Missouri

Here’s what Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said about Missouri football before Saturday game

Published

2 months ago

November 7, 2024

Here’s what Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said about Missouri football before Saturday game

It’s Big Eight week in the SEC.

Missouri football, for the first time in 13 years, faces Oklahoma this upcoming Saturday on Faurot Field for a matchup between the reunited conference foes.

Mizzou (6-2, 2-2 SEC) was ranked as the No. 24 team in the College Football Playoff committee’s first top 25 of the season Tuesday. The Tigers have their work cut out to keep or improve on that position, with starting quarterback Brady Cook’s availability up in the air.

Oklahoma (5-4, 1-4) has had a difficult first year in the conference, recently firing offensive coordinator Seth Littrell and turning back to once-benched quarterback Jackson Arnold. The Sooners are still a win short of securing bowl eligibility.

Saturday’s game at Memorial Stadium is expected to be sold out and has been for quite some time.

Here’s what Oklahoma coach Brett Venables and some of the Sooners’ players told reporters in Norman ahead of Saturday’s matchup with Missouri:

On Missouri football transfers Theo Wease, Cayden Green

There’s been some movement between Mizzou and Oklahoma in recent seasons. Wide receiver Theo Wease Jr. and Cayden Green both have transferred to Missouri in the past couple of seasons. Ex-MU wideout J.J. Hester went to play in Norman after spending 2020-21 in Columbia.

Wease moved on after four seasons, 1,044 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns with Oklahoma to join Missouri before the 2023 campaign, and has since caught 86 passes for 1,164 yards and seven scores.

“Our offensive staff at the time didn’t feel like he was — and Theo probably felt the same — he wasn’t a major part of what we were doing,” Venables said. “And he’s looking for an opportunity, and he was nothing but great. He was a really good leader, did everything that we asked of him, and what a great example of what opportunity and development looks like. He’s kept his head down and just worked. Had a fantastic year last year; is having a great year this year.”

Green was a starting offensive lineman as a true freshman for OU last season before making the move back to his home state, where he is now Mizzou’s starting left guard.

That sparked a bit of online controversy, as some fans in Norman took issue with Green’s move.

But within the OU staff? Not so much.

“I think Cayden went in there and was a starter — he was a starter for us. We’re not surprised if he has success. Cayden’s a fantastic player, freshman all-American,” Venables said. “And that’s the world that we live in now. Players are free to come and go as they please and look for what’s best for them, and there ain’t no time for bitterness and things like that. You’ve got to move on and adjust and pivot and get better.”

On recruiting battles

Given the regional proximity of the schools, there have been some battles for top-ranked recruits in recent years.

Missouri freshman and five-star defensive end Williams Nwaneri come to mind, as his recruitment was closely followed by folks in Norman. Luther Burden III was committed to OU at one point, too. Oklahoma won a transfer portal battle for TCU defensive tackle Damonic Williams and recently landed five-star Mizzou target Michael Fasusi.

Venables was asked by a reporter if the rivalry with Missouri is “getting a little spicy.”

“They’re a program that’s going to recruit well in their own backyard. It’s not spicy for me,” Venables said. “Recruiting is incredibly competitive. Winning is incredibly hard, and we’re programs that certainly there’s a familiarity. … Spicy maybe for the media or the fans, but staff-wise it (isn’t).”

On Missouri defense

While defensive coordinator at Clemson, Venables coached Mizzou safety Joseph Charleston and “spent time in the living room” of Toriano Pride Jr. while recruiting the cornerback out of East St. Louis to Death Valley.

Oklahoma has struggled at times on offense this season and has turned to Joe Jon Finley to call the plays. The Sooners briefly benched Arnold at QB and played Michael Hawkins Jr., but they have returned to their Week 1 starter in recent games.

Arnold may benefit from the possible return of wide receivers Deion Burks and Jalil Farooq this weekend, although that is still in doubt as they rehab from injuries and were listed as questionable on OU’s Wednesday availability report.

Oklahoma currently is the No. 112-ranked team in the country for total offense, and Arnold expects a challenge from Mizzou’s defense.

“I feel like when watching them on film, they play great as a group,” Arnold told reporters in Norman. “Dudes know where they’re going. They don’t bust hardly ever. Super competitive guys, fly around the ball and a big physical group.”

On Missouri QB Brady Cook

Cook has a supporter in Oklahoma’s head coach.

“I’m a big fan of his leadership and his toughness. The players, their program, they feed off of him. He’s got great juice and just — he’s fearless,” Venables said. “I don’t know his entire background, but he’s a winner. I think he brings out the best in the players around him, but he plays with emotion on his sleeve, and you can see the guts and the toughness.”

Cook’s status for the matchup is still up in the air, as he was listed as “questionable” on the Tigers’ Wednesday availability report.

Venables has been keeping up with Cook’s story, going into detail to praise his comeback at Auburn that saw him go to the hospital early in the game with a high-ankle sprain before returning to lead a fourth-quarter comeback, which the OU coach likened to wearing a “Superman cape.”

And Venables, at least midweek, is expecting Cook to fight through and play Saturday.

“He’ll find a way to show up,” he said. “I know he’s just got a couple of games left, and, you know, you don’t count that guy out. He’s a great player.”

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Missouri

‘Enough is enough’: Missouri voters form bipartisan group to quash Republican initiative petition changes

Published

7 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

‘Enough is enough’: Missouri voters form bipartisan group to quash Republican initiative petition changes

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KY3) – Missouri Republican lawmakers have once again put forth efforts to curtail the process for citizen-led ballot initiatives following successful campaigns to enshrine abortion rights, raise the state’s minimum wage, and create a legal sports wagering market.

In response, a newly formed political group called the “Respect Voters Coalition” is sponsoring a 2026 initiative to prevent state officials from meddling in the process altogether.

