COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) Missouri shattered its school scoring record Saturday, dismantling Delaware State 79-0.
The previous record of 69 points has occurred three times, most recently on Sept. 17, 2011, when the Tigers shut out Western Illinois. The game was shortened to 10-minute quarters in the second half.
“There’s a lot of smiles out there,” Missouri coach Barry Odom said. “I think we cleared the roster today and played everybody that is not a redshirt candidate at this time, so I was excited for those guys.”
Drew Lock threw a school record-tying five touchdown passes, completing 26 of 36 pass attempts for 402 yards.
The Tigers (2-2, 0-1 Southeastern Conference) led 58-0 at halftime, resulting in a shortened second half.
According to NCAA rule, games may be shortened by time if both coaches are in agreement.
“It’s just smart,” Delaware State coach Kenny Carter said of shortening the game. “You don’t want to create opportunities that are going to really put a damper or influence what happens the rest of the season for both teams.”
It is the second time in two weeks a FBS game has been shortened due to lack of competitiveness. Clemson defeated South Carolina State 59-0 last Saturday with 12-minute quarters in the second half.
Delaware State (0-3) managed just 140 yards of offense, 133 of which came in the first half. Mike Waters rushed seven times for 31 yards and Brycen Alleyne had nine carries for 21 yards.
Daniel Epperson started at quarterback for the Hornets, but completed only 3 of 9 passes and was replaced by Kobie Lain, who finished 7 of 15 for 82 yards.
J’Mon Moore had eight catches for 114 yards and four touchdowns, tying the school record for receiving touchdowns.
“It’s just a confidence booster,” Moore said of his performance. “Just knowing that the things that we do here work. You’ve got to practice hard, and when you practice hard and have a good week of practice, it shows on Saturdays.”
Moore now has 434 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns on the season, both of which lead the SEC.
“J’Mon’s a great player for us,” Lock said. “I trust the ball, when it’s up in the air, that he’s going to go make a play for me. He shows that day in and day out.”
Damarea Crockett led the Tigers in rushing with 12 carries for 115 yards and two touchdowns. Ish Witter added 9 rushes for 40 yards and a touchdown.
Lock did not play in the second half and backup quarterback Marvin Zanders completed both of his pass attempts for 17 yards and a touchdown, while rushing seven times for 83 yards and two scores.
“They didn’t give me a book on how to handle that in the second half,” Odom said of pulling starters, including Lock. “You want to get your guys work . You want to be respectful also . That’s a hard place to be in.”
THE TAKEAWAY
Delaware State: The Hornets had eight first downs and four turnovers in the game. They received the ball 13 times via kickoff and once via punt. The Hornets punted 10 times and on average, allowed the Tigers to take over on their own 46-yard line.
Missouri: The Tigers amassed 698 yards of offense, falling 46 yards shy of the school record, which was also set against Western Illinois in 2011. Missouri entered the game first in the SEC in passing and will likely retain that spot following Lock’s performance.
UP NEXT
Missouri travels to Baton Rouge next Saturday to face No. 18 LSU. It is the second meeting between the schools. Missouri won 20-15 in the 1978 Liberty Bowl.
Delaware State opens Mid-Eastern Conference play next Saturday at Morgan State. The Hornets have lost their last three meetings with the Bears, including a 26-6 loss in 2015.
