- have a winning season, and
- win a bowl game
No small achievements here - the Tigers posted their first winning record in 14 years, had a winning non-conference record for the second consecutive season, won a road game against a ranked opponent for the first time since 1981, enjoyed the largest single-season home attendance increase in school history and finished strong. Missouri won four of its final five games for its fastest closing surge since the Holiday Bowl season of 1983.
Missouri ranked 23rd in the final Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today national polls - the first time MU had placed in the final rankings since 1981.
The Tigers are 9-5 in their last 14 games, and 13-11 in their last 24.
Missouri was 2-2 last season and 5-3 the last two years in games decided by eight points or less. That puts their mark in such contests to 11-33-5 since 1983.
MU's Larry Smith Wins Big 12 Coach-of-the-Year Honors
The man who made Missouri one of the Cinderella stories in college football this season, Larry Smith, was the choice of the league's scribes (Associated Press) and the Dallas Morning News for Coach-of-the-Year honors in the Big 12 Conference. He's the first Missouri coach to be so honored since Warren Powers in MU's last Holiday Bowl season of 1983.
Smith completed his fourth season at Missouri (21st overall) with a record of 18-27-1. He became Mizzou's 30th head football coach on Dec. 15, 1993. With 17 years as a head coach in NCAA Division I-A, before coming to MU, Smith was the most experienced coach ever hired by a Big Eight Conference school.
He has a 21-year career record of 128-107-7, and coached previously at Tulane (18-27, 1976-79), Arizona (48-28-3 (1980-86) and Southern California (44-25-3, 1987-92). He was out of coaching in 1993.
The master program builder now has a cumulative record in his fourth season at four coaching stops of 31-15-2. At Tulane, his fourth club went 9-3 and played in the Liberty Bowl. At Arizona, the fourth season produced a 7-3-1 record. His fourth unit at Southern California was 8-4-1 and advanced to the John Hancock Bowl. His fourth Mizzou crew went 7-5 with a berth in the Holiday Bowl.
Smith is one of only four active coaches (Ken Hatfield, John Mackovic and Jackie Sherrill are the others), and 14 all-time, that have taken three-or-more teams to bowl games. Now he has joined Earle Bruce, Lou Holtz and Bill Mallory as the only coaches in NCAA history who have taken four teams to bowl games. Smith ranks 12th among active coaches in career victories.
The University of Missouri showed support for Smith's rebuilding efforts in 1996, extending his contract through 2001. One of the grateful well-wishers visiting the Tiger dressing room in Boulder, last season after Missouri had claimed its sixth victory to make itself bowl-eligible, was MU Chancellor Richard Wallace. He was also the team's "Honorary Coach" for the season finale against Baylor.
Missouri Coaches In Thier 4th Season
| COACH | 4th SEASON | W-L | TOT. SEASONS |
| H.F. Schulte | 1917 | 3-5 | 4 |
| Gwinn Henry | 1926 | 5-1-2 | 9 |
| Don Faurot | 1938 | 6-3 | 19 |
| Dan Devine | 1963 | 7-3 | 13 |
| Al Onofrio | 1974 | 7-4 | 7 |
| Warren Powers | 1981 | 8-4 | 7 |
| Woody Widenhofer | 1988 | 3-7-1 | 4 |
| Bob Stull | 1992 | 3-8 | 5 |
| Larry Smith | 1997 | 7-5 | 4 & counting |
Missouri Coaches In Their 5th Season
| COACH | 5th SEASON | W-L | TOT. SEASONS |
| Gwinn Henry | 1927 | 7-2 | 9 |
| Don Faurot | 1939 | 8-2 | 19 |
| Dan Devine | 1964 | 6-3-1 | 13 |
| Al Onofrio | 1975 | 6-5 | 7 |
| Warren Powers | 1982 | 5-4-2 | 7 |
| Bob Stull | 1993 | 3-7-1 | 5 |
| Larry Smith | 1998 | ? | 5 & counting |
Schedule Change
During the off-season, Missouri and Clemson agreed to shorten their four-game series to two games, with one having already been played in Columbia in 1995. MU won that contest, 38-24. The remaining game will be played at Clemson in 2000.
The change left a void on this year's schedule that was filled this winter. Northwestern State (La.) will come to Columbia on Oct. 3. Northwestern State went 8-4 last season, winning its final six regular-season games to tie for the championship of the Southland Conference, and advanced to the NCAA I-AA playoffs.
