Hardy breaks Mizzou single-season rushing record in vexing Gator Bowl loss

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Mizzou running back Ahmad Hardy broke the program’s single-season rushing record in the first half of the Tigers’ 13-7 loss to Virginia in the Gator Bowl on Saturday night. Well, not really.

The sophomore rushed up the middle for 8 yards with 13 seconds remaining in the first half, putting him over the required 68-yard threshold to dethrone Cody Schrader. But, shortly thereafter, a flag indicated right guard Curtis Peagler was guilty of a holding penalty, erasing the gain.

The search to get back those yards took the majority of the second half. Hardy didn’t get a carry until the 4:27 mark of the fourth quarter. He used the opportunity immediately to etch his place in Mizzou history with a 12-yard gain.

That was the bright spot of an underwhelming showing from Missouri. The loss dampened the excitement of the moment, but it was still something Hardy could take pride in.

“I did something great,” he said.

Hardy ran for 89 yards on 15 carries — ending up with 1,649 yards to Schrader’s 1,627 — while running mate Jamal Roberts totaled 56 yards on 11 attempts. While Hardy’s usage was questionable, particularly in the second half, Mizzou had a limited number of offensive opportunities with Virginia dominating time of possession.

The passing game run by true freshman Matt Zollers couldn’t find much momentum aside from the final drive. The signal-caller completed 12 of 22 passes for 101 yards and an interception.

The Cavaliers were well-prepared for Mizzou to rely heavily on the run game with Zollers taking the reins, and the Tigers didn’t do enough to counter it. The record was impressive on the surface, though Hardy wasn’t satisfied with his overall performance.

“We just didn’t run the ball efficiently,” Hardy said. “We didn’t get up on guys, a couple penalties and things like that. I feel like we just need to be better running the ball.”

Saturday marked the end of a chapter for 20 seniors, including center Connor Tollison and defensive tackle Chris McClellan. Not only will they have to be replaced, but several more also could depart in the transfer portal.

A big part of Mizzou’s optimism following the bowl loss will be due to Hardy re-signing for another year before the game. Even though he already made history, he could still make more, perhaps expanding on his 1,649-yard tally even further.

“Just got to come back next year and try to break it again,” Hardy said.

Third-down difficulties

Neither offense found much success, but when it came to containing Virginia on third downs, Mizzou let its opponent find a consistent source of momentum.

In the first half, the Cavaliers converted 7 of 11 attempts on third down compared to the Tigers’ 2 of 6. Most of that effort came from quarterback Chandler Morris, who slung the football past 10 yards on multiple occasions to his receivers. That included a 35-yard completion to wide receiver Eli Wood early in the first quarter.

While edge rusher Zion Young and tackle Marquis Gracial stuffed running back Xay Davis on a crucial third-and-2 shortly thereafter to force a field goal attempt, missed by kicker Will Bettridge from 44 yards out, the struggles continued in the second half. The first chance Virginia had on third down, Morris launched a 13-yard pass to Wood to convert a third-and-12.

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With a time of possession of 10:07, the Cavaliers gained 75 yards on 19 plays and scored a touchdown to go up 10-7 at the 4:53 mark. Uncharacteristically, the Missouri defense got completely picked apart.

In all, Virginia beat Mizzou on 13 of 23 third downs. The Tigers’ defense started to find more success as the second half went on, but the lack of offense didn’t help matters. The Tigers converted just three of 12 times on third down.

“I thought the first drive we had a great rhythm. The second drive, we had a good rhythm,” Drinkwitz said. “We just couldn’t convert some third downs.”

Virginia takes to the air and thrives

If Virginia was able to give Mizzou trouble on offense, it would’ve been expected to come from its run game. Running back J’Mari Taylor rushed for 1,062 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on the year, posing a legitimate threat in the backfield.

The Tigers never got a look at that threat. Taylor did not join the running backs for pregame warmups following some rumblings of his possible absence in recent days, putting UVA’s offense at a disadvantage without its top option.

Graduate senior Harrison Waylee, next up on the depth chart, rushed for 68 yards with an average of only 3.4. While he was a factor for most of the game, the Cavaliers leaned on Morris and the passing game as their biggest strength — and it worked.

Morris completed 25 of 38 passes for 198 yards. While he didn’t record a touchdown, he moved the ball down the field effectively to put Virginia in a position to run into the end zone or kick a field goal. With Missouri unable to come close to matching that production in the air, the advantage helped carry the Cavaliers to a win.

Virginia’s preparation and game-planning allowed it to completely control the tempo of the game. The Cavaliers finished with a time of possession of 38:34, leaving Mizzou just 21:26 to try to score.

Coleman plays, but passing game adrift

Just a few hours before kickoff, Mizzou faced the potential loss of another piece to an already depleted receiving corps.

Pete Thamel of ESPN reported that wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. was considered a game-time decision because of an illness, reporting that he had been sick for the past few days. The senior was expected to dress, but his status was to be determined closer to game time.

Juniors Marquis Johnson and Josh Manning had already announced their intentions to enter the transfer portal earlier in the month, while Drinkwitz revealed Dec. 16 that tight end Brett Norfleet would miss action from a shoulder surgery.

Missing Coleman on top of those three would’ve been a significant blow to the offense.

In pregame warmups, however, Coleman was spotted in full uniform and participating in drills.

But Coleman’s arrival didn’t pan out to much production. He only caught three passes for 17 yards and was targeted on three occasions. It wasn’t enough to alter Mizzou’s consistent struggles in the air.