Missouri QB Connor Bazelak prepares to face LSU defense

COLUMBIA, Mo. (WAFB) - If the LSU-Missouri game moves to Columbia, it will give Connor Bazelak his first SEC start at home.

The redshirt freshman was a top 10 quarterback recruit in 2018. Like Joe Burrow, he played prep football in Ohio.

He played in three games as a true freshman and tore his ACL, causing him to miss spring practice. But then again, who didn’t miss spring practice due to COVID?

He was inserted into Saturday’s game at Tennessee when Mizzou’s offense struggled a second straight week. He was 13-for-21 and 218 yards in three quarters.

Mizzou (0-2, 0-2 SEC) benched Shawn Robinson, the TCU transfer who lit up the Southern Jags for five touchdowns in the 2018 season opener. Now, Bazelak gets his shot as the starter against the defending national champs.

RELATED STORIES:

“I think he’s doing a really good job reading the defenses and being accurate with the football and he’s got to continue to do that," said Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz. "We’ve got a tough task this week. Obviously, they’ve got two elite corners and he’s got to play better. I mean, nobody played well enough for us to consider it a success on Saturday. So, he knows he has to play better. We all have to play better. I have to coach better but we felt like he showed some growth and it’s his opportunity.”

LSU officials are working to possibly move Saturday’s football game against Missouri to Columbia because of Hurricane Delta, multiple sources have told WAFB 9Sports Director Steve Schneider. There’s nothing official expected from LSU until Wednesday but several reports now indicate the same thing our sources have been saying. Reports also indicate the kickoff time for the game time will be changed to 11 a.m.

Click here to report a typo.

Copyright 2020 WAFB. All rights reserved.