Tigers Host Texas Tech
10/25/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 25, 1999
GAME AT A GLANCE
KICKOFF: 1:00 p.m. CDT
SITE: Columbia, Mo., Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field (capacity 68,174 - grass).
RADIO: Tiger Network (Mike Kelly/John Kadlec/Vic Faust/Chris Gervino), on nearly 60 stations, and the Internet at www.mutigers.com. Also available by calling Teamline at 1-800-846-4700, ext. 5755.
RECORDS: Missouri is 3-4, 0-4 in the Big 12, Texas Tech is 4-3, 3-1 in the Big 12.
SERIES RECORD: Series is tied, 1-1, with both previous games having been played in Lubbock, Texas. This will be Texas Tech's first visit to Columbia.
HEAD COACHES:
Missouri - Larry Smith, 29-35-1 at MU (6th season), 139-115-7 overall (23rd season). He's 1-1 vs. Texas Tech and Spike Dykes.
Texas Tech - Spike Dykes, 80-64-1 at Texas Tech and overall (13th season). He's 1-1 against Mizzou and Larry Smith.
TICKET INFORMATION: A crowd of more than 50,000 is expected. Tickets are available at the MU Ticket Office in the Hearnes Center (reserved seats $32.00, general admission $10). By phone, tickets may be ordered by calling 884-PAWS (Columbia area) and 1-800-CAT PAWS (toll free). On game day, tickets may be purchased at either Hearnes or the stadium box office (north side).
Tigers Will Try To Stop The Bleeding When Tech Makes 1st Trip to MU
The Missouri Tigers, 3-4 overall, 0-4 in the Big 12, hope to end a three-game losing streak this week when they host the Texas Tech Red Raiders, 4-3 overall and tied for the Big 12 South lead with a 3-1 conference mark..
Game time at Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field is 1 p.m., Central Time. The game will not be televised.
Missouri has not started a conference season at 0-5 since 1995, and needs at least three victories in its final four games if it is to post its third consecutive winning season.
After rolling up nearly 1,000 yards of total offense in narrow defeats at Colorado and at home against Iowa State, the Tigers were unable to mount much of an attack at Kansas on Saturday. They were limited to 217 total yards - only 44 of which were on the ground - and had the ball for only 15 minutes in the game's final three quarters.
Mizzou's last three defeats are its only losses in its last 23 regular-season games that didn't come at the hands of a team ranked among the nation's top-seven teams.
The other six losses came against two No. 1 teams - the 1997 Nebraska unit and last year's Ohio State Buckeyes - and also in 1998 to No. 2 Kansas State, No. 6 Texas A&M, and No. 7 Nebraska, in addition to this year's No. 6 Nebraska unit.
Missouri has held the halftime lead in 22 of its last 25 games, and since Larry Smith came to Columbia, in 1994, the Tigers are 27-9 when leading at the half and 28-4 when leading after three quarters.
Over a longer period of time, MU has won 20 of its last 32 games, and 24 of its last 42 (including bowl games).
Missouri is 8-8 the last two years in games decided by eight points or less.
BIG 12 STANDINGS
North Division League Overall Kansas State 4-0 7-0 Nebraska 3-1 6-1 Colorado 3-1 4-3 Iowa State 1-3 4-3 Kansas 1-3 3-5 MISSOURI 0-4 3-4South Division League Overall Texas 3-1 6-2 Texas Tech 3-1 4-3 Oklahoma 2-1 4-2 Texas A&M 2-2 5-2 Oklahoma State 1-2 3-3 Baylor 0-4 1-6
MU Non-Conference Opponents
Overall UAB 3-4 Western Michigan 6-2 Memphis 2-5
Dr Pepper Big 12 Conference Football Championship
Tickets for the 1999 Dr Pepper Big 12 Football Championship can be obtained by phoning the SYLVANIA Alamo Bowl at (210) 226-2695. Tickets also can be purchased through Ticket Master at (210) 224-9600 or ticketmaster.com.
The Missouri-Texas Tech Series
Missouri has played Texas Tech only two previous times - its fewest games against any Big 12 Conference member. The series is tied, 1-1, with Texas Tech having beaten Mizzou, 41-14 in 1994, and the Tigers returned the favor, 28-26 last season. Both of those games were played in Lubbock, Texas.
This will be Tech's first trip to Columbia.
A MIZZOU WIN
- would give Missouri a 4-4 record for the first time since 1987,
- would give Missouri a Big 12 Conference record of 1-4,
- would be Missouri's 15th win in its last 24 regular-season games,
- would snap a three-game losing streak for the Tigers,
- would give MU a 2-1series record against Texas Tech (1-0 in
Columbia),
- would be Missouri's second straight victory over Texas Tech,
- would be Larry Smith's 30th career win at MU, and 140th overall,
- would give Missouri an all-time record of 539-458-52.
A MIZZOU LOSS
- would give Missouri a 3-5 record for the first time since 1996,
- would leave Missouri at 0-5 in conference play for the first time since 1995,
- would give Missouri a four-game losing streak for the first time since 1995,
- would be Missouri's fourth straight loss to an unranked opponent, after a 14-game winning streak against unranked foes,
- would give MU a series record against Texas Tech of 1-2 (0-1in Columbia),
- would be Larry Smith's 36th career loss at MU, and 116th overall,
- would give Missouri an all-time record of 538-459-52.
Scouting The Red Raiders
Texas Tech has bounced back from frustrating losses to North Texas and Oklahoma State to win its last two games in a row, and three of its last four - all in conference play.
Coach Spike Dykes' Red Raiders beat then sixth-ranked Texas A&M, 21-19, to open league play, and have been dominant the last two weeks in thumping Colorado, 31-10, and Baylor, 35-7. Tech has recovered from the early season loss of Heisman Trophy candidate Rickey Williams, and has turned to a trio of running backs to make up for the loss. Shaud Williams, Sammy Morris and James Easterling have each had big games and have combined to run for 1,066 yards and 9 touchdowns.
