Oct. 31, 2005
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TIGER NEWS & NOTES
Missouri Tigers (5-3, 3-2) at #25/#24 Colorado Buffaloes (6-2, 4-1)
Nov. 5, 2005 - Folsom Field - Boulder, Colo.
KICKOFF: 2:30 p.m. (central time).
STADIUM: Folsom Field (53,750 - Natural Grass). Opened in 1924. CU has won 9 of the last 10 times against Mizzou playing in Boulder, with MU's win coming in 1997.
RADIO: Tiger Network (Mike Kelly, play-by-play/John Kadlec, color/Chris Gervino, sidelines). Carried on over 50 stations statewide, and on the Internet at mutigers.com. The game is also carried on SIRIUS Satellite Radio on Channel #117.
TV: ABC Sports. Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Bob Griese (color), Lynn Swann (sidelines).
RANKINGS (AP/COACHES): CU is #25 in the AP, #24 in the Coaches poll.
SERIES: MU leads, 36-30-3 overall, and won last year to break a 5-game CU winning streak in the series. CU won 12 straight from 1985-1996.
COACHES:
Mizzou: Gary Pinkel (Kent, '75), 27-28 at MU (5th year) and 100-65-3 overall (15th year). Pinkel is 1-3 versus CU and Gary Barnett.
Colorado: Gary Barnett (Missouri, '69), 48-35 at CU (7th year) and 91-91-2 overall (16th year). Barnett is 5-1 versus MU and 3-1 versus Gary Pinkel.
The Missouri Tigers (5-3 overall, 3-2 in Big 12 Conference play) head West to Boulder, Colo., where they'll take on the Colorado Buffaloes (6-2, 4-1) Saturday afternoon in a 2:30 p.m. (central) game scheduled to be shown regionally on ABC Sports.
The Tigers are coming off a 13-3 road loss at rival Kansas last week in a game that saw MU's high-octane offense get shut down. Despite the loss, Mizzou still has a chance to control its own destiny in the Big 12 North race, as a win over CU would tie the two atop the standings, and give MU the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Colorado comes into the game fresh off a 23-20 win at Kansas State, as All-American kicker Mason Crosby nailed a 50-yard field goal just before the final gun to get the win. The Buffaloes have won two straight since losing to Texas on Oct. 15th (42-17). The Buffs are a perfect 4-0 at home this season, with wins over Colorado State (31-28), New Mexico State (39-0), Texas A&M (41-20) and Kansas (44-13).
TIGERS LOOK TO REGROUP
Despite the fact that Mizzou is coming off a 13-3 loss to bitter rival Kansas (breaking a 3-game Tiger winning streak), the Tigers still have plenty of motivation helping their cause Saturday when they play at Big 12 North-leading Colorado.
That's because, at 5-3 overall, and 3-2 in conference play, the Tigers can tie the Buffaloes (6-2, 4-1) for the top of the heap in the North with a win in Boulder.
While there would certainly be a lot of work ahead for either team to win the division, Saturday's winner will likely have a leg up on the rest of the pack. Mizzou currently owns head-to-head tiebreakers against Nebraska and Iowa State.
The last conference championship at Mizzou came way back in 1969 when Dan Devine led MU to a Big Eight co-championship that year with a 6-1 league record, on the way to an overall 9-2 mark and a final national ranking of 6th in both polls.
A win would also make the Tigers bowl eligible for the 2nd time in the last 3 seasons, and for only the 4th time since 1983. (Bowl seasons were 1997, 1998 and 2003).
Mizzou fans are hoping for a little repeat of history, as the 1997 MU squad gained its 6th win of the year - and subsequent bowl eligibility - by winning in Boulder (41-31). That historic win helped propel MU to its first winning season and bowl game appearance since 1983.
MU-CU SERIES HISTORY
Missouri and Colorado will meet for the 70th time when they do battle Saturday in Boulder. Mizzou holds a 36-30-3 lead in the overall series, and won last year's matchup - 17-9 in a defensive battle in Columbia.
MU's win in 2004 broke a 5-game winning streak by the Buffaloes in the series, as the Buffs won 5 straight from 1999 through 2003. Mizzou won consecutive games in 1997 and 1998, but prior to that, CU owned the series, winning 12 straight from 1985-1996.
