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Drew Lock just threw more TD passes in a season than Peyton Manning, Johnny Manziel, or any SEC QB

Here are today’s Mizzou Links.

Welp, we’ll have more on Sunday night’s late hoops loss later in the day (for one thing, I’m watching it now — you know I wasn’t going to stay up that late on a damn Sunday).

For now, we lead with football!

Mizzou’s 48-45 win over Arkansas was weird and messy and exhausting, but this morning we’ll focus on a tidbit I feel I was maybe not making enough of down the stretch of the season.

I realize the SEC’s not the Big 12. The league has always had a “defense and field position and monster running backs” vibe, as opposed to the more wide open attacks of Missouri’s last conference.

But within the last 25 years, the SEC has still featured its share of ridiculous quarterbacks, from Peyton Manning to Danny Wuerffel to Johnny Manziel to Tim Couch to Rex Grossman to Aaron Murray, etc., etc., etc.

None of them threw 43 touchdown passes in a season like Drew Lock just did. Via CFB reference:

Single-season TD passes, SEC quarterbacks

Rk Player TD Year School
Rk Player TD Year School
1 Drew Lock 43 2017 Missouri
2 Andre Woodson 40 2007 Kentucky
3 Danny Wuerffel 39 1996 Florida
4 Johnny Manziel 37 2013 Texas A&M
4 Tim Couch 37 1997 Kentucky
6 Aaron Murray 36 2012 Georgia
6 Tim Couch 36 1998 Kentucky
6 Peyton Manning 36 1997 Tennessee
9 Aaron Murray 35 2011 Georgia
9 Danny Wuerffel 35 1995 Florida
11 Tyler Bray 34 2012 Tennessee
11 Rex Grossman 34 2001 Florida
13 Ryan Mallett 32 2010 Arkansas
13 Tim Tebow 32 2007 Florida
15 Chad Kelly 31 2015 Ole Miss
15 Erik Ainge 31 2007 Tennessee
15 Andre Woodson 31 2006 Kentucky
15 Eli Manning 31 2001 Ole Miss
19 Brandon Allen 30 2015 Arkansas
19 A.J. McCarron 30 2012 Alabama
19 Cam Newton 30 2010 Auburn
19 Ryan Mallett 30 2009 Arkansas
19 Tim Tebow 30 2008 Florida

I know all the caveats. Yes, seven of those came against Missouri State. Yes, there were more bad defenses than normal on the SEC slate. Yes, of course, of course. But something that hadn’t happened before just happened. I’m going to take time to admire that.

The record-breaking touchdown looked very familiar to Mizzou fans as Lock connected over the middle of the field to redshirt freshman TE Albert Okwuegbunam for a 10-yard strike. The score tied the game at 28 while vaulting Lock passed Kentucky's Andre Woodson as the quarterback with the most touchdown passes in the history of the Southwestern Conference.

But the records didn't stop there. Lock's touchdown to Okwuegbunam gave the freshman tight end 10 touchdown receptions on the season, the most of any freshman receiver in Mizzou program history, passing Jeremy Maclin's nine touchdown performance in his senior 2007 season.

Kudos, Drew.

More Football:


More Links:

  • New PAPN! I made some CFP rankings predictions, broke down the S&P+ top 25 (of which Missouri is not quite a part), and gave a shout out to teams that saved their bowl bids at the last second.