Quarterback Rob Peters has completed 79-of-153 passes for 1,114 yards and eight touchdowns, with seven interceptions. Tim Baker is Tech's leading receiver with 15 receptions for 275 yards, while Morris has caught 14 passes for 211 yards.
Texas Tech's defense has held opponents to 144 rushing yards per game, and ranks fourth in the league in pass efficiency defense. Red Raider opponents have completed 91-of-186 passes for 1,118 yards and just four TDs. Tech has intercepted eight passes. Topping the defensive chart for Texas Tech is defensive back Kevin Curtis who has made 85 tackles and intercepted two passes, one of which he returned 47 yards against Baylor.
The Red Raiders have registered 17 quarterback sacks - five by DE Taurus Rucker, and four each by safety John Norman and DE Aaron Hunt. Hunt has also returned a fumble 53 yards for a touchdown this season.
Norman is averaging 14 yards per punt return (second in the conference) and had an 80-yarder for a touchdown against Baylor.
Missouri-Texas Tech Quotes
MU Head Coach Larry Smith -
"We are a young football team and right now we are searching for an identity, particularly on offense. We need to come up with a great game all around. We are just going to have to fight through this and go back to fundamentals."
Nose Tackle Jeff Marriott -
"We are out there playing really hard, but overall we did not play very well (at Kansas). We have to regroup and come out strong against Texas Tech."
LAST WEEK'S GAMES
Kansas 21, Missouri 0
LAWRENCE, Kan. - After 108 years, the oldest football rivalry west of the Mississippi couldn't be closer. For Missouri it's rarely been this disappointing.
Moran Norris scored twice and Dylen Smith connected on a long touchdown pass Saturday, leading Kansas past the favored Tigers 21-0.
The win trimmed Missouri's series lead to 50-49-9 and handed the Tigers their first shutout against the Jayhawks since 1993 when KU beat Mizzou 28-0 in Bob Stull's final game as the Tigers' coach. Missouri dropped to 3-4 overall and 0-4 in the Big 12. It was the Tigers' third consecutive loss and puts their backs against the wall as they strive to post the school's third consecutive winning season.
"We got our butts kicked," Coach Larry Smith said. "They came out and made plays. They played their best game I've seen them play all year." Fans ripped down both goalposts as Kansas (3-5, 1-3) snapped a five-game conference losing streak. Missouri, which lost quarterback Kirk Farmer last week to a broken leg, missed three field goals in the game. Sophomore Jimmie Dougherty, who had been alternating with Farmer, was 13-of-30 for 173 yards, but was sacked four times. Smith hit Harrison Hill with a 62-yard scoring pass in the first quarter for a 6-0 lead. The extra point was blocked by the Tigers' Carlos Posey.
Midway through the second quarter, the 245-pound Norris had a 31-yard run that set up his own 23-yard touchdown run. Smith hit Henri Childs for a 2-point conversion for a 14-0 lead. At halftime, Kansas had accounted for 116 of its 140 total yards on just three plays.
"The first half came down to two plays," Smith said, "the bom and the run. We lost our momentum in the second quarter. We couldn't execute on offense and could not get the ball across the goal line."
Norris finished with 106 yards on 18 carries. The Jayhawks scored their final touchdown on Norris' 6-yard run with 12:55 left in the game. The Tigers had a chance to get on the board in the third quarter when they took over on their 20 and drove to the Kansas 27, but kicker Brad Hammerich missed a 47-yard field goal, his third miss of the day. In the first half, the Missouri sophomore was short on a 49-yard attempt into a stiff wind, and hit the crossbar while trying a 55-yarder with the wind at his back. Smith was 7-of-14 for 135 yards.
Missouri had averaged 494 yards of total offense in its previous two games, but managed just 217 against KU. "We are a young football team and right now we are searching for an identity, particularly on offense," Smith said. "We need to come up with a great game all around. The kids are trying. "We are just going to have to right through this and go back to fundamentals."
Texas Tech 35, Baylor 7
WACO, Texas - After a month of losing to underdogs and slaying giants, Texas Tech finally won a game according to form.
John Norman's tide-turning 80-yard punt return in the third quarter highlighted a stellar performance by the Tech's defense and special teams, and the Red Raiders went on to beat Baylor 35-7 on Saturday.
"We've been up and down all year, so to finish a team off like we did is huge," Tech quarterback Rob Peters said. "We've learned that you can't take any game for granted." The Raiders (4-3, 3-1 Big 12), who in the previous four games had lost to North Texas and Oklahoma State and beaten Texas A&M and Colorado, quelled every Baylor threat with a big play from an unlikely source.
In addition to Norman's return, Kevin Curtis ran back an interception 47 yards to set up a second-quarter touchdown, Kris Kocurek made a huge stop on a fourth down play in the third quarter and Dorian Pitts blocked a punt to set up another score and ice the victory.
"Our defense was sterling and our special teams were great," Tech coach Spike Dykes said. "It's fun to coach when that happens." Sammy Morris rushed for 98 yards to lead a sporadic Raiders offense that sputtered enough to give Baylor (1-6, 0-4) a glimmer of hope.
The Bears briefly stole the momentum when they returned the second-half kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown. Andra Fuller caught the kick and handed the ball to Randy Davis, who streaked down the right sideline the final 87 yards to cut the Tech lead to 14-7. But Baylor failed to capitalize on a long drive into Tech territory, as freshman Chandrick Ricks was stopped on fourth-and-2 at the Raiders 24 with 7:48 left in the third quarter. Five minutes later, Norman scored on the punt return and the rout was on.
"It was a great momentum shift," Norman said. "The offense wasn't moving the ball, and we needed a spark." Pitts blocked Kyle Atteberry's punt on the first play of the fourth quarter to set up the Raiders' fourth touchdown, which came on a 1-yard run by Morris. Tech iced the victory with a 13-play drive that took 6:04, the score coming on an 11-yard pass from Rob Peters to Darrell Jones.
