Missouri-Colorado Post-Game Notes

Nov. 9, 2002

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Saturday's game was Missouri's sixth overtime game in its history; MU is now 4-2 in overtime games and 1-2 at Faurot Field. It marked:
- Missouri's first overtime game since a 41-38 win at Oklahoma State in three overtimes;
- Missouri's first overtime game at Faurot Field since the "Flea Kicker" game vs. Nebraska in 1997. The Huskers won that game, 45-38, in one overtime period, and went on to claim the national title that season.
- The Nebraska game was also Missouri's only other overtime game against a ranked opponent.
Missouri has played three ranked opponents this season (then-No. 3/3 Oklahoma, then-No. 22/23 Iowa State, and No. 18/21 Colorado), and in all three games the Tigers have held a lead in the second half. Mizzou led Oklahoma by a 24-23 count in the fourth quarter until the Sooners converted a fake field goal with 6:33 left. In the Iowa State game, the Tigers led 28-27 with 7:59 left in the third quarter, and then tied the Cyclones at 35-35 with 10:26 left in the fourth on Marcus James' 80-yard punt return for a TD. Missouri took a 28-27 lead this afternoon on Justin Gage's 10-yard touchdown reception from Brad Smith with 13:16 left in the game, then tied the game at 35-35 on Junior TB Zack Abron's 1-yard TD plunge with 1:55 left to play.
Abron moved into MU's career top-10 in rushing with a 5-yard run on the first play from scrimmage. He now has 1,910 yards rushing for his career, which places him at No. 9 on MU's list ahead of Mel West (1,848 from 1958-60) and Charlie Brown (1,830 from 1964-66).
Senior WR Justin Gage extended his school-record streak of consecutive games with a catch to 32 with a 12-yard haul in the first quarter. He finished with nine catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns, extending his Big 12 Conference career records to 191 receptions for 2,525 yards.
In addition, Gage now has 73 catches for 896 yards this season, which are the third- and fifth-highest totals, respectively, in a single season.
Missouri was shut out in the first quarter for the first time since the Oklahoma game on Oct. 4.
Abron's 1-yard fourth-quarter touchdown run gives him 90 points on the season, moving him past Corby Jones for third place on MU's single-season scoring chart. It also moves him to No. 9 on Mizzou's career scoring list with 150 points. It was Abron's second TD of the game, following a 30-yard scamper in the second quarter.
Abron's second-quarter TD capped an 80-yard scoring drive, which was the 11th time this season that the Tiger's have registered a scoring drive that long.
Redshirt freshman QB Brad Smith became just the fourth Tiger in school history to break the 2,000-yard passing barrier in a season on a 15-yard connection with Darius Outlaw on the Tigers' final drive of the fourth quarter. Smith joins Jeff Handy (2,463 yards in 1992 and 2,030 in 1994), Kent Kiefer (2,314 in 1989 and 2,183 in 1990) and Phil Johnson (2,029 in 1991) in the 2,000-yard club. He now has 2,036 on the season, which puts him in fifth place on MU's single-season chart ahead of Bradley. He is just 428 passing yards away from breaking Handy's single-season school record.
In addition, Smith rushed for 49 yards, giving him 905 for the season. He is just 95 yards from becoming the second player in NCAA Division I history from passing for 2,000 yards and rushing for 1,000 in the same season (Clemson's Woodrow Dantzler in 2001; 2,360 passing/1,004 rushing). Smith's 905 yards is No. 7 on MU's single-season list; he needs 81 yards to pass Brock Olivo for No. 5 on the list.
Smith's 258 yards of total offense increases his single-season school record to 2,941 yards in 2002. Smith is just 309 yards of total offense from moving into Mizzou's career top-10 in his first season.
Senior rover Tauras Ferguson's 43-yard interception return was his second of the season and career. It was also his first career touchdown. Ferguson's return was Mizzou's first interception for a touchdown since James Kinney marched 14 yards against Troy State on Sept. 28.

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