First things first. Fate has interfered and dictated one of the things I write about up top. I kid you not, the Marc Cohn classic “Walking in Memphis” came on the radio a minute ago. I mean, when that happens, what can you do? (Besides sing the song, of course). You HAVE to write about the Memphis game time, right?

That’s right, we have a game time for the Mizzou-Memphis game next Saturday. Right on schedule with their slow-as-molasses release of game times.

Figures the Tigers get a coveted night game slot when they are playing indoors at the Edward Jones Dome The Dome at America’s Center (it’s apparently changed names since I last looked it up). Alas, it’s better than the 11am tipoff I thought fans were going to be stuck with so I’m a happy camper. AND only because Monday was my father’s birthday (HBD, Dad!), ESPN & Charter/Spectrum reached a deal so now that company’s subscribers can actually watch the action if they’re not there in person. #birthdayblessings

Moving on.

Softball released its Fall Ball schedule on Monday, which is what I planned to focus on up top. On September 30, the Tigers will kick off their fall schedule against the Roos & MO State in KC, before hosting three other competitions at Mizzou Softball Stadium in October.

About the competition:

The only true test should be Missouri State, whom the Tigers last saw in the NCAA Regionals two seasons ago. They are legit, well-coached, and always very competitive. Kansas City is the only other D-I team on the schedule, but overall, I’d say it’s a nice slate of good-prominent JuCo and D-II and D-III teams.

• Kansas City: 9-43 | Summit League | Lost to no. 25 Missouri 5-11 in Tigers’ season opener in March 2023
• Missouri State: 31-20 | Lost to 7-seed Belmont in the MVC Tourney, ending their season | Lost 2 games to Missouri in Columbia Regional in 2022
• Kaskaskia College: 49-18 | Located in Centralia, Ill. | NJCAA Region XXIV Champions | Lost to Seminole State College (OK) in NJCAA D1 World Series
• Columbia College: 26-19 | Claimed sixth-straight AMC tournament championship in ‘22 | Eliminated by 9-seed Marian University (Ind.) in NAIA World Series second round
• Coe College: 39-11 | Eliminated by 3-seed Trine University in NCAA Division III Championships (it’d be like Mizzou losing in the Supers to JMU a few years ago)
• Jefferson College: 16-22 | Located in Hillsboro, Mo. | NJCAA Division I
• Missouri Southern State: 41-15 | Eliminated by 14-seed Rogers State in NCAA D-II Central Regional Tournament
• Central Methodist: 42-12 | Eliminated by Georgia Gwinnett in 2023 NAIA World Series in 4th ever appearance in World Series

About this year’s team:

• Departures: Kendal Cook (grad transfer, Charleston Southern) | Payton Jackson (graduate) | Emma Nichols (graduate) | Maddie Snider (transfer, USF) | Hannah McGivern (graduate) | Megan Moll (grad transfer, FAU) | Addie Lange (graduate) | Megan Schumacher (grad transfer, GCU) | Riley Frizell (transfer, Louisville)
• Transfers: Mya Dodge, Northern Iowa
• Freshmen: Madison Walker (Olathe, Kan.) | Danielle Blackstun (O’Fallon, Mo.) | Stefania Abruscato (Smithtown, N.Y.) | Claire Cahalan (Columbus, Ga.) | Marissa McCann (Surprise, Ariz.) | Nathalie Touchet (Aledo, Texas) | Adi Koller (Texarkana, Texas) | Abby Hay (Columbia, Mo.)

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Yesterday at Rock M

• Matthew recapped VB’s weekend in Cincy: Mizzou Volleyball takes two of three at the Xavier Tournament
• Quentin examined Five plays that defined Saturday’s 23-19 win over Middle Tennessee State
• Sam talked with Rocco Miller about non-con scheduling on a new Dive Cuts
• Dan wrapped up his thoughts on the game from afar (he lives in Brooklyn) in a notebook-style piece
• Josh is back with a new MV3
• IN CASE YOU MISSED; Read Sam’s Pourover— Pourover: When do we see progress?

