KNOXVILLE, Tenn. _ A quarterback change gave Missouri a spark, but Connor Bazelak can't play defense, can't catch his own passes and can't control the line of scrimmage. The Tigers struggled in all those areas Saturday at a sparsely populated Neyland Stadium, falling to No. 21 Tennessee, 35-12, in their first road game under Eli Drinkwitz.
Two weeks into this unprecedented Southeastern Conference-only schedule, the Tigers fell to 0-2 for the first time since way back in 1996 _ when Drinkwitz was 13 years old. Not a single player on the roster had been born. The Tigers' attempt to avoid an 0-3 start doesn't get any easier: Next Saturday they've got an evening date at Louisiana State.
Drinkwitz has now tasted defeat more in eight days than he did all of last season at Appalachian State, where he parlayed a 12-1 record into the Mizzou job.