Beginning in 1998, Division I-A teams, like Missouri, may count a win over a I-AA team once every four years toward the bowl-requisite six victories.
Tigers Score Against Hunger
Since arriving at MU, Head Coach Larry Smith and the Tigers have teamed up with the Central Missouri Food Bank to stop hunger in its tracks.
Each year's drive begins with the Spring Black-Gold Game, when admission may be gained by contributing cans of food. Smith requires each player and staff member to contribute, too, before they can participate.
Then during the season, interested persons can pledge money for every point the Tigers score. The proceeds help the Central Missouri Food Bank and more than 120 charities in its 29-county region provide free food to soup kitchens, shelters and food pantries.
For more information, call 1-800-764-3663, or 573-474-1020. Last year's campaign, thanks to the record 368 points scored by the Tigers, netted nearly $250,000.
Gone But Not Forgotten
A special group of Missouri Tigers - the 20 seniors who provided the impetus for the football turnaround at Ol' Mizzou - played their final game in the Black-and-Gold in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego. There were no tears when the team was honored at the annual football banquet, Nov. 16, but emotions ran high Dec. 29 following the bowl game.
Five of those players - OT Travis Biebel, FB Ron Janes, OLB Kevin Ford, NT Donnell Jones and DE Shawn Sundall - were holdovers from the Bob Stull era. The others were either recruited by Larry Smith, walked on, or transferred to Missouri.
The complete group:
| Travis Biebel | OT | Blue Springs, MO |
| Terrence Binion | SS | St. Louis, MO |
| Ernest Blackwell | FB | St. Louis, MO |
| Torey Coleman | WR | Harbour City, CA |
| Brian Cracraft | DT | Mesa, AZ |
| Shad Criss | CB | Denison, TX |
| David Finke | FB | Bowling Green, MO |
| Kevin Ford | OLB | Denison, TX |
| Mitch Henderson | DS | Ballwin, MO |
| Ron Janes | FB | Clarence, MO |
| Donnell Jones | NT | St. Louis, MO |
| Sam Josue | OLB | Miami, FL |
| Scott Knickman | K | St. Louis, MO |
| Mike Morris | OG | Brookfield, MO |
| Jay Murchison | WR | Richmond, VA |
| Brock Olivo | TB | Washington, MO |
| Ricky Ross | WR | Las Vegas, NV |
| David Rowe | DG | St. Louis, MO |
| Keith Simmons | CB | Kansas City, MO |
| Shawn Sundall | DE | Columbia, MO |
Jones' All-Around Excellence Gains Him All-Big 12 Honors
Missouri junior quarterback Corby Jones enjoyed a magical season - one that made him MU's first all-conference quarterback since Phil Bradley in 1980. Jones was the first-team selection by the league's coaches, the Associated Press, Dallas Morning News, Kansas City Star and Football News.
Now he's likely to be a prime candidate for this year's Heisman Trophy.
Jones was second in the Big 12 Conference in total offense (231.4 yards per game), 8th in rushing (80.6 yards per game), 2nd in pass efficiency (140.8 rating points) and 7th in scoring (7. 6 points per game).
Against Oklahoma State, he was the Big 12 Conference "Offensive Player-of-the-Week" and he was also honored by CNN/SI, receiving its "College Football Player-of-the-Week" award.
The strides he made as a passer were striking. In the final seven weeks of the season, he completed 70-of-120 passes (.583) for 1,232 yards and 11 touchdowns, while tossing just two interceptions. That surge took him from being ranked among the nation's top-50 rushers to a position among the best passers. He ranked 2nd in the Big 12 in passing efficiency - 140.8.
In 1997, he posted five of the top ten single-game passing efficiency marks in school history including the school record - 260.7 against Iowa State.
His pass efficiency figure for the final seven games was 171.5. By comparison, the nation's leader in pass efficiency was UCLA's Cade McNown at 168.6.
Four times in the final seven weeks he posted career-high passing yardage, capped against Nebraska, when he hit 12-of-20 tosses for 233 yards. Against Oklahoma State, his 316 yards of total offense were also a career best.
Jones threw four touchdown passes against OSU to tie a school record. He also ran for two, tying him with Terry McMillan (at Kansas, 1969) for the school record for "touchdowns responsible for" at six. In 28 career games as a Tiger, Jones has accounted for 44 touchdowns (scored 27, passed for 17), and he's posted six of the top 10 rushing days ever recorded by a Missouri signal caller. In fact, he's the only quarterback to appear in that top-10 list more than once.
