wwith six kills in Maddie Lobenstein and Majesti B

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri coach Barry Odom considers his role to be that of a teacher. He is still learning things in his inaugural season at the helm of his alma mater.Saturdays game against Kentucky will be his latest test.The Tigers (2-5, 0-3 Southeastern Conference) have dramatically improved their offense from a year ago, when they finished second to last in the nation in offensive efficiency. Missouri leads the SEC in yards per game with 505, but that has not always led to wins. Last week, Missouri lost its homecoming game 51-45 to Middle Tennessee, surrendering 584 yards, including 300 on the ground. The Tigers also piled up penalties that allowed MTSU to extend multiple drives.Odom is reevaluating his level of involvement with all sides of the ball, including his area of expertise -- defense.Ive got an opportunity to go help that side out and Im going to do it, Odom said. Ive been trying to balance both sides along with some of the other things and I need to spend my focus there.Odom was Missouris defensive coordinator last season, and discussed the fine line between aiding and interfering.If theres a call I really dont like, or I dont think its the right tine or fit for it, Ill say something, Odom said. But also, as a head coach, I recall being a coordinator not that long ago and I want those guys to feel comfortable doing their work too, not overlooking all the time, `Whats the head coach thinking?Kentucky (4-3, 3-2) will look to capitalize on Missouris recent struggles. The Wildcats seek their third consecutive SEC victory after defeating Vanderbilt 20-13 on Oct. 8 and Mississippi State 40-38 last Saturday. It would be the first three-game conference win streak for the Wildcats since 1999.They put a lot of stress on you, Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said of Missouris offense. They go extremely fast and theyve got some very dynamic players, so its going to be a real challenge.Here are some things to watch Saturday:INJURY BUGMissouri has been hit with a string of injuries, four of which occurred in the loss to Middle Tennessee. Linebacker Michael Scherer tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee, effectively ending his college career with five games to play. Additionally, Terry Beckner Jr. tore his ACL in his left knee after the same injury to his right knee cut his 2015 season short. Scherer led Missouri with 53 tackles in seven starts. Beckner had 24 tackles, including two for loss, three quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery.Everybody in America is banged up at this point, Odom said. Its week seven or eight or nine for some. Thats the game. Youve got to have your next guys ready to go play.MAKING STRIDESWith a win Saturday, Kentucky would secure its fourth conference win, something it hasnt accomplished since 2006 under Rich Brooks. Additionally, the Wildcats have won their last three home games, something they last accomplished in 1996.I was proud of our team this past week in finding a way to win and showing some toughness and some resiliency against Mississippi State, but theres a lot of things that we can do better, Stoops said.FOUNTAIN OF YOUTHMissouri has just 16 seniors on its roster, including Scherer, while Kentucky has 11, the fewest in the nation. Missouri senior cornerback John Gibson was also injured against Middle Tennessee, and is still not a guarantee for Saturday.It does present a real challenge, Stoops said of his lack of seniors. Youre starting to see our team grow up a little bit. We wouldnt have been able to win some close games and some tough games without their leadership. Kyle Hendricks Jersey . -- Quarterback Will Finch threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns, and Yannick Harou rushed in two scores as the No. Brad Brach Cubs Jersey . First off, the fans ripped the Cubbies introduction of a fuzzy new kid-friendly mascot named "Clark". http://www.cubsauthentic.com/cubs-jason-heyward-jersey/ . Peter Gammons, an analyst for Major League Baseballs network and website, drew the ire of hockey fans on Sunday when he criticized the two NHL teams on Twitter for their physical game the night before. Albert Almora Jr Cubs Jersey . Nine days before the opening ceremony, organizing committee chief Dmitry Chernyshenko said Wednesday that Sochi is "fully ready" and will deliver safe, friendly and well-run games that defy the grim reports that have overshadowed preparations. Kerry Wood Jersey . The team also announced Tuesday that the Braves will wear a commemorative patch on the right sleeve during the season. The patch, shaped like home plate, carries the number 715, Aarons autograph and a "40th Anniversary" banner. AUBURN, Ala. - The Auburn volleyball team used an efficient, effective attack to earn a 3-0 (25-11, 25-16, 25-19) sweep of Georgia Wednesday night in Auburn Arena. The win gave Auburn its sixth-straight home win over the Bulldogs.I think we came out really aggressive in serving and put them out of system a lot, which was one of our goals tonight, head coach Rick Nold said. We handled the ball really well and that let our offense spread out a lot. Every win is big at this point of the season, but this one will really bring out confidence.The Tigers (10-10, 4-3 SEC) hit a season-best .367 as a team, having 42 kills with just nine errors on the night. Auburn held the Bulldogs to an .076 clip, the lowest by an Auburn opponent this season.Freshman Gwyn Jones finished with 12 kills and a .474 attack percentage, adding three blocks for Auburn. A trio of Tigers in senior Breanna Barksdale, junior Macy Reece, and freshman Enija Bidzane chipped in seven kills apiece. Reece hit a scorching .875 for the home squad. Junior Courtney Crable added six kills in the match.Junior setter Alexa Filley had her 11th double-double of the season, finishing with 29 assists and 12 digs. Bidzane set a career-high with 10 digs and junior libero Jesse Earl also put together a 10-dig performance. Reece had a hand on four of Auburns seven team blocks.Georgia (13-7, 1-6 SEC) had two players wwith six kills in Maddie Lobenstein and Majesti Bass.dddddddddddd. Libero Cassidy Anderson led all student-athletes with 14 digs.A five-point run in set one led to a quick 7-2 advantage for Auburn and a kill from Barksdale sent the Tigers on a 9-1 run for a 16-5 lead. A kill by Jones followed by a handful of Bulldog errors made it 23-9 and Crable sealed the set with a kill, 25-11.Auburn continued momentum into the second and jumped ahead, 4-1. A kill from Reece and a pair of Reece/Jones blocks highlighted another Tiger rally, pushing the home squad up 13-6. Two more kills from Jones and one by Bidzane lifted Auburn to an 18-10 advantage and the Tigers went to intermission with a 25-16 victory.Georgia held a slim lead to start set three and pressed ahead at 12-9, forcing an Auburn timeout. The Tigers began to chip away at the Bulldog lead and a kill from Crable sent Auburn on a run to go up 17-15. A solo block and a kill from Barksdale gave the Tigers match point and Auburn took the win, 25-19.Auburn closes out its homestand with a 12 p.m. CT match vs. Mississippi State. The two teams will square off Sunday, Oct. 16, and the match will be broadcast on SEC Network. The match will be Auburns Dig Pink event for breast cancer awareness. ' ' '