IN HOSTILE TERRITORY
Saturday will represent MU's first true road game of the 2002 season. The Tigers have already played away from home once thus far, when they defeated Illinois at neutral-site St. Louis to open the season.

Head Coach Gary Pinkel's Tigers went a respectable 2-3 on the road in 2001, notching wins at Oklahoma State and Kansas. With the season-opening win in St. Louis vs. Illinois, Pinkel now stands 3-3 at MU in games played away from Columbia.

The two road wins last season came in MU's first two road games, and made Pinkel the first MU coach to win his first two road games since Frank Broyles in 1957.

The list of Tiger coaches since Broyles who couldn't accomplish that feat include: Dan Devine (1958), Al Onofrio (1971), Warren Powers (1978), Woody Widenhofer (1985), Bob Stull (1989) and Larry Smith (1994).

WILD, WACKY STUFF
Missouri has totaled EXACTLY 437 yards of total offense in each of its first two games this year (285 rush, 152 pass vs. Illinois; 221 rush, 216 pass vs. Ball State).

MU's opponents have been nearly identical in their offensive yardage, too, as Illinois gained 313 yards in total offense while Ball State came in just one yard over, at 314!

MU-BALL STATE POST-GAME NOTABLES

QUICK STRIKE OFFENSE
Missouri was opportunistic on both sides of the ball Saturday vs. Ball State, as the Tiger defense created numerous scoring chances of which the Tiger offense took advantage.

MU's first four scoring drives Saturday averaged ONLY 2.5 plays, 27.0 yards and took an average of just 36 seconds per drive.

a perfect quarter?
There might not be such a thing as a perfect quarter of football, especially if you ask any coach. But on Saturday, the Tigers came as close to perfect in the 3rd quarter vs. Ball State as one could hope for.

Leading just 7-6 at halftime, Missouri exploded for 27 points in the 3rd period, and when the dust settled, the Tigers held a commanding 34-6 lead heading into the final 15 minutes.

The MU defense was brilliant in the 3rd quarter, as the Tigers forced 2 BSU fumbles, held once on 4th down, and forced 1 punt.

On the flip side, the Tiger offense was opportunistic, as it scored touchdowns on all 4 of its 3rd-quarter possessions.

The 27 points scored in the 3rd quarter Saturday were more than Missouri scored in 7 of its 11 games during the 2001 season.

BIG PLAYS
Missouri's offense has shown a propensity for coming up with big plays thus far in the early going.

The Tiger offense has totaled 11 plays of 20 yards or more from scrimmage, compared to just 3 for opponents. The Tiger defenders held Ball State without a play of 20 or more yards from scrimmage.

Freshman QB Brad Smith has had a hand in 9 of the 11 plays, as he's rushed for 5 plays of 20 or more yards, and thrown for 4.

Smith had runs of 39 (TD) and 34 yards vs. Ball State, and scampered to runs of 39 (TD), 24 and 20 vs. Illinois in the season opener. His big pass plays have been 33 and 28 yard strikes to Thomson Omboga, 25 yards to Justin Gage and 20 yards to Darius Outlaw.

PLAYING TAKEAWAY
After ranking just 62nd in the NCAA last season in turnover margin (-0.9 p/g), the Tigers focused in the offseason on creating making plays on defense.

The efforts have paid off greatly in the early going for MU, as the Tigers are +6 in turnover margin through two games, and the +3.0 per game average ranks them 8th in the NCAA, heading into the Bowling Green game.

MU forced 5 turnovers (4 fumbles, 1 INT) vs. Ball State Saturday while committing none themselves. The Tigers forced 3 turnovers in game #1 vs. Illinois, giving them 8 forced turnovers in 2 games thus far.

That number is already more than half of the total of 15 turnovers (9 fumbles, 6 INTs) that Missouri forced last season!

In all, Illinois fumbled 4 times on the day, with Tauras Ferguson and James Kinney recovering one apiece. Kinney returned his 46 yards for a TD. That matched the number of defensive scores the Tigers turned in last season (Kevin Johnson returned an INT 59 yards last season at Colorado for the only defensive TD of the 2001 year by MU).

Additionally, Mizzou rarely beat itself with turnovers, as the Tigers committed only 16 miscues last season. Only two Big 12 schools - Iowa State (14) and Texas A&M (15) - had fewer turnovers than Mizzou, and the 16 TOs were the 3rd-fewest in single-season school history.