He is the only player in school history to rank in MU's career top-10s for total offense, passing and rushing.
Jones led Mizzou in rushing last season, becoming the first QB to lead the Tigers since Gary Lane in 1964. His 2,545 yards of total offense were also a Missouri single-season record.
A big-play specialist, Jones accounted for 31 of Missouri's 45 scrimmage plays that gained 20-or-more yards. He threw for 25 of those and ran for six.
Piersey Strikes Often
Free safety Harold Piersey intercepted at least one pass in each of Missouri's last four games (five total) to rank second in the Big 12 Conference and tied for 22nd nationally. Piersey was a second-team all-conference choice and led the Tigers with 104 tackles..
Piersey grabbed two at Oklahoma State, one at Colorado, one vs. Nebraska, and one against Baylor. The pick against the Huskers negated an interception thrown moments before by Corby Jones, and set up Mizzou's final TD - a pass from Jones to Eddie Brooks. His interception against Baylor also set up a touchdown run.
Also opportunistic late in the season was junior corner Wade Perkins, who had his first career interceptions against Oklahoma State and Colorado. Perkins got his first start at corner vs. Nebraska. Missouri intercepted 14 passes last season - four more than it had in 1996.
Gibson Comes On with a Rush
Marquis Gibson became a force with which to be reckoned in 1997, rushing from the edge as a defensive end. The last six games, he made 46 tackles, including a career-best 11 at Colorado, and five against Nebraska.
He'll move to outside linebacker in 1998, where he'll be freed up to perform in a number of roles without getting blocked by much larger offensive tackles.
The first-year player from Apopka, Fla., who transferred from Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College was a second-team all-league pick.
He was at his best at Colorado, making 11 tackles (nine unassisted), with two for five yards in losses and a quarterback sack of five yards. Tiger coaches saluted him as the team's "defensive player of the week" (he got the same award vs. Tulsa).
A week before, at Oklahoma State, he made seven stops and forced a fumble by R.W. McQuarters on a kickoff return that Mizzou turned into a Scott Knickman field goal.
But even when he didn't make the tackle, he was a difference maker in the OT victory in Stillwater. On the deciding two-point conversion, he burst into the face of Tony Lindsay, and turned him into a wave of MU tacklers, led by Donnell Jones and Brian Cracraft.
He led the Tigers with six quarterback sacks and 16 tackles for 51 yards in losses. He shared the team defensive MVP award with sophomore linebacker Barry Odom.
Layman Became MU's Deep Threat
The second half of last season, it seemed that any time you looked downfield when Corby Jones dropped back to pass that sophomore receiver Kent Layman was running free. He's Missouri's only returning letterman at the receiver position and will be a key figure in 1998. He's also a likely candidate for punt return duties.
Layman led the Big 12 Conference in 1997, averaging 25.4 yards per reception, (21 catches for 534 yards and four TDs). He was also good on the reverse, using his high school running back skills to rush four times for 63 yards.
He caught a 37-yard TD bomb from Jones at Oklahoma State and did it again with a 38-yard scoring reception at Colorado.
He also had a 52-yard reception vs. the Buffaloes, and had four catches for a career-high 119 yards. Layman is the only MU receiver to have three 100-yard receiving days in Larry Smith's four years at the Tiger helm, and he's the first to do so in one season since Victor Bailey had six in 1992.
Layman made the first start of his career vs. Iowa State, and made the most of it. On MU's first play of the game, he caught a 40-yard pass and later added a 56-yard TD reception. With three catches for 115 yards, he became Mizzou's first 100-yard receiver since Rahsetnu Jenkins caught seven passes for 136 yards at Iowa State in 1994.
Tigers Showed Improvement In Turnover Margin
One of the biggest disappointments of the 1996 season was the Tigers drop in the turnover margin rankings. In 1995, MU ranked 9th in that category, but fell to 106th the following year.
What's more, Missouri opponents scored 136 points as a result of Tiger miscues in 1996. But in 1997, Missouri scored 93 points as a result of 21 turnovers by the opponents, while the opposition scored only 20 points off of Tiger mistakes. MU turned it over 14 times - eight fumbles and six interceptions.
Their opportunistic ball-hawking was most evident during the stretch run. The Tigers forced four turnovers at Oklahoma State and scored 17 points off those Cowboy errors, got 10 points off of a pair of pass interceptions at Colorado, 14 points as a result of two interceptions against Nebraska and tallied 21 points against Baylor (two interceptions, one fumble).
