easy for guys to go separate ways.”

Instead, Crockett helped make sure the Tigers pulled together.