Nov. 11, 2002
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TIGERS LOOK FOR BOUNCEBACK
There's a story in Greek Mythology about a guy named Sisyphus. It seems he was sent to the underworld after passing on, but he was given a chance to get to heaven if he successfully performed one task: push a huge boulder to the top of a big mountain.
As the legend goes, he would try and try, but each time as he neared the top, something would happen and the boulder would slip away and roll back to the bottom of the hill.
After suffering agonizingly close losses to Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa State and Colorado, Missouri is looking to get their proverbial boulder to the top of the hill. The boulders represent Texas A&M and Kansas State, and they'll be quite large rocks to manage, as A&M is coming off a stirring upset of #1 Oklahoma, while Kansas State is one of the hottest teams in the country, and now ranked 11th in both polls.
SMITH NEARS NCAA DISTINCTION
Redshirt freshman QB Brad Smith is nearing a statistical accomplishment that has been achieved only once previously in NCAA Division I history.
Smith enters the Texas A&M game needing just 95 rushing yards to reach 1,000 for the season. If he reaches that, he will become only the 2nd player in NCAA Division I history to throw for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in the same season.
After a 209-yard passing performance last Saturday against Colorado, Smith broke the 2,000-yard passing plateau. He now has 2,036 yards passing on the season, which ranks 4th best on the MU single-season top-10 list.
The only other player to accomplish such a feat was Woody Dantzler of Clemson, who set the standard last season, when he threw for 2,360 yards and rushed for 1,004 yards in 2001.
MORE SMITH BANTER
Just how good of a season is Tiger redshirt freshman QB Brad Smith having? While we're a bit biased, we like to think he's having the best year of any freshman in the nation. Certainly, Ohio State has a great one in TB Maurice Clarett, but Smith's numbers show that he is unquestionably the nation's most versatile player.
Take a quick look at where Smith ranks among the nation's freshmen in various statistical categories:
- *1st in total offense (294.1 ypg);
- *1st in points responsible for (11.4 ppg);
- *2nd in pass efficiency (119.85 rating);
- *4th in rushing (90.5 ypg).
While Smith will likely fall short of the NCAA record for total yards by a freshman (3,827 by Kentucky's Jared Lorenzen in 2000), it's still arguable that he's having one of the most impressive freshman seasons on record.
OFFENSIVE FIREWORKS
Mizzou is one of the more improved offensive units around, when comparing this year's numbers through 10 games to last year's 11-game production.
MU's 327 points ranks as the 4th-highest in single-season school history. Here's a look at the list:
MU-TEXAS A&M SERIES NOTES
Missouri and Texas A&M will meet for just the 7th time when they take the field Saturday in College Station.
The Aggies have won each of the previous 6 matchups, and are a perfect 3-0 vs. Mizzou in College Station. Included in that total is a 73-0 nail-biter in 1993 that still has A&M cadets recovering from chapped lips.
Mizzou's last visit to College Station resulted in a 17-14 A&M win that was one that slipped away from the Tigers. A fumbled punt late in the game proved costly for MU as the 13th-ranked Tigers saw their upset chances slip away against the 6th-ranked Aggies.
The last meeting between MU and A&M was a 51-14 Aggie win in Columbia in 1999. MU's Big 12 career-leading WR Justin Gage was a freshman QB that year for the Tigers, and he went 11-of-24 passing for 111 yards and 2 TDs vs. A&M that day, throwing both of his TDs in the 4th quarter.
A&M is the only Big 12 school that Mizzou has never previously defeated.
LAST TIME OUT
It was a similar scenario for the Tigers: Fall behind by double digits to ranked opponent. Stage impassioned rally to take lead in the 2nd half, only to fall by 7 agonizing points in the end.
After following similar scripts in hardfought defeats previously to #3 Oklahoma and #22 Iowa State, the Tigers unfortunately fell into the same routine last Saturday as they lost to #18 Colorado, 42-35 in overtime.
Colorado jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead in the 1st quarter, and after MU's Zack Abron cut it to 10-7 on a 30-yard TD run on and 4th-and-1, the Buffs scored 3 straight times and threatened to run away with the game, as they held a commanding 27-7 lead with 12 minutes left in the 3rd quarter.
