As the title reads, adversity is nothing new for Missouri's rookie quarterback. On Saturday, Missouri suffered an extreme blow, losing its star quarterback, Beau Pribula. That moment thrust Matt Zollers, a former five-star recruit from Royersford, PA, into the spotlight.
As Beau Pribula was carted off the field, the Tigers watched with a sinking morale – and perhaps their fading Playoff hopes.
Late in the third quarter, Zollers took over under center, facing the daunting energy of a Vanderbilt home crowd. The true freshman saw his first taste of SEC football.
The No. 10 Commodores and their hard-nosed defense prowled, waiting for the opportunity to rip open the lead. Instead, that never happened.
What came of it was a poised and confident performance that nearly led Missouri to victory.
"Poise in the pocket, finding spots, accurate throws. He (Zollers) did a really good job."Eli Drinkwitz
For Zollers, poise and adversity are nothing new.
At Spring-Ford Area High School, the All-State quarterback set a school record for passing with 2,917 yards, earning numerous offers before ultimately committing to Missouri.
The adversity came in the back half of his high school career after he went down with an injury similar to Pribula’s. In just the third game of the season, a broken ankle would sideline Zollers for the rest of his senior year, leaving him with a long recovery.
Adversity.
The true freshman worked his way back, practicing with the team during fall camp and preparing with the help of his home-state mentor, Beau Pribula. It wasn’t drawn up this way, however.
When Pribula went down, it was a full-circle moment. Despite the misfortune, Zollers had proven that he was ready to step in when the time came.
“I thought he played really big,” Coach Drinkwitz continued. [He had] fourth-down conversions to give us a chance, and then when they took the lead, to drive the ball down and score was really impressive.”
It wasn’t his first appearance as Zollers had previously seen limited time against Central Arkansas, Louisiana and UMass. Prior to Saturday, Zollers had completed six-for-six attempts for 75 yards and a touchdown.
Against Vanderbilt, Zollers finished with 138 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown that tied the game. Missouri was unable to hang on, losing 17-10.
“He did everything he could when his number was called, and ultimately that’s all you can ask for a guy like that,” center Conner Tollison said.
It’s safe to say the rookie did not look like a rookie. If anything, the future of Missouri football.
“The moment wasn't too big for him,” Eli Drinkwitz said.