Since Larry Smith came to Missouri, the Tigers have forced 82 turnovers and committed 76. They've forced at least one turnover in 39 of 45 games since Smith became the head coach. And the Tigers have scored six defensive touchdowns during the Smith era, the latest coming on a 92-yard interception return by defensive guard Justin Wyatt in the regular-season finale vs. Baylor.
Balance Leads to Scoring Record
During Missouri's last five games, the Tigers demonstrated the kind of offensive balance that Coach Larry Smith and his staff have aspired to for some time.
In its last five games, Missouri averaged 41.8 points per game, while gaining an average of 264 yards on the ground and 192 through the air.
In Mizzou's seven victories, the Tigers averaged 43.1 points. In three losses prior to the Nebraska game, when the Tigers tallied 38, MU scored only 28 total points.
For the season, Missouri scored a school-record 368 points.
Tigers Have Four Rushers With 500 for 2nd Straight Year
In 1996, Missouri had four backs rush for more than 500 yards for the first time in school history. And, that distinction made them one of only two schools in the country to achieve that feat.
Well, the same four Tigers did it again in 1997. Missouri's 6th-ranked rushing offense was paced by quarterback Corby Jones (887 yards), tailbacks Brock Olivo (678) and Devin West (544), and fullback Ernest Blackwell (551). Each of them had at least one 100-yard game last season.
Blackwell was the last of the group to hit 500, gaining 78 yards on eight carries against Baylor, including a 45-yard TD gallop. He was the last of the group to reach 1,000 career yards, too. He topped that plateau against Texas, and closed with 1,309. Never before had Missouri had four active 1,000-yard career rushers.
The others were Olivo (3,026), Jones (1,997) and West (1,376). Combined the quartet ran for 7,708 yards and 77 touchdowns over the last four seasons.
Knickman, Olivo, Jones Rewrote Missouri Scoring Lists
Senior walkon Scott Knickman, the man who wasn't even supposed to be Missouri's kicker last season, carved his name in the Tiger record book.
He scored 76 points season, breaking the Missouri record for points by a MU kicker (72, Tim Gibbons, 1975), and also set records for PATs made (43) and attempted (45). Knickman booted 11 field goals in 13 tries, setting another season mark for field goal percentage (.846). Brock Olivo scored 31 career touchdowns, one away from breaking the record of 32 set by Bob Steuber from 1940-42. He scored 188 career points, fourth best in MU annals.
Olivo and Corby Jones established a new MU record by tallying 27 career rushing TDs. Jones, sixth in school history with 162 career points, can take dead aim on the career scoring record next season.
Missouri's Attendance Increase Was Big 12's Largest
Missouri averaged 54,484 fans per home game in 1997, more than a 30 percent increase over '96 and far-and-away the largest percentage increase in the Big 12 Conference.
It was the first time Missouri had averaged more than 50,000 fans per home game since 1983 (52,029). And, the increase from 1996's average of 39,171 was the largest one-season jump in school history. Five of the top 11 home crowds Mizzou has had since '84 have come since Larry Smith became Missouri's head coach in 1994. The 66,846 who attended the Nebraska game represented MU's biggest home crowd since 1984.
