The highly anticipated collegiate football debut of Luther Burden III was a big success as the former East St. Louis star shined in Missouri’s 52-24 victory over Louisiana Tech in the season opener in Columbia on Thursday night.
Burden was Mr. Excitement virtually every time he touched the ball as he scored two touchdowns while making several other impact plays on offense. On his first touch, he scampered for a 17-yard run. He scored his first touchdown on a five yard reception when he caught the ball three yards behind the line of scrimmage, made the first defender miss and broke two more tackles on his way into the end zone. He scored his second touchdown on a one-yard run on a direct snap.
A five-star prospect out of high school, Burden came to Columbia as Mizzou’s most highly-rated recruit in a decade. He was one of the several Mizzou players from the St. Louis area who played a big role in the season-opening victory.
Sophomore wide receiver Dominic Lovett, a former standout at East St. Louis, was the Tigers’ leading receiver on the night with six catches for 76 yards. Former Chaminade standout Brady Cook had a strong performance as the Tigers’ starting quarterback. Cook passed for 201 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 61 yards and another score. Cody Schrader, a former Lutheran South standout, rushed for 70 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown in his debut with the Tigers. Schrader is a transfer from Division II Truman State, where he was the GLVC Offensive Player of the Year last season.
Missouri will visit Kansas State on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. in Manhattan. The game will be televised on ESPN-2.