TIGERS ROCK THE VOTE
Missouri was unranked in the pre-season polls, but based on the strength of its season-opening 33-20 win over defending Big Ten Conference champion Illinois, Missouri got some voter recognition, and received 8 votes in last week's Associated Press poll, and 4 votes in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' poll.

Following Saturday's 41-6 win over Ball State, Missouri jumped to 22 votes in the coaches' poll, but dropped by 2 votes in the AP poll. Missouri has not been ranked since the end of the 1998 season.

COMMON NAME, UNCOMMON QB
Redshirt freshman QB Brad Smith might have a common name. But his play through two games this season has been anything but common.

Despite being the first freshman to start the season opener in school history, Smith has simply been amazing thus far.

The Youngstown, Ohio native has belied his youthfulness and led the Tiger offense like a crusty old veteran. The 18-year old has committed ZERO turnovers, has not taken a sack, and hasn't committed a penalty in two games.

And it's not like he's just getting by on conservative play. Smith has the Tiger offense rolling in high gear, as MU ranks 15th nationally in rushing offense (253.0 ypg), 26th in total offense (437.0 ypg) and 28th in scoring offense (37.0 ppg).

Smith is coming off an impressive outing vs. Ball State, in which he tallied 281 yards of total offense. He completed 14-of-27 passes on the night (and was victimized by several drops by Tiger wideouts) for 176 yards and threw his first collegiate TD pass (2 yds. to Justin Gage). Smith also rushed for a team-high 105 yards vs. BSU on just 9 attempts, including a highlight-reel 39-yard TD run that came on a scramble after the pocket collapsed on a pass attempt.

After amassing 290 yards of total offense in his collegiate debut on Aug. 31 vs. Illinois, Smith was named the national player of the week by CNNSI.com, the co-Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, as well as the national offensive newcomer of the week by ESPN.com.

Smith led the Tiger offense to 437 yards of total offense and 33 points against the defending Big Ten Conference champions.

Smith completed 15-of-26 passes on the day for 152 yards against an Illinois secondary that includes a pair of All-American candidates. He also scampered for 138 yards rushing, which was the 2nd-highest single-game rushing total by a freshman in MU history. Brock Olivo holds the freshman rushing record, with 151 yards vs. Kansas State in 1994.

Smith produced a horde of big plays on the day. He ran for 6 first downs and threw for 8, and had 5 plays of 20 yards or more, including runs of 20, 39 and 24 yards. Against Ball State, he produced 4 more plays of 20 yards or more (rushes of 39 and 34 yards and passes of 20 and 33 yards).

Despite his youth, Smith showed great decision making skills in his debut, as he went turnover and penalty-free, and avoided being sacked by a defensive unit that tallied 40 QB sacks a year ago. On 3rd and 4th down passing situations, Smith was 7-of-9 for 72 yards, converting 6 of those opportunities for 1st downs.

FRESHMAN COMPARISONS
Okay, we certainly don't want to get carried away with hyperbole, but those in the Tiger program certainly feel that freshman QB Brad Smith is arguably one of the top freshmen in the country. His play early on has done nothing that would lead people to think otherwise. Consider the following factoids:

Missouri's offensive line was seen as a potential question mark by the pundits heading into the season. After all, MU returned only 2 starters in C A.J. Ricker and WT Rob Droege, and would be going into battle with three first-time starters.

But through Mizzou's first two games, the big guys have acquitted themselves quite nicely. After all, the Tigers rank 15th in the NCAA in rushing (253.0 ypg), 26th in total offense (437.0 ypg) and 28th in scoring offense (37.0 ppg).

The line has also provided superior protection for freshman QB Brad Smith, who has yet to be sacked through two games.

On Aug. 31 vs. Illinois, the Tiger line looked like a veteran unit, paving the way for 437 yards of total offense. Mizzou ran for 285 yards and held the ball for 35:21 - both single-game bests for Pinkel at MU.

Mizzou's line handled brilliantly the attack scheme of Illinois, as the Illini rarely got close to QB Brad Smith. Illinois, which registered 40 sacks a year ago, came up empty in that department.

Last season, MU was the 5th-best rushing team in the Big 12 Conference, and allowed a Big 12 low 6 sacks all year - a figure which was the 3rd-lowest total in the nation in 2001.