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More Links:

Football

• St. Louis Post-Dispatch: ‘Luther is Him.’ Mizzou receiver Burden III looks elite in his sophomore season (Benjamin Hochman) | Pressure and penalties raise early questions about Mizzou’s offensive line (Eli Hoff) | A win is not a win. Mizzou’s rough showing creates concern, heading into K-State game (Hochman) | Mizzou football snapshots: PFF grades, snap counts for Tigers’ win against Middle Tennessee (Hoff)
• Columbia Tribune: 7 thoughts from Mizzou football’s win over Middle Tennessee State (Chris Kwiecinski)
• Saturday Down South: Stock report after Week 2 (Sydney Hunte) | 3 takeaways from Mizzou’s Week 2 victory over Middle Tennessee (Adam Spencer)
• The Athletic: Ranking all 133 teams after Week 2 (Chris Vannini) | SEC football second impressions: Amid rough start, a vibe ranking of each team (Seth Emerson)

The Tigers are #53 in Vannini’s Top 133 list, behind SMU and Troy, and just ahead of CC, Florida and… Memphis.

From Emerson’s vibe ranking:

#9. Missouri: Not a resounding win over a team that got routed the week before at Alabama. Missouri didn’t take a two-score lead until the fourth quarter, then had to hold on. This was after a “meh” win over South Dakota. That seems to be the continual vibe with Mizzou these days: Meh.

Y’all… The vibes are not immaculate. Missouri was also #9 on Seth’s list last week, following week 1. Hmphhh. I agree. We’ve got very “Meh” vibes. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

• PowerMizzou: Listen to State of the Tigers presented by James Carlton: Episode 7 (Gabe DeArmond & Jarod Hamilton) | Five-star WR Ryan Wingo gives the latest on his recruitment (Sean Williams) | How Missouri did versus Middle Tennessee State using PFF College (Hamilton)

• This actually made me laugh way too hard, because it’s so true...

• Pretty cool! There’s two Tigers on this list. One former (TJ) and one current, Nyles Gaddy. This is super cool for Gaddy; Rock M’s football minds really like him. Per the release, the senior finished with three tackles, 2 for a loss along with a pair of sacks for a 15-yard loss in the Tigers’ win over MTSU. It is the second multi-sack performance of his career and first in a Missouri uniform. Read more at MUTigers.com.

• In case you haven’t watched this, this is good work by Connor McLain, who is working for both Mizzou Athletics and PowerMizzou. This video almost makes me forget the @#%&show we witnessed on Saturday.

• Two former Tigers. Battling to the death

• I don’t know what this is, but Parker said it was big news, so we’ll go with it

Hoops

• Scenes from Mizzou Hoops commit Marcus Allen’s second OV to campus:

• Can’t wait to watch Curt play this season!

Other Mizzou Sports

• DENNIS! GIVE US THE DEETS! Women’s Golf is currently at the Sam Golden Invitational in Denton, TX (North Texas) while Volleyball travels to Eastern Illinois for a two-game series on Thursday & Friday (6pm & 4pm, respectively). Soccer, meanwhile, travels to The Swamp to kick off SEC play on Friday at 6pm (SEC+).

• This week in Mizzou sports (Trevon Bobo, PowerMizzou)
• Riddle me this, XC runners

• LFG, Bella! Didn’t take long for the All-Freshman team goalie to get back in the swing of things. Per the MU Tigers release:

Hollenbach helped the Tigers to a 2-0 week in net, totaling nine saves over two games and one clean sheet. After a penalty kick against border rival Illinois, the redshirt sophomore shut the door on the Illini, propelling the team to a 2-1 win. Following that performance, the keeper posted a shutout of Missouri State in St. Louis, making two point-blank saves to earn her first clean sheet of the season and fourth of her career.

• Check out this soccer video as the Tigers wrapped up non-con:

• The legend and weekend Mizzou Athletics Hall of Fame inductee

• Former softball GA Kristin Hallam has found a landing spot at

• the University of Pennsylvania!

• Columbia Outlaws best Mizzou Rugby Club in season-opening scrimmage (Stephen Vierling, Missourian)

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