Missouri tries to end season on high note

The senior class that arrived at Missouri four seasons ago was joining a program that had reached back-to-back SEC title games, one that had surpassed just about every expectation after it bolted from the Big 12 for the powerhouse conference.

They’ve experienced the collapse of the program, the hiring of a new coach in Barry Odom, and now the return of the Tigers to prominence heading into their regular-season finale on Friday.

What better way to go out than with a win over rival Arkansas?

“We’ve gone through a lot,” said Odom, who won just four games his first season and seven last season, but has a chance to finish 8-4 and perhaps make a New Year’s Day Six bowl game with a win over the Razorbacks. “There’s been some lows and some highs and they’ve been able to hold tight together and hold true to them, and that’s going to help them down the road.”

The Tigers (7-4, 3-4 SEC) are certainly finishing strong. They’ve followed a 0-4 start to league play by beating Florida, Vanderbilt and Tennessee—two of those games on the road.

Their winning streak has coincided with standout performances by senior quarterback Drew Lock, who began the year as a Heisman Trophy candidate before a rough stretch. He’s thrown for at least 250 yards and seven total touchdowns the past three weeks, sending his draft stock soaring.

Some believe he could be the first quarterback selected when April rolls around.

“To Drew’s credit, he started believing in who he is and what he’s capable of becoming,” Missouri offensive coordinator Derek Dooley said, “and he’s stayed the course.”

The Razorbacks (2-9, 0-7) hope to the spoil party and provide first-year coach Chad Morris with a victory upon which he can build. Arkansas took Ole Miss, Texas A&M and LSU down to the wire, but wins have been painfully hard to come by outside of games against Tulsa and Eastern Illinois.