Oct. 14, 2002

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KICKOFF: 6:00 p.m. (central time).

STADIUM:Jones SBC Stadium (51,000). Opened in 1959. Tech is 282-147-13 there, including 1-1 this season. Saturday will be Homecoming in Lubbock.

RADIO:
Tiger Network (Mike Kelly, play-by-play/John Kadlec, color). Carried on 55 stations statewide, and on the Internet at www.mutigers.com.

TV:None for this game.

POSTGAME HIGHLIGHT FEED:None for this game.

RANKINGS (AP/ESPN-USA):Texas Tech is receiving votes in the AP poll.

SERIES:
MU leads, 2-1, and has won both meetings since the inception of the Big 12 Conference. MU won 34-7 in Columbia in 1999, and 28-26 in Lubbock in 1998.

COACHES:

Missouri:
Gary Pinkel (Kent, '75), 7-10 at MU (2nd year) and 80-47-3 overall (12th year). Pinkel is 0-0 vs. Texas Tech and Mike Leach.
Texas Tech:
Mike Leach (BYU, '83), 18-14 at TTU (3rd year) and overall. Leach is 0-0-0 vs. Missouri and Gary Pinkel.

TIGERS HEAD TO TEXAS TECH LOOKING TO SPOIL RED RAIDER HOMECOMING
The Missouri Tigers (3-3 overall, 0-2 in Big 12 Conference play), head to Lubbock, Texas, where they'll take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders (4-3, 1-1) Saturday at 6 p.m. The game will serve as Texas Tech's homecoming contest.

Missouri has played two hard-fought Big 12 contests thus far against perennial powers Oklahoma and Nebraska, but is 0-2 for its efforts. The Tigers are coming off a 24-13 loss at Nebraska, a game in which the Tigers led 13-7 late in the 1st half. MU is 0-2 in road games for the 2002 season.

Texas Tech will be playing its first home game since Sept. 21st, as the Red Raiders have played 3 straight on the road. Tech is coming off a 31-17 loss at Iowa State last Saturday, a game that was tied 3-3 midway throught the 3rd quarter in Ames, Iowa.

TIGERS LOOK FOR BIG 12 WIN

Missouri is looking to break a 2-game losing streak as they head to Lubbock to take on the high-flying aerial attack of Texas Tech.

After winning 3-of-4 games to begin the season, the Tigers have faced the unenviable task of playing perrenial powers Oklahoma and Nebraska in back-to-back games (something MU had to do just 1 time in the 40-year history of the Big Eight Conference [1959]), and stand 0-2 in league play.

Mizzou had opportunities to come out on top in each case, as the Tigers went toe-to-toe with then-3rd-ranked Oklahoma 2 weeks ago in Columbia. MU took a 24-23 lead with just over 10 minutes left in the game when QB Brad Smith raced 25 yards for a TD. Oklahoma regained the lead for good with a TD pass on a fake field goal attempt with 7 minutes left to play, and the Tigers couldn't answer, and eventually fell, 31-24.

Last Saturday saw Missouri register 3 of the game's 1st 4 scores, but the Tiger lead stood just 13-7 late into the 2nd quarter. After missing a crucial 4th-and-2 deep in Nebraska territory, the Huskers regained momentum with a long TD drive just before halftime to take a 14-13 lead. It was a defensive stalemate in the 2nd half, as no offensive scores were put on the board. Nebraska scored the only TD after halftime on an 89-yard punt return by DeJuan Groce, and the Tigers could manage only 28 yards of total offense in quarters 3 and 4, after amassing 192 yards in the opening half.

OFFENSIVE FIREWORKS IN STORE?
If it's true that offense sells tickets, look for a potential sellout Saturday in Lubbock, as two of the nation's most productive quarterbacks will square off in a Texas cage match, of sorts.

Texas Tech QB Cliff Kingsbury and Mizzou QB Brad Smith rank 1st and 2nd in the Big 12 in total offense, as Kingsbury is averaging 341.7 yards per game, while Smith is right behind at 302.8. Those totals also rank the duo 3rd and 6th, respectively, on the NCAA charts.

The signal-calling duo also ranks 1-2 in the Big 12 in pass completions per game, as Kingsbury leads the way at 33.9 per game, with Smith next on the list at 18.0 per game.

From a team standpoint, Texas Tech carries one of the nation's top offensive attacks into the game. The Red Raiders lead the Big 12 and rank 4th nationally, in passing (356.0 ypg), and lead the Big 12 and rank 7th in the NCAA in total offense (466.1 ypg).

