PLAYERS TO WATCH
–TE Daniel Parker has stepped up in a big way with Missouri’s two primary tight ends — Albert Okwuegbunam and Kendall Blanton — out with injuries. The defensive lineman turned tight end took his first snaps on offense in Missouri’s 38-17 win at Florida Nov. 3, with his first collegiate reception coming on an underthrown ball that took extraordinary effort to catch. Parker caught three passes for 42 yards and his first career touchdown against Vanderbilt and will likely remain a viable target in the pass game for the remainder of the season.
–LB Terez Hall led the Tigers with eight tackles against Vanderbilt and is Missouri’s second-leading tackler this season behind fellow linebacker Cale Garrett. Hall has led the team in tackles in two of his last four games and will look to add a fifth-straight game of at least seven tackles against the Volunteers.
–WR Dominic Gicinto had a breakout performance against Vanderbilt after catching just seven passes for 44 yards in his first nine collegiate games. The freshman had four catches for a team-high 81 yards against the Commodores, and will look to repeat his strong showing Saturday at Tennessee.
–DE Akial Byers had a crucial 4th-and-goal stop as the Tigers clung to a two-point lead in the fourth quarter of last Saturday’s win against Vanderbilt. Up 28-26 at the start of the fourth quarter, Vanderbilt elected to go for it on 4th-and-goal from Missouri’s one-yard line, but Byers stuffed Ke’Shawn Vaughn’s diving attempt short of the goal line, forcing a turnover on downs and seizing momentum for the Tigers, who answered with a 14-play, 99-yard touchdown drive. Look for Byers to have a similar impact in short yardage situations Saturday at Tennessee.
SERIES HISTORY: Missouri leads Tennessee 4-2 all-time, including a 50-17 blowout on Nov. 11, 2017 in Columbia.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “It was really just me reading my keys and I already knew what they were going to do, so I was just in my gap doing what I have to do. We did red zone all week during practice, so I just studied my book and knew what I had to do. When they got in the red zone, I knew what they were going to do … just reading my keys and then reacting to it.” –Missouri defensive end Akial Byers on his critical goal line stand against Vanderbilt.
