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MV3: For the first time this season, all offensive players top the ballots

Mizzou got boat-raced, but the offense looked as good as it has all season.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV 12 Missouri at Tennessee Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Honestly, I’m not sure how much there is to say after that.

As we’ve pointed out already, the Tennessee game was always destined to look a little something like that. Josh Heupel’s teams aim to wear you down and blow you out, and Heupel has always had a desire to run the score up to pad the stats. Drew Lock should be able to tell you that.

It’s hard to take away a whole lot, especially when judging individual efforts. But our staff agreed that, despite the final score differential, Missouri’s offense looked a lot more cohesive than it has all season, the offensive line notwithstanding. For the first time all season — and yes, I went back and checked — the MV3 is all offensive players.

1. Brady Cook

NCAA Football: Missouri at Tennessee Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

What a time to have your best game as the Mizzou starter, huh? Cook was never going to go toe-to-toe with a Heisman favorite like Hendon Hooker, but he looked his best in Knoxville. Cook was a threat by land and by air, totaling 313 yards, two passing touchdowns — including the pass of the season to Dominic Lovett — and, most importantly, no turnovers. For the first time all season, the most vocal critics had no reason to turn their ire toward Mizzou’s starter.

2. Barrett Banister

NCAA Football: Missouri at Tennessee Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Barrett Banister is never going to win any awards for his counting stats, but at Neyland his intangibles and dependability finally translated to a full game’s worth of production. Banister was a constant thorn in the Volunteers’ secondary, leading the Tigers in both catches and receiving yards. It was chunk play after chunk play for the super senior, who continues to be the beating heart of the offense while it finds itself.

3. Dominic Lovett

NCAA Football: Missouri at Tennessee Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

I feel for Dominic Lovett. The man is having the season of his life in his sophomore year, but is clearly hampered by his ankle... before that, he was torching anyone and everyone with extreme prejudice. Even with his injury, however, Lovett still finds ways to impact the game. He only logged four catches for 47 yards, but 38 of those came from a perfect pitch-and-catch with Brady Cook, showing that even in a weakened state, the East St. Louis product is one of the most dangerous deep threats in the country.

Others receiving votes: Luther Burden III, Tauskie Dove, Ty’Ron Hopper


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