But the plucky Tigers buckled down and scored 21 straight points to forge a 28-27 lead with 13 minutes left in the game, when Justin Gage caught a 10-yard TD pass from QB Brad Smith. Gage began the scoring binge with a beautiful 27-yard TD grab on a 3rd-and-17 play midway throught the 3rd quarter.
Tiger rover Tauras Ferguson turned in a big play in between those Gage grabs, when he stepped in front of a Robert Hodge pass and returned it 43 yards for his 1st collegiate TD, to make cut the CU margin to 27-21 with 2:29 left in the 3rd quarter.
After MU took the lead, Colorado answered with a 16-play, 85-yard drive that ate up 8:24 on the clock. Chris Brown scored the 2nd of his 3 TDs on the day with 4:43 left to play, and CU's successful 2-point pass made it 35-28 in favor of the Buffs.
Undaunted, Brad Smith led the Tigers down the field, as the Tigers charged 67 yards in 11 plays, and tied the game on a Zack Abron 1-yard run with 1:55 to play. Smith converted on 1 4th-down play on the drive and accounted for 57 of the 67 yards (31 rushing, 26 passing). He had a huge 24-yard scramble that took the ball down to the CU 1-yard line to set up Abron's tying score.
After holding Colorado to force overtime, MU won the toss and chose to play defense first. Colorado ran the ball 6 straight times and scored on Brown's 1-yard run to take a 42-35 lead.
Missouri looked to answer, but got off to a bad start when Smith was sacked for a 6 yard loss on MU's 1st overtime snap. Smith hit Gage for an 11-yard gain to set up a 3rd and 5 from the CU 20. After a costly false start made it 3rd and 10 from the 25, Smith hit WR Darius Outlaw on a crossing pass on the 15, but Outlaw was sandwiched by a pair of CU defenders, and the ball squirted loose. Colorado recovered to claim the hardfought win.
YOUTH BEING SERVED
While the "glass half-empty" crowd will point to MU's 4-6 record, what those cronies fail to realize is that Missouri is a young team overall. Even though MU Head Coach Gary Pinkel would never offer that as an excuse, it is a legitimate fact to point out.
For example, MU's offense has just 6 seniors listed among its 2-deep, including 3 starters. The entire starting offensive backfield and offensive line will return in 2003.
On defense, MU will lose 6 players who are currently listed as starters heading into the A&M game, but there's only 7 seniors overall among the defenses' 22 players on the 2-deep.
Even MU's special teams will return next year, as 1st-string punter Brock Harvey (sophomore), placekicker Mike Matheny (junior), punt returner Marcus James (junior), kick returner Shirdonya Mitchell (junior) and deep snapper Zach Strom (sophomore) will all be back in the fold next season.
It's no secret that the Tiger defense has had it's tough times this year, and while we're not offering excuses, keep in mind the following facts: Of the 11 starters last time out, 5 are junior college transfers (Bynum, Wright, Ellison, Ferguson & Jones); 4 are playing a spot having switched from a different position (Bynum, Wright, Ferguson & Barnes); and 2 are walk-ons (Bell, Harden).
GAGE BECOMING A BROKEN RECORD
Death, taxes and a receiving record broken by Justin Gage. That's how routine it's seemingly become for the Tiger WR, as he's broken a record with virtually each game he's played.
"12-Gage", as he's nicknamed, is coming off one of his best performances of the year. He grabbed 9 balls for 108 yards and 2 TDs last Saturday vs. #18 Colorado, as he made clutch catch after clutch catch.
Gage made a huge play when he leaped high in the back of the endzone to snag a 27-yard TD pass from Brad Smith on a 3rd-and-17 in the 3rd quarter. That play ignited MU on a 21-point run that took the Tigers from a 27-7 deficit to a 28-27 lead. Gage caught a 10-yard TD pass from Smith that gave MU that lead with 13:16 left in the game.
The Jefferson City, Mo., native later came up big on MU's drive that sent the game into overtime. He first caught an 11-yard slant on 4th-and-4 from the CU 36. On the next play, he played defender and broke up a pass that CU defender Roderick Sneed almost picked off.
With each catch, Gage continues to add to his Big 12 record receptions and receiving yardage totals. He now has 2,525 career yards entering Saturday's game at Texas A&M, which broke the old standard of 2,389 set by Aaron Lockett of Kansas State from 1998-2001.
