Homecoming is as big as it gets in terms of football weekends, no matter the grade level. Mizzou is as big as it gets in terms of homecoming. This weekend's contest is a match made in heaven for any player or fan alike.
The Tigers come into the game 4-0, tied for third in the SEC Conference, and en route to one of the hardest in-conference schedules the rest of the way. As good as they've been, it's important they take care of business, and don't overlook their visiting opponent.
On the other side of things, UMass hasn't started their season quite as strong, entering the contest with an 0-3 record, and sitting at the bottom of the MAC Conference, with two of their losses coming at home.
They have yet to play a conference game this season, and only recently joined the MAC, after several years as an Independent.
As a program, the Minutemen have one just eight games since the end of the 2018-19 campaign. To put that into perspective, the Tigers have won more in the last ten months.
Since re-joining FBS play in 2012, after leaving in 1906, the team has accumulated just two seasons of four wins, never surpassing that mark. In that time, they've been led by seven different coaches, most recently bringing Joe Harasymiak to their sidelines.
Harasymiak is a New Jersey native, and former quarterback who headed the sidelines at Maine, and also assitant coached for Minnesota and Rutgers on the defensive side of the ball, before agreeing to a deal with the Minutemen, in December of last season.
This is the second time the Tigers have faced UMass, but oddly enough, the second straight year. Last October, Mizzou improved to 5-1 after handling the Minutemen 45-3 in Amherst.
Now-NFL quarterback Brady Cook tossed a pair of touchdowns, while runningback Marcus Carroll Jr. ran for another three. The Tigers will look to repeat a showing similar to that, with an all-new squad, this weekend.
So far this season, UMass has lost to Iowa and Temple by a combined score of 89-17, while narrowly dropping one to Bryant, 27-26.
The Minutemen certaintly have an interesting situation under center. They have a trio of quarterbacks, and it seems as if Harasymiak has given a few games to select his starter.
Despite giving several snaps to both Yale transfer Grant Jordan who threw for 22 touchdowns and 2,000 yards last season, the team has opted to start redshirt freshman AJ Hairston, after an injury to junior Brandon Rose, who transferred from Utah ahead of this season.
Hairston showed some potential in limited play this season, and now it looks like he's been given the reigns to the Minutemen offense, at least for now. It'll be interesting to see how much of a leash he's on, and if Harasymiak will give Jordan another shot if they aren't able to move the ball early.
Redshirt junior Rocko Griffin has taken over the rushing attack this season, going for nearly 150 yards and a score and averaging just under 5 yards a carry as well. Griffin is in year six in the NCAA, and played three at Vanderbilt, and two at UTSA, before heading to Amherst prior to this season.
Despite all the uncertainty on this team's defense, and the transfers that make this offense slightly puzzling to watch, junior Jacquon Gibson has been a really nice piece out wide the last three seasons for UMass.
After an encouraging freshman year, he put up 23 catches for 270 yards and a touchdown in 12 games played last year. In just three games this season, he already has 24 catches for 250 yards, while getting involved in the run game as well.
With all the struggles Mizzou has head in their secondary, Gibson is certainly one to watch throughout this contest.
It's no question that the Tigers are the better team in this game, but by no means does that equate to an easy victory for the home squad. They can't afford to look ahead to future matchups until the clocks hit zero on Saturday night.