Missouri, which ranks 4th in the Big 12 and 27th nationally in rushing (201.0 ypg) and 4th in the league and 37th nationally in total offense (404.5 ypg), will look to capitalize on a Red Raider defense that statistically ranks in the bottom three of the league numbers in 5 different categories.

KEY MATCHUPS
A couple of areas could provide interesting scenarios Saturday between Mizzou and Texas Tech.

Mizzou ranks 16th nationally in net punting, averaging 38.0 yards per kick when figuring in return yardage against them. Conversely, Texas Tech ranks 16th in punt returns, averaging 14.2 yards per attempt. The Tigers are buoyed by punter Brock Harvey, who ranks 8th in the NCAA with an average of 44.4, while Tech's Wes Welker ranks 19th in the NCAA in return average, at 14.2.

On the turnover front, Mizzou ranks 16th nationally in turnover margin, at an average of +1.33 per game. Texas Tech's spread offense ranks 87th nationally (and 11th in the Big 12), at a margin of -1.00 per game.

GOING THE DISTANCE?
One more potential area to keep an eye on Saturday might be the 4th quarter. Texas Tech has scored a whopping 108 points in the final 15 minutes (an average of 15.4 pts. per game), and have outscored opponents 108-49 in the 4th period.

Conversely, Mizzou has given up a total of just 24 pts. in the 4th quarter this season (an average of just 4.0 pts. per game), and has outscored foes by a 44-24 count in the final stanza.

SCARY SCHEDULE
After wrapping up the 1st half of the season, the Tiger will have quite a challenge on their hands as they continue Big 12 play.

Five of MU's final 6 opponents are either currently ranked, or are receiving votes in the latest Associated Press Top-25 poll. Beginning this Saturday with Texas Tech (receiving votes), the Tigers will face 9th-ranked Iowa State, 23rd-ranked Colorado, Texas A&M (RV) and Kansas State (17th).

All told, 8 of MU's 12 regular-season opponents are currently either ranked or are receiving votes. Previous opponents who line the rankings include #2 Oklahoma, #25 Bowling Green, and Nebraska (RV).

Mizzou's schedule currently ranks 20th toughest in the nation, according to the NCAA stats thru Oct. 12th, based on its opponents' cumulative records. MU's foes have a combined record of 44-27-0, for a winning percentage of 62.0%.

Sports Illustrated ranked MU's schedule 7th-toughest in the nation during the pre-season.

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.

MU-TEXAS TECH SERIES NOTES
Missouri and Texas Tech will meet for just the 4th time when they kick it Saturday in Lubbock, where 2 of the 3 previous meetings have taken place.

Mizzou holds a virtually insurmountable 2-1 lead in the series, as the Tigers have won both matchups since the teams became members of the Big 12 Conference. MU won the last meeting, 34-7 in Columbia in 1999, and prevailed in a thriller, 28-26 in Lubbock in 1998.

The only other meeting in the series was a 41-14 Texas Tech win in Lubbock in 1995.

LAST TIME VS. TEXAS TECH
Missouri rolled to a 34-7 win over Texas Tech in Columbia on Oct. 30, 1999, as the Tigers churned out 403 total yards and held Tech to just 169 on the day.

MU tailback Zain Gilmore set an MU record by carrying the ball 45 times on the day. He ended up with 165 yards on the ground and 3 TDs.

Texas Tech drew first blood by scoring on an 86-yard fumble return by Kevin Curtis in the 1st quarter, but it was all Tigers after that, as Mizzou countered with consecutive field goals by Brad Hammerich, followed by short TD runs by Gilmore and QB Jimmie Dougherty to take a 20-7 lead into halftime.

Gilmore added 2 more scoring runs, one each in the 3rd and 4th quarters, and the Tiger defense, which held Tech to just 9 yards rushing on 22 attempts, shut out the Raiders the rest of the way.

LAST TIME IN LUBBOCK
Devin West ran for 3 TDs, DT Terrell Jurineack returned a fumble for a score and 21st-ranked Missouri denied a 2-point conversion attempt in the final moments to preserve a thrilling 28-26 win at Texas Tech on Oct. 31, 1998.

Texas Tech outgained Missouri by a 429-to-244 margin in total yards, but 3 Tech fumbles played a key factor in the outcome of the game.

Tech led 3-0 after the 1st quarter, but the Tigers exploded for 3 TDs in the 2nd period, including 2 short scores by West, and Mizzou led 21-6 at halftime. It was 28-12 in favor of Missouri heading into the 4th quarter, but the Red Raiders made a run that saw them score 2 TDs to nearly tie the game.

