MV3: A trio of dominant performances highlight Missouri’s devastating road loss

Sep 26, 2022 - 12:30 PM

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It’s hard to find much to celebrate after a loss like that.

As Nate put it in his post-game takeaways, Saturday’s 17-14 loss at Jordan-Hare will undoubtedly find a space in the reviled annals of Missouri Football History. When you witness something like that in real time, it’s difficult to put a positive lens on anything that happened in the game.

That being said, finding candidates for this week’s MV3 wasn’t all that difficult. As you’ll read below, a trio of names stood out to most of our writers with the leading candidate appearing on every ballot. Missouri’s loss to Auburn hurt (a lot), but it wasn’t without some bright spots. Let’s let them shine!

1. Ty’Ron Hopper

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Blake Baker’s defense was stifling on Saturday morning, and their fearless leader turned in his best game at Mizzou to date. Ty’Ron Hopper was a maniac on Saturday, totaling 10 tackles — 3 of which took yardage away from Auburn — while also registering a sack and two more QB hurries. Nate wanted Missouri to create havoc, and Hopper was a one-man havoc generator on the plains.

2. Dominic Lovett

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With all due respect to Luther Burden III — who seemed to be struggling through an injury much of the day and is still a true freshman — it’s pretty obvious who the best receiver on Missouri’s roster is at the moment. Dominic Lovett continues to be a dude in an offense that struggles to generate anything. Lovett was the Tigers’ best threat through the air once again, topping 100 yards for the second straight week on only five catches.

3. Jack Stonehouse

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Did you ever anticipate Jack Stonehouse making one of these lists? Getty Images sure didn’t — we had to reach back to Central Michigan last season to find this image. But in a game where field position was at a premium, Stonehouse was a weapon for the Tigers, booting the ball at an average of 48 yards per kick. He even smacked a 68-yarder to completely flip the field at one point. In a game of mistakes, Stonehouse didn’t make any that were noticeable.

Others receiving votes: Jaylon Carlies, Nathaniel Peat

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Now it’s your turn! Tell us who your MV3 are in the comments or on Twitter!