Shaud Williams rushed for 40 yards and Peters passed for 117 for Tech. Darrell Bush had 91 rushing yards to lead Baylor. "We didn't seize the opportunities," Baylor coach Kevin Steele said. "You play for breaks and you have to make them pay for it." The Raiders led 6-0 on two field goals by Chris Birkholz and increased the advantage after Curtis intercepted an ill-advised pass by Baylor's Jermaine Alfred and returned it to the Baylor 1 early in the second quarter.
Peters scored on a sneak one play later and Tech converted the 2-point try to lead by 14. Baylor, last in the Big 12 in scoring and offense, showed even more offensive ineptitude in the first half. The Bears failed to get a first down until Jermaine Alfred completed an 11-yard pass to Mark Cogdill with just over 13 minutes left in the second quarter.
"THIS WEEK IN MU FOOTBALL"
Hosted by KOMU-TV Sports Director Brian Neuner, "This Week in Mizzou Football" airs on TV stations across the state each week. The show, with Coach Larry Smith, previews the upcoming game, takes a look back at the previous game, includes special features, Big 12 highlights and more. The show begins Sun., Sept. 5, and runs for 12 consecutive weeks.
"TIGER TALK"
Coach Larry Smith takes calls from fans around the country each Monday night, along with host Mike Kelly. The show is broadcast "live" from Harpo's (10th & Cherry in Columbia), beginning at 7:08 p.m. "Tiger Talk" may be heard on many of the Tiger Network stations, and on the Internet at www.gamecruiser.com. "Tiger Talk" is preceded by "The Mike Alden Show" at 6 p.m. on KFRU Radio in Columbia.
MU Head Coach Larry Smith
Larry Smith is in his sixth season at Missouri (23rd overall) with a record of 29-35-1. He became Mizzou's 30th head football coach on Dec. 15, 1993. With 17 years as a head coach in NCAA Division I before coming to MU, Smith was the most experienced coach ever hired by a Big Eight Conference school.
He has a 23-year career record of 139-115-7, 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.
Smith is one of only two active coaches who have taken four schools to bowl games, along with Lou Holtz (S. Carolina), and one of only four who've ever done it (Earle Bruce and Bill Mallory). Smith ranks 11th among active coaches in career victories. A native of Van Wert, Ohio, Smith is a 1962 graduate of Bowling Green State University. He served as a collegiate assistant coach at Miami (Ohio), Michigan and Arizona before beginning his head coaching career.
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 Onofri- 1975 6-5 7 Warren Powers 1982 5-4-2 7 Bob Stull 1993 3-7-1 5 LARRY SMITH 1998 8-4 6
MISSOURI COACHES IN THEIR 6th SEASON
COACH 6th SEASON W-L TOT. SEASONS Gwinn Henry 1928 4-4 9 Don Faurot 1940 6-3 19 Dan Devine 1965 8-2-1 13 Al Onofri- 1976 6-5 7 Warren Powers 1983 7-5 7 LARRY SMITH 1999 3-4 6
WINNINEST ACTIVE COACHES
[by victories entering 1999]
COACH, SCHOOL WON
1. Joe Paterno, Penn State 307
2. Bobby Bowden, Florida State 292
3. LaVell Edwards, BYU 243
4. Lou Holtz, South Carolina 216
5. Don Nehlen, West Virginia 191
6. John Cooper, Ohio State 178
7. George Welsh, Virginia 176
8. Jackie Sherrill, Mississippi State 154
9. Dick Tomey, Arizona 147
10. Ken Hatfield, Rice 139
11. LARRY SMITH, MISSOURI 136
Last Year: MU 28, Texas Tech 26
LUBBOCK, Texas - Devin West ran for three touchdowns, defensive tackle Terrell Jurineack returned a fumble for a score and 21st-ranked Missouri denied a two-point conversion attempt in the final moments to preserve a 28-26 victory over Big 12 Conference foe Texas Tech.
Backup quarterback Matt Tittle brought the Red Raiders within two points when he tossed an eight-yard scoring strike to Kyle Allamon with 1:05 left. But on the two-point conversion attempt, Tittle's pass into the right corner of the end zone fell incomplete.
"It was a sprint-out pass to the right," Tittle said of the two-point attempt. "And, I knew (the defender) was coming at me. I saw the receiver but threw it too low." "When Texas Tech moved the ball and got a touchdown, the defense came right back and made a play," Missouri coach Larry Smith said. "The big stop made the game. We won the stinking football game because of that play."
The Red Raiders attempted an onside kick, but the Tigers' Kent Layman recovered to seal their third victory in four games. West's third score, a four-yard run with 4:53 to play in the third quarter, gave the Tigers a 28-12 lead. West, who entered the game ranked third in the nation with 160 yards per game, carried 23 times for 133 yards.
"Our offense is back," said West, who was held in check last weekend against Nebraska. "(But) we have a lot of things to work on still." Corby Jones completed 5-of-12 passes for 54 yards for the Tigers, who were held to just 244 total yards. He carried 17 times for 38 yards.
"I was feeling better in the first half. In the second half it was getting pretty hard," Jones said. "The hardest part (due to weather and his sprained toe) was getting to the outside and trying to make cutbacks." Rob Peters, who was knocked out of the game after taking a shot to his chest later in the period, connected with Allamon on a 12-yard score early in the fourth and Rickey Hunter's two-point conversion run cut the deficit to 28-20. Peters completed 17-of-26 for 153 yards and two scores without being intercepted while Tittle was 4-of-9 for 40 yards in his short stint.
Ricky Williams, the nation's fourth-leading rusher, sprained his right ankle in the second quarter and was held to just 55 yards on 14 carries. Hunter, who had just 110 yards this season, picked up the slack with 121 yards on 25 attempts. Texas Tech grabbed a lead late in the first quarter when Chris Birkholtz connected on a 19-yard field goal. But the Tigers exploded for three touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 21-6 advantage into halftime.
