MU’s Lock stacks up well among top quarterbacks
STILLWATER — Rodarius Williams had only seen a limited amount of video on Missouri quarterback Drew Lock, but Williams’ immediate take on his Liberty Bowl opponent was simple.
“He’s very accurate,” the Oklahoma State sophomore cornerback said with emphasis.
Williams has faced quite a list of quarterbacks the past two seasons in the Big 12 Conference. A couple of Heisman Trophy winners.
Some NFL draft picks and some who will be in the future.
And Lock matches up with just about any of them.
Williams and the Cowboy secondary will face one of its toughest tasks of the year when they face No. 23 Missouri in the Liberty Bowl at 2:45 p.m. Dec. 31 in Memphis, Tennessee.
“He’s probably one of the most poised quarterbacks we’ve ever faced,” Williams said, suggesting that Lock’s style is most similar to West Virginia’s Will Grier. “I feel like (Lock) is a little sharper. It’s gonna be a huge task.”
Numbers-wise, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Lock’s production has been down compared to his stellar junior season. He’s thrown for 3,125 yards with 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions, though his completion percentage is up six points at 63.2 percent. Last year, he threw for 3,964 yards with 44 TDs and 13 picks.
His arm strength, accuracy and wealth of experience against those SEC defenses everyone loves have made him a potential first-round pick in next spring’s NFL Draft. Possibly the first quarterback off the board.
“He has great pocket presence, from what I’ve seen,” OSU senior defensive tackle Enoch Smith Jr. said. “His offensive line protects him well. He doesn’t really run much, but he’ll move around in the pocket, just so he can get the best throw off as possible.
“He’s a real smart guy. He has an arm and he’s not afraid to use it.”
The OSU secondary has gone through some growing pains, primarily at safety, where the main rotation includes three first- or second-year players.
But passing success was typically boom or bust for OSU opponents. Five quarterbacks threw for more than 300 yards on the Cowboys: Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray of Oklahoma, Grier, Boise State’s Brett Rypien, Texas Tech’s Alan Bowman and Iowa State’s Brock Purdy.
Five other opponents failed to reach 200 passing yards on the Pokes, though OSU lost three such games against Kansas State, Baylor and TCU.
The Cowboys have plenty of time to prepare for Lock and the Missouri offense, with the game still three weeks away. For some, the extra time might be welcomed. But not everyone.
“I feel like I get a little bit impatient,” Williams said with a laugh. “I’d rather it get here, so we can go out there and do our thing.”