Post Game Notes
9/4/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
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Mizzou Football Game Notes
September 4, 2010
Missouri vs. Illinois
Team Notes
- Missouri has now won nine consecutive season-openers overall and is also 9-2 vs. Illinois in season-openers all-time, including seven consecutive wins. The Tigers are now 17-7 all-time vs. the Fighting Illini.
- Missouri ran its regular-season non-conference winning streak to 18 games. The Tigers have four wins against Illinois during that stretch and haven't lost a regular-season non-conference game since Sept. 10, 2005 vs. New Mexico.
- While Mizzou won all six games of the Arch Rivalry Series, the Tigers do have two fourth-quarter comebacks vs. the Fighting Illini in St. Louis. Missouri entered the fourth quarter down 13-10 today, but scored 13 points in the period to earn the 23-13 win. The other fourth-quarter comeback occurred in 2003. Mizzou trailed 15-14 in the final five minutes but scored the late TD and two-point conversion en route to the 22-17 final margin.
- Missouri trailed by double figures in the second half on Saturday, but still earned the win. The last time the Tigers had a double-figure deficit in the final two periods and won came last season vs. Bowling Green. The Tigers trailed 20-6 in the third quarter, but won 27-20.
- Missouri's defense shut out an opponent in the second half for the first time since a 58-0 win against Colorado at home in Oct. 25, 2008.
- In fact Illinois managed just 85 total yards and just four first downs in the second half.
- To take it one step further, Missouri's defense has allowed just 22 total points to Illinois the last two years, with just six coming in the final half.
- Kudos to Missouri's run defense in the second half as well. Illinois ran for 157 first-half yards on 27 carries (5.8 ypc) in the first half, but was held to (minus) seven yards on seven carries in the third quarter. For the entire second half Illinois managed just 43 yards on 14 carries, but 42 of those yards came on one run by Mikel Leshoure.
- Another illustration to Mizzou's strong second half is the time-of-possession meter. Illinois owned a 17:50-to-12:10 T.O.P. in the first 30 minutes, but Missouri held the ball 17:51 in the second half and 30:01 for the game compared to Illinois' 29:59.
Individual Notes:
- Blaine Gabbert was outstanding this afternoon, finishing the game 34-of-48 for 281 yards and two TDs. Gabbert recorded his sixth consecutive 200-yard passing day and now has 10 200-yard days for his career.
- He also has nine career multi-TD games throwing the football in his second season as a starter.
- In two career games in his hometown of St. Louis Gabbert is 59-of-81 for 600 yards passing, four TD throws and another TD rush (2009). He also had zero interceptions.
- T.J. Moe was Gabbert's top target on Saturday, setting career highs with 13 catches for 101 yards and his first career TD. Moe was inching towards the single game school record of 16 catches by Justin Gage at Bowling Green on Sept. 14, 2002.
- Coming into the day Moe had just two career catches for eight yards.
- Michael Egnew caught a career high 10 passes for 60 yards and his first career TD. The junior tight end had just seven career catches for 47 yards entering today.
- Missouri put its first points on the board thanks to the first career fumble recovery by Brad Madison. Senior Andrew Gachkar forced the turnover. It was the second forced fumble of the linebacker's career.
- Senior free safety Jasper Simmons recorded his second career interception early in the second quarter on a Nathan Scheelhaase pass. Simmons had an INT last season vs. Iowa State as well.
- Aldon Smith was outstanding from his defensive end position. He recorded 10 tackles, with a pair of sacks and two more tackles for loss. Smith led the team in tackles on the day.
- A high snap on Grant Ressel's miss didn't shake the junior's confidence. The Jackson, Mo., native responded by making his next two kicks from 27 and 34 yards. He is now 28-of-30 in career field goals.
- Henry Josey made the first carry of his career a good one. The freshman raced around right end for 10 yards and a first down.
- Missouri had a number of players seeing their first career action on Saturday. Defensive back E.J. Gaines, tailback Henry Josey, tight end Eric Waters and wide receiver Marcus Lucas all saw action as true freshmen. Redshirt freshmen L'Damian Washington (WR), Tavon Bolden (LB), Jaleel Clark (WR), Matt White (S), Andrew Wilson (LB), Michael Sam (DL), Brayden Burnett (DL) and Justin Britt (OL) saw their first playing time as well.
- Making their first career starts at Mizzou were Jayson Palmgren (OL), Michael Egnew (TE), Kendial Lawrence (TB), T.J. Moe (WR) and Zavier Gooden (LB).