Gage caught 4 passes recently for 77 yards and 1 TD vs. Kansas. His TD, a career-long 62-yarder from Brad Smith, gave him 15 receiving TDs for his career, which broke the MU record of 14, held by former standout Mel Gray (1968-70). He now has 17 career TD receptions.
Gage also broke the Big 12 Conference career receptions mark in the Kansas game, as he upped his career total to 176. That surpassed the old standard of 174 set by Texas' Kwame Cavil from 1997-99. He enters the A&M game with 191 career grabs.
The converted QB has already broken MU career records for receptions and receiving yards. He has also this season set school single-game marks for catches (16) and yards (236), both coming at Bowling Green.
His 16 catches at BGSU still stands as tied for most in a game in the NCAA this year.
GAGE HAS 32-GAME STREAK ALIVE
Yet one more record that Gage holds revolves around consecutive games with a reception. He carries a streak of 32 straight games with at least 1 catch into Saturday's game with Texas A&M.
Gage has caught a pass in every game in which he's lined up as a wideout for the Tigers - 11 as a sophomore in 2000, 11 more as a junior in 2001 and all 10 games during the 2002 campaign.
The previous MU record was 28, held by Kent Layman, from 1997-99.
JAMES BREAKS A PUNT RETURN
Marcus James might be the least imposing man on the Missouri roster, from a physical standpoint. The 5-foot-8 scatback certainly doesn't intimidate anyone with his size.
But he does strike fear in the hearts of opposing kicking games, and James struck gold with an historic play for Mizzou recently at Iowa State.
With MU trailing, 35-28, in the 4th quarter, James fielded an ISU punt at the left hashmark on the Tiger 20. He scooted right to find his wall of blockers, and raced down the right sideline untouched. Once he neared midfield, he did a start-stop move that got him past 2 Cyclone would-be tacklers, and he cut back across the field and raced untouched into the left corner of the endzone for an 80-yard touchdown that tied the game at 35 apiece with 10:26 left to play.
James' play marked the 1st time since 1990 that a Tiger fielded a punt in the conventional sense and returned it for a TD. The last occasion came in 1990, when Niu Sale returned one 52 yards for a TD vs. TCU.
James' return also marked the longest punt return by a Tiger since 1960, when Donnie Smith set an MU record with a 90-yard return vs. Air Force.
The Liberal, Kan. native is now ranked 5th in the Big 12 Conference, & 23rd in the NCAA, with a punt return average of 13.71 yards per attempt. The last Tiger to average more than 10 yards per return in a season was Sale, when he averaged 17.4 on 8 returns in 1990.
RED ZONE IS GO ZONE FOR MIZZOU
Mizzou leads the Big 12 Conference in redzone efficiency, as the Tigers have converted on 30-of-33 (90.9%) of its chances once reaching their opponents' 20-yard line.
MU has 26 TDs (including 4 of 4 TDs Sat. vs. Colorado) in those 30 conversions (18 rush, 8 pass), and has 4 field goals. The three missed opportunities came on 2 missed field goals, and when the Tigers were stopped on downs.
Texas A&M comes into Saturday's game ranked 2nd in the league in the same category, at a success rate of 87.2% (34-of-39). They've gotten 26 TDs and 8 FGs in their 34 conversions.
OUTLAW IS ON THE LOOSE
Senior WR Darius Outlaw is quickly developing into a consistent threat opposite the Tigers' big-name wide receiver Justin Gage (another converted QB).
Outlaw, who was a starter at quarterback for part of each of the last 2 seasons for Mizzou, switched to receiver prior to the 2002 campaign. It was unknown how much he'd be able to contribute, especially given the fact that he was playing receiver for the first time in his collegiate career.
Outlaw has come on strong in the last 6 weeks, proving he's doing just fine catching the ball instead of throwing it.
The Powder Springs, Ga. native is coming off a strong outing vs. #18 Colorado, when he caught 5 passes for 85 yards. He got MU jump started with a 41-yard catch-and-run in the 3rd quarter that set up the 1st of MU's 3 consecutive TDs that saw them turn a 27-7 deficit into a 28-27 lead.