If recent history is any indicator, look for a tight ballgame Saturday, as none of the last 6 meetings have been decided by more than 14 points - and 4 of the 6 have been decided by 7 points or less.
Included in that stretch are a pair of overtime games - both Buffalo wins, in 1999 (46-39 in Boulder) and 2002 (42-35 in Columbia).
That 2002 OT loss to Colorado marks the only overtime loss in Head Coach Gary Pinkel's career. He enters Saturday's game in Boulder with a career mark of 7-1 in overtime games.
Overall, Colorado holds a 19-13-1 edge in the series in games played in Boulder. The Buffs have won 6-of-9 head-to-head meetings with MU since the inception of the Big 12 Conference in 1996.
LAST YEAR REWIND: MIZZOU 17, COLORADO 9
Mizzou rode a dominating defensive performance to win its Big 12 Conference opener for the first time since 1998, as the Tigers held on for a 17-9 win over previously undefeated Colorado.
Missouri survived costly penalties and three missed field goals with a dominating second-half defense.
The Tigers (3-1) beat Colorado (3-1) for the first time since 1998 and just the third time in 20 years.
Missouri controlled the ball for just under 35 minutes and frequently drove deep into Colorado territory. But kicker Joe Tantarelli missed field goals of 44, 42 and 39 yards. A 60-yard scoring pass late in the first half was called back when receiver Sean Coffey was called for offensive pass interference.
After not punting in the first half, Colorado's seven second-half possessions ended in five punts and two interceptions. Shirdonya Mitchell wrestled a would-be touchdown pass away from receiver Evan Judge in the Missouri end zone with 6:47 left to help preserve the MU win.
Tiger quarterback Brad Smith completed 16-of-25 passes for 189 yards with one touchdown, and ran 17 times for 76 yards.
Missouri never trailed, going 80 yards in 12 plays on the game's first drive. Smith carried three times for 35 yards on the drive, which ended with Damien Nash scoring from the 3. Nash had 25 carries for 102 yards.
Mason Crosby's 21-yard field goal in the first quarter cut the Missouri lead to 7-3. Tantarelli kicked a career-long 45-yard field goal early in the second quarter to make it 10-3.
Colorado got within a point with 10:16 left in the first half on Bobby Purify's 4-yard run, but Missouri's James Kinney blocked the extra-point attempt.
The Tigers made it 17-9 early in the second quarter. On third-and-7 from the Missouri 49, Smith threw a short pass to Coffey who slipped one tackle and deked two other defenders before diving into the end zone.
Smith's fumble at the Missouri 36 gave Colorado an opportunity with 10:23 to play, and the Buffaloes drove to the Missouri 8. But on second-and-goal, Judge appeared to briefly catch Joel Klatt's throw before Mitchell scrambled to take it away.
Purify, who entered the week 14th in the nation with a 118-yard rushing average, gained 81 yards on 22 carries despite missing most of the third quarter with an unspecified injury. He returned in the fourth quarter, but gained just six yards on eight second-half carries.
Klatt was 18-28 for 171 yards and three interceptions.
LAST TIME OUT: KANSAS 13, MIZZOU 3
Mizzou was looking to break a 2-year losing streak to rival Kansas last Saturday, and to keep pace with Colorado on top of the Big 12 North standings, but it wasn't to be, as Kansas used a dominating defensive performance and got just enough offense to post a 13-3 win in Lawrence.
A week after burning Nebraska for 523 yards of offense, the Tigers were kept in check all day long by KU's stout defense. Mizzou managed just 180 yards of total offense, including a season-low 33 yards rushing. MU entered the game ranking 9th nationally in rushing offense, with an average of 241.71 yards per game.
Mizzou had plenty of opportunities early on, but could not cash in. Each of MU's first three possessions of the game began in Jayhawk territory (at the KU 38 after an interception, at the KU 45 after a punt and at the KU 43 after a fumble), but all MU could manage was an Adam Crossett field goal to take a 3-0 lead after one quarter of play.
After KU broke through with a touchdown at the 6:05 mark of the 2nd quarter to take a 6-3 lead (the PAT was blocked by MU's Lorenzo Williams), Mizzou put together its best drive of the 1st half and appeared ready to score as it reached the KU 33 yardline. But a holding penalty derailed the drive (MU ended the day with 9 penalties for 92 yards) and MU trailed at half, 6-3.