West got Missouri on the scoreboard with a two-yard run 2:34 into the period and, after Birkholtz connected from 30 yards, Jurineack picked up Peters' fumble and was in the end zone 17 yards later. "We pick up momentum a lot when (the defense) scores," Jurineack said. "Everybody steps up and is ready to go. The ball bounced right on the turf and it was right there." Another two-yard TD run by West with 53 seconds to play in the half completed the outburst.
Peters opened the second half by throwing a five-yard scoring pass to Tim Baker, but the Tigers answered with West's four-yard run. "It was a tough day at the office," Texas Tech coach Spike Dykes said. "Missouri has a good team. There were too many short drives that ended up scoring that they made off of turnovers. Rickey Hunter played hard. The turnovers hurt both teams. When you have that happen, it takes all the wind out of your sails." Donnie Hart caught seven passes for 87 yards for Texas Tech, which racked up 429 yards of total offense.
MISSOURI 0 21 7 0 - 28 TEXAS TECH 3 3 6 14 - 26
TEAM STATISTICS
MU TT First downs 14 31 Rushed-yards 45-190 57-236 Passing yards 54 193 Sacked-yards lost 0-0 2-10 Return yards 36 19 Passes 12-5-0 35-21-0 Punts-average 7-44.0 5-32.6 Fumbles-lost 1-1 4-3 Penalties-yards 8-53 8-55 Time of possession 24:19 35:41
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING - MU: D. West 23-133, C. Jones 17-38, Dausman 1-8, R. West 3-8, Black 1-3. TT: Hunter 25-121, Williams 14-53, Peters 11-22, Wilborn 2-20, Cockrum 1-17, Hawkins 1-5, Easterling 1-0, Tittle 2-(-2).
PASSING - MU: C. Jones 12-5-0-54. TT: Peters 26-17-0-153, Tittle 9-4-0-40.
RECEIVING - MU: Layman 3-43, Dausman 1-11, D. West 1-0. TT: Hart 7-87, Allamon 3-33, Dorris 3-30, Baker 3-21, Hawkins 3-20, Hunter 1-7, Williams 1 - (-5).
Recent Tiger Trends Are Encouraging And Alarming In the last four games (three of which were on the road), Missouri's defense has limited its opponents to an average of 313 total yards per game. Kansas had 304 yards against MU, and 191 of those came on five plays. On KU's other 59 plays, the Jayhawks gained just 103 yards.
But that's part of the Tigers' problem. For the season, they have allowed 30 scrimmage plays of 20-or-more yards. Last year, the opposition managed only 24 long plays all season, including just 10 in the final seven games.
At Kansas, Missouri failed to force a turnover for only the seventh time since Larry Smith became the Tigers' head coach in 1994. Last season, Missouri turned six turnovers into defensive touchdowns. The Tigers are still looking for their first defensive score of 1999.
Odom Is 9th To Reach 300 Tackles
Senior linebacker Barry Odom, who is averaging nearly 12 tackles per game in 1999, moved up two more places on the Missouri career tackling list on Saturday with his 11 tackles against Kansas.
He now ranks fifth in school history with 332 tackles. A week earlier, he made 14 tackles against Iowa State - two of them for losses. At Colorado, he was the Tigers' defensive player-of-the-week for the second time this season when he tallied 17 tackles - one off his career high. To go with that total, (12 of which were unassisted), one was for a three-yard loss, two came on third downs and forced CU punts, and he broke up a pass. Odom also caught a blocked punt against the Buffs (by Julian Jones) and returned it five yards to set up a Missouri touchdown.
And he was playing with a cast on his left hand to protect the ligaments he tore in his thumb a week earlier at Memphis. Fox Sports' Drew Goodman likes to call Odom "a throw-back." Some have said he's Missouri's defensive version of former Tiger tailback Brock Olivo.
Coach Larry Smith concurs. "He's just a football player. The kind of guy who every coach would want on his team. He won't be an All-American, but for him the team always comes first. He's been a tremendous leader for us."
MU CAREER TACKLE LEADERS
name UT-AT-TT YEARS 3. Darren MacDonald, lb 153-222-375 1986-89 4. Darryl Major, lb 226-120-346 1991-94 5. BARRY ODOM, lb 187-145-332 96-99 6. Erik McMillan, db 203-120-323 1980-83 Jay Wilson, lb 112-211-323 1980-83
OUTLAND TROPHY CANDIDATE
Rob Riti .. center .. 6-3 .. 289 .. senior
- One of 15 players on the pre-season Outland Trophy "watch"
list by the Football Writers Association of America.
- Pre-season All-American by many publications, including
Playboy, the Sporting News, Student Advantage, Football
News, Athlon, and others.
- Holder of the Missouri squat lift record - 1,000 pounds.
- Has started 40 consecutive games at Missouri, during three
seasons in which the Tigers have ranked among the
nation's top nine teams in rushing yards per game.
- In 1998, graded out at 86 percent for the season with 59
knockdown blocks, and was a first-team all-Big 12
selection.
Says Rob of his goals for 1999:
"If you accomplish your team goals, the individual things will take care of themselves I'd like to be the best center in college football."
Colorado Coach Gary Barnett on Rob Riti:
"(He) is a great player and he helps two guys every snap, the two guards. It's almost like having another coach out there."
Colorado DL Justin Bannan on Riti:
"He's a workhorse, a guy who comes off the ball very hard and very fast. He stays really low and is a very good technician. He comes at you on every play"
Riti's 1999 Blocking Grades
UAB - 88 plays, graded at 86 percent, 6 knockdowns
W. Michigan - 86 plays, graded at 95 percent, 7 knockdowns, 5 great finishes HIGHEST GRADE FOR ANY LINEMAN WHO HAS EVER PLAYED FOR COACH LARRY SMITH.
Nebraska - no players graded.
Memphis - 77 plays, graded at 83 percent, 7 knockdowns, 2 great finishes, allowed no sacks or pressures.
Colorado - 96 plays, graded at 89 percent, 11 knockdowns, 4 great finishes, allowed no sacks or pressures.
