COLUMBIA, Mo. —
Final grades for the fall 2018 semester have come in, and the results show that the 23rd-ranked University of Missouri football team smashed program records for their work in the classroom.
Head Coach Barry Odom’s squad turned in a team grade point average of 2.90 this fall, which far surpassed the previous program best of 2.69 set in the fall of 2015. The 2.90 team mark also shattered the previous best for any spring or fall semester (the best spring mark on record was a 2.67 in 2012).
Additionally, 58 team members – more than half of the 115-man roster – earned a GPA of at least 3.0. That’s almost double the total of 30 Tigers from fall 2017 who recorded a 3.0 or better.
“The dedication of our football student-athletes in the classroom this semester paid off in a lot of ways and what they accomplished was remarkable. This team has the mindset that they can be successful in all areas of life, and they worked really hard to make that happen. Not only do I want to acknowledge the student-athletes for their work but also recognize the incredible academic staff who committed many hours and long days assisting the students in reaching their goals. We are also very lucky here at Mizzou to have a supportive coaching staff who push our student-athlete to be the best they can in everything they do. We furthermore need to recognize the tremendous faculty we have on this campus, I speak about them all the time with recruits, that we have the right people here at Mizzou who want to see our student-athletes be successful, they are going to challenge you academically and support you each step of the way.”
In addition, the Tigers will take the field at the Liberty Bowl with 11 graduates of the University of Missouri. Those Tigers who have already earned their degrees include OL Paul Adams, OL/TE Samson Bailey, TE Kendall Blanton, WR Nate Brown, LB Brandon Lee, QB Drew Lock, DB Dominic Nelson, WR Alex Ofodile, DB Khalil Oliver, OL Kevin Pendleton, DB Tavon Ross, DB Finis Stribling and LB Roderick Winters.
“I couldn’t be more proud of our team for committing themselves to doing what it takes to have this kind of success,” said Odom. “They deserve a lot of credit for their hard work, and we certainly share the accomplishment with our Mizzou Made staff and all of the professors and faculty members who work with us to make it possible. I talk all the time to our team about the fact that football doesn’t last forever, so that means having a degree from Mizzou sets you up for the next 40-to-50 years of your life,” he said.
Mizzou is in the middle of preparations for the 2018 Liberty Bowl, to be played December 31 in Memphis, Tenn., against Oklahoma State. This will mark the second-straight bowl game appearance under Odom, as his 2017 Tigers closed last season in the Texas Bowl.
On the field, the Tigers are one of the hottest teams in the country, having won four straight games, and five of their last six, to close the 2018 regular season. Mizzou played one of the toughest schedules in the nation, according to numerous computer ranking models, and has two losses on the last play of the game – including to CFP #14 Kentucky and at 7-5 South Carolina (ranked 28th in the FPI rankings). Mizzou turned in one of the top road wins in the country this season, when it claimed a 38-17 victory at CFP #10 Florida on Nov. 3rd.