Perhaps the biggest play of the game took place in the waning seconds of the 3rd quarter. Still trailing, 6-3, MU drove to near midfield and again appeared poised to take the lead. However, on a 1st-down option play, QB Brad Smith made a pitch to WR Brad Ekwerekwu, and the pitch was stolen by KU's Aqib Talib, who returned it to the MU 43. The Jayhawks wouldn't waste their opportunity, as they drove 43 yards in 6 plays for a TD to take a 13-3 lead with 12:59 left in the game.
Mizzou's defense played admirably on the day, as it forced 3 Jayhawk turnovers and limited KU to 298 yards of total offense, but it wasn't enough.
One week after amassing a career-best 480 yards of total offense to earn national player of the week honors in MU's 41-24 win over Nebraska, Tiger QB Brad Smith was held to 179 yards of total offense in the loss. Smith threw for 141 yards (on 14-of-37 passing and 1 INT) and 38 yards rushing.
The loss broke a 3-game winning streak for Missouri, and denied the Tigers of the school's first 4-game conference winning streak since 1983.
MORE MIZZOU-KU NOTES
TIGER DEFENSE STEPPING UP WITH BIG PLAYS
Mizzou's defense didn't get the attention its offensive counterparts did early in the season, but the squad appears to be jelling heading into the stretch run of the season.
The last 4 games has seen the Tiger defenders make increasingly more big plays. Despite losing last week at Kansas, the defense did all it could, limiting KU to 298 yards of offense, and forcing 3 turnovers on the day. That marked the 4th straight game that MU has forced 3 turnovers by opponents, after it forced only 5 total turnovers in its first 4 games.
The recent improvement was evidenced by MU's showing in its 41-24 win over Nebraska. The Tigers held Nebraska to minus 2 yards rushing on the day, as the Huskers managed only 279 yards of total offense - an opponent low against MU in 2005. NU had only 3 rushes on the day that went for over 3 yards (16, 12, 8) and had 8 others that went for 1 yard or less.
The rushing yardage marked the 2nd-lowest in Nebraska's single-game history, and was the lowest total for the Huskers on the ground since 1951.
Mizzou's defense only gave up two scoring drives on the day, per se, as 2 of NU's TDs on the day came after taking possession on Mizzou's 1 yardline (after a blocked punt) and Mizzou's 8 yardline (after a fumble return). Aside from those two scores, the defense held Nebraska to 10 points on the Huskers' other 13 possessions. Nebraska managed only 3 drives of only 30 yards or more, and had 11 possessions overall go less than 10 yards - including 5 that went for zero or negative yards.
Three games ago, the defense came out of the gates strong against Iowa State, with 2 defensive scores - marking the first time since 1994 that MU had 2 defensive TDs in a game. Even though ISU came back to take the lead, the defense buckled down in crunch time to force the Cyclones to punt with just over 2 minutes left in regulation after the Tigers had cut the lead to 7. That key stop set up MU's offense, which came through with the game-tying score.
The defense was even more stout in overtime, as it held the Cyclones to net minus one yard on its 3 overtime plays, which forced ISU to attempt a 43-yard field goal, which it missed, setting up MU's game-winning chip shot field goal.
TIGERS TO FACE 3RD-STRAIGHT TOP-5 RUSHING DEFENSE
Saturday will provide yet another stiff test for Mizzou's rushing attack, as the Colorado Buffaloes carry into the game the NCAA's 4th-ranked rushing defense. The Buffs rank 4th nationally, allowing only 84.38 yards per game on the ground, while MU ranks 17th nationally in rushing, averaging 215.63 yards per game.
This will mark the 3rd straight game that MU has faced a top-5 rushing defense. Two weeks ago, MU beat Nebraska 41-24, thanks in large part to a 277-yard rushing day against a Husker defense which entered the game ranked 1st nationally (65.00 ypg). Last week, the tables were turned, as KU's 2nd-ranked rush defense (74.71 ypg) held MU to a season-low 33 yards on the ground.
Brian Smith BECOMES MIZZOU'S ALL-TIME QB SACK KING
Spoiled by Mizzou's loss last Saturday at Kansas was the fact that junior DE Brian Smith became MU's alltime QB sack king. Smith entered the game with 21.5 career sacks, just 1 shy of the record set by former All-American DE Justin Smith (22.5 from 1998-2000).