Tech QB Rob Peters connected with WR Kyle Allamon early in the period, and the successful 2-point conversion made it 28-20 Missouri. Peters later got knocked out of the game, and his backup, Matt Tittle, brought Tech to within 2 points when he tossed an 8-yard scoring stike to Allamon with just 1:05 left.

Tittle's pass into the right corner of the endzone on the subsequent 2-point conversion fell incomplete, and Mizzou recovered the ensuing onside kick to preserve MU's 6th win of the season, which wrapped up the Tigers' 2nd-straight bowl appearance.

LAST TIME OUT
Missouri missed out on a chance for its 1st win over Nebraska since 1978, as the Huskers used a stifling defensive effort in the 2nd half to pull away for a 24-13 victory in Lincoln last Saturday.

Mizzou came out strong, registering 3 of the game's 1st 4 scores. The problem for the Tigers was that they were held to field goals twice, and led just 13-7 midway through the 2nd quarter.

Momentum swung Nebraska's way late in the 2nd quarter when the Tigers missed a key 4th-and-2 situation on the Husker 34 yard line. Nebraska took over with 2:56 to go, and went 66 yards in 6 plays for a TD. What could have been a potential 20-7 lead for MU had suddenly turned into a 14-13 deficit.

The 2nd half was a defensive stalemate for the most part, as no offensive TDs were scored. Nebraska got the only TD of the half when DeJuan Groce returned a punt 89 yards for a score midway through the 3rd quarter to make it 21-13. The Huskers added a 4th quarter field goal for the final margin, and the Tigers were held to just 28 yards of total offense in the 2nd half, after rolling for 192 in the opening 2 quarters.

Nebraska held Tiger freshman QB Brad Smith to a season-low 157 yards of total offense (123 passing, 34 rushing). He came into the contest averaging 332 yards per game (210 passing, 122 rushing).

NEBRASKA GAME KEYS
Here were a few more keys to the game last Saturday in Lincoln:

*Mizzou's defense played very well, for the most part, giving up only 17 points to the Huskers. But it was MU's offense that struggled for really the first time this season. The Tigers came into the game averaging 34.0 points per game, and 441.4 yards in total offense, but were held to season lows of 13 points and 220 yards.

*Mizzou was held to a season-low 3 plays of 20 yards or more in Lincoln. The Tigers had averaged 6 plays of at least 20 yards per game coming in, and had 8 just the week before against 3rd-ranked Oklahoma's vaunted defensive squad.

*Mizzou had a rough go of it on 1st down, often leaving itself long yardage situations on 3rd down. MU managed an average of 5.2 yards on 14 1st down rushes, which is respectable in itself. But consider that 48 of those yards came on one run by Zack Abron, and the average dipped to just 1.9 yards per rush on the other 13 1st down rush attempts. MU was just 3-of-8 for 27 yards on 1st down passing.

*The Tigers converted a season-low 4-of-16 (25.0%) on 3rd down, largely due to the fact that its average distance to go was a healthy 8.2 yards. Only 3 of Mizzou's 16 3rd down attempts were from 4 yards or less.

SOME KEY MOMENTS IN THE GAME INCLUDED:
*Leading 7-0 in the 1st quarter, MU's defense caught a bad break when R.J. Jones was whistled for a tough pass interference call on a 3rd-and-goal from the MU 10 yard line. The Huskers capitalized on the next play with a 5-yard run, getting a bonus 4 points out of the exchange.

*TB Zack Abron ripped off a season-long 48-yard run up the gut in the 1st quarter that took the ball to the Husker 19 yard line. Three plays later, Mizzou had 1st and goal from the 2, but the Tigers couldn't punch it in, gaining just 2 yards on 2 rushes, and misfiring on a play-action pass that had TE Ben Fredrickson wide open in the endzone for a TD. The Tigers had to settle for a 22-yard field goal by Mike Matheny.

*The aforementioned 4th-and-2 miss late in the 2nd quarter seemed to turn the game completely around. Instead of converting, and going up potentially 20-7 at half, the Huskers took over and marched down the other way to reclaim the lead at half (14-13).

