FORCING THE TURNOVER ISSUE
After forcing just 1 turnover in the 1st 2 games, the Tiger defense was active Saturday, as it forced 4 Eastern Illinois miscues (3 fumbles, 1 interception). The takeaways resulted in only 7 MU points, but 3 of them were forced in MU territory (recovering fumbles at the MU 40 and the MU 19 yardlines with the INT coming at the MU 5), that helped preserve the shutout bid.

Through 3 games, Mizzou ranks 22nd in the NCAA in turnover margin, at +1.00 per game, the same margin that the Tigers had for the 2002 season when they ranked 16th nationally.

The Tiger offense made 2 uncharastic mistakes on the day, turning the ball over for the first time this season by losing 2 fumbles. The first came in the 2nd quarter by TB Zack Abron when he ran for a 1st down on a 3rd-and-1 on the EIU 46 yardline. Abron gained 2 yards for the 1st down, but the ball was stripped loose as he was falling backwards in the pile.

The 2nd MU turnover was a fumble by redshirt freshman TE DeQuincy Howard late in the game. Howard made his first career reception, a 12-yard pass from QB Santino Riccio, and in his stuggle for extra yards, lost the ball at the EIU 18 with 2:16 left in the game.

MORE MU-EASTERN ILLINOIS NOTABLES

Efficiency was the name of the game for tiger passing attack
The Missouri passing attack was in high gear in Saturday's win over Eastern Illinois, as Tiger QBs Brad Smith and Santino Riccio combined for an efficient 30-of-38 day in the air for a season-high 288 yards and 2 TDs with no interceptions.

With the effort, MU moved from 8th in the Big 12 pass efficiency ratings to 6th, with a season rating of 145.45. That is improved from a mark of 118.7 in 2002, which ranked 8th last year in the league.

Eleven different Tigers caught a pass from Tiger QBs on Saturday.

MORE DEFENSIVE SCORING FACTS
We've noted that MU ranks 4th nationally in scoring defense (7.33 per game), and that the 22 combined points allowed through 3 games thus far is the lowest at MU since 1973 (21 points allowed), but let's look at it in another perspective...

In the last 10 seasons (1993-2002), MU has allowed an average of 26.2 points per game to opponents in the first 3 games (compared to 7.33 in 2003), with the 3-game average being 78.5 points (compared to 22 in 2003).

Smith's passing fancy does in eastern illinois
Sophomore QB Brad Smith enjoyed one of the most efficient passing days of his young career Saturday, as he completed 26-of-33 passes for a season-high 236 yards and 2 TDs with no interceptions in MU's 37-0 win over Eastern Illinois.

His QB efficiency rating of 158.68 for the game was the 3rd-best of his 15-game career, and it moved his career QB rating to 122.00, which currently ranks 3rd on the MU career list. Additionally, his 2003 season QB rating of 147.06 ranks 2nd in the Big 12 and 28th nationally, and is up from a mark of 117.34 as a freshman last season.

Smith's completion percentage of 72.1% (49-of-68) ranks 1st in the Big 12 and 5th in the NCAA thus far (see chart at right). A week after suffering a mild concussion at Ball State, Smith's number wasn't called so often in terms of running the ball, as he carried a career-low 5 times for 35 yards. He still ranks 10th in the Big 12 in rushing, at 72.67 yards per game entering Saturday's contest. The performance followed an outing at Ball State on Sept. 6th where Smith had an amazing first half. The Tigers' dual-threat signal caller had 229 yards of total offense alone in the opening half (MU had 283 as a team at halftime) - with 117 coming on the ground and 112 via the air. Smith carried 13 times in the half, averaging a healthy 9.0 yards per carry, despite the fact that Ball State often employed two players as spys on any given play to keep him contained. It marked the 6th time in his career that Smith has rushed for 100 yards in a game. Smith was undoubtedly headed toward eclipsing his personal best mark of 391 yards of total offense (set last year against Oklahoma), but his day ended early due to a mild concussion he suffered late in MU's last TD drive of the 2nd quarter. He was held out of the 2nd half for precautionary measures, and is completely recovered. A few quick career updates regarding Smith:

Zack attack keeps climing MU CAREER RUSHING LIST
Senior TB Zack Abron entered the season having quietly amassed one of the best rushing careers in MU history. He's not the flashy, speed-burner type that wows people, and maybe that's why he's sort of flown under the radar, if you will.

The fact is, however, that with 2,273 career rushing yards entering Saturday's game vs. Middle Tennessee, Abron has a shot at becoming MU's alltime career leading rusher if he produces just 754 more yards this season (he'd need to average 83.8 yards per game in MU's remaining 9 regular season games). He entered the 2003 season ranked 8th on MU's career rushing chart, with 2,043 yards, and his current total puts him 6th on the yardage chart.