Iowa State - 77 plays, graded at 84 percent, 6 knockdowns.
Kansas - grades available on Monday, recovered a fumble.
Riti is spotlighted each weekend on ESPN.com's "The Players" feature. Here is a sampling of some of his views on college football.
"I truly think the best head coaches can balance administrative duties and hands-on control. They can allow their assistants to coach without practicing unnecessary micro-management, while at the same time have enough awareness to know when they must step in. A head coach controls the direction of the team. He can have a tremendous effect on morale and discipline just by the way he carries himself. For after all, the team, the media, and the community are always observing the head coach's actions and behaviors. He must be "on" at all times. He has to always seem strong and confident. The minute the coach starts to show any signs of weakness - the whole team feels weak and downtrodden. When a coach is enthused and excited about the team's outlook - the players are excited and enthused. Certainly an upbeat, impassioned coach cannot win games on his own. But a coach without these qualities has already taken the first step towards a loss."
Garvin Becomes The Go-To Guy
Freshman wide receiver Travis Garvin has caught 13 passes for 239 yards the last two weeks and has taken over the Missouri receiving lead.
He now has caught 22 passes for 407 yards (18.5 yards per catch) and two touchdowns.
Garvin's 166 yards agaisnt Iowa State were the second most by a Tiger receiver under Smith, trailing the 169 yards John Dausman had against Kansas State last season.
Dougherty Has Tough Day Against The Jayhawks
One week after passing for 303 yards - the second highest total by a Missouri quarterback the last six seasons - sophomore Jimmie Dougherty had limited success at Kansas.
Dougherty hit his first five passes, but was just 8-of-25 the rest of the day and he was sacked four times.
He's now the Tigers lone experience signal caller after redshirt freshman Kirk Farmer broke his right leg in the second quarter of the Iowa State game. The two had split time before Farmer's injury.
True freshman Justin "12" Gage is now Missouri's backup, and nearly played at Kansas. Missouri's number-three quarterback is now sophomore J.R. Romine, who is the Tigers' holder on place kicks. A versatile athlete, he has also played at wide receiver and defensive back since arriving at MU last year out of Sapulpa, Okla.
Missouri Has Limited Success When It Throws The Football
Missouri has passed for 787 yards the last three games and in each contest tallied more yards through the air than on the ground.
Having dropped those three games, Missouri is now 4-17-1 the last six years when it passes for more yards than it gains by rushing the football.
When the Tigers run for more yards than they pass for, MU has a record of 16-6 the last three seasons. Two of Missouri's five lowest rushing days under Larry Smith have come this season - 25 yards against Nebraska and 44 at Kansas. MU quarterbacks have thrown 13 touchdown passes in 1999, four more than the Tigers managed all of last season.
MISSOURI IN BIG 12 CONFERENCE/NCAA TEAM STATS
CATEGORY STATISTIC BIG 12 NCAA Rushing Offense 183.1 yards/game 4th 26th Passing Offense 199.1 yards/game 6th 69th Total Offense 382.3 yards/game 8th 51st Scoring Offense 25.1 points/game 8th T-62nd Turnover Margin -0.43/game T-8th T-85th Pass Efficiency Defense 125.3 rating points 9th 70th Rushing Defense 160.6 yards/game 8th 74th Total Defense 349.4 yards/game 8th 44th Scoring Defense 30 points/game 10th T-88th Net Punting 28.7 yards/punt 10th 111th Punt Returns 7.4 yards/return 9th T-81st Kickoff Returns 19.3 yards/return 10th 78th
TIGERS IN BIG 12 CONFERENCE/NCAA INDIVIDUAL STATS
CATEGORY PLAYER STATISTIC BIG 12 NCAA
Rushing DeVaughn Black 94.4 yards/game 2nd 32nd
Zain Gilmore 61.1 yards/game 10th
All-Purpose Running
DeVaughn Black 97.6 yards/game 7th
Passing Efficiency
Kirk Farmer 126.7 rating points 7th
Jim Dougherty 118.3 rating points 10th
Receiving Yards
Travis Garvin 58.1 yards per game 7th
Scoring Brad Hammerich 5.7 points/game 11th
Field Goals
Brad Hammerich 1/game T-7th
Punting Jared Gilpin 38.2 yards per punt 7th
Punt Returns
Arty Johnson 6.7 yards/return 7th
Kickoff Returns
Ricardo Rhodes 22.1 yards/return 6th 47th
Pass Interceptions
Julian Jones 0.71 per game 1st T-5th
Young Tigers Score The Points
With the exception of two touchdown runs by DeVaughn Black against Western Michigan, and a TD reception by Kent Layman against Memphis, 158 of MU's 176 points this season have been scored by freshmen and sophomores.
Sophomore Dwayne Blakley has scored five touchdowns. Sophomore kicker Brad Hammerich has kicked eight field goals and 19 PATs. Mizzou's other TDs have come from sophomores Zain Gilmore and Eric Spencer, and freshmen Kirk Farmer, John McPherson, Joe Chirumbolo, and Travis Garvin.
Freshman fullback "Touchdown Joe" Chirumbolo and Blakley are among the nation's best in scores per times touched the ball. Chirumbolo has either carried or caught the ball 16 times this season and scored four times - three TDs and one two point conversion, while five of Blakley's 16 pass receptions have gone for touchdowns.
Layman's Streak Ends
Senior wide receiver Kent Layman failed to catch a pass at Kansas, ending his school-record streak of 28 consecutive games with at least one pass reception.
Against Colorado two weeks ago, he caught three passes for a career-high 127 yards, which upped his career total against the Buffaloes to 11 receptions for 333 yards and boosted him into MU's career top-ten for receiving yardage.
He's caught 57 career passes for 1,255 yards. He ranks 10th in career receiving yardage and his career average receiving gain of 22 yards is right on the school record held by Mel Gray. Layman has had five 100-yard receiving games in his career - just two shy of the school record held by Victor Bailey.
