Missouri Tigers Football: Dorial Green-Beckham Grabs 6 Receptions in Mizzou Loss

Dorial Green-Beckham came to Mizzou with a lot of hype, hoopla and accolade even though the 6'6" wide receiver from Springfield, Missouri had never stepped foot on a collegiate football field. 

Green-Beckham was the number-one recruit in the entire nation last year, and fans anticipated a big freshman campaign from the 19 year old. 

On Saturday, in Missouri's 14-7 loss to seventh-ranked Florida, Mizzou fans got a glimpse of why Green-Beckham came to Columbia with such fanfare. 

Despite a lackluster performance from the Mizzou offense overall, DGB hauled in six catches for 73 yards and was the focal point of the Mizzou attack.  The performance follows a seven-reception game in last week's win over Kentucky, and suddenly, Green-Beckham has some rhythm.  

Overall, things have not exactly gone as planned for DGB in 2012.

Besides an 80-yard touchdown in the Central Florida game, DGB has struggled and has seen limited playing time.  He entered Saturday's game with just 14 catches for 153 yards and one touchdown.

Green-Beckham's struggles on the field have not been his only problem thus far at Mizzou.  The freshman wide receiver was also arrested on drug charges after being caught with marijuana in the parking lot of Memorial Stadium (via The Man Eater). 

It has been a rough rookie campaign for DGB, but Saturday's performance provides hope for Mizzou fans that Green-Beckham may be finally starting to figure things out.  Head coach Gary Pinkel looks like he is ready to give his prized recruit the ball more often and utilize his size and athleticism. 

The freshman suddenly looked mature and physically ready for the big stage against Florida.  Green-Beckham was aggressive and appeared confident, even jawing with Gators defenders on occasion.  Pinkel and offensive coordinator David Yost finally dialed DGB's number and the results were positive. 

Look for Dorial Green-Beckham to finish the season strong for Mizzou as the Tigers hope to salvage a winning record after falling to 4-5.  

DGB needs to be a big part of the Mizzou offense the rest of the way, otherwise the Tigers may miss a bowl game for the first time since 2004.