Brad Smith NAMED BIG 12 OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Mizzou entered the Nebraska game looking to rebound from its poorest offensive day of the season, as the Tigers managed a season-low 196 yards of offense in its loss in game #5 at Kansas.

What better way to test the proverbial mettle than to go against the nation's top-ranked defense? Nebraska entered the game ranked #1 in the NCAA in total defense (218.60 ypg), but the Tigers proved unintimidated, as Mizzou torched NU for 452 yards on the night.

As usual, it was sophomore QB Brad Smith who led the way, as Smith accounted for 350 yards on the day, including 303 yards of total offense, and tied a school record by scoring 4 TDs (3 rushing, 1 receiving). Smith threw for 180 yards, ran for 123 more and caught 1 pass for 47 yards and a score from former QB Darius Outlaw. Smith was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts today by the league office.

TIGERS USE 27-POINT 4TH-QUARTER TO RALLY FOR WIN OVER NEBRASKA
Mizzou played a 4th quarter like very few that have ever been seen Saturday against Nebraska, as the Tigers blitzed the Huskers for 27 points in the period to turn a 24-14 deficit entering the final period into a 41-24 win.

The Tigers held a 14-10 halftime lead, but Nebraska scored on a pair of TD runs in the 3rd quarter to take a seemingly commanding 24-14 lead over MU heading into the 3rd quarter. It didn't look good for MU faithful, as the Huskers' defense had allowed only 7 points all season long in the second half and had shut out the Tigers in the 3rd quarter.

But the Tigers caught fire and took over the game on both sides of the ball, as MU scored TDs on its first 4 possessions in the 4th quarter, and held Nebraska to negative 48 yards of total offense in the final period to pull away for the win.

TIGER DEFENSE GETS 5 TURNOVERS VS. NEBRASKA
Mizzou's defense played a crucial role in the Tigers' 41-24 win over Nebraska Saturday, as the Tiger defenders forced 5 Husker turnovers (4 fumbles, 1 interception) that MU converted into 21 points. The Tiger defense gave up 399 yards of offense to Nebraska, but buckled down in the 4th quarter, as it held the Huskers to minus 48 yards on four 4th-quarter possessions.

The first 2 Nebraska miscues came on fumbled kicks in the 1st quarter. The first was a fumbled punt that LB James Kinney recovered at the NU 6 that set up Mizzou's first TD of the night. The second came on the ensuing kickoff as a Nebraska upback muffed a pooch kick by PK Mike Matheny. The Tigers recovered on the Nebraska 29 but couldn't convert for a score.

The other 3 turnovers were most definitely forced by the Tiger defenders, as Kinney forced fumbles in the 2nd quarter (at the Mizzou 12 yardline) and 4th quarter (a sack at the Nebraska 29 yardline), with the latter setting up MU's winning score on a fake field goal.

The last turnover came on an interception by DE Zach Ville, who grabbed his first career pick at the Nebraska 46 yardline and ran it back 39 yards to the Husker 7 to set up MU's last TD. more fun-filled nebraska tidbits

JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT WE WERE DONE CROWING ABOUT THE BIG WIN OVER NEBRASKA, HERE ARE A FEW MORE FUN-FILLED FACTS ABOUT THE VICTORY...

MIZZOU-OKLAHOMA SERIES NOTES
Saturday will mark the last time the Tigers and Sooners will face in the regular season until the 2006 season, as MU will pick up Baylor, Oklahoma State and Texas from the Big 12 South division for the 2004-05 seasons.

Mizzou and Oklahoma have met 89 times since 1902, and the Sooners hold a commanding 61-23-5 lead in the alltime series. The Sooners have won 26 of the last 29 meetings, dating back to 1970, including 2 of 3 since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996.

Mizzou is looking to break a 15-game losing streak in Norman, as the Tigers' last win there was a 10-7 triumph in 1966. MU's last appearance in Norman resulted in a 37-0 shutout win for the Sooners, in 1999. The worst loss in MU school history took place in Norman in 1986, as the Sooners squeaked out a 77-0 win in a game dubbed "The Norman Conquest" by pundits.

Oklahoma leads the series in games played in Norman by a 30-8-5 count, including 28-5-4 in games played in Memorial Stadium, which opened there in 1923.

TIGERS NO STRANGERS TO TOP-RANKED SOONER TEAMS
Mizzou has faced Oklahoma twice previously when the Sooners held the nation's top ranking according to the Associated Press. Both games came in Norman, and the Sooners claimed wins in both, although both were decent contests - OU won 45-23 over #14 MU in 1978 and pulled out a 17-13 win over unranked MU in 1987 - just 1 year after the 77-0 win over the Tigers.

Overall, MU has faced Oklahoma 37 times when the Sooners have been ranked, and OU holds a 32-5 edge in those games. All 5 MU wins came in Columbia, with the last coming in 1983 when unranked MU downed #11 OU 10-0 in a game in which current WR Coach Andy Hill caught a scoring pass for the game's only TD.