Smitty didn't waste much time, as he recorded his first sack of KU QB Jason Swanson midway through the 1st quarter (loss of 7 yards) to tie him with Justin Smith. He later broke the record as he combined with DT Lorenzo Williams in the 3rd quarter on another sack to give him 1.5 for the day, and an MU-record 23.0 for his career. Smith ended the day with 7 tackles in all, including 2.5 for loss (1.5 sacks), and added 1 QB hurry and 1 pass broken up.
Smith had a big game at Oklahoma State, as he was a disruptive force all day long for the Cowboy offense. Smith had a career-high 11 tackles on the day, including 2 QB sacks, 4 tackles for loss overall, one forced fumble, one QB hurry and one pass broken up. His QB hurry led to a forced throw which resulted in David Overstreet's interception in the final minute to ice the game for the Tigers. He was named the Big 12 defensive player of the week for his efforts - MU's first league defensive award since 2002.
Smith's forced fumble was a huge play in the game, as he sacked OSU QB Bobby Reid with :34 seconds left in the 1st half, with teammate Lorenzo Williams pouncing on the ball at the Cowboy 30 yardline. On the next play, MU threw a 30-yard TD pass to put the Tigers up, 21-9 at halftime.
Smith got his 2005 season off to a good start, as he recorded 1.5 sacks versus Arkansas State. Those sacks bumped his career total to 16.5 and moved him past former Tiger C.J. Mosley into 6th-place on the MU charts.
The Denton, Texas, native led all NCAA freshmen defenders as a redshirt freshman in 2003 with 8 QB sacks. He followed last season with 7 more as a sophomore, and carries a total of 8.0 sacks into Saturday's game with Colorado. The MU single-season QB sack record is 11, set by Justin Smith in 2000.
Brad Smith LOOKS TO RETURN TO RECORD-SETTING WAYS
Graduate QB Brad Smith (he graduated in May with a degree in business administration) was held in check last week by Kansas' stout defense, as he was limited to 179 yards of total offense (141 passing, 38 rushing) in MU's 13-3 loss.
Just one week prior, however, Smith turned in one of the more memorable single-game performances in MU history as he led the Tigers to a scintillating 41-24 win over Nebraska.
Smith had a school-record 480 yards of total offense (246 rushing / 234 passing) and was responsible for 4 TDs on the day (3 rushing / 1 passing) as the Tigers pulled away for the win. Smith became the first player in NCAA Div. I-A history to throw and rush for 230 yards in a game. He was named National Offensive Player of the Week by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, and by several other national media outlets. Smith was also named as the SBC Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Week for the 2nd time this season and the 6th time in his career.
Here's a little (okay, it's actually quite a lot) more detail on Smith's exploits against Nebraska, just in case you hadn't heard enough about them...
Brad Smith NEEDS 5 RUSHING YARDS TO BREAK NCAA QB RUSHING RECORD
As touted previously, QB Brad Smith needs just 5 rushing yards entering Saturday's game at Colorado to break the NCAA career rushing record for quarterbacks. Smith enters the CU game with 3,891 rushing yards, and is just 4 shy of the record of 3,895 set by Indiana's Antwaan Randle-El (1998-2001).
Smith broke the Big 12 career record for rushing yards by a QB during a 184-yard rushing game at Oklahoma State, breaking the old Big 12 record of 3,434 by Nebraska's Eric Crouch (1998-2001) on an 11-yard keeper in the 2nd quarter against Oklahoma State.
Smith's rushing total of 1,406 yards during the 2003 season was the 4th-most ever in a season by a quarterback, behind only Beau Morgan of Air Force (1,494 in 1996), Stacey Robinson of Northern Illinois (1,443 in 1989) and Jamaal Lord of Nebraska (1,412 in 2002).
SMITH ONLY QB IN NCAA D-I HISTORY TO ACHIEVE 8,000/3,000 FEAT
With 95 rushing yards Sept. 3rd against Arkansas State, Brad Smith passed the 3,000-yard plateau for his career. That put MU's signal caller in rarified air from a national perspective, as he became only the 3rd player in NCAA Div. I-A history to achieve at least 6,000 yards passing and 3,000 yards rushing. In fact, only 4 others altogether have ever achieved the 3,000/3,000 feat.