DEFENSIVE LINE DOMINANCE
Not to be outdone by their offensive line teammates, the Missouri defensive line has done their part to control the line of scrimmage.

Mizzou's D-Line did give up some running yards to the Ball State Cardinals (164 net), but they still held their own overall. DE Antwaun Bynum continued his assault on the MU career sack record, as he recorded his 10th career QB sack vs. Ball State. He forced a fumble and recovered it at the BSU 1-yard line, which led to MU's first score of the night.

Bynum had 5 tackles vs. the Cardinals, and in added 2 tackles for losses, 1 pass broken up and 1 QB hurry. Fellow line standout Keith Wright tallied 9 tackles vs. BSU, and had 1 tackle for a loss.

In the season-opener, Illinois managed just 67 yards net rushing on the day vs. MU, and had 51 yards of losses as the Tigers were in the backfield all day long. Mizzou recorded 6 sacks and 2 other tackles for losses.

12-GAGE EYES MU CAREER RECORDS
Senior wide receiver All-American candidate Justin Gage is on pace to become Missouri's top pass catcher of alltime this season. Not bad for someone who played quarterback as a freshman and who switched to receiver the next year.

Gage has quickly developed into one of the nation's top wideouts. He was recently named to the Biletnikoff pre-season watch list as one of the nation's premier pass-catchers.

Gage enters the Bowling Green game ranking 4th in the Big 12 and 24th nationally in catches (6.0 p/g). He's coming off a 5-catch, 58-yard outing vs. Ball State, in which he snared his first TD of the season on a 2-yard pass from Brad Smith in the back of the end zone.

Gage moved past former Tiger standout Victor Bailey for 2nd place on the MU career receptions list, and now has 130 career catches entering Saturday's contest. He needs 22 receptions to become MU's alltime leading receiver (see chart on page 7 for details).

Gage is also 3rd on the school career receiving yardage list, and needs just 11 yards to move past Linzy Collins for 2nd, and 395 to supplant Victor Bailey for 1st place. Gage has 1,750 career receiving yards entering the Bowling Green contest.

The Jefferson City, Mo., native got his senior campaign off to a solid start, as he caught 7 passes for 63 yards against a strong Illinois secondary.

His 2001 season featured 74 receptions for 920 yards and 5 TDs. His 74 catches was just one shy of the single-season school record.

Gage was a 1st-team All-Big 12 performer last year, and was named a pre-season first-team All-Big 12 wideout by league media this year. His top game a year ago was a 13-catch, 236-yard outing vs. Baylor, which set the school record for single-game receiving yardage. He also tallied 2 TDs against the Bears.

A key reserve on Missouri's basketball team which made it to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament in 2002, Gage has decided to give up basketball following the current football season.

HARVEY: LIKE A BROCK
Mizzou sophomore punter Brock Harvey has played a key role in helping the Tigers establish a foothold (no pun intended, we swear!) on the all-important field position battle thus far.

The Centertown, Mo. native has been impressive in the early going with his strong right leg. He's averaging 44.0 yards per punt in 9 attempts, an average which ranks 4th in the Big 12 Conference and 14th in the NCAA. That's a nice improvement from his average of 39.5 per punt last season.

Harvey boomed a 54-yarder in the first quarter of Saturday's game vs. Ball State that pinned the Cardinals inside their 5-yard line. It proved to be a big play, because just 3 plays later, MU's Antwaun Bynum forced a fumble that he recovered on BSU's 1-yard line. That led to MU's only touchdown of the first half, as the Tigers went on to a 7-6 halftime lead.

Regarding improvement, MU's punt team overall has shown immense improvement from a year ago, and could make the argument of being the most improved unit in the nation. Through 2 games this season, Mizzou ranks 14th in the NCAA in net punting (41.7). Last year, Missouri ranked 112th in the nation in net punting, at 30.5 yards per kick.

RICKER TO MAKE IT 24 STRAIGHT
Junior center A.J. Ricker has been as dependable as they come. The Houston, Texas native, who is a pre-season candidate for the Rimington Award, has started all 24 games in his collegiate career for Mizzou. He'll make it 25 straight starts when he takes the field Saturday at Bowling Green.