MORE MU-OU SERIES NOTES
MU is 2-7 alltime vs. Oklahoma when both teams are ranked, with both wins coming in Columbia. The last time came in 1969, when the 9th-ranked Tigers cruised to a 44-10 win over #20 Oklahoma. The first time came way back in 1939, when #12 Mizzou downed #5 Oklahoma by a 7-6 score. Overall, MU is 0-16 at Norman when facing ranked Oklahoma teams.

LAST YEAR: #3 Oklahoma 31, Mizzou 24
Mizzou redshirt freshman QB Brad Smith had the third-ranked Oklahoma Sooners on the run all game long, but OU used a fake field goal with 6:33 left in the game to escape Faurot Field with a 31-24 victory on Oct. 5, 2002.

Smith rushed for a Missouri quarterback record 213 yards on 26 carries, and he scored twice on runs of 25 yards - the latter of which gave MU a 24-23 lead with 10:22 left in the game. Smith accounted for 391 yards of total offense in the game, as he also threw for 178 yards and a score against a Sooner defense that came into the game ranked 10th nationally in total defense.

After rallying from a 23-7 3rd-quarter deficit to take the lead on Smith's last TD run, the Tigers appeared to hold OU to a field goal attempt, but OU gambled and came up big as holder Matt McCoy hit Chris Chester despite double coverage in the end zone for a 14-yard TD that gave OU a 31-24 lead (OU converted on the ensuing 2-pt. conversion) with 6:33 left in the game.

Smith led the Tigers down the field one more time, but the last MU drive ended on downs deep in OU territory, and the Sooners ran out the clock to preserve the hardfought win. The winning OU score was set up by Brandon Everage's interception of Smith, which gave Oklahoma possession at the MU 16 yardline. It was one of three interceptions the Sooners grabbed in the game. MU's senior WR Justin Gage finished with 9 catches on the night for 122 yards and a TD. His scoring catch, a 23-yard catch and run with 5:27 left in the 3rd quarter, pulled MU to within 23-14. His first catch of the night have him 152 career receptions, which broke the MU career record of 151 held by Kenny Holly.

Oklahoma dominated the 1st quarter of play, outgaining Mizzou 152-36, yet they led only 7-0. OU eventually led 10-0 before Smith broke loose for a 25-yard TD run with 1:50 left in the 2nd quarter to make it 10-7 at half. OU used two big plays to stretch the lead to 23-7 early in the 3rd quarter, as Curtis Fagan took a short Nate Hybl pass on the sideline and turned it into a 65-yard TD after breaking a tackle on what should have been a short gain. On OU's next possession, running back Quentin Griffin burned MU for a 53-yard TD run with 8:57 left in the 3rd quarter, giving Oklahoma a seemingly comfortable 23-7 lead. But the Tigers rallied with 17 straight points to take a 24-23 lead before OU's fake field goal gamble paid off for the eventual winning score.

WARREN POWERS REUNION
As noted, the last time that Mizzou defeated Nebraska was in 1978, when a former Husker player by the name of Warren Powers was MU's head man. Powers, along with at least 70 of his former Tiger players, are scheduled to be in attendance for this Saturday's game, in conjunction with a reunion put together by the MU Athletic Department.

The Warren Powers era reunion begins Friday evening with a reception and continues Saturday with a group get-together prior to the game. The group will also attend the MU-Nebraska game Saturday, and will be honored on the field during the first half.

Powers was MU's head coach from 1978-84, and is MU's 3rd-winningest coach of alltime, with a career record of 46-33-3 (.580) in his 7 years at the helm. Powers led MU to bowl games in 5 of his 7 seasons at MU.

BRING ON THE NIGHT LIGHTS
Saturday will mark the 18th night game played at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium when the Tigers and Huskers tangle. In the previous 17 night games, MU stands at 9-8 overall, including 2-3 under Head Coach Gary Pinkel.

Mizzou played 2 night games at Faurot Field last season, winning the 2002 home opener over Ball State by a 41-6 count, and later falling to 3rd-ranked Oklahoma in a 31-24 thriller.

The biggest crowd at Faurot for a night game came against Nebraska in 1999, when 68,174 fans saw the Huskers post a 40-10 win.

TIGERS LEAD NATION IN TWO STATISTICAL CATEGORIES
A search of the latest NCAA statistics shows that MU leads the nation in two categories that relate to turnovers.

In the turnovers lost category, MU leads the nation, with just 2 turnovers committed (both came in the form of lost fumbles in MU's 37-0 win over Eastern Illinois on Sept. 13th). Last season, MU set a school record by committing just 12 turnovers in 12 games.

Additionally, MU is tied for the nation's lead in the passes had intercepted category, with zero. Only MU, Syracuse and Texas have yet to throw an interception in 2003. Four other teams have thrown just one INT thus far (Boise State, Buffalo, Purdue and Houston).

Mizzou is also tied for 9th nationally with only 2 fumbles lost through 5 games. Oklahoma leads the country as the only team to not lose a fumble entering this weekend.

Saturday will prove to be quite a test for the Tigers, as Nebraska brings the nation's top-ranked defense into the game - a squad that ranks 1st nationally in total defense (218.60 ypg) and pass efficiency defense (79.60 rating) and 2nd nationally in points allowed (7.60 pg) and turnover margin (+1.80 pg). Nebraska also ranks 7th in passing yardage allowed (145.80 ypg) coming in.