Missouri kicker’s salute against Army backfires

Missouri kicker Harrison Mevis broke out a questionable celebration after giving his team an early 16-7 lead over Army on Wednesday, and the move ended up backfiring.

Mevis, who has become a fan favorite in part because of his hefty stature, converted three field goals in the first half of the Armed Forces Bowl. The third one was a 38-yarder that put the Tigers up 16-7, and Mevis gave an emphatic salute after it sailed through the uprights.

Some thought the celebration was disrespectful given the circumstances. It’s unclear if players on the Army side felt that way. What we do know is that it was all downhill for Missouri afterword.

Army began the second half by recovering an onside kick. The Black Knights then put together a 75-yard scoring drive to cut the Missouri lead to 16-14. They forced a turnover on downs on the following drive and then scored again, taking a 21-16 lead en route to an eventual 24-22 victory.

Mevis had an outstanding Sophomore season. He converted 23 of 25 field goals on the year and went 3-for-3 from 50-plus yards. He has now made 88.5 percent of his field goal attempts and all of his extra-point attempts in two seasons as Missouri’s kicker. The salute that backfired was a rough way for him to end a great year.