Ricker was a key component of last year's offensive line that helped pave the way for MU to rank 5th in the Big 12 in rushing last year. The Tiger O-Line also allowed just 6 sacks in 2001, which was the 3rd-lowest total in the nation.

Ricker was voted a team captain during fall camp by his teammates.

THE ZACK ATTACK
Junior TB Zack Abron has been impressive during Missouri's first two games. The St. Louis, Mo., native currently ranks 5th in the Big 12 (and 43rd nationally) in rushing (95.5 ypg), entering the Bowling Green contest.

Just as importantly, Abron has shown a nose for the endzone this season. He's got a team-best 5 TDs rushing this season. That total is already just one shy of his previous season best, and his scoring average of 15.0 ppg ranks him 2nd in the Big 12 Conference and 4th nationally.

Abron is coming off a 75-yard rushing performance vs. Ball State. He was held in check early, as he was held to 19 yards in 7 attempts in the 1st half. He came through with 56 yards in 8 carries in the 2nd half, as he helped put away the Cardinals with 2 of his 3 TDs in the 3rd quarter. He also caught a career-high 2 passes out of the backfield for 15 yards.

Abron keyed MU's 2nd-half surge in the opener vs. Illinois, and showed why those around the Tiger program believe he'll have a breakout year.

Abron rushed for 116 yards and 2 TDs in MU's 33-20 win over Illinois. Abron scored MU's 1st TD of the season, on a 6-yard plunge to cap the opening possession of the year. He coughed up 2 fumbles in the first half, and was held to just 31 yards on 11 carries in the opening half.

Undaunted, and encouraged by coaches and teammates at halftime, Abron came out in the 2nd half and ran for 85 yards on 15 carries. His 26 total carries represented a career single-game high, and his 116 yards marked the 6th time in his career he's broken the 100-yard plateau.

The powerful running back is coming off a season that saw him lead the Tigers with 783 yards rushing. He suffered an ankle injury in game #8 at Colorado that nagged him for the rest of the year, and likely cost him a shot at 1,000 yards. He was still named 3rd-Team All-Big 12 by league coaches.

Abron averaged 5.0 yards per rush in 2001, a drastic improvement from his freshman average of 3.6 per attempt.

He was his best against the Big 12's best defenses in 2001, as Abron rushed for 109 yards (on just 13 carries) vs. Texas and 101 yards against Kansas State. He tallied 100 yards 5 times on the season, including a career-high 147 yards vs. Iowa State.

With 1,476 career rushing yards, Abron needs just 355 more to crack the Mizzou career rushing yardage top-10 list. Number 10 on the list is former standout Charlie Brown, who had 1,830 yards from 1964-66.

INJURY UPDATE
Missouri came out of the Ball State game last Saturday in relatively good shape, injury-wise.

Second team DE Nick Tarpoff did not play vs. BSU, after he strained his left knee in the opener vs. Illinois. He is back to being listed on the MU two-deep, and the hope is to have him ready and available to play Saturday at Bowling Green.

Junior CB Terrence Curry plans to sit out the season and continue to strengthen a knee he injured in the spring of 2001. He did not play last year, and hopes to receive a medical hardship ruling to gain another year of eligibility.

Junior college transfer DL Zach Ville had an emergency appendectomy performed during fall two-a-day practices, and will miss the rest of the season.

WATCHING THE AWARD LISTS
Several Tiger players have been named to pre-season watch lists for the nation's most prestigious individual awards.

BYNUM HAS BEEN BLOWIN' BY 'EM
Senior DE Antwaun Bynum has been a man among boys, seemingly, through 2 games this season. He's been all over the field in games vs. Illinois and Ball State, and has made one impact play after another.

Bynum tallied 5 tackles Saturday vs. Ball State, but a deeper look into the numbers indicate his impact on the game.

With MU trailing 3-0 in the first quarter, and as the Tiger offense was struggling, Bynum took matters into his own hands - literally - when he came around the right end to swipe the ball loose from BSU quarterback Talmadge Hill inside the Ball State 5-yard line. Bynum alertly jumped on the loose ball at the Ball State 1, for his 1st fumble recovery of the year. Two plays later, MU led, 7-3.

Bynum also added 1 other tackle for a loss, broke up 1 pass and registered 1 QB hurry.