MU CAREER RECEIVING LEADERS
name yards REC YEARS 3. Kenny Holly 1708 151 1990-93 4. Mel Gray 1491 67 1968-70 5. Joe Stewart 1389 90 1974-77 6. George Shorthose 1329 83 1980-84 7. Brian Sallee 1313 119 1991-94 8. Andy Gibler 1290 101 1979-82 9. Tim Bruton 1286 97 1987-90 10.KENT LAYMAN 1255 57 96-99
If It Goes to Overtime
Missouri has a 3-2 record in overtime but has lost its last two games that required extra innings. The latest was at Colorado, when the Tigers went down, 46-39. In 1997, MU suffered an overtime defeat to Nebraska, 45-38, in the now infamous "Flea-Kicker" game.
Mizzou's overtime victories came in 1996 over Oklahoma State in Columbia, 35-28, and, over Baylor, in Waco, 49-42 (three overtimes), and at Oklahoma State 51-50 (2 OT) in 1997.
Homegrown Tigers
Missouri's depth chart reveals that 28 members of the two-deep roster are from the State of Missouri - 17 on offense and 11 on defense.
Justin Smith Nears Missouri Season Record for Sacks
Sophomore defensive end Justin Smith had three quarterback sacks against Kansas - one off the school record of four by Bobby Bell in the 1983 Holiday Bowl against BYU (and Steve Young).
Smith has six sacks this season which is just two shy of the school record of eight - co-held by five players.
In just 19 games as a Tiger, Smith has 9-and-a-half sacks. One more will move him into 10th place on Missouri's career stat list. The career record is 18 by Rick Lyle, now a starting defensive end for the New York Jets.
As a team, the Tigers had a season-high five sacks against Kansas, and now have 14 this season.
BRONCO NAGURSKI AWARD CANDIDATE
Justin Smith . DE . 6-5 . 256 . sophomore
- One of 19 players on the Bronco Nagurski Award "watch" list, and one of only two sophomores. The award is presented t- the nation's most outstanding defensive player.
- The 1998 Big 12 Defensive "Freshman of the Year."
- Holder of the Missouri power clean record - 460 pounds.
- Has started 19 consecutive games at Missouri, and last year was the first true freshman to start every game for MU since 1986.
Missouri Defensive Coordinator Moe Ankney:
"He was the first player, in all my years of coaching, who on the day we signed him we were able to pencil him in and say, He's our starter.'"
Colorado Coach Gary Barnett:
"I threw him up (on film) for our whole team to watch him. He just plays the game the way you like to see somebody play it. He's just a great player with a great motor. You watch him and you go, Wow, that's the way you're supposed to play the game.'"
Memphis Coach Rip Scherer on QB sack and fumble forced by Smith that produced a 4th-quarter TD: "We knew all week long that Justin Smith was a great player. On that play, he made his presence felt."
Smith's 1999 Defensive Statistics
UAB - 9 tackles (6 unassisted), 1 for 1-yard lost, 1 blocked punt (returned for touchdown)
W. Michigan - 7 tackles (4 unassisted), 2 for 3 yards lost.
Nebraska - Career-high 12 tackles (9 unassisted), 1 QB sack for 8 yards lost, 2 other tackles for 4 yards lost, 1 fumble recovery.
Memphis - 7 tackles (5 unassisted), 2 QB sacks for 14 yards lost, 1 forced fumble (set up a touchdown), 1 pass broken up.
Colorado - 6 tackles (2 unassisted).
Iowa State - 14 tackles (9 unassisted), 1 for 3 yards lost.
Kansas - 10 tackles (8 unassisted), 3 QB sacks for 23 yards lost, 1 forced fumble.
BRONCO NAGURSKI AWARD "WATCH" LIST
- DT Chris Combs, Duke, sr.
- LB Rob Morris, BYU, sr.
- LB Lavar Arrington, Penn State, jr.
- NG Chris Hovan, Boston College, sr.
- DT Darwin Walker, Tennessee, sr.
- DE Corey Moore, Virginia Tech, sr.
- LB Mark Simoneau, Kansas State, sr.
- DT Corey Simon, Florida State, sr.
- SS Tyrone Carter, Minnesota, sr.
- DT Adalius Thomas, So. Miss, sr.
- DT Ennis Davis, USC, sr.
- DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, San Diego St., sr.
- DE Alex Brown, Florida, soph.
- DE Courtney Brown, Penn State, jr.
- LB Julius Jackson, Nebraska, sr.
- LB Dan Morgan, Miami (Fla.), jr.
- DE JUSTIN SMITH, MISSOURI, soph.
- DE Brian Urlacher, New Mexico, sr.
- LB Nate Webster, Miami (Fla.), sr.
Julian Jones Leads Big 12 Lead In Pass Interceptions
Junior free safety Julian Jones, in his first year as a starter for the Tigers, leads the Big 12 Conference with five pass interceptions this year. He's tied for fifth in the nation.
At Colorado, he blocked the third punt of his career, to set up a touchdown. He also forced a fumble against the Buffs and made eight tackles.
Tigers Get Their Kicks
Missouri's Carlos Posey blocked an extra point against Kansas, giving the Tigers four blocked kicks this season and 27 since Larry Smith became the MU head coach in 1994. That breaks down to 13 PATs, nine punts and five field goals.
Black Has Had 3 100-Yd. Games
Senior tailback DeVaughn Black had his third 100-yard day of the season against Memphis, a team that ranked 21st nationally in total defense. Under Larry Smith, the Tigers are 21-8 when they have a 100-yard rusher, including a 14-2 mark the last three seasons.
But on Saturday he had the worst outing of his career - nine carries for just four yards. He still ranks second in the Big 12 in rushing, though, averaging 94.4 yards per game.
Black rushed for a career-high 205 yards and two touchdowns against Western Michigan. It was the sixth-best rushing day in Missouri history.
Five of the seven 200-yard rushing efforts by Missouri Tigers have come since Larry Smith became MU's head coach in 1994 (two by Devin West, two by Brock Olivo, one by Black).