*On the opening possession of the 2nd half, Mizzou's defense seemingly forced a 3-and-out. The Tigers stood to gain excellent field position, with NU punting from its own 28 yard line, and into a stiff 25-mph wind. Things appeared even brighter when Husker punter Kyle Larson bobbled the snap, and with a heavy rush on him, the Tigers had a chance to tackle him for a loss and take over deep in Husker territory. But Larson evaded the rush, and scrambled for 8 yards and a 1st down. Nebraska didn't end up scoring on the drive, but instead of taking over inside the Nebraska 30, the Tigers got the ball back on their own 28.

THE POSITIVES
There were several positives to take out of Saturday's game at Nebraska. Here were a few observations from the press box:

*MU won the turnover battle 1-0 on the day, and the points off turnovers went 7-0 in MU's favor.

*The Tiger defense was excellent in 3rd down situations, holding the Huskers to only 3-of-13, for just 23.1%.

*Punter Brock Harvey averaged a personal-best 47.8 yards on 8 punts, including a remarkable career-long 69 punt that came against the teeth of a 25-mph wind. In comparison, Nebraska's punter Kyle Larson, who was 4th in the NCAA coming into the game with an average of 46.5 per kick, averaged only 27.2 yards on the day. Harvey had kicks of 37, 44, 69 and 41 yards against the wind (an average of 47.8), while Larson managed an average of just 18.5 yards against the wind on kicks of 26, 14, 26 and 8 yards.

*FS Brandon Barnes notched his 1st career start on defense (after starting 1 game as a WR as a freshman in 2000), and turned in some impressive numbers. He ended the day with a career-high 14 tackles, including 1 TFL and a pass broken up. He also recovered a fumble on Nebraska's 1st offensive snap of the day, which led to 7 points for the Tigers.

*WR Darius Outlaw had career highs in both receptions (5) and receiving yards (71). He had two nice catches on out patterns that twice put the Tigers inside the Husker 2 yard line, setting up 10 MU points. He's caught 9 of his 14 passes on the year in his last 2 games.

TIGERS NEARLY KNOCK OFF SOONERS
Mizzou gave a valiant effort, but came up just short of staging one of the biggest wins in school history two weeks ago, as the 3rd-ranked Oklahoma Sooners rallied for a 31-24 win in Columbia.

Freshman QB Brad Smith dazzled all with 391 yards of total offense vs. OU's highly-rated defensive squad, and led a Tiger comeback in the 2nd half that saw MU turn a 23-7 deficit into a 24-23 lead with just over 10 minutes left in the game.

Oklahoma held leads of 10-0 and 23-7 before Smith led the Tigers to 17 straight points. He capped the MU surge with a 25-yard TD run with 10:22 left in the game to put the Tigers on top, 24-23.

After a defensive hold by the Tigers, OU came up with an interception deep in Missouri territory, and on 4th-and-8 from the Tiger 14, set up for a short field goal attempt. Oklahoma ran a fake, however, and despite double coverage, holder Matt McCoy completed a TD pass to 4th-string TE Chris Chester.

Mizzou got two more possessions to have a chance to tie the game, and the Tigers got as far as the OU 35 yard line in the final minute before the Sooner defense eventually held to seal the win.

Despite the OU win, Smith was clearly the star of the evening, as he racked up 213 yards rushing and 178 yards passing vs. a Sooner defense that came into the game allowing an average of just 88.0 yards rushing and 262.2 yards of total defense. Smith scored on a pair of 25-yard TD runs, and added a 23-yard TD pass to Justin Gage, who became MU's alltime leading receiver earlier in the contest.

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 34 plays of 20 yards or more from scrimmage thru 6 games, compared to 26 for opponents.

Freshman QB Brad Smith has had a hand in 30 of the 34 plays, as he's rushed for 11 plays of 20 or more yards, and thrown for 19 more, including 5 alone to Justin Gage in 1 game at Bowling Green (gains of 20, 22, 28, 35 and 38 yards).

Mizzou notched a season-high 8 plays of 20 yards or more 2 games ago vs. #3 Oklahoma. OU's defense had allowed just 9 plays of 20 yards or more in its 1st 4 games combined. The Tigers were held to a season-low 3 plays of 20 yards or more last time out at Nebraska.

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 +8 in turnover margin through 6 games, and the +1.3 per game average ranks them 16th in the NCAA (and 5th in the Big 12), heading into the Texas Tech game.

Missouri had ranked 3rd in the NCAA, and tops in the Big 12, heading into its recent tussle with #3 Oklahoma. But the Sooners capitalized on 3 MU turnovers, while committing none of their own, which bumped the Tigers down in the category.