The team leader in sacks, with 3 through 2 games, Bynum moved into the MU career top-10 sacks chart during the Ball State game. He enters Saturday's contest with 10 career sacks, and is tied for 9th alltime with Bennie Smith and George Hunt. His next sack will move Bynum into a tie for 7th place. Former All-American Justin Smith holds the MU career sack record at 22.5.

Bynum was arguably the defensive star of the game for Missouri in the season opener vs. Illinois. Playing in front of his hometown crowd, the St. Louis native wreaked havoc in the Illinois backfield all afternoon.

Bynum recorded 2 sacks, had 4 QB hurries, forced 2 fumbles, broke up 1 pass and had 5 tackles overall.

He made arguably the play of the day for Missouri when he came around the right end and sacked Illini QB Dustin Ward, causing the ball to pop loose in the process. Mizzou LB James Kinney picked up the fumble and ran 46 yards for a TD that put MU on top, 20-14 midway through the 3rd quarter.

WHAT A WAY TO START
It was a day to remember for Tiger fans last Saturday, when Mizzou picked apart the defending Big Ten Conference champion Illinois in the Edward R. Jones Dome in St. Louis, by a score of 33-20.

The historical significance of Saturday's win is up for argument, but the fact remains that the 7-point underdog Tigers made a statement in front of 61,876 fans and millions more viewing on national television.

With a redshirt freshman at quarterback starting the season opener for the first time in school history, the Tigers served notice right away that they meant business.

Brad Smith led the Tigers crisply down the field on MU's opening possession of the season for a touchdown. Smith was 4-of-5 on the opening drive for 33 yards as the Tigers took 8 plays to go 77 yards in 3:06. He showed his poise right away by hitting WR Thomson Omboga twice on 3rd down situations, and he also showed his dangerous running ability by tucking the ball in for a 20-yard gain on the 4th play of the game. The play netted 35 yards after Illinois was flagged for hitting Smith late out of bounds.

FIRST DOWN SUCCESS
Missouri has been very successful on first down through 2 games this season. The Tigers have averaged 5.6 yards everytime they run the ball on first down, and 7.9 yards evertime they throw on first down.

Against Ball State, the Tigers ran 20 times on first down, and averaged 5.6 yards per rush. MU threw 13 times on first down vs. BSU, and averaged 8.0 yards per attempt.

MU was very successful on first down in its opener vs. Illinois . The Tigers averaged 6.1 yards every time they snapped the ball on first down vs. the Illini.

Broken down, Mizzou averaged 5.5 yards every time they ran the ball on first down, and 7.7 yards every time they threw on first down. In 33 first down snaps, the Tigers ran 24 times (72.7%), compared to 9 pass attempts (27.3%).

The Tigers were able to put together some big gains on first down in the opener. Mizzou had 3 rushing plays of 10 yards or more on first down, and 2 passing plays of 10 yards or more on first down. They followed up with 4 plays of 10 yards or more both rushing and passing last Saturday vs. Ball State.

Conversely, the Tiger defense held Illinois to just 4.5 yards per snap on first down. The Illini averaged just 3.8 yards on 18 rushing attempts on first down, and 5.4 yards on 14 passing attempts.

TIGERS FACE SCARY SCHEDULE
Missouri players and coaches will have their work cut out for them as they try to build on their 2-0 start to the 2002 season.

That's because no fewer than 8 teams that line the Tiger schedule went to bowl games last season.

Sports Illustrated recently ranked MU's schedule 7th-toughest in the nation, and no-one around Columbia would argue with that assessment.

Four of MU's 2002 opponents were ranked in the Associated Press pre-season top 25 (2. Oklahoma; 7. Colorado; 10. Nebraska; 23. Texas A&M), while four others (Illinois, Texas Tech, Iowa State and Kansas State) received votes in either the AP or the Coaches' poll. Only two opponents (Ball State at 5-6 and Kansas at 3-8) were below .500 last season.

Possibly due to the tough schedule, expectations weren't high for Missouri among Big 12 Conference media types in 2002, as the Tigers were picked to finish 5th in the 6-team Big 12 North Division.

MU-ILLINOIS NOTES RECAP

THIRD DOWN EFFICIENCY
Mizzou was a respectable 44.4% on third down conversions last Saturday vs. Illinois, converting on 8-of-18 third down opportunities.