Sophomore Zain Gilmore, 10th in the league in rushing, gained 139 yards against Western Michigan, the sixth time under Smith that Mizzou has had two backs gain 100-or-more yards in the same game. The Tigers are 5-1 in those contests. Gilmore is Mizzou's rushing touchdown leader with three.
Tigers Turn Turnovers into Points
Missouri turned Andre Roberson's first pass interception of his career into a touchdown against Iowa State, giving the Tigers 40 points following opponent turnovers this season.
But Iowa State also notched a touchdown following a Mizzou fumble, meaning that Tiger opponents this season have scored 35 points after MU mistakes.
Last year, MU scored 108 points off of 25 turnovers, while MU opponents tallied just 23 following Tiger miscues.
All of this opportunistic play continues the trend that Mizzou began in 1997 when the Tigers scored 93 points as a result of 21 turnovers by the opposition, while MU foes managed just 20 points off of Tiger mistakes. In 1996, MU gave up 136 points following its own turnovers.
Since Larry Smith came to Missouri, the Tigers have forced 121 turnovers and committed 109. They've forced at least one turnover in 57 of 64 games since Smith became the head coach. And the Tigers have scored 13 defensive touchdowns during the Smith era, including six last season.
No Happy Returns
When Colorado's Ben Kelly raced 100 yards with the opening kickoff against the Tigers, it was the first kickoff return for a touchdown against Missouri since 1983 (Oklahoma State's Harry Roberts, 90 yards, also on the game's opening play).
It was also the longest return ever against Missouri. The previous long was 95 yards by Nebraska's Herman Rohrig in 1938.
Mizzou Hits High-Water Marks In Win Over Western Michigan
Missouri rolled up 560 yards of total offense against Western Michigan - its best figure of the Larry Smith era. That equated to 48 points - the most Mizzou has scored under Smith in regulation.
Quarterbacks Kirk Farmer (3) and Jim Dougherty (1) combined to throw four touchdown passes, tying the school record of four accomplished four other times, most recently vs. Oklahoma State in 1991.
Sophomore Dwayne Blakley caught three TD passes, tying the school record for touchdown receptions previously set by Victor Bailey against Kansas in 1991.
Blakley has now caught 21 passes in his career at Mizzou and six have gone for touchdowns. Tiger All-American Kellen Winslow (1976-78) had 10 TD receptions during his collegiate career.
MU Athletics Hall Of Fame Dinner Moved To January 28, 2000
To avoid conflicts with other University of Missouri activities the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has moved its annual Hall of Fame induction banquet to Fri., Jan. 28, 2000.
The dinner will be held at the Holiday Inn Select Executive Center in Columbia. A reception will begin at 6:00 p.m., followed by dinner and induction ceremonies at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $35.00 per person and may be purchased by contacting Brenda Baker in the Tiger Development Office, at 573/884-0742. The class will be further honored during halftime ceremonies at the next day's basketball game, Jan. 29, against Texas A&M. Tipoff is scheduled for 12:45 p.m.
The Hall of Fame began in 1990, and this year's 10-person group represents its 10th class of inductees.
Those being inducted are:
PIONEER ERA
Woody Hatfield, football, basketball, track & field, 1931-33
Conrad Hitchler, football, 1960-62
Clair "Butch" Houston, football, baseball, track & field, 1931-35
MODERN ERA
Kim Anderson, basketball, 1974-77
Melvin Booker, basketball, 1991-94 Rosalyn Dunlap, track and field, 1980-84
Ricky Frazier, basketball, 1980-82
Shaon Fry, wrestling, 1991-94
Gene McArtor, baseball, 1961-63, asst. baseball coach, 1969-73, head baseball coach, 1974-94
Kris Schmidt, softball, 1985-88
Another Big Crowd At Faurot
With season ticket sales having reached 35,000, Missouri is well on its way to reaching its goal of a 1999 attendance average of 60,000 fans per game.
The Nebraska game was MU's second sellout in a span of four home games. The crowd of 61,052 that attended Saturday's Homecoming game vs. Iowa State boosted Missouri's season attendance average to 59,947. The Tigers have home games remaining against Texas Tech and Texas A&M (11/13).
The crowd of 60,206 that witnessed the Western Michigan game was the biggest for a non-league game in Smith's tenure.
Thirteen of the top 19 home crowds Mizzou has had since 1984 have come with Smith at the helm.
Tiger Tales
? Missouri has been stopped without scoring points in the "red zone" five times in the last three weeks, a big reason why the Tigers fell at Colorado and Kansas, and against Iowa State.
The one miss at CU was on the Tigers' overtime possession when Kirk Farmer was intercepted by Ben Kelly.
Against Iowa State, DeVaughn Black fumbled once inside the five yard line, and Rob West dropped a touchdown pass on a fourth-down play. The Tigers were also at the ISU five-yard line when the game ended.
MU only penetrated the the KU 20 once, and missed a field goal.
? CNNSI picked a mid-season All-America team. One of the three defensive linemen selected to the 11-man squad was Missouri sophomore DE Justin Smith.
? Missouri's 3-0 record against non-conference opponents this season was its best since MU went 4-0 in 1981.
Since Larry Smith came to MU as its head coach in 1994, the Tigers are 12-8-1 outside the conference, including a 9-3 mark since the Big 12 began operations in 1996.
Next year's non-league slate finds the Tigers hosting Western Illinois and Michigan State and playing at Clemson.
? Sophomore Brad Hammerich missed three tough field goal chances at Kansas, leaving his field goal accuracy mark for the season at 7-of-11. He's a perfect 19-for-19 on PATs. In fact, he's never missed an extra point. Going back through his high school days, he's a lifetime 82-of-82.
He was 4-of-5 from 40-49 yards until he missed twice within that range at KU. His other miss was from 55 yards.
The 48-yard FG he kicked against Western Michigan was the longest by a Tiger since Kyle Pooler hit from 49 yards against Kansas State in 1994.
