Mizzou Football Big Hits

It’s a Sunday tradition at the Zou. The Tiger football coaches choose the player with the biggest hit from the previous day’s game footage. The prize? A real hammer with the game printed on the handle. At the end of the season, the player with the most hammers wins a sledgehammer.

Several Tigers made hits worthy of the hammer in Mizzou’s 38-23 victory over Toledo. It was a scorching 92 degrees when Mizzou took the field on Saturday, and the Tigers brought even more heat with their tough tackles and blocks throughout the game against the Rockets.

Senior Andrew Wilson was the first to land a punishing blow, as he knocked two Rockets on their backs with one hit. The play helped force a punt and was just one of many big third down stops that the Tigers got during the game.

The second big hit came right after possibly the most crucial play of the game. With just seconds left in the first half, senior safety Matt White came up with a huge interception in the end zone, and as he was running it out, sophomore Kentrell Brothers came out of nowhere and laid out a Rocket in pursuit.

The next blow probably went unnoticed by fans, but was no doubt appreciated by Marcus Murphy and his teammates. On an outside run in the second half, senior offensive lineman Justin Britt pancaked his man, allowing Murphy to scamper for the first down.

On the same play, Murphy put the exclamation mark on his run when he knocked Toledo’s cornerback out of bounds and flat on his back.