MU converted 53.3% of its third downs (8-of-15) to the midway point of the fourth quarter, but shut the offense down a bit as clock management became the focus.

On the other side of the ball, MU was very successful on third down, as they held the Illini to just 18.8% (3-of-16) on third down.

Illinois was just 2-of-6 in the first half on third downs, and just 2-of-10 in the second half, including just 1-of-6 in the fourth quarter when the Tigers were able to pin their ears back with a big lead.

The numbers correlate to indicators of success for the Tigers last season. In its 4 wins during the 2001 season, MU converted a respectable 49.2% of its third down tries (29-of-59). In the Tigers' losses, MU was successful on just 26.7% on third down (28-of-105).

DISCIPLINED TIGERS
Every football coach in the land preaches discipline to his squad. Despite being in its first year at Missouri in 2001, Gary Pinkel's staff got through to their new team quite impressively.

Missouri committed just 56 penalties last year, for a total of 444 yards. That was good for a Big 12 Conference low average of just 5.1 penalties per game for an average of only 40.4 yards per outing.

Mizzou continued its compliant ways in last Saturday's season-opener vs. Illinois, as the Tigers were whistled for just 5 penalties for 39 yards.

MU's offensive unit, which was starting three new offensive linemen in addition to its brand new quarterback, was penalized just one time vs. Illinois - a 5-yard illegal procedure call in the first half. Mizzou's defense was whistled three times (2 pass interferences and 1 offside), while the special teams punt cover squad was whistled for a halo infraction.

LAND-RUSH
Missouri's offensive ground attack was punishing Saturday vs. Illinois, as the Tigers gained 285 yards rushing - a single-game high for Gary Pinkel at Mizzou.

The Tigers ran for 4 TDs on the day, also a single-game high under Pinkel. That was a good sight to see for Tiger fans, because Mizzou struggled last season punching the ball in on the ground. In 11 games in 2001, MU managed only 11 rushing TDs, a figure which ranked 9th in the Big 12 Conference.

A deeper look at that figure reveals that Tiger running backs are indicators of MU's success as a team. Under Gary Pinkel, when Tiger RBs rush for a TD, MU is 5-1. Conversely, when Tiger backs are kept out of the endzone by opposing defenses, Mizzou is 0-6.

HOLDING THE BALL
Missouri enjoyed a huge advantage in the time of possession category last Saturday vs. Illinois, as the Tigers controlled the ball for 35:21, compared to just 24:39 for the Illini.

That total marked a single-game high for Mizzou under Gary Pinkel. Last season, opponents held the ball for an average of 32:40 per game, compared to just 27:20 for the Tigers. In 2001, Missouri won the time of possession battle in just 2 games (30:20-to-29:40 vs. SW Texas; 33:46-to-26:14 at Kansas).

TIME OF POSSESSION
Missouri held a huge advantage in time of possession Saturday in its 33-20 win over Illinois, as the Tigers controlled the ball for 35:21, compared to just 24:39 for the Illini.

The time of possession marked a single-game high for Gary Pinkel at Missouri, and improved him to 3-0 at MU when winning the time of possession battle.

The Tigers won the time of possession battle only twice last season, and both times, they came out winners. MU downed Southwest Texas while holding a 30:20 to 29:40 advantage in possession time, and won at Kansas owning a 33:46-to-26:14 edge in possession time.

Opponents held the ball an average of 32 minutes, 40 seconds per game, to MU's 27:20.

The Tigers faced huge time of possession deficits against Texas (39:22-to-20:38) and Nebraska (37:07-to-22:53) in losses, and overcame a 13-minute disadvantage (36:30-to-23:30) at Oklahoma State to post a thrilling 3-overtime win.

DOYLE LEADS THE WAY
Senior LB Sean Doyle was all over the field in 2001, as he led the Tigers with 131 tackles. That total ranked 2nd in the Big 12 Conference, and ranked 7th nationally.

One of 4 team captains for the 2002 season, Doyle looks to crack the MU top-10 career tackles chart. He currently sits just outside the top 10 with 252 career stops. Lynn Evans ranks 10th on the list currently, with 316 tackles.

Doyle, who was a 1st-team All-Big 12 selection a year ago by The Dallas Morning News, was recently named to the pre-season watch list for the Butkus Award. Doyle recorded double-digit stops in 8-of-11 games last year, and twice set career-high tackle totals of 17, against Nebraska and Bowling Green.