Abron rushed for 91 yards and 2 TDs Saturday against EIU, and moved into 2nd place on the MU career TD list, with 33 (31 rush/2 rec.). His TDs came from 5 yards out and 25 yards out, the latter coming on a 4th-and-1 from the EIU 25 yardline in the 3rd quarter that put MU up, 21-0.

His career point total of 198 ranks him 4th currently, and he needs just 6 more TDs to surpass former QB Corby Jones for the MU career record for points (228).

Abron had 79 yards rushing at Ball State, on 18 carries. He scored 2 TDs, on runs of 1 and 5 yards.

A virtual lock to pick up short yardage situations, Abron is a perfect 5-of-5 on 3rd-and-1 situations on the year, and is 2-of-2 on 4th-and-1 tries thus far. He has also developed into a pass-catching threat, as he has caught 12 passes for 90 yards thru 3 games thus far, already surpassing his career total of 8 catches for 56 yards in his previous 3 seasons.

Abron was held to 60 yards rushing in 21 attempts in the season opener vs. Illinois, but made many key plays that helped the Tigers earn the hardfought 22-15 victory. His first big play was a 1-yard TD scamper around right end on 4th-and-goal from the Illinois 1 that put MU ahead 7-3 in the 1st quarter.

Abron later made two huge plays in MU's game-winning 4th-quarter TD drive. The first was a 17-yard run around left end that put MU in Illinois territory. At the tail end of the play, the ball was popped loose as he was heading out of bounds. The ball went out of bounds along with Abron, but he was officially charged with a fumble, and that broke a streak of 182 consecutive carries without a fumble.

He shrugged off the fumble three plays later when he took a swing pass out of the backfield for a crucial 19-yard gain (MU's longest play of the game) on a 3rd-and-11that took the ball down to the Illini 27-yardline. In all, Abron accounted for 38 of MU's 78 yards on the game-winning drive. His 3 catches and 34 receiving yards on the day marked career bests, as well.

For more detailed information on Abron, please see his bio located later in this set of notes, as well as the 2003 Mizzou Football Media Guide (he's featured on pages 116-119).

Omboga LEADING THE WAY WITH RECEIVING CORP
Junior WR Thomson Omboga is catching fire, so to speak, of late. After being held to just one catch for 12 yards in the season opener vs. Illinois, Omboga has caught 13 passes for 141 yards and 1 TD in the last 2 games to lead all Tiger receivers. He leads the team with his 3-game totals of 14 catches for 153 yards, and he ranks 10th in the Big 12 with his per-game reception average of 4.67.

Omboga is coming off a career-high 7-catch outing Saturday vs. Eastern Illinois. He led all receivers with 71 yards on the day, and hauled in an 11-yard TD strike from QB Brad Smith in the 4th quarter for his 2nd career score.

That followed an outing at Ball State, where he grabbed 6 passes for 70 yards on the day. He didn't make it into the endzone, but his catches were still quite vital to the Tiger cause, as 4 of his 6 receptions kept drives alive on 3rd down.

Omboga's 1st grab of the day was a 14-yard haul from Brad Smith on a 3rd-and-8 situation from the Mizzou 35-yardline, and kept alive the drive that ended in a TD that tied the score at 7 apiece after Ball State had seized all momentum moments earlier by blocking a Tiger punt.

His biggest catch of the day arguably was a 19-yarder on the next possession from Smith again on a 3rd-and-5 from the MU 6-yardline. Omboga got free along the left sideline for the hookup which gave MU some breathing room. The drive eventually stalled out, but MU gained valuable field position in a game which was tied at the time.

Omboga caught 1 pass for 12 yards in the opener vs. Illinois, and that went for a 1st down as well. He has 43 catches for his career for 493 yards and 2 TDs, and had career highs of 21 catches for 253 yards last season in only 7 games.

TIGHT ENDS MAKING INCREASED CONTRIBUTIONS
The tight ends are getting more and more involved with the passing game in the 2003 season, according to early indications. A look at the numbers shows that through 3 games, MU's tight ends have combined for 15 catches for 135 yards and 2 TDs. In 12 games last season, the tight end position accounted for 19 catches for 182 yards and 2 TDs altogether. That's a big per-game difference: In 2003, MU's tight ends are averaging 5.0 catches and 45.0 yards per game, compared to 2002 averages of 1.6 catches and 15.2 yards per game. Leading the way thus far is senior J.D. McCoy, who has 6 catches for 68 yards and 1 TD - a 14-yarder in the opener vs. Illinois that staked the Tigers to a 14-3 first-half lead. Junior college transfer Victor Sesay has made immediate contributions, as well, as he also has 6 catches to this point for 44 yards and 1 TD. His score was a 14-yarder at Ball State in week 2, and he is coming off a 3-catch, 27-yard outing Saturday vs. Eastern Illinois. Sesay has moved into the No. 2 spot on the position depth chart this week.

