Through the first three games of the season, Missouri quarterback Drew Lock was staking his claim in the Heisman conversation.
The senior quarterback threw for 1,062 yards, 11 touchdowns, just one interception and completed 69.0% of his passes in wins over UT-Martin, Wyoming and Purdue. But heading into SEC play, he needed to finally get that signature win — or at least put on some signature performances.
Those performances have failed to come to fruition.
In the past three games — albeit against better opponents — Lock’s numbers have dipped to just 567 yards, a single touchdown, five interceptions and a 48.2% completion rate as the Tigers have dropped all three. There were already numerous critics of his ability to perform against the nation’s best teams after the loss to South Carolina, and Lock did nothing to dispel that criticism against Alabama on Saturday.
For every play that Lock showed off the skills that make NFL scouts salivate, there were as many or more that made everyone watching scratch their heads.
On just Missouri’s second play from scrimmage, Lock tried to feed tight end Albert Okwuegbunam in traffic and ended up getting picked off. In the second quarter, Lock was pressured by the Tide’s Isaiah Buggs. Instead of throwing the ball, Lock was stripped by Buggs and Alabama recovered the fumble, halting the Tigers’ drive when they were down by just 10.
Lock did nothing to help his cause in the third quarter, completing just 2 of 5 passes and being sacked twice for -14 yards, the second being a sack in which Lock should once again have thrown the ball but that ended in a safety.
Lock did flash signs of his brilliance throughout the game, the most prominent time being a 20-yard dime to receiver Jalen Knox for a touchdown that closed the gap to three in the first quarter. Lock found Okwuegbunam and Knox for multiple other completions of 20+ yards, showing off the arm that had made him a lock for the first round in the draft, but there too many balls thrown behind receivers that left everyone to consider where his pinpoint accuracy had gone.
Not having the services of starting receivers Emanuel Hall and Nate Brown for the second straight week surely didn’t help Lock in the passing game, but great quarterbacks are expected to push past the adversity and at least give their teams a fighting chance.
Nobody expected Missouri to leave Bryant-Denny Stadium victorious. Not against a Crimson Tide squad that’s looked like the best Nick Saban’s ever coached, and definitely not on Alabama’s homecoming. There was so much going against the Tigers, but it was also Lock’s chance to prove he could still put on a show, even in defeat.
After Saturday, Lock’s critics have even more reasons to second-guess his ability on the big stage.