Turnovers have proven to be a telling factor in MU's 5 games thus far. In MU's 3 wins, the Tigers are plus 10 in the turnover category (forcing 13 turnovers), while in its 3 losses, the Tigers are minus 2 (forcing just 2 turnovers).

The Tigers forced 5 turnovers on Sept. 28 vs. Troy State, as they gathered 4 interceptions (including a school-record-tying 3 by R.J. Jones) and 1 fumble recovery. James Kinney scored on a 14-yd. return in the 4th quarter on MU's final pickoff. The Tigers were also plus 5 against Ball State (4 fumbles, 1 INT), while comitting none themselves.

The 15 forced turnovers have already tied the total of 15 turnovers (9 fumbles, 6 INTs) than Missouri forced last season!

Illinois fumbled 4 times in the season opener, 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).

Last season, Mizzou rarely beat itself with turnovers, as the Tigers committed only 16 miscues in 2001. 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.

MATHENY GETS HIS KICKS
Walkon place-kicker Michael Matheny has emerged as the Tigers' top kicker, and he's solidified his standing in the last 3 games by going 6-for-7 in field goals and 9-of-9 in extra point tries.

Matheny was 2-of-2 last Saturday in field goal tries at Nebraska. He hit a 22-yarder in the 1st quarter against a stiff breeze to give the Tigers a 10-7 lead, and later followed with a career-long 44-yarder in the 2nd quarter to stake the Tigers to a 13-7 advantage.

Previously, Matheny went 3-of-3 vs. #3 Oklahoma in extra points, and 1-of-2 in field goals. He missed his first one from 26 yards in the first quarter when he doinked one off the left upright in a scoreless game. He recovered nicely to nail a 38-yarder in the 3rd quarter to pull the Tigers to within 23-17.

Mizzou had been 0-of-3 in field goal attempts prior to the Sept. 28th game vs. Troy State, when Matheny hit from distances of 28, 26 and 35. He also was perfect on all 5 extra point tries, in helping the Tigers to their 44-7 blowout win.

Matheny's emergence could prove critical for a Tiger kicking game that wasn't firing on all cylinders in the early going. The Tigers missed field goals of 16 (blocked) and 42 yards vs. Illinois, as well as a 42-yarder against Ball State. Illinois also blocked an extra point try in the Aug. 31 season opener.

The Columbia, Mo., native kicked for one year at Rock Bridge High School here in town, and then attended nearby Westminster College in Fulton. After one year, he transferred to Mizzou, where he entertained thoughts of trying out for the team. After one year of toying with the idea, he gave it a try prior to this season, and Tiger fans are glad to see him.

The possessor of a strong leg, Matheny is still working to polish his accuracy and technique. He has drilled a 55-yarder recently during a practice in the indoor facility.

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 44.4 yards per punt in 30 attempts, an average which ranks 3rd in the Big 12 Conference but 8th in the NCAA. That's a huge improvement from his average of 39.5 per punt last season.

Harvey was outstanding last weekend at Nebraska, as he averaged a career-best 47.8 yards per kick, despite going against a stiff 25-mph wind for half of the game.

Harvey was adverse to the wind, as he averaged 47.8 yards on 4 punts against the wind in Lincoln, including a career-long 69 yarder in the 4th quarter that had the press box talking in amazement. Nebraska's punter Kyle Larson, who entered the game ranked 4th in the nation with a 46.46 average, averaged just 27.2 yards in 6 punts, including kicks of 26, 14, 26 and 8 yards.

Harvey has placed 5 kicks inside the 20 yard line thus far through 6 games.

Harvey launched a 54-yarder in the first quarter 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.

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 6 games this season, Mizzou ranks 16th in the NCAA in net punting (38.0). Last year, Missouri ranked 112th in the nation in net punting, at 30.5 yards per kick.

RICKER TO MAKE IT 29 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 28 games in his collegiate career for Mizzou. He'll make it 29 straight starts when he takes the field Saturday at Texas Tech.

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.

He's currently leading a unit that has Missouri rolling along, as the Tigers are ranked 4th in the Big 12 (27th in the NCAA) in rushing (201.0 ypg), 37th in the NCAA in total offense (404.5 ypg) and 38th in the NCAA in scoring (30.5 ppg).

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

MAKING A RUN FOR IT
After getting bogged down at Bowling Green, the Tiger running game has been firing on all cylinders recently.

Since being held to a season-low 55 yards on the ground in its 51-28 loss at BGSU on Sept. 14th, the Tigers have rushed for 277 yards against Troy State and 271 more against the vaunted Oklahoma defense that was allowing an average of just 88.0 yards per game on the ground coming into last Saturday's outing.

