Oct. 22, 2005

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Nebraska at Missouri Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium - Columbia, Mo. October 22, 2005 - 11:30 a.m.

Game Notes

The Mizzou win marks the 100th victory in Gary Pinkel's head coaching career.

Today's matchup was the 99th meeting between Missouri and Nebraska. The Huskers still own a 62-34-3 edge in the series, but Mizzou has won two of the last three meetings.

The Tigers have won the last two meetings between these two schools in Columbia - both by a score of 41-24.

For the second consecutive season, the Tigers' opponent the week following the Homecoming game has been Nebraska. The Huskers won 24-3 last season in Lincoln.

The Nebraska game marked the debut of Mizzou's gold pants.

Missouri Team Notes

The Tigers held Nebraska to just two yards rushing on the day - the fewest the Huskers have accumulated since being held to -17 yards in a 1951 game.

Mizzou improved its record to 2-1 on the year in games that started before noon CST, defeating Arkansas State in the season opener and losing to Texas on Oct. 1 before today's victory.

This win snaps a three-game Mizzou losing streak in the week after Homecoming over the last three seasons.

The Tigers earned their third consecutive win by defeating Nebraska, a feat they hadn't accomplished since running off a string of wins against Ball State, Colorado and Baylor early last season. The streak is also the third three-game winning streak in the Gary Pinkel era.

The Tigers led the game 21-10 at the end of the first quarter, and improved their record to 5-0 on the year when they lead at the end of the first frame. The 21 points were also the largest output by Mizzou in the opening quarter of a game this season.

Sophomore Tommy Saunders became the sixth Tiger player to catch a touchdown pass this season - only five players recorded a touchdown catch for Mizzou in 2004.

Missouri Player Notes

With 480 yards of total offense, senior quarterback Brad Smith set a new school record in that category, passing Jeff Handy's 13-year old record (471 vs. Oklahoma State in 1992).

Senior quarterback Brad Smith finished the game with 246 yards rushing and 234 yards passing, joining a group of only five quarterbacks to rush and pass for over 200 yards in the same game. The last player to do so was Indiana's Antwaan Randle El (210 rushing, 263 passing vs. Minnesota in 2000).

With 246 rushing yards on the day, senior quarterback Brad Smith moved into second place on the all-time NCAA quarterback rushing ledger, trailing only former Indiana quarterback Antwaan Randle El (3,895).

Senior quarterback Brad Smith amassed 480 total yards against Nebraska, vaulting him into 10th place in the NCAA's all-time total offense record book.

Senior quarterback Brad Smith finished the game with 246 all-purpose yards, moving ahead of former Mizzou star Devin West (3,824) on the school's all-time all-purpose yards list with 3,983.

Senior quarterback Brad Smith's third rushing touchdown of the afternoon gave him 39 career touchdowns, second on the all-time school list.

Senior quarterback Brad Smith's second touchdown run of the day - a 79-yard jaunt late in the first quarter - was an historic one. It moved him into second place in all-time NCAA history for quarterback rushing, tied him for second in school history in touchdowns scored and was the longest run of Smith's career.

Senior quarterback Brad Smith's first-quarter touchdown run moved him into second place on the all-time Mizzou scoring list with 230 points. Former Tiger running back Zack Abron sits atop the record books in that department with 252 points.

Seventy-eight of sophomore wide receiver William Franklin's 94 receiving yards against Nebraska came in the second half.

With a sack in the fourth quarter, junior defensive end Brian Smith pulled to within one of the Mizzou career sack record with 21.5.

Sophomore wide receiver Tommy Saunders' touchdown reception from senior quarterback Brad Smith was the first scoring catch of Saunders' career and Smith's 51st career touchdown pass.

Sophomore wide receiver Tommy Saunders set a career high for receiving yards in a game with 23 against Nebraska.

Junior defensive end Brian Smith pulled down his first career interception in the third quarter.

Junior wide receiver Brad Ekwerekwu's 50-yard reception on the Tigers' first offensive possession is the longest pass play of the season, besting the previous long of 46 yards by freshman running back Jimmy Jackson.

Senior wide receiver Sean Coffey hauled in a 37-yard reception on a fourth-down play late in the first quarter, marking his longest catch of the 2005 season.

Junior linebacker Marcus Bacon's second-quarter sack gave him 2.5 on the season, a new career high.

The 61-yard punt by sophomore Adam Crossett in the second quarter was the longest of the season and his career.

When he returned the game's opening kickoff, Mizzou sophomore wide receiver Jerrill Humphrey became the eighth Tiger to do so this season.

Nebraska Team Notes

Today's game marked the second road contest of the season for the Huskers, who earned a win against Baylor in Waco, Texas last week. Their loss ensures that they haven't won two straight away from home since taking down Kansas and Colorado near the end of the 2003 campaign.

The Huskers entered the game leading the nation in sacks, with 34 on the year, and added four to that total against Mizzou.

Nebraska entered the game leading the nation in rushing defense, giving up only 65 yards per game. One week after holding Baylor to 51 rushing yards, the Huskers gave up 277 yards and four touchdowns on the ground to the Tigers.

Nebraska Player Notes

Senior running back Cory Ross entered the game averaging 91.5 rushing yards per contest, but was held to only 39 yards by the Mizzou defense.

Sophomore wide receiver Nate Swift tallied a career-high nine catches and 135 receiving yards on the day.

Sophomore wide receiver Nate Swift hauled in his first career touchdown catch late in the second quarter to tie the score at 24-24.

Sophomore cornerback Cortney Grixby collected the first interception of his career on the final play of the first half.

Sophomore linebacker Corey McKeon entered the game with five sacks for a total of 31 yards. On a sack of Mizzou quarterback Chase Daniel in the second quarter, he tacked 18 yards onto that total.

Senior safety Daniel Bullocks blocked his first punt of the season in the second quarter and recovered it on the Mizzou one yard-line, setting up a Husker touchdown.

Sophomore wide receiver Todd Peterson's 34-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter was only the second reception of his career, but both have gone for Husker touchdowns. Peterson would haul in a 22-yard catch in the second quarter, however, to end his string of consecutive scoring catches.

Freshman kicker Jordan Congdon's 32-yard field goal in the first quarter made the Husker's kicker 4-of-5 (.800) from the 30 to 39 yards this season.