COLUMBIA, MO. • Out of a full-house backfield on fourth-and-1, a black and gold blur blasted out of the Missouri backfield three weeks ago. Damarea Crockett, a freshman running back, dashed 26 yards untouched for his first college touchdown against Eastern Michigan, the first of Mizzou’s three running back reinforcements to visit the end zone this year.
Through four games, the offseason overhaul of the backfield hasn’t been what some expected. Alex Ross, the readymade graduate transfer from Oklahoma, hasn’t played the last 11 quarters because of an ankle injury. Nate Strong, a junior college transfer, needed time to adjust to the offense, then hurt his ankle last Thursday.