Mizzou rushed for a season-best 285 yards in the opener vs. Illinois, and added 221 more vs. Ball State. If you threw out the Bowling Green game, MU's average of 263.5 yards rushing per game would rank among the top 5 in the NCAA.

Overall, the Tigers head into their annual tussle with Nebraska looking to hold their own on the ground. Missouri enters the game ranked 3rd in the Big 12 Conference (and 18th in the NCAA) in rushing, with an average of 221.8 yards per game. Nebraska leads the Big 12 and rates 6th in the NCAA, at 257.8 yards per game.

Mizzou's 277 rushing yards vs. Troy State was more than the Trojans had allowed in total offense coming in, as TSU's defense had been ranked 15th in total defense (266.5 ypg) entering the contest. Missouri averaged 5.3 yards per carry, which was well over the per-rush average of 2.9 yards per carry the Trojans had held foes to coming into the game.

Individually, freshman sensation QB Brad Smith has been MU's leading rusher in 4 of the first 5 games. His per-game average of 121.4 yards heading into the Nebraska contest ranks 3rd in the Big 12, and 15th nationally.

As a team, MU has already rushed for 15 TDs in 5 games. That is 4 more than the total of 11 rushing scores the Tigers put together in 11 games during the 2001 season.

MU's ground attack got stalled at Bowling Green, where the Tigers were held to a season-low 55 net rushing yards on 30 attempts.

The Tigers entered the BGSU game averaging 253.0 rushing yards, but the Falcons never allowed MU to get untracked. The Tigers were also handcuffed by the fact that they effectively had to scrap the running game after falling behind by 20 points mid-way through the second quarter.

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 acquitted themselves quite nicely. 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.

DEFENDERS AMONG NCAA BEST
Not to be outdone by their offensive counterparts, several members of the Tiger defensive squad also rank highly among the NCAA's leaders.

Senior DE Antwaun Bynum leads the Big 12 in sacks, at 1.4 per game. He has recorded 7 sacks in 5 games, which is just 4 shy of the MU single-season record. Sophomore LB James Kinney, with 5 sacks (1.0 pg), also ranks 3rd in the Big 12 in the category.

Through games of Sept. 28th (NCAA defensive stats are not updated weekly), Bynum ranked 2nd in the NCAA in sacks, trailing only Terrell Suggs of Arizona State.

Senior DL Keith Wright leads the Big 12 in tackles for loss, with an average of 2.2 per game, while Bynum ranks 4th in the league, at 1.8 per game. In the most recent NCAA stats (through Sept. 28), Wright and Bynum also ranked 2nd and 4th, respectively, in the nation.

Bynum also ranks 2nd in the Big 12 forced fumbles (3 in 5 games), and through Sept. 28, ranked 3rd in the NCAA in that category.

THE ZACK ATTACK
Junior TB Zack Abron has gotten his season off to a solid start. The St. Louis, Mo., native currently ranks 9th in the Big 12 (and 66th nationally) in rushing (78.2 ypg), entering the Nebraska contest.

Just as importantly, Abron has shown a nose for the endzone this season. He's got a team-best 9 TDs rushing this season (10 total TDs including a receiving score at Bowling Green). That rushing total is already 3 more than his previous season best, and his scoring average of 12.0 ppg is tops in the Big 12 Conference and ranks 4th nationally.

He was held scoreless for the first time this year last Saturday vs. #3 Oklahoma, but managed 62 yards rushing on 16 carries vs. the Sooners, including a season-long scamper of 33 yards.

Prior to that, Abron had a solid game vs. Troy State, where he rushed 20 times for 98 yards and 2 TDs. He also caught a pass for a career-long gain of 13 yards.

Previously, Bowling Green limited him to a season-low 40 yards rushing, in 16 attempts. However, Abron found the endzone 3 times for the 2nd straight game (2 rushing, 1 receiving). His 6-yard TD reception from Brad Smith marked the first receiving score of his Tiger career.

Abron had 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, 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.

With 1,676 career rushing yards, Abron needs just 155 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.

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 has been a key factor in MU's defensive line early on. He ranks 3rd on the team with 39 tackles through 5 games, including a Big 12-leading 11 tackles for loss - a figure which ranks him 2nd in the NCAA (through rankings of Sept. 28).

Wright turned in 6 tackles last time out vs. #3 Oklahoma, including 1 for a loss of 2 yards. He also added 2 QB hurries.