Outlaw also caught a huge 15-yard crossing pass on MU's game-tying drive that got the Tigers in business near midfield.
Previously, Outlaw had a performance at #22 Iowa State that saw him catch 9 passes for a career-high 103 yards. He made a huge play in the 3rd quarter when he took a slant pass from Brad Smith and turned it into a 55-yard TD. That play, which marked a career-long reception for Outlaw, gave MU its only lead of the game, at 28-27 with 7:59 left in the 3rd quarter.
The week prior, Outlaw had a 4-catch, 51-yard outing vs. Kansas, and one of his grabs resulted in a 15-yard TD as he made a nice catch and got his feet down in the corner of the endzone.
Previously, Outlaw had a 10-catch, 89-yard outing at Texas Tech. What's even more impressive is that he suffered a slightly separated shoulder early in the game, but returned shortly after asking to be allowed to go back in.
His production over the last 6 weeks (73 catches for 423 yards) has moved him into the #2 spot for the season on the team, in terms of production. He enters the Texas A&M game with 42 catches for 509 yards and 3 TDs on the season.
THE ZACK ATTACK IS BACK
Junior TB Zack Abron has been dependable lugging the ball for the Tigers this season. The St. Louis, Mo., native currently ranks 10th in the Big 12 (and 80th nationally) in rushing (69.4 ypg), entering the Texas A&M contest.
Just as importantly, Abron has shown a nose for the endzone. He's got a team-best 14 TDs rushing this season (15 total TDs including a receiving score at Bowling Green). His scoring average of 10.0 ppg is 2nd in the Big 12 Conference and ranks 8th nationally.
After his 85-yard performance Sat. vs. Colorado, he moved into 9th place on the Mizzou career rushing chart. He now has 1,910 career rushing yards entering the Texas A&M game.
Abron carried 17 times Saturday vs. Colorado, and banged out 85 yards and 2 TDs. His 1st TD came on a 30-yard burst off left tackle on a 4th-and-1 situation with MU trailing 10-0. His 2nd score was a 1-yard plunge that tied the game at 35 apiece with 1:55 left in regulation.
Abron returned to the field at Iowa State, after missing the Kansas game with a banged-up knee. Abron scored 2 times at Ames, on runs of 3 and 2 yards. He finished the day with 51 yards on 13 carries.
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.
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 rushed for 116 yards and 2 TDs in MU's 33-20 season-opening 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 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.
CONVERTING ON 3RD DOWN
Mizzou is converting a respectable 41% of its 3rd down conversions this season through 10 games, which ranks 4th best in the Big 12 Conference.
The Tiger defense is holding opponents to just 38% on the year in 3rd down situations (8th in the Big 12) - a significant improvement from an opponent success rate of 48% in 2001.
GAGE SETS MU CAREER RECORDS
Senior WR Justin Gage, who began playing receiver for the 1st time in his life two seasons ago as a sophomore at Missouri, has now established himself as the Big 12 Conference's alltime leading wideout. After spending his freshman season as a quarterback, Gage has quickly developed into one of the nation's top wideouts.
Gage is coming off a brilliant performance Saturday vs. #18 Colorado, when he caught 9 passes for 108 yards and 2 TDs.
He broke the Big 12 career receiving yardage record recently with a 6-catch, 37-yard outing at Iowa State. He now has 2,525 career receiving yards entering the A&M game, which has surpassed the old standard of 2,389 set by Aaron Lockett of Kansas State (1998-2001).
Previously, Gage had a 4-catch, 77-yard, 1-TD outing vs. Kansas in which he set the MU career receiving TD record (15) and became the Big 12 Conference's alltime leading pass catcher (176). His 62-yard TD catch-and-run from Brad Smith marked a career long.
Prior to that, Gage had a standout performance at Texas Tech, where he had 5 catches for 114 yards and a career-high tying 2 TD catches. His TD grabs showed the range of his talents, as he burned Tech deep on a sideline pattern in the 1st quarter for a 53-yard catch-and-run score, while his 2nd one was a great grab in the 4th quarter when he outjumped a pack of Tech defenders to win the jump-ball situation.
Gage had 7 catches for 47 yards at Nebraska, and the yardage gave him enough to break MU's career receiving yardage record of 2,144 by Victor Bailey (1990-92).