He got his senior campaign off to a solid start, as he recorded 7 tackles, including a sack of 9 yards. He also nabbed his first career interception when he stepped in front of a pass from Illinois' Dustin Ward at the Illini 42 yard line with 4:52 left in the 2nd quarter.

THE WRIGHT STUFF
Senior defensive tackle Keith Wright was a pleasant addition to the Tiger line in 2001. He was arguably MU's most valuable newcomer, and proved to be one of the Big 12's best defensive linemen, as he earned 2nd-Team All-Big 12 honors for his efforts.

Wright notched 4 tackles on Saturday vs. Illinois, including 1 tackle for a loss of 5 yards, in addition to recording 2 QB hurries.

Wright looks to build on a 2001 season that saw him record 68 tackles (including 10 for losses) and 2 sacks. He also forced 2 fumbles (recovering 1), knocked down 3 passes, blocked a kick and grabbed one interception.

Not bad for someone who played tackle for the first time in his career.

A car enthusiast who recently completed the refurbishing of a 1968 Ford Mustang, Wright was recently named to the pre-season watch list for the prestigious Lombardi Award.

JAMES PROVIDES RETURNS
In this day and age of market volatility, it's dangerous to compare anyone to the stock market. But if Tiger receiver/return man Marcus James was a stock, his performance last year would have been considered of the blue-chip variety.

James' biggest contributions were in the return game, where he led MU in both kickoff and punt returns, in addition to catching 6 passes for 75 yards and a TD.

James was very solid Saturday vs. Illinois in the return game. He caught 6 punts and returned them 72 yards, for a tidy average of 12.0 per return. His long was 19 on the day, and he also caught 1 pass for 3 yards on offense.

Although James broke just one punt return of 20 yards or more last year, (21 yards at Kansas), his average return of 9.7 yards was the highest since Niu Sale averaged 17.4 for MU in 1990.

It was also the highest punt return average for anyone with a minimum of 10 returns in a season since James Caver averaged 10.0 in 26 returns in 1981.

FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS
One player you won't find listed in the 2002 media guide is junior defensive lineman Russ Bell, who walked on to the football team late in the summer.

Bell, a three-time All-American for the MU track and field team (hammer, discus and weight throw) was a former all-state football player at nearby Jefferson City High School who gave up the game to concentrate on track in college.

While he'd been an unqualified success in track, he always missed the game of football, and decided this summer to try out for the squad. Bell didn't take long to impress Tiger coaches with his talent and work ethic, and he was moved to #2 on the depth chart at the nosetackle position, behind redshirt freshman C.J. Mosley.

Bell saw plenty of playing time in last Saturday's season opener vs. Illinois, and he ended with 1 pass break up and 1 QB hurry

Bell's addition to the squad represented a reunion of sorts, as he was high school teammates with current Tigers Justin Gage, Kirk Farmer and Brock Harvey. In fact, Bell and Gage have been going to the same schools together dating all the way back to pre-school.

In the 2002 track season, Bell was an All-American outdoors in the hammer throw (9th at the NCAA Championships with a mark of 206'3") and indoors in the weight throw (5th at 71'3 1/4"). He also earned All-American honors outdoors in 2001 in the discus (8th at 182'7").

A QUALITY BACKUP
Senior QB Kirk Farmer gives Mizzou quite a luxury as the team's No. 2 quarterback. He's a proven veteran who has extensive experience under center.

Farmer ranks among MU's top-10 career performers in passing yardage, passing TDs and total offense (see accompanying charts).

After missing the first 2 games on the 2001 season due to an off-season injury, Farmer returned to start 9 of MU's last 10 games. He racked up 1,946 yards of total offense, which was the 7th-highest single-season total in MU history. He threw for 1,567 yards and 13 TDs, to only 6 INTs. He ended as MU's 2nd-leading rusher, with 379 yards on 59 carries (a healthy average of 6.4 yards per attempt). He ran for 3 TDs on the year.

Farmer had a standout game last year vs. Baylor, when he threw for a career-best 360 yards (on 23-of-34 passing), which was the 6th-highest single-game mark in school history. He also led MU to comeback wins on the road at Oklahoma State and Kansas, both games in which the Tigers trailed by 14 points at one time.