Missouri S Manuel Calls Tigers' Matchup With Arkansas 'Biggest Game' of Season
After a bit of an up-and-down year, the Missouri Tigers enter the final week of the regular season with a chance to grasp their sixth victory of the year, and with that, bowl eligibility.
Making a postseason game may not carry the prestige that it once did, but missing out on bowl seasons can be a death sentence for some head coaches. For Mizzou head coach Eli Drinkwitz, he may not be on the hot seat, but making a bowl would give him a little extra cushion coming out of 2022.
For the Tigers, they've had a hard time against SEC competition, going just 2-5 against their conference foes this season. They'll have a chance to add one more to the win column against the Arkansas Razorbacks on Friday afternoon, and they'll have to, if they want to secure that coveted sixth win. Mizzou safety Martez Manuel, one of the roster's most experienced veterans, knows exactly what's at stake in this Week 13 showdown.
"Easily the biggest game of our season," said Manuel. "We know that this game holds weight and we know that we've got it at home, and we've got it to our advantage...It's possibly the last one if we don't get the job done, so that's the biggest thing we're focused on."
Manuel's been a leader on this defense all season long. The senior's 46 total tackles are the fourth most on the team, and he's added two sacks, two pass deflections, and a forced fumble to his final collegiate campaign. He and the rest of the Tigers will be charged with defending the Razorbacks' passing attack led by Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson, who's thrown 20 touchdowns and only three interceptions in 2022.
Manuel knows that if the Tigers are going to win this regular-season finale, the defense will have to do a lot of the heavy lifting, noting the Razorbacks' talented offensive players. He's confident, though, that this Missouri squad can get the job done.
"We call ourselves the best defense in the country," added Manuel. "And this is the perfect week to show it."
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