The group’s argument is rooted in the very first section of the first article of the state’s Constitution, which reads as follows:

“[We declare] that all political power is vested in and derived from the people; that all government of right originates from the people, is founded upon their will only, and is instituted solely for the good of the whole.” – Missouri Const. of 1875, Art. I, Sec. 1.

Ben Singer, who leads Show Me Integrity, co-founded RVC to oppose efforts to roll back the IP process. He noted that both parties have pushed this when they were in the majority.

“When Democrats were trying to attack the citizens initiative process because they didn’t like the Conservatives, who also used the citizens initiative process, Governor Ashcroft vetoed the Democrats’ attack on the ballot initiative process,” Singer said.

Ashcroft issued that veto in June 1992, writing the following in his explanation:

“It is through the initiative process that those who have no influence with elective representatives may take their cause directly to the people. The General Assembly should be reluctant, therefore, to enact legislation which places any impediments on the initiative power which are inconsistent with the reservation found in the Constitution.” – Gov. John Ashcroft, Veto Message, June 27, 1992.

Efforts to reform the state’s initiative petition process consumed much of the 2024 legislative session, including days-long filibusters by a faction of 6 Republicans demanding the issue be given priority and Democrats working to block it from passage. The process arguably deprived the House and Senate of sufficient time to review and amend the $51 billion state budget.

“These politicians who’ve taken an oath to protect the Missouri Constitution need to be reminded of that, and so that’s why groups and citizens across the state, in unbelievable momentum I’ve never seen before, are banding together to say enough is enough, and we are going to stop politicians from attacking the will of the people once and for all,” Singer said.

The Missouri House and Senate will convene on January 8 to begin the 103rd General Assembly’s first regular session.

To report a correction or typo, please email digitalnews@ky3.com. Please include the article info in the subject line of the email.

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Missouri

Missouri voters form bipartisan group to quash Republican IP changes

Published

14 hours ago

December 24, 2024

Press Room

Missouri voters form bipartisan group to quash Republican IP changes

ST. LOUIS (First Alert 4) — Missouri Republican lawmakers have once again put forth efforts to curtail the process for citizen-led ballot initiatives following successful campaigns to enshrine abortion rights, raise the state’s minimum wage, and create a legal sports wagering market.

In response, a newly formed political group called the “Respect Voters Coalition” is sponsoring a 2026 initiative to prevent state officials from meddling in the process altogether.

The group’s argument is rooted in the very first section of the first article of the state’s Constitution, which reads as follows:

Ben Singer, who leads Show Me Integrity, co-founded RVC as a measure to push back against efforts to roll back the IP process which, he noted, have been pushed by both parties when they’ve been in the majority.

“When Democrats were trying to attack the citizens initiative process because they didn’t like the Conservatives also used the citizens initiative process, Governor Ashcroft vetoed the Democrats’ attack on the ballot initiative process,” Singer said.

Ashcroft issued that veto in June 1992, writing the following in his explanation:

Efforts to reform the state’s initiative petition process consumed much of the 2024 legislative session, including days-long filibusters by a faction of six Republicans demanding the issue be given priority and Democrats working to block it from passage. The process arguably deprived the House and Senate of sufficient time to perform a final review and amendment of the $51 billion state budget.

The Missouri House and Senate are set to convene on January 8 to begin the First Regular Session of the 103rd General Assembly.

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Missouri

Iowa vs. Missouri Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Music City Bowl

Published

1 day ago

December 24, 2024

Press Room

Iowa vs. Missouri Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Music City Bowl

Missouri and Iowa meet in the Music City Bowl, the standalone game on December 30th bowl coverage.

Both teams ended their respective regular season with rivalry game victories in the final moments and will look for a bowl win to build momentum towards the future. In a closely lined spread, and some key players opting out, how should we bet this one?

We have you covered with our Music City Bowl betting preview below!

Spread

Moneyline

Total: 40.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Missouri

Brady Cook: This will be Cook’s final game with the Tigers after he returned from a mid-season injury to lead the Tigers to late-season wins against the likes of Arkansas in the team’s regular-season finale. While it wasn’t as productive as the year prior, Cook put up solid numbers this season for Mizzou, passing for 2,248 yards with 14 total touchdowns and only two interceptions.

Iowa

Brendan Sullivan: The hope is that Sullivan is back from injury for this one, the team’s primary backup that showed some upside in the Hawkeyes offense in wins against Northwestern and Wisconsin. Overall, this is a run-first Iowa offense that will be without star running back Kaleb Johnson, putting more pressure on Sullivan as a runner and to create with his arm. He completed more than 68% of his passes in a limited sample this season (35 passes).

There are two notable players out in this game with NFL upside, one for each team.

For Missouri, Luther Burden opted out of this game to prepare for the NFL Draft, which is a blow to the Tigers’ offense, but not as impactful as Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson, who was sixth in the country in rushing yards this season.

Johnson was a big part of the Hawkeyes offense that was 93rd in the country in EPA/Pass and 85th in overall success rate. Without the threat of the standout running back on the field, Iowa will rely solely on its defense to stay competitive in this game.

With that in mind, I’ll lay it with the small favorite in Missouri.

While the Tigers fell short of lofty goals set by a strong 2023, the team still has a versatile offense that includes a sturdy run game and a consistent unit that ranked top 50 in success rate. Further, the team can keep up with Iowa in the battle for field position as it ranks top 10 in havoc allowed and is 11th in Pro Football Focus’ special teams grade.

I question how Iowa puts up many points on the board in this one and while the under looks like a worthwhile bet, I’d rather side with the Tigers to win this game by more than a field goal.

PICK: Missouri -3

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Follow Reed on Twitter @ReedWallach and get all his college football bets on betstamp @rw33

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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