Mizzou Linebacker Earns SEC Honors After Oklahoma Performance

This member of the TIger defense forced a game-saving fumble en route to Missouri's win over Oklahoma.

Aug 29, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Murray State Racers running back Jordan Washington (28) runs the ball as Missouri Tigers linebacker Triston Newson (14) makes the tackle during the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Missouri linebacker Triston Newson earned Co-SEC Defensive Player of the Week after the Tigers' one-score win over the Oklahoma Sooners.

WK 11 | SEC Football Players of the Week

OFFENSIVE
Jalen Milroe, @AlabamaFTBL
Raheim Sanders, @GamecockFB

DEFENSIVE
Jihaad Campbell, @AlabamaFTBL
Triston Newson, @MizzouFootball

SPECIAL TEAMS
Caden Davis, @OleMissFB

OFFENSIVE LINE
Tyler Booker, @AlabamaFTBL
Torricelli… pic.twitter.com/x3uoOMeWll

— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) November 11, 2024

Newson posted 10 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble in the Tigers win. That forced fumble came at the most crucial moment of the game, knocking the ball out of Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold's hands in the waning stages of the fourth quarter, allowing defensive end Zion Young to pick it up and score. This gave Missouri a 30-23 lead and seemingly saved the game, and arguably the season, for Missouri.

"Relentless. Dialed into the game plan," head coach Eli Drinkwitz said. "I mean, him and Corey Flagg were all over the place. Obviously, a sack, two and a half fumbles.

This is Newson's second year with the Tigers, spending the first part of his collegiate career at Northeast Mississippi Community College. In his second season, Newson has secured 39 tackles and the sack and forced fumble he added against the Sooners.

Newson posted 51 tackles last season in his first year with Missouri, adding half a sack as well. He was forced to step up as injuries plagued last year's defense, earning him a spot as one of the best defenders on the team heading into this season.

The Tiger defense has emerged as one of the best in the country after forcing six fumbles, recovering four. They only allowed 257 yards of offense and constantly harrassed Arnold. The Tigers currently sit at tenth in the country for yards allowed per-game and are in the top-20 for points allowed per-game.

"Otherwise, they don't give up anything, and they never even flinched, and just kept going out there, kept going out there," Drinkwitz said.

Newson and the Tiger defense will get another tough matchup at 3:15 p.m on Saturday, Nov. 16 when they travel to Columbia, S.C. to face the South Carolina Gamecocks.

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