He also had a 6-tackle performance against Troy State. Four of those stops were eye-popping stops behind the line, as he continually leveled big hits on Trojan running backs.

Previously, Wright had a career-high 14-tackle outing at Bowling Green. He was one of the few bright spots on defense for the Tigers that night, as he registered 4 tackles for losses of 14 yards.

Wright had 9 tackles vs. Ball State, and notched 4 tackles vs. Illinois, including 1 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 named to the pre-season watch list for the prestigious Lombardi Award.

ARE JU KINNEY-ING ME?
Okay, cheesy headline there, we just wanted to point out that sophomore LB James Kinney is having quite a go of it through 5 games.

The Kankakee, Ill. native is leading MU with 59 tackles and fumble recoveries (2). He's also registered 7 TFLs and 5 quarterback sacks.

He's also scored both of MU's defensive TDs thus far, as he's provided points via an interception return and a fumble return.

He had a team-best 11 tackles Saturday vs. Oklahoma, and registered 2 sacks.

Against Troy State, Kinney led the Tigers with 11 tackles, including 2 TFLs and 1 sack. He scored a TD in the 4th quarter when he nabbed a tipped pass and raced 14 yards untouched into the endzone for a score.

Kinney began the season by providing a huge impact play in the opener vs. Illinois. In the 3rd quarter, he picked up a fumble forced by Antwaun Bynum, and raced untouched for a 46-yard touchdown that broke a 14-14 tie and propelled the Tigers to their 33-20 win.

Kinney's 2 defensive scores already are twice of what MU managed in the 2001 season. Kevin Johnson returned an interception at Colorado for a 59-yard TD, which represented MU's sole defensive score in 11 games last year.

MU-TROY STATE POST-GAME NOTES
After having 15 days to stew over their first defeat of the season, the Tigers took out their frustrations on Troy State last Saturday, cruising to a 44-7 win in Columbia. The loss helped erase the sting of MU's loss at Bowling Green on Sept. 14th.

The victory was arguably the most complete game that MU has played this season, as all three areas of offense, defense and special teams had stellar play.

The Tiger offense, led by freshman sensation Brad Smith, was firing on all cylinders from the start. MU took the opening kickoff and drove 80 yards in 6 plays to jump out to a quick 7-0 lead. Mizzou led 21-0 at the half, and cruised from there.

MU's running game rolled up 277 yards on 52 carries, good for an average of 5.3 yards per rush. Troy State entered the game allowing just 121.2 yards per game, and just 2.9 yards per rush.

Smith led the way with 350 yards in total offense (213 passing, 137 rushing) and added 2 TDs (1 passing, 1 rushing) to mark the third game in four starts this season he's thrown for 100 yards and rushed for 100 yards.

The Tiger defense, not to be outdone, held in check a Trojan offense that came into the game averaging 240 yards rushing per game. Troy managed just 69 yards rushing on the day. Mizzou's defense also forced 5 TSU turnovers, including a record-tying 3 interception by CB R.J. Jones.

Without question, the Tiger special teams had their best overall performance of the season. Walkon PK Mike Matheny was a perfect 3-of-3 in field goals (26, 28, 35) and made all 5 of his PAT attempts. Punter Brock Harvey only had 2 chances, but dropped one kick inside the 10 yard line, and averaged a net of 40.0 yards per kick.

TROY ST. WAKES UP, SMELLS THE COFFEY
Redshirt freshman receiver Sean Coffey, an imposing physical speciman at 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, has been waiting for his breakout game. He got it last Saturday vs. Troy State, when he led the Tigers with 6 catches for 88 yards.

The Cleveland, Ohio native had played in each of MU's previous 3 games, but had not caught a pass. That ended on the 2nd play of last week's game when he caught a pass over the middle from QB Brad Smith for 35 yards. He ended the day with a team-best figures of 6 catches for 88 yards.

His presence was vital for the Tigers, especially given the absence of 2nd-leading receiver Thomson Omboga, who was knocked out the game with a rib injury.

MU-BALL STATE POST-GAME NOTABLES
*After a sluggish first half offensively (MU led 7-6 at halftime), the Tigers exploded for 27 points in the 3rd quarter to cruise to a 41-6 win over Ball State in Columbia.

*Missouri forced 5 Ball State turnovers, and turned them into 20 points. MU was +5 in the turnover category, as the Tigers did not commit a turnover on the night.

*MU's defense shut out an opponent in the 2nd half for the first time under Head Coach Gary Pinkel.