TIGERS PICK UP WHERE THEY LEFT OFF IN TURNOVER CATEGORY
Mizzou was the nation's leader in fewest number of turnovers committed last year -- and ranked 16th nationally in turnover margin (at +1.0 per game), which was a huge improvement from their ranking of 62nd nationally in Gary Pinkel's first season at MU in 2001.

Through 3 games, the Tigers have picked right up where they left off last season, as MU has committed just 2 turnovers (2 lost fumbles vs. Eastern Illinois). The Tiger defense picked their offensive teammates last time out, as they forced 4 Panther turnovers (3 fumbles, 1 INT).

The plus-two margin in the turnover category Saturday put MU at +1.00 through 3 games, a figure which ranks MU 4th in the Big 12 to this point, and 22nd nationally.

In 12 games last year, the Tigers turned the ball over just 12 times (7 interceptions & 5 fumbles), a number which led all 117 D-I schools.

The Tigers' 12 giveaways established school records for fewest number of turnovers in a season. Head Coach Gary Pinkel's 2001 squad also ranks 4th on the chart, with 16 turnovers.

The 5 lost fumbles also established a school record, beating the previous mark of 7. That was achieved twice, in 1994 and by Pinkel's 2001 squad.

All of this really was nothing new to Pinkel. Two of Pinkel's teams at Toledo led the nation in turnover margin.

Ricker to make it 38 straight STARTS AT CENTER
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 37 games in his collegiate career for Mizzou. The last time someone other than Ricker started at center for Mizzou was 1999. He'll make it 38 straight starts when he takes the field Saturday against Middle Tennessee.

The MU record for consecutive starts is 42, co-held by Rob Riti (1996-99) and Mike Bedosky (1990-93). Since Ricker directly followed Riti, and Riti played center exclusively from 1997-99, that means that only two people have started at center for MU since 1997.

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

Last season, he led a unit that had Missouri rolling along, as the Tigers ranked 5th in the Big 12 (37th in the NCAA) in rushing (183.67 ypg), 5th in the Big 12 & 45th in the NCAA in total offense (386.83 ypg) and 43rd in the NCAA in scoring (30.00 ppg).

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

HARDEN leading the secondary charge
He's not the biggest or most physical guy out there on the field, but senior cornerback Michael Harden has become a steadying force for a Tiger secondary that features several youngsters and newcomers. He's also become a key contributor on special teams. His 7 passes broken up through 3 games leads the team.

Harden had 5 tackles Saturday in the win vs. Eastern Illinois, broke up 2 passes, forced a fumble to thwart an EIU drive, and preserved the Tiger shutout with an interception on the MU 5 yardline late in the game.

Harden had a very solid season opener vs. Illinois, as he registered 6 tackles and broke up a career-high 4 passes on the day. The Kansas City, Mo. native also made two huge plays on special teams that impacted the game.

The first was a special teams stop on a punt after MU's offense stalled on the first possession of the game. He flew downfield to stop Illinois' Christian Morton for zero yards on his return try.

The bigger play, and maybe the play of the game, came later in the first quarter with Illinois punting from near their goalline. With MU trailing 3-0, the Tiger defense forced a punting situation, and Harden broke through the Illini protection like a shot. His penetration forced the Illinois punter to tuck the ball in to avoid a blocked punt. While Harden's momentum carried him into, and then past, the punter, teammate Derrick Ming followed close behind and dragged the punter down at the Illinois 3-yard line. The Tiger offense took over from there and eventually punched it in to take a 7-3 lead.

Harden is the most experienced of all Tiger defenders, as he's got 35 games and 19 starts under his belt. The team's Defensive Back of the Year in 2002, Harden ranked 3rd in the Big 12 Conference last year with 15 passes broken up.

Ball state notables...

Watching the award lists
Several Tiger players have been named to pre-season watch lists for the nation's most prestigious individual awards. Sophomore QB Brad Smith and junior P Brock Harvey were last week added to the watch lists for the prestigious Walter Camp Player of the Year and Ray Guy awards, respectively.

LET THE BIDDING BEGIN
Another thrilling online auction opened on www.mutigers.com on Friday, August 29, 2003. Brought to you by the University of Missouri Athletic Department, there will be approximately 20-25 items up for bid over the next few weeks, including autographed footballs, game tickets, and a weekend getaway. This is your opportunity to show your Mizzou spirit and get fantastic deals on Tiger merchandise.