BIG CROWDS SINCE 1984
| 9/29/84 | 70,915 | Notre Dame 16, Missouri 14 |
| 11/8/97 | 66,846 | Nebraska 45, Missouri 38 (Ot) |
| 10/19/85 | 62,733 | Nebraska 28, Missouri 20 |
| 9/27/97 | 58,882 | Ohio State 31, Missouri 10 |
| 10/14/89 | 55,620 | Nebraska 50, Missouri 7 |
| 10/31/87 | 55,594 | Nebraska 42, Missouri 7 |
| 9/3/94 | 55,263 | Tulsa 20, Missouri 17 |
| 10/24/92 | 53,337 | Nebraska 34, Missouri 24 |
| 9/6/97 | 52,514 | Missouri 44, E. Michigan 24 |
| 10/22/94 | 50,537 | Nebraska 42, Missouri 7 |
| 11/9/85 | 50,321 | Oklahoma 51, Missouri 6 |
LARGEST ATTENDANCE INCREASES IN 1997
| SCHOOL | AVERAGE | INCREASE |
| 1. Stanford | 56,937 | +21,154 |
| 2. Notre Dame | 80,225 | +21,150 |
| 3. Kentucky | 59,110 | +18,463 |
| 4. MISSOURI | 52,484 | +13,314 |
| 5. Rice | 35,509 | +15,339 |
FINAL ESPN/USA TODAY COACHES POLL
| Rank | Team | Record | PTS | PVS |
| 1. | Nebraska (32) | 13-0 | 1520 | 2 |
| 2. | Michigan (30) | 12-0 | 1516 | 1 |
| 3. | Florida State | 11-1 | 1414 | 4 |
| 4. | North Carolina | 11-1 | 1292 | 5 |
| 5. | UCLA | 10-2 | 1239 | 6 |
| 6. | Florida | 10-2 | 1209 | 8 |
| 7. | Kansas State | 11-1 | 1192 | 9 |
| 8. | Tennessee | 11-2 | 1122 | 3 |
| 9. | Washington State | 10-2 | 1076 | 7 |
| 10. | Georgia | 10-2 | 1007 | 11 |
| 11. | Auburn | 10-3 | 854 | 13 |
| 12. | Ohio State | 10-3 | 826 | 10 |
| 13. | LSU | 9-3 | 786 | 15 |
| 14. | Arizona State | 8-3 | 667 | 18 |
| 15. | Purdue | 9-3 | 666 | 16 |
| 16. | Colorado State | 11-2 | 646 | 17 |
| 17. | Penn State | 9-3 | 585 | 12 |
| 18. | Washington | 8-4 | 512 | 23 |
| 19. | Southern Mississippi | 9-3 | 462 | 22 |
| 20. | Syracuse | 9-4 | 380 | 14 |
| 21. | Texas A&M | 9-4 | 359 | 19 |
| 22. | Mississippi | 8-4 | 188 | NR |
| 23. | MISSOURI | 7-5 | 114 | 20 |
| 24. | Oklahoma State | 8-4 | 103 | 24 |
| 25. | Air Force | 10-3 | 74 | 21 |
Others Receiving Votes Clemson 58, Georgia Tech 55, Iowa 32, Louisiana Tech 31, Oregon 25, Cincinnati 24, Arizona 23, Mississippi State 20, Michigan State 16, New Mexico 13, Wisconsin 13, Tulane 10, Virginia 9, West Virginia 7, Marshall 4, Notre Dame 1.
FINAL ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP-25
| Rank | Team | Record | PTS | PVS |
| 1. | Michigan (51.5) | 12-0 | 1731.5 | 1 |
| 2. | Nebraska (18.5) | 13-0 | 1698.5 | 2 |
| 3. | Florida State | 11-1 | 1599 | 4 |
| 4. | Florida | 10-2 | 1455 | 6 |
| 5. | UCLA | 10-2 | 1413 | 5 |
| 6. | North Carolina | 11-1 | 1397 | 7 |
| 7. | Tennessee | 11-2 | 1320 | 3 |
| 8. | Kansas State | 11-1 | 1302 | 10 |
| 9. | Washington State | 10-2 | 1259 | 8 |
| 10. | Georgia | 10-2 | 1121 | 12 |
| 11. | Auburn | 10-2 | 1025 | 13 |
| 12. | Ohio State | 10-3 | 975 | 9 |
| 13. | LSU | 9-3 | 856 | 15 |
| 14. | Arizona State | 8-3 | 773 | 16 |
| 15. | Purdue | 9-3 | 715 | 17 |
| 16. | Penn State | 9-3 | 706 | 11 |
| 17. | Colorado State | 11-2 | 673 | 18 |
| 18. | Washington | 8-4 | 617 | 21 |
| 19. | Southern Mississippi | 9-3 | 490 | 22 |
| 20. | Texas A&M | 9-4 | 421 | 20 |
| 21. | Syracuse | 9-4 | 331 | 14 |
| 22. | Mississippi | 8-4 | 255 | NR |
| 23. | MISSOURI | 7-5 | 175 | 19 |
| 24. | Oklahoma State | 8-4 | 72 | 24 |
| 25. | Georgia Tech | 7-5 | 64 | NR |
Others Receiving Votes
Arizona 59, Oregon 50, Air Force 37, Marshall 33, Virginia 31, Clemson 27, Louisiana Tech 20, Mississippi State 15, Michigan State 9, Wisconsin 8, New Mexico 6, Cincinnati 5, Notre Dame 3, Iowa 2, Virginia Tech 1.