In fact, with career totals of 8,037 yards passing and 3,891 yards rushing entering Saturday's game at Colorado, Smith stands just 109 rushing yards from becoming the first player in D-IA history to achieve the 8,000/4,000 benchmark. He's already the first to achieve the 8,000/3,000 standard.
As we all know, as a redshirt freshman in 2002, Smith became only the 2nd player in NCAA D-IA history to throw for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a single season, when he threw for 2,333 and rushed for another 1,029. He just missed that feat a 2nd time in 2003, when he threw for 1,977 yards and rushed for 1,406.
Brad Smith NAMED NATIONAL SCHOLAR-ATHLETE; EARNS POST-GRAD. SCHOLARSHIP
In the same week that University of Missouri graduate quarterback Brad Smith earned national player of the week honors, he also earned one of the most prestigious academic distinctions, as well. Smith was named on Oct. 25th to the 2005 National Scholar-Athlete Class as announced today by the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame. He is one of eight Division I-A players (16 in all divisions) to earn the distinction, which earns him an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship.
Smith is also now one of 16 finalists for the Draddy Trophy, which is considered to be the "Academic Heisman." Smith was selected from a pool of 184 nominees nationwide.
Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship.
Selected by the NFF Awards Committee, the 16 National Scholar-Athlete Award recipients will each be honored at the 48th NFF Awards Dinner on December 6 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. Each will receive an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship, and one of the 16 will be announced as the winner of the 2005 Draddy Trophy, which recognizes an individual as the absolute best scholar-athlete in the nation.
Established to honor former NFF Chairman Vincent DePaul Draddy, a Manhattan College quarterback who developed the Izod and Lacoste brands, the award comes with a stunning 24-inch, 25-pound bronze trophy and increases the recipient's scholarship to a total of $25,000.
Smith is the 10th Tiger football player to win the NFF's scholar-athlete award. He joins former Tigers Rob Droege (2003), Corby Jones (1998), Mike Bedosky (1993), Kent Kiefer (1990), Van Darkow (1981), Chris Garlich (1978), Bill Powell (1966), David Gill (1963) and Fred Brossart (1960) with that distinction.
Widely regarded as one of the most exciting players in college football, Missouri's Brad Smith continues to amaze on the football field, with his arm and his legs, while maintaining a steady presence in the classroom and the local community.
A Business Administration major, Smith is two-time member of the Big-12 Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll. He graduated last May and is currently working towards a graduate degree in Economics at Mizzou.
A three-time All-Conference Honorable Mention, Smith is poised to become the first player in Division I-A history to record 8,000 career passing yards and 4,000 rushing yards. He became only the second player in NCAA history to throw for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in 2002. A three-year team captain, Smith holds Missouri career records with 8,037 passing yards, 3,891 rushing yards and 11,928 yards of total offense. Against Nebraska in 2005, Smith became the first player to rush and pass for more than 230 yards in the same game.
Smith volunteers with the Mike Jones Football Clinic, Chancellor's Lunch, Big Brothers and Big Sisters Bowl for Kids Sake, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Food Drive, Truman Club and Athletes-in-Action, among many other activities.
Brad Smith BREAKS MU CAREER RECORDS FOR PASSING & RUSHING
MU's game vs. New Mexico was bittersweet for the Tigers, because despite the loss, they witnessed history not once, but twice, in the third quarter, as QB Brad Smith broke two major school career records.
First up on the hit list was the MU career passing yardage record of 6,959 by Jeff Handy (1991-94). Smith entered the game against New Mexico with 6,812 yards, just 148 yards from the record. He got that total by early in the 3rd quarter, and the record fell on a 7-yard pass to TB Marcus Woods on MU's 3rd possession of the quarter.
Smith ended the game with 248 yards passing, and he enters Saturday's game with Colorado with 8,037 career passing yards.
Next up was the MU career rushing record of 3,198 set by Zack Abron (2000-03). Smith entered the game in 2nd place, with 3,083 yards, and needed 116 to break the record. He had 41 yards on the ground at halftime, but really came on in the third quarter as the Tiger offense racked up 203 yards of offense. Smith broke off two highlight-reel runs of 31 and 15 yards that went for TDs as MU rallied from a 21-14 deficit to take a 28-21 lead.
The rushing record came on a 32-yard run by Smith on the next-to-last play of the 3rd quarter. That pushed his game total to 140 yards, and he ended the evening with 165 to give him a total of 3,248. He now has 3,891 career rushing yards entering the CU game.
Smith holds an impressive 43 various MU, Big 12 and NCAA game, season and career records.
MORE Brad Smith QUICK SLANTS
We'll try to wrap up the homage to Brad Smith with the following blurbs...
THESTREET.COM LEADING THE WAY DEFENSIVELY
Junior safety David Overstreet came to MU as a highly-touted QB prospect, but after switching to defense as a redshirt freshman, he's now firmly entrenched as one of the top playmaking safeties in the Big 12 Conference.
Overstreet is MU's leading tackler (71 tackles through 8 games) and also leads the team in both interceptions (2 INTs) and fumble recoveries (3). His 5 total takeaways is a team-leading number. He also ranks 3rd on the team with 6 passes broken up...
His 3 fumble recoveries is currently tied for the Big 12 lead, along with Ted Sims of Kansas State.
Overstreet had a 4-tackle day last Saturday at Kansas, but his biggest play set up what ended up being MU's only score on the day, when he picked up a KU fumble and returned it 19 yards to the Kansas 43-yardline in the 1st quarter.
Overstreet had a stellar performance against Nebraska, in a game in which he made numerous big plays that helped make the difference in MU's 41-24 win two weeks ago.
Overstreet led MU's improving defense with a 10 -tackle performance against the Huskers. He was involved in a number of game-changing plays, as he broke up a near TD-pass in the endzone to snuff out a Nebraska drive in the 1st quarter, and on consecutive possessions in the 3rd quarter, he recovered a fumble on the MU 3-yardline and intercepted a pass near midfield to help MU preserve a 24-24 tie at the time...
Overstreet also later had a highlight-reel hit of a Nebraska receiver in the 4th-quarter to break up a 2nd pass as the Tigers pulled away to their big win...
Overstreet, a native of Dallas, Texas, is the son of the late David Overstreet, who was a standout running back for the Oklahoma Sooners and in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins.
COFFEY'S WARMING UP; GRABS MILESTONE CATCH VERSUS NEBRASKA
Senior WR Sean Coffey returned to the Tiger lineup against Texas on Oct. 1st, and caught a game-high 6 passes for 43 yards. His return was a welcomed sight, as MU's leading receiver from a year ago (39 catches for 648 yards and a school-record 10 receiving TDs) had missed games #2 and #3 due to a shoulder he injured in the 2005 season opener against ASU.
He followed with a big game at Oklahoma State, as he caught a career-high 7 passes for 97 yards and his 1st TD of the 2005 season on a great grab of a 30-yard pass from fellow WR Brad Ekwerekwu just before halftime.
Coffey had an interesting day in MU's recent OT win against Iowa State, as he mirrored the fate of the MU offense. With the Tiger offense stuck in neutral until the 4th quarter comeback, Coffey had been shut out in catches on the day. But when it came to clutch time, Coffey stepped up like the senior leader he is, and he caught 4 passes in the final 9 minutes of regulation for 51 yards and the game-tying TD (from 4 yards out) with just 20 seconds left.
His TD catch was a beautiful grab in the back of the endzone, as he reached high to grab the ball, all the while he drug his feet to make the play stand. In all, he caught 3 passes for 41 yards on MU's game-tying 11-play, 87-yard drive, making big grabs of 20 yards, 17 yards and 4 yards (TD). He also made a great move to draw a pass interference penalty against an ISU defensive back that moved the ball from midfield to the Cyclone 35 yardline.
The Nebraska game saw Coffey catch 4 passes for 59 yards. His first grab was the 100th of his career, and that made him only the 8th Tiger in history to catch 100 passes for his career. After a 7-catch, 61-yard outing last Saturday at Kansas, he enters Saturday's game at CU ranking 5th on MU's career receiving yardage chart (1,541), and 6th on the MU career receptions list (110). He set an MU single-season TD reception record in 2004, with 10 scoring grabs.
MIZZOU IS NCAA'S ALLTIME OVERTIME KING
Overtime is becoming old hat around Mizzou. Since the rule was put into effect for the 1996 season, Mizzou has played the most overtime games in NCAA history, with 11 through games of Oct. 15th, 2005. With MU's 27-24 OT win Oct. 22nd versus Iowa State, the Tigers improved to 8-3 alltime in overtime games, a win total which also is most in the NCAA.
Mizzou went 1-1 in 2002 in overtime affairs, dropping a tough 42-35 home overtime game to #18 Colorado and the very next week winning a 33-27 double overtime thriller at Texas A&M, the week after A&M beat #1-ranked Oklahoma on the same field.
Mizzou made some history with its consecutive overtime games - that marked the first time in NCAA history that a Div. I-A team played overtime games in consecutive weeks.
Interestingly, MU Head Coach Gary Pinkel won the very first overtime game played in Division I history when his Toledo Rockets beat Nevada, 40-37, in the 1995 Las Vegas Bowl. The overtime rule was put into effect for that bowl season, and has been in use ever since.
Pinkel is now 7-1 alltime in his career in overtime games, including 5-1 at Mizzou.
IN MEMORY OF A.O.
Hearts will be heavy all season on the Tiger sideline, for while MU's team looks to focus on the football side of life, weighing on everyone's mind is the loss suffered over the summer of redshirt freshman linebacker Aaron O'Neal.
On July 12th, O'Neal participated with his teammates in a voluntary workout in Columbia. He collapsed after the workout and efforts to save him were unsuccessful. His tragic death was later determined to be due to complications arising from Lymphocytic Meningitis (viral).
While the loss was devastating for everyone, the team resolutely decided to dedicate its season to A.O.'s memory. A helmet decal is being worn to honor the St. Louis, Mo. native.
Additionally, several other means of honoring Aaron are planned throughout the 2005 season, and beyond. Here's a listing of the planned tributes...
TIGERS POST COMEBACK FOR THE AGES AGAINST IOWA STATE
On Oct. 15th, Mizzou staged a huge comeback win, as MU rallied from a 10-point 4th-quarter deficit to post a thrilling 27-24 overtime win against Iowa State.
Research indicates that the 10-point rally equalled the most prolific 4th-quarter comeback win in recent school history (dating back to 1958). The only other time MU has won a game when it trailed by as many points in the 4th quarter came in 2003, when the Tigers beat Nebraska in 2003 after entering the 4th quarter down by a 24-14 count.
Here's a quick look at the top 4th-quarter comeback wins since 1958...
TRUE FRESHMAN Chase Daniel AWOKE TIGER OFFENSE JUST IN TIME VS. ISU
What made MU's comeback win against Iowa State even more dramatic than just the final score was the underlying fact that MU overcame a 10-point 4th-quarter deficit to win on a day where its offense had been held scoreless all day long. As mentioned previously, making it even more improbable was the fact that the rally was led by its backup quarterback, due to the injury of star signal caller Brad Smith.
Iowa State's defense held Smith and Mizzou's high-powered offense in check for 3-plus quarters, as the Tigers' only points came on a pair of defensive scores in the 1st quarter.
Mizzou's offensive struggles were surprising, given the fact that the Tigers entered the game with the nation's 7th-ranked offense, averaging 508.00 yards per game. Up until the time that Daniel entered the game in the 4th quarter, MU had amassed only 152 yards of offense, and the offense was shut out after entering the game averaging nearly 38 points a contest.
In the final 8-plus minutes of regulation and overtime, Daniel sparked the Tigers and led an offense that put up 176 yards and 13 points.
Just how good was Daniel? The numbers show he was pretty good, as he went 12-of-17 passing for 146 yards and 1 TD in the 4th quarter and OT periods, and added 9 rushes for 18 yards as well. He converted four 3rd-downs and one 4th-down in the process...
Daniel ended the day 16-of-23 passing overall (he played one pre-determined series in the 2nd quarter) for a career-high 185 yards and 1 TD, and added 12 rushes for 26 yards overall.
THE THRILL IS BACK AS FRANKLIN HAS BIG DAY VS. HUSKERS
Sophomore WR Will "The Thrill" Franklin displayed his game-breaking skills early and often in MU's opener against Arkansas State, as the St. Louis, Mo., native caught 8 passes for a career-high 116 yards and 1 TD (the 2nd of his career). He followed with 6-catch games against both New Mexico (45 yds.) and Troy (14 yds.).
Since then, however, Franklin had not been able to put up those types of numbers, despite MU's offensive prowess. He was shut out in games against Texas and Oklahoma State, and had 2 catches for 22 yards against Iowa State.
He rebounded in fine fashion against Nebraska by being a crucial part of MU's passing attack as he recorded a career-high 9 catches for 94 yards in MU's 41-24 win. His catches were almost all critical in nature, as 7 of them went for Tiger 1st downs, including 3 which came on 3rd down plays and 1 more that was on a key 4th-down conversion in the 4th quarter that helped set up a game-clinching score.
Franklin enters Saturday's game against CU with an MU-best 33 catches and has 314 yards on the year with his 1 TD. He actually caught an apparent TD pass to open the game with Nebraska (for 15 yards), but it was ruled that the ball was jarred loose by a NU defender before he had possession. The ball popped loose and teammate Tommy Saunders swooped in to make a diving TD grab to save the day.
Franklin's yardage versus Arkansas State was the most in a game for an MU receiver since former great Justin Gage had 123 in 2002 against Texas A&M. It was also only the second 100-yard receiving game by a Tiger since Gage's '02 game against A&M. Sean Coffey had the other, with a 113-yard outing in 2004 against Arkansas State.
Franklin had 3 plays of 20 yards or more against ASU, including gains of 42, 30 and 22 yards on the day. He got his TD with 8:27 left in the 2nd quarter, on a 6-yard shovel pass, making the score 19-0 in favor of Mizzou. Franklin also caught a 2-point pass from Smith later in the 2nd quarter - the first conversion of his career.
OCT. 22ND GAME RECAP: MIZZOU 41, NEBRASKA 24
Brad Smith set a school record with 480 yards in total offense, ran for three scores and threw for another, turning up the production after Missouri lost an 18-point first-quarter lead in a 41-24 victory over Nebraska on Oct. 22nd in Columbia.
Smith had 246 yards rushing on 28 carries and was 21-for-36 for 234 yards for Missouri (5-2, 3-1 Big 12), which has won three straight. David Overstreet had a key third-quarter interception to help the Tigers beat Nebraska (5-2, 2-2) for the second time in three years after winning only once in the previous 26 meetings.
Missouri has won two straight at home over Nebraska for the first time since 1967 and '69 when the team was coached by Dan Devine. The final score, which gave coach Gary Pinkel his 100th career victory, was identical to that of Missouri's victory at home over Nebraska in 2003.
Zac Taylor had two touchdown passes for Nebraska, which entered the game leading the nation in rushing defense at 65 yards per game. Missouri gouged the Cornhuskers for 277 yards on 49 carries and totaled 523 yards.
Missouri scored on its first four possessions, three touchdowns and a field goal, to take a 24-10 lead. A blocked punt and a fumble in the 2nd quarter that led to quick scores helped Nebraska tie it at 24 at the half, before Missouri took control again after the break.
Smith's 45-yard run late in the third quarter, his third carry of 40 or more yards, put Missouri ahead to stay at 31-24. In the first quarter he was untouched on a career-long 79-yarder and had a 53-yarder to the Nebraska 16 that set up his 4-yard scoring run.
Smith moved to second in career quarterback rushing, trailing only Antwaan Randle-El of Indiana from 1998-01, passing Dee Dowis of Air Force and Joshua Cribbs of Kent State. He's also second on Missouri's scoring list with 236 points.
Everything worked in the first quarter for Missouri's offense, which needed only 13 plays to score three touchdowns on its first three possession while running up a 21-3 lead. Smith's 79-yarder came on the first play after a Nebraska punt, and the Tigers also were successful on fourth-and-1 from their own 43 late in the period when Smith hit Sean Coffey for a 37-yard gain that led to a field goal by Adam Crossett for a 24-10 lead early in the second.
Smith also threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Saunders for the first score of the game. Saunders alertly grabbed the ball in the end zone after it popped out of teammate William Franklin's hands, a play reminiscent of Matt Davison's miracle grab that beat Missouri in 1997 after the ball was kicked in the air by teammate Shevin Wiggins.
A blocked punt by Daniel Bullocks and a fumble recovery by Jay Moore after Barry Turner's sack of Smith led to two quick scores that helped Nebraska tie it at 24 at halftime. Bullocks recovered the blocked punt at the 1 and Cody Glenn scored on the next play, and Nebraska needed two plays to tie it on Zac Taylor's 8-yard pass to Nate Swift after Moore returned the fumble to the 8.
Taylor had two touchdown passes in the half, also hitting Todd Peterson for a 34-yard score.