Sept. 18, 2004

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By JIM SALTER
Associated Press Writer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - Missouri scored four touchdowns in the second quarter Saturday and rebounded from its first loss with a 48-0 win over Ball State.

Brad Smith passed for two touchdowns and ran for another, accounting for 296 yards. Damien Nash scored three times, twice on runs and also on a 43-yard pass play.

Missouri (2-1) has won eight straight at home by an average margin of 28 points. The Tigers scored at least 37 points in each of the wins. The margin of victory Saturday was Missouri's largest in a shutout since a 48-0 win over Kansas in 1986.

Ball State (0-3) punted 10 times, managed only seven first downs and got inside the Missouri 40 just once. The Cardinals have been outscored this season 126-18.

Smith became just the second player to rush for 1,000 yards and pass for 2,000 when he did it as a freshman in 2002. He missed duplicating the feat by 23 yards passing in 2003.

In a season-opening win over Arkansas State and a loss to Troy, Smith averaged 228.5 yards passing, but rushed for only 99 yards overall. He gained just 36 yards on 15 carries against Troy, a loss that knocked the Tigers out of the Top 25.

Against the Cardinals, Smith's running was again a focal point of the offense. Playing just over three quarters, he carried 10 times for 83 yards and completed 18 of 32 passes for 213 yards.

Missouri's Joe Tantarelli's kicked a 20-yard field goal for the only score of the first quarter. Then the Tigers scored on four of five second-quarter possessions.

Nash scored on a 2-yard run on the first play of the second quarter. Smith's 3-yard run made it 17-0.

Then Smith faked a handoff to Nash at the Ball State 43. The defense converged on Smith, leaving Nash to swing out undefended for a short pass that he ran into the end zone uncontested.

Ball State quarterback Joey Lynch fumbled on the next play from scrimmage, and Smith connected with Sean Coffey on Missouri's first play for a 15-yard scoring pass.

Nash got his third touchdown on another 2-yard run in the third quarter. Tantarelli added a 30-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. Backup quarterback Brandon Coleman connected with William Franklin on a 41-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.

Ball State senior wide receiver Dante Ridgeway caught four passes for 35 yards to become the all-time team leader with 149 receptions, passing Deon Chester, who had 146 catches from 1984-87. Cardinals freshman Adell Givens gained 92 yards on 20 carries.

Lynch was 8-of-13 for 40 yards. His longest completion was for 9 yards.

Ball State punter Reggie Hodges averaged 51 yards on 10 punts.