MISSOURI POST-GAME NOTES
9/28/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 28, 2002
- Missouri finishes the non-conference season with a 3-1 mark, which is more out-of-league wins than in the last two seasons combined (2), and also gives the Tigers as many or more wins than they have recorded in 11 of the past 18 seasons.
- Today marks head coach Gary Pinkel's 80th career win; he is in 20th place on the list of top NCAA active coaches by winning percentage with a .637 mark (80-45-3).
- Senior All-Big 12 WR and Biletnikoff Award candidate Justin Gage had five receptions for 34 yards on the afternoon to tie Kenny Holly's all-time school record for catches. He and Holly now have 151 career receptions. With Gage's 2,020 career receiving yards, he is now 125 yards from passing Victor Bailey as MU's receiving yards leader.
- With its three rushing touchdowns today, Missouri has 13 through four games this season. That exceeds the 11 rushing touchdowns that the Tigers had in all of 2001.
- Missouri held an opponent scoreless in the first half for the first time since Southwest Texas failed to score in the opening two quarters of the 2001 game in Columbia (Sept. 8, 2001). It is the second halftime shutout of the Gary Pinkel era.
- Redshirt freshman QB Brad Smith completed his first five passes he attempted (for 80 yards over Missouri's first two drives), and finished the day 18-of-34 for 213 yards and 1 TD. In addition, Smith rushed 13 times for 137 yards to mark his third game in four career outings in which he broke the 100-yard rushing barrier. His 350 yards of total offense exceeds his previous career best by two yards; Smith's rushing total is one yard shy of his career-best set in his collegiate debut vs. Illinois in St. Louis. He also broke a career-long 51-yard rush in the third quarter.
- Senior CB R.J. Jones had a school-record-tying three interceptions on the afternoon in front of his No. 1 fan: his mother. It's the first time she's seen him play in a Missouri uniform. Today's picks exceeded the career total he had (2) entering the season.
- Jones' three interceptions equalled the mark set by four others (Clayton Baker vs. North Texas in 1995; Bill Whitaker vs. San Diego State in both 1979 and 1980; Eric Wright vs. San Diego State in 1979; and Roger Wehrli vs. Oklahoma State in 1968).
- Missouri's four takeaways bumps the Tigers' season total to 13. MU had 15 takeaways in all of 2001.
- Redshirt freshman WR Sean Coffey made his first career reception a memorable one with a 35-yard catch-and-run during Missouri's opening scoring drive. Coffey finished the game with six catches for 88 yards.
- For the third time in four games, Missouri scored on its opening drive. Smith hit Thomson Omboga for a 20-yard touchdown pass to cap a six-play, 80-yard drive. Smith was 3-of-3 on the opening drive for 60 yards.
- Zack Abron scored two touchdowns on Saturday, giving him 10 for the season and 21 for his career. Abron came into the game averaging 16.0 points per game, which leads the Big 12 Conference and is also third in the nation.
- Offensively, Troy State came into the game averaging 240 rushing yards per game (5.2 yards per carry), yet finished with 69 yards (2.5 per carry) this afternoon. Only Illinois (67 yards) has rushed for fewer yards this season against the Tigers.
- Defensively, the Trojans were just as unyielding on the ground entering today, as they averaged allowing just 121.2 yards per game (2.9 yards/carry). MU had 135 rushing yards by halftime, and finished with 277 yards on 52 carries (5.3 avg.).
- Junior DL Russ Bell recorded his first career sack in the third quarter.
- Bell (NT) and redshirt freshman Tony Palmer (OG) made their first career starts on Saturday.
Mizzou Live Pregame Show Presented by Paytient
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Mizzou Live Pregame Show Presented by Paytient
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MU Health Care Kid Captain - Broad Crawford
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MU Health Care Kid Captain - Calvin Orf
Tuesday, October 14
