No. 21 Texas A&M runs over Missouri, 35-14

Associated PressOct 16, 2021, 5:37 PM EDT

Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Texas A&M’s running back duo of Isaiah Spiller and Devon Achane combined for 292 rushing yards and three touchdowns to power the 21st-ranked Aggies to a 35-14 victory over Missouri on Saturday.

Spiller rushed 20 times for 168 yards and one touchdown, and Achane added 16 carries for 124 yards and two scores as Texas A&M (5-2, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) avoided a letdown after last week’s upset of Alabama.

Missouri (3-4, 0-3 SEC) has the nation’s worst run defense – allowing 287 rushing yards per game – and it offered little resistance as Spiller ripped off a 48-yard touchdown run and Achane followed with a 20-yard scoring run in the first quarter. The home crowd booed Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz when he ran out the clock in the first half rather than aggressively trying to cut into the Aggies’ 28-7 lead.

Zach Calzada completed 13 of 25 passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns. Both scoring passes went to Ainias Smith.

Missouri’s Tyler Badie rushed 22 times for 68 yards, including a 32-yard touchdown run in the second quarter in which he dragged defensive back Demani Richardson for the final 5 yards. Badie also had seven catches for 53 yards.

Connor Bazelak completed 29 of 43 passes for 230 yards for the Tigers but was intercepted twice.

Texas A&M outgained Missouri 431 yards to 328.

THE TAKEAWAY

Texas A&M: After his star turn last week against Alabama, Calzada just needed to be steady against Missouri. He delivered, particularly on a third-quarter drive after the Tigers had cut the deficit to 14 points. Facing a third-and-15, he hung in the pocket and hit Smith over the middle for a 21-yard gain. The Aggies went on to score a touchdown to take a 35-14 lead.

Missouri: The Tigers’ SEC games have followed a familiar pattern, with Missouri not ready to play at kickoff. The Aggies opened a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. In three conference games, the Tigers have been outscored 63-10 in the first quarter. Missouri’s offense leans on running back Badie, but the early deficits have forced them to rely more on a shaky passing game.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

After rescuing its season and re-entering the AP Top 25 by stunning Alabama last week, Texas A&M assured itself a longer stay in the poll with a solid victory over Missouri.

UP NEXT

Texas A&M: The Aggies return home to face South Carolina next Saturday.

Missouri: The Tigers have a week off before visiting Vanderbilt on Oct. 30.

Vick, Fitzgerald and Suggs among stars on College Football Hall of Fame ballot for 1st time

Associated PressJun 5, 2023, 9:04 PM EDT

RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

Michael Vick, Larry Fitzgerald and Terrell Suggs are among the college football stars who will be considered for induction to the Hall of Fame for the first time this year.

The National Football Foundation released Monday a list of 78 players and nine coaches from major college football who are on the Hall of Fame ballot. There also are 101 players and 32 coaches from lower divisions of college football up for consideration.

Vick, who led Virginia Tech to the BCS championship game against Florida State as a redshirt freshman in 1999, is among the most notable players appearing on the ballot in his first year of eligibility.

Vick finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1999. He played one season of college football before being drafted No. 1 overall by the Atlanta Falcons in 2001. Vick’s professional career was interrupted when he served 21 months in prison for his involvement in dog fighting.

Fitzgerald was the Heisman runner-up in 2003 to Oklahoma quarterback Jason White. He scored 34 touchdowns in just two seasons at Pitt.

Suggs led the nation in sacks with 24 in 2002 for Arizona State.

The 2024 Hall of Fame class will be chosen by the National Football Foundation’s Honors Court and announced in January. Induction into the Atlanta-based hall is the following December.

Alabama freshman DB Mitchell says he wasn’t sure he’d get to play again after arrest

Associated PressJun 5, 2023, 8:59 PM EDT

Mickey Welsh / Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama defensive back Tony Mitchell said he feared his football career was over after his arrest on a drug charge.

The Crimson Tide freshman said in a video posted Sunday on social media that he knew “something much bigger could have happened.”

A judge in Holmes County, Florida, sentenced Mitchell to three years of probation with a fine and community service on May 24 after Mitchell pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of more than 20 grams of cannabis.

“I didn’t know if I’d be able to play football again, but I continued to work out and stay close with the Lord and those who love me unconditionally,” Mitchell said. “During those times, it helped me to keep my mind off it. But when I was by myself looking at social media, what everybody had to say about it, it just felt like it happened again.

“I didn’t sleep at night.”

He was suspended from the Alabama team following the arrest, but Mitchell’s father, Tony Sr., posted on Facebook last week that the defensive back had been reinstated. An Alabama spokesman declined to comment on Mitchell’s status.

Tony Mitchell Sr. shared his son’s video on Facebook, saying it was filmed during a talk to youth.

“I was doing things I knew I shouldn’t to try to fit in,” the younger Mitchell said, “but not everybody’s your friend.”

Mitchell, who is from Alabaster, Alabama, was a four-star prospect and the 15th-rated safety in the 247Composite rankings.

He had been charged in March with possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell after a traffic stop when authorities said he drove over 141 mph (227 kph) while trying to evade deputies in the Florida Panhandle. A deputy had spotted Mitchell’s black Dodge Challenger traveling 78 mph (125 kph) in a 55 mph (88 kph) zone on a rural highway north of Bonifay.

He also received 100 hours of community service and paid a fine of $1,560.

Mitchell and a passenger were both charged with possession of marijuana with the intent to sell or deliver, according to a Holmes County Sheriff’s Office arrest report. The other man also was charged with carrying a concealed gun without a permit.