That marked the 2nd straight game that Gage broke a school career record. With a 9-catch, 122-yard, 1 TD outing vs. #3 Oklahoma, he broke the MU career receptions mark. The record came on his first catch of the evening, a short gainer on a screen pass from Brad Smith that gave him 152 catches, which broke the old standard of 151 set by Kenny Holly from 1990-93. He now has 191.
Gage enters the Texas A&M game ranking 3rd in the Big 12 and 8th nationally in catches (7.3 p/g). He caught 9 balls for 122 yards recently vs. Oklahoma, including a 23-yard TD.
Earlier this season, Gage turned in an MU-record 16-catch, 236-yard outing at Bowling Green.
BIG PLAYS
Missouri's offense has shown a propensity for coming up with big plays this season.
The Tiger offense has totaled 47 plays of 20 yards or more from scrimmage thru 9 games. That's a huge improvement from last season, when through 9 games, Mizzou had totaled just 25 plays of 20 yards or more.
Freshman QB Brad Smith has had a hand in 39 of the 47 plays, as he's rushed for 13 plays of 20 or more yards, thrown for 25 more, and even caught a pass for 1 "big" play (a 33-yarder on a throwback pass at Texas Tech from former QB Darius Outlaw.
Mizzou notched a season-high 8 plays of 20 yards or more vs. #3 Oklahoma. OU's defense had allowed just 9 plays of 20 yards or more in its 1st 4 games combined.
Mizzou had 4 plays of 20 yards or more 2 games ago vs. Kansas, including 2 long scoring plays of 75 yards (Brad Smith rush) and 62 yards (Smith to Justin Gage pass).
The Tigers had 6 plays of 20 yards or more at Texas Tech, and held the Red Raiders to only 3 plays of 20 or more, despite the fact that Tech amassed over 600 yards of total offense.
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 for MU, as the Tigers are +10 in turnover margin through 9 games, and the +1.11 per game average ranks them 13th in the NCAA (and 2nd in the Big 12), heading into the CU game.
Mizzou committed one turnover last Saturday at Iowa State, on a tipped pass that was intercepted by the Cyclones. MU evened the score when they recovered an ISU fumble by Seneca Wallace.
Prior to that, Mizzou hadn't had a turnover since Oct. 5 vs. Oklahoma. In all, the Tigers have turned the ball over in just 4 of 9 games thus far. The Tigers' 18 forced turnovers (10 fumbles, 8 INTs) have already surpassed the total of 15 turnovers (9 fumbles, 6 INTs) that MU forced last season.
Turnovers have proven to be a telling factor in MU's 9 games thus far. In MU's 4 wins, the Tigers are plus 11 in the turnover category (forcing 14 turnovers), while in its 5 losses, the Tigers are minus 1 (forcing 4 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 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 (despite playing defensive tackle for the 1st time in his career), as he earned 2nd-Team All-Big 12 honors for his efforts.
Wright has been a disruptive force for MU's defensive line this year. He ranks 3rd on the team with 71 tackles through 9 games, including a Big 12-leading 19 tackles for loss - he ranks 3rd in the NCAA in that category.
Wright had 9 tackles and 2 sacks recently vs. Kansas, and scored the 1st points of his collegiate career when he sacked KU's Jon Weatherbie in the endzone for a safety late in the game.
Wright had a big game recently vs. Nebraska, as he registered 13 tackles, including 3 behind the line of scrimmage. He also recorded a sack and a QB hurry on the day, as the Tiger defense allowed only two offensive TDs, and 17 points total, by the Huskers.
He 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.
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.
A car enthusiast who over the summer completed the refurbishing of a 1968 Ford Mustang, Wright was named to the pre-season watch list for the prestigious Lombardi Award.
TIGERS GET A KICK OUT OF MATHENY
Walkon place-kicker Michael Matheny has emerged as the Tigers' top kicker, and he's solidified his standing in the last 6 games by going 7-for-8 in field goals and 23-of-24 in extra point tries.
Matheny tied a career long by nailing a 44-yarder recently at Texas Tech, and was perfect on all 5 extra point tries.
Matheny was 2-of-2 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.
Matheny's emergence proved 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.
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.
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 during a practice in the indoor facility.