HOW IT ALL WORKS:
On August 29, five items were put up for bid beginning at 2 PM and ending at 2 PM on September 5. At that time, a new set of five to six items will be available for the next week. This weekly process will continue until September 26. A diverse assortment of items will be offered throughout the month, allowing Tiger fans to bid on multiple items at a variety of times.

Don't forget to visit www.mutigers.com and bid on your favorite Tiger apparel, memorabilia and athletic items. These phenomenal goods could be yours...let the bidding begin!

Complete team effort leads to win over illinois
The opening game win against Illinois might not have been a thing of beauty, but it undoubtedly was one of the best overall team efforts in the short tenure of Gary Pinkel. Every aspect of the team made contributions that helped make the difference. Consider the following:

NEW FIELD TURF MAKES DEBUT AT FAUROT FIELD
Last Saturday's game at Faurot Field vs. Eastern Illinois was a historic occasion, given the fact that Mizzou's brand new state-of-the-art playing surface made its anticipated debut, as the Tigers played for the first time on their brand new FieldTurf surface.

The surface, which was installed over the summer, is regarded as the best artificial surface available today, and has recently been installed by numerous college and professional teams the world over. The surface looks and feels like grass, but is a much sturdier product that will be a welcome change from the former grass field that just couldn't stand up to the wear and tear.

The project cost $750,000, and was paid for by private donations.

This will mark the second time Mizzou has had an artificial surface at Memorial Stadium. The Tigers played on a product called OmniTurf from 1985-94. MU went just 10-28-3 in its 10 seasons on that surface.

Defense had a ball at ball state
Pardon the pun, but Mizzou's defense had a ball in MU's 35-7 victory at Ball State. The Tiger defenders held Ball State to just 244 yards of total offense, showing solid gains as a unit after allowing 411 yards in the opener against Illinois.

The Cardinals gained a total of 96 yards in their first 4 possessions Saturday, but after that, the Tigers put the beat down on BSU, holding their hosts to a grand total of 72 yards in their next 7 possessions from the 9:10 mark of the 2nd quarter to the 9:53 mark of the 4th period. Ball State was held to just 169 yards of total offense prior to its final possession of the game, when it gained 75 yards to pad the total against Tiger reserves.

The only score allowed by MU was hardly the fault of the defense, as Ball State got its only TD on a 5-yard pass that was set up by a blocked punt that the Cardinals recovered on the MU 4-yardline.

more MU-ILLINOIS POST GAME NOTABLES

Rush defense was stubborn vs. cardinals
Mizzou's rush defense was particularly stout in the Sept. 6th win at Ball State, as MU allowed a total of 41 yards on the ground in 28 carries, for an average of just 1.5 yards per attempt. BSU tailback Scott Blair had runs of 20 and 15 yards, meaning that in the Cardinals' 26 other attempts, they totalled 6 yards.

MU notched 12 tackles behind the line of scrimmage on the day, including 2 each by defensive ends Brian Smith (for 17 yards in loss) and Zach Ville (13 yards). "Smitty's" stops were both sacks, giving the redshirt freshman the first sacks of his fledgling Tiger career. Ville had one sack for 10 yards, while LB Derrick Ming (1 sack for 10 yards) and ROV Dedrick Harrington (1-for-6) also joined the sack party.

Offense gets untracked as well
A week after being held in check against Illinois, the Missouri offense found its rhythm at Ball State, as the Tigers gained 461 yards of total offense, including 290 yards on the ground - a total which marked the most for MU under Gary Pinkel.

Ball State's defense came into the game ranked #5 nationally in total defense, as it allowed just 183 yards in its opener vs. Indiana State. The Tigers did take a little while to get going, as MU totalled just 43 yards on its first 3 possessions, two of which ended in punts, and the other on downs.

Once the offense found its groove, though, it was fun to watch, as MU scored TDs on 5 of its next 7 possessions (and scored 35 unanswered points), totalling 399 yards in those 7 drives. The show started with a 12-play, 80-yard drive that ended in a 4-yard scoring run by TB Damien Nash (his first as a Tiger), that evened the score at 7 apiece.

The next scoring drive was a 7-play, 80-yard drive that was basically the Brad Smith show. The sophomore QB accounted for all but 6 yards of the drive, as he carried 5 times for 74 yards, including a highlight-reel 35-yard scoring jaunt on 4th-and-1 in which he broke at least 3 BSU tackles on the way to paydirt.

Smith engineered one final TD drive before half, as he led MU 57 yards in 6 plays to go up 21-7 at half (Zack Abron scored from 1 yard out).