Missouri Tigers WR Lovett Says Bye Week Came at Perfect Time
It hasn't exactly been smooth sailing for Missouri in 2022, but one Tiger that's still making waves is wide receiver, Dominic Lovett. The sophomore ranks second in the SEC for receiving yards with 499 yards so far, only eight behind first-place Jonathan Mingo of Ole Miss (507 yards), and he's recently been named to the Biletnikoff Award watchlist.
That trophy's given out to the best receiver in college football each year, and Mizzou's young route runner is certainly making his case. Despite his success, Lovett's keeping his head down and his focus on the road ahead.
"I take [the success] as a blessing, but I also stay humble," said Lovett after practice this week. "Just gotta keep your head on. I'm very blessed though."
Lovett, who hails from nearby East St. Louis, Missouri, is one of the lone bright spots on this Tiger offense. His dynamic playmaking ability has shone through, despite the unit's struggles. The offense's inability to put points up is one of the reasons Mizzou is on a losing streak right now, but that might change soon.
The Tigers have lost three one-possession games in a row now, all of them coming in conference, and they've put up some good fights. For some reason though, they just can't shift into that final gear to bring home the victory. Lovett says the whole team can feel that and that this bye week couldn't have come at a better time.
"Actually, the bye week came perfect," replied Lovett when asked about the break. "I feel like we're growing as a team. We've just gotta get over that one hump, that's the finish. We've just got to learn how to finish. Once we do that, we'll be a scary sight."
Missouri was a play away from beating both Auburn and Georgia and had it not been for a pick-six and untimely penalties, the Tigers likely would have beaten Florida too. That's a lot of "shoulda-woulda-coulda"-ing, but Mizzou's really not that far from being a 5-1 football team with a win over the top-ranked program in the country. Now, that's a scary thought.
If the bye week is coming at a perfect time, then so is Missouri's next opponent. The Tigers will host Vanderbilt a week from Saturday for their homecoming on Oct. 22. The Commodores haven't won an SEC game since 2019 and the Tigers will have their best chance at their first conference win of the season in that matchup. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz is also undefeated against Vandy as Mizzou's head coach, so hopefully, he's still got their number next weekend.
For Lovett, who only had 39 yards while battling an injury against the Gators last Saturday, he'll use the time off to get back to 100 percent and help get this offense ready for the Commodores. He's had his best performances of the season at Faurot Field, so you can be sure they'll be calling Lovett's name plenty in the Tigers' next contest.
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