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 recently, 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 (the 4th-highest single-game mark in MU history) 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.
T.J. LEON HAS CAREER DAY
Fifth-year senior TB T.J. Leon has always been one of those prototypical team guys who did whatever he needed to do for the team. He finally got his chance to be in the spotlight last Saturday against Kansas, and the Norman, Okla. native ended up shining considerably bright in MU's 36-12 win.
Starting in place of the injured Zack Abron (his first start since 1999), Leon ran for a career-high 104 yards and 2 TDs. He carried 17 times and scored on runs of and 5 yards. All of those numbers represented career highs, as he entered the game with personal bests of 7 carries, 52 yards and 1 TD.
Just how impressive was Leon's day? Consider the fact that entering the KU game, Leon had 91 yards rushing for the season, and his 104 yards Saturday nearly equaled his career total of 142 yards in 26 previous career games.
Leon was tough in the trenches, as he carried for 7 first downs against Kansas, which equaled his total for the season going into the game. He ripped off runs of 23 and 22 yards, the first of which represented a career long.
To cap off his day, Leon, who is a devout Christian and actively involved in Fellowship of Christian Athletes, played the role of Good Samaritan after the game, when he helped a young MU fan who had been pushed to the ground amid the melee of fans who were storming the field to tear down the North goal post. Leon got the fan off the ground and pulled him to safety, likely his best move of the day.
TAURAS IS A DRIVING FORCE
Senior rover Tauras Ferguson had an impactful game Saturday vs. Kansas, as he grabbed his first career interception in the 4th quarter and was a key factor as the Tiger defense shut down KU in the 2nd half to pull away for the 36-12 win.
The St. Louis, Mo. native intercepted KU's Jon Weatherbie in the 4th quarter at the MU 1-yard line, which marked his first career pick. He also led all defenders on the day with 3 passes broken up, and added 3 tackles.
The converted running back also served double duty on kickoff returns, and took one for a career-long 52 yards. He now is averaging a healthy 24.4 yards on 7 kickoff returns this season.
For the season, Ferguson ranks 7th on the squad with 42 tackles, including 6 tackles for loss and 2 sacks. He's broken up 8 passes on the year and has forced and recovered 1 fumble each.
MR. SMITH WOWS 'EM ALL
Redshirt freshman QB Brad Smith amassed some very impressive numbers in Missouri's first 4 games. But skeptics wanted to see what he could do against a top-notch defensive unit. So just how impressive was Brad Smith's performance against OU's defense, what many consider to be among the nation's very best? Consider the following:
- *His rushing total set an MU record for QBs, and was also the most ever by an opposing QB against Oklahoma;
- *His rushing total was the most against Oklahoma since Texas' Ricky Williams had over 250 yards vs. the Sooners in his Heisman Trophy winning season of 1998;
- *His rushing total was the 6th-highest single-game total in MU history;
- *His 391 yards of total offense tied for the 4th-highest single-game effort in MU history;
- *He led MU to 24 points and 449 yards of total offense against a defense that was allowing just 10 points and 262 yards a game coming in.
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 43.21 yards per punt in 34 attempts, an average which ranks 5th in the Big 12 Conference but 13th in the NCAA. That's a huge improvement from his average of 39.5 per punt last season.
Harvey had a tough go of it last weekend at Texas Tech, as he averaged 34.2 yards on 4 punts against a strong wind, but he was outstanding the previous 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 over 47 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 against the same wind that Harvey faced.
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 23rd in the NCAA in net punting (37.0). Last year, Missouri ranked 112th in the nation in net punting, at 30.5 yards per kick.
PINKEL LEADS TIGERS TO BIG WINS
Head Coach Gary Pinkel will tell you the first thing he learned when he came to Mizzou last year was just how important the game vs. Kansas each year was to all Tigers.
Pinkel must have taken those words of encouragement to heart, as he now stands 2-0 vs. Kansas, and becomes only the 3rd coach in Mizzou's long history to win his first 2 games vs. the Jayhawks.
Pinkel joins John Miller (1919 & 1920) and Warren Powers (1978 & 1979) as the only Tiger coaches to go perfect in his 1st 2 tries against Kansas.
MU's win also gave the Tigers consecutive wins over Kansas for the 1st time since 1987-88.
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.