? Redshirt freshman Cedric Harden got his first career starts at defensive guard against Iowa State and at Kansas in place of the injured Pat Mingucci, who could return this week against Texas Tech. He sprained a knee two weeks ago in practice. He was available for duty at Kansas but did not play.
? Sophomore tight end Brandon Ford missed several days of practice prior to the Memphis game while attending his mother's funeral in Texas, but played in that week's game. Debra Ford passed away Sept. 22 after a long battle with cancer.
? In the first two games, Missouri started a freshman at fullback, and both debuted in similar fashion. Redshirt freshman T.J. Leon started against UAB and true freshman Joe Chirumbolo got the nod against Western Michigan. The first carry for each of them was a seven-yard gain.
Returning starter, senior Rob West, returned the last five games. He missed the opener with a broken foot suffered during two-a-days. He got his first carry of the season on Saturday, at Colorado, and doubled up his young mates, gaining 14 yards right up the gut.
? At the conclusion of two-a-day workouts, Coach Larry Smith rewarded four players who came to Mizzou as walkons. Now on full scholarship are seniors Brad Smith (OT), DeVaughn Black (TB) and Arty Johnson (WR), and sophomore Ben Davidson (deep snapper).
? The St. Petersburg Times this summer picked an alltime list of the top-100 high school football players in Hillsborough County. Checking in at No. 6 was Missouri sophomore tailback Zain Gilmore.
? Senior Kareem Wise had career highs against Colorado with six receptions and 55 receiving yards and was Mizzou's offensive player-of-the-game.
? Five true freshmen have played in MU's first seven games - LB Sean Doyle, FS Gary Anthony, CB Terrence Curry (who has started twice), WR Travis Garvin, and FB Joe Chirumbolo.
Curry is the first true freshman to start in the defensive backfield in a season-opening game for Missouri since Adrian Jones did so in 1986. The only other Missouri freshman to start an opener since 1986 was DE Justin Smith last season.
? The Iowa State game marked the first time that the Tigers' Homecoming game had been played at night, and the first time that MU has had three night games at home in the same season. Mizzou also played under the lights against Western Michigan and Nebraska last month.
? On October 15, Missouri unveiled and dedicated a statue to honor legendary football coach and athletic director Don Faurot.
The 9-foot statue stands atop a pedestal outside Gate #1 at Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field's north end.
The statue was crafted by noted sculptor Harry Weber. Among his other works are the bronze statues that honor a number of St. Louis Cardinals' legends outside Busch Stadium.
? In the 1999 NCAA Football Records Book, former MU quarterback Corby Jones was mistakenly omitted on page 28 from the list of alltime quarterbacks with the most career yards gained rushing. Jones' total of 2,533 yards ranks 11th in NCAA history.
MISSOURI NON-LEAGUE RECORDS
1970-83 1984-99
1970 2-2 1984 1-3
1971 1-3 1985 0-4
1972 3-1 1986 1-3
1973 4-0 1987 2-2
1974 2-2 1988 1-2-1
1975 3-1 1989 1-3
1976 3-1 1990 2-2
1977 1-3 1991 2-1-1
1978 3-1 1992 1-3
1979 3-1 1993 1-2-1
1980 3-1 1994 1-3-1
1981 4-0 1995 2-2
1982 3-1 1996 2-1
1983 2-2 1997 2-1
TOTAL 37-19 1998 2-1
1999 3-0
TOTAL 24-33-4
IT'S A GREAT TIME TO BE A TIGER BECAUSE
? The University of Missouri has the highest student-athlete graduation rates in the Big 12 Conference - 66 percent.
? The University of Missouri was rated as the nation's best education value in August by U.S. News & World Report.
? Recently, Columbia, Missouri, was touted by Money magazine as the nation's second-best place to live among small cities (behind Rochester, Minn.).
Tigers Score Against Hunger
Again this year, MU Head Coach Larry Smith and the Tigers have teamed up with the Central Missouri Food Bank to stop hunger in its tracks. Interested persons can pledge money for every point the Tigers score in 1999. The proceeds help the 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.
Since the program began five years ago, more than $750,000 has been raised and more than 11 million meals have been provided to Missourians in need.
Big Crowds Necessitate
New Traffic Patterns
As soon as the 1998 season was completed, Missouri officials began revising the parking and traffic patterns at Memorial Stadium to accommodate the big crowds that have become commonplace the last two seasons.
Patrons are reminded that most parking lots in the immediate vicinity of the stadium are reserved for donors to the Tiger Scholarship Fund. General public parking may be found on the east side of Hearnes Center and at the Maryland Ave. Parking Garage.
In 1999, Mick Deaver Drive (which runs between Hearnes Center and Memorial Stadium) and South Hearnes Drive (south of the stadium) will be accessible pre-game only to those persons who have permits to park in Tiger Scholarship Fund lots.
Post-game, traffic exiting most lots will be required to turn right for the first 30-45 minutes to clear the stadium area as quickly as possible.
New Media Parking Lot
A new parking lot has been constructed for the media and game officials. It is located at the southwest corner of Providence Road and Carrie Francke Drive, just south and west of its previous location in Lot C.
Two media shuttle vans will run continuously from the new lot to the Memorial Stadium press box. Shuttle service will begin three hours prior to kickoff, and will run until four hours after the game's conclusion.
MU PLAYERS-OF-THE-WEEK
The Missouri coaching staff presents player-of-the week awards after each game. Here are the Kansas winners:
OFFENSE none DEFENSE NT Jeff Marriott SPECIAL TEAMS none SCOUT TEAM WR Brandon Barnes SCOUT TEAM DB Harold Hendricks
MISSOURI CHAMPIONS CLUB
MU's coaches select a "Champions Club" for players who played winning football in the previous game. The Kansas honorees:
OFFENSE - none.
DEFENSE - Pat Duffy, Steve Erickson, Jeff Marriott, Danny McCamy, Barry Odom, Jamonte Robinson, Justin Smith.