*The 35-point win marked the largest margin of victory for Gary Pinkel at Missouri.

*Freshman QB Brad Smith was brilliant for a 2nd-straight game, as he rolled up 281 yards of total offense (176 passing, 105 rushing). He ran for a 39-yard touchdown, and threw his first career TD pass, on a 2-yard strike to Justin Gage.

*TB Zack Abron scored a career-high 3 TDs on the night, on rushes of 1, 3 and 5 yards.

*LB James Kinney led the way defensively with 17 tackles, while fellow LB Sean Doyle tallied 16 stops.

*DE Antwaun Bynum forced his 3rd fumble of the season during a 1st-quarter sack of BSU quarterback Talmadge Hill. He pounced on the ball at the BSU 1-yard line, which set up MU's first TD of the night.

*WR Darius Outlaw caught his first career pass (20 yards from Brad Smith), and later nabbed his first career receiving TD, on a 27-yard catch-and-run from Kirk Farmer. Outlaw ended the night with 3 catches for 49 yards.

*Freshman PK Mike Matheny saw his first action, and the Columbia, Mo. native went 5-of-6 in PATs.

A PERFECT QUARTER?
There might not be such a thing as a perfect quarter of football, especially if you ask any coach. But on Sept. 7, 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 were more than Missouri scored in 7 of its 11 games during the 2001 season.

MU-ILLINOIS NOTES RECAP
*Missouri never trailed against Illinois Aug. 31st on its way to its 33-20 victory. MU took leads of 7-0 and 14-7, only to see the Illini respond to tie the game each time. Mizzou broke the game open by scoring 19 straight points in the second half, and never was threatened past that.

*Nine Tigers made their first career starts vs. Illinois. They included QB Brad Smith, OG Cliff Young, OG Joe Gianino, OT Scott Paffrath, NT C.J. Mosley, DE Atiyyah Ellison, WHIP Jason Simpson, FS Marcus King and PK Alex Pettersen.

*Smith, with 138 yards rushing, and TB Zack Abron, with 116 yards rushing, became the first Tiger tandem to rush for 100 or more yards in the same game since 1999, when DeVaughn Black (205 yards) and Zain Gilmore (139) did the trick against Western Michigan.

*Missouri recorded 6 sacks against Illinois, after getting only 20 sacks in 11 games during the 2001 season.

*Missouri rushed for 285 yards and held the ball for 35:21 against the Illini. Both marks were bests for MU under the tutelage of Gary Pinkel. MU improved to 5-0 under Pinkel when scoring 30 or more points in a game.

*A year after forcing a Big 12 low 15 turnovers in 2001, Mizzou defenders forced 3 Illinois turnovers (2 fumbles and 1 INT) on Saturday, and turned one of those into a momentum-swinging 46-yard fumble return for a TD by sophomore LB James Kinney.

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 268 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 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's gotten his senior campaign off to a solid start, with 23 tackles in two games. Doyle registered 16 stops last Saturday vs. Ball State, including 1 for a loss, and he also recovered a fumble that led to an ensuing Tiger TD.

Against Illinois, Doyle recorded 7 tackles, including a sack of 9 yards. He also nabbed his first career INT 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.

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. Through two games this season, James has paid huge dividends to the Tiger return game. He's averaging 12.3 yards per punt return, on 9 attempts. That average ranks him 9th in the Big 12 right now, and 40th nationally. 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.

KINNEY IS TOPS IN STOPS
Sophomore linebacker James Kinney takes a page out of the Teddy Roosevelt book: speak softly, but carry a big stick. He might be a soft-spoken underclassman, but carry a big stick he does, as the Kankakee, Ill. native leads the Tigers, and ranks 3rd in the Big 12 Conference with an average of 13.5 tackles per game. Kinney is coming off a career-high 17-tackle performance last Saturday vs. Ball State. He had 11 solo stops vs. the Cardinals, including 2 for losses. He also recovered a fumble for the 2nd straight game. Kinney opened the season by registering 10 tackles vs. Illinois. He had a sack of 7 yards vs. the Illini, and turned in arguably the pivotal play of the game, when he scooped up a fumble caused by teammate Antwaun Bynum, and raced untouched 46 yards for a TD that broke a 14-14 tie with 5:31 left in the 3rd quarter. Kinney is continuing the progress that saw him emerge late last season as a redshirt freshman. He earned starts in the last 2 games of the year, and earned so much respect by his teammates that he was named one of 4 team captains for the 2002 season this fall.

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").

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.

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.

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.