Mizzou football: 5 key players moving forward in October

COLUMBIA, MO - SEPTEMBER 21: Kelly Bryant #7 of the Missouri Tigers runs between T.J. Brunson #6 of the South Carolina Gamecocks and Ernest Jones #53 of the South Carolina Gamecocks at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium on September 21, 2019 in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, MO - SEPTEMBER 21: Kelly Bryant #7 of the Missouri Tigers runs between T.J. Brunson #6 of the South Carolina Gamecocks and Ernest Jones #53 of the South Carolina Gamecocks at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium on September 21, 2019 in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images) /
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FAYETTEVILLE, AR – NOVEMBER 24: Tucker McCann /

Tucker McCann

He’s a kicker and a punter. Both are needed as the season continues.

It’s going to get colder, weather will get uglier, and Tucker McCann will need to keep up his A-game on all facets of special teams. So far, things couldn’t have gone better for the Mizzou football team.

McCann is 18 of 19 on extra points and 7 of 9 on field-goal tries. He has a long of 52, second-best of his career.

But where McCann has flourished this season is punting. He has 19 punts for 826 yards — fourth best in the conference — with a 43.5 average. McCann has a long of 62, and pinned the South Carolina offense near the goal line multiple times last week.

Mizzou is going to need that consistently heading deeper into the SEC schedule.

Yasir Durant

The starting left tackle against South Carolina was Larry Borom as Yasir Durant was out for the game.

It’s nice that the Tigers feel they have seven capable starters on the offensive line, and that they can move guys around to fill spots, but Durant was missed last week.

Early in the game, the Gamecocks defense was constantly in the face of Kelly Bryant. It wasn’t always from the left side, but moving Borom over and being down Durant proved to be trouble against the SEC.

Durant was back this week and appears healthy. That is a plus. Durant could be drafted next year along with guard Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms. Mizzou football has had good offensive lines since joining the SEC, and even before then, and I’m sure the team wants to keep that reputation going.

This is a good time to show the group is 100 percent and hasn’t had any drop-off.