Tigers Open Conference Season With Big Test Against Longhorns
9/26/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 26, 2005
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
TIGER NEWS & NOTES
#2/2 Texas Longhorns (3-0) at Missouri Tigers (2-1)
Oct. 1, 2005 - Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium - Columbia, Mo.
KICKOFF: 11 a.m. (central time).
STADIUM: Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium (68,349 - FieldTurf surface). Opened in 1926. MU is 228-161-20 there alltime, including 1-1 in 2005.
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 #121.
TV: ABC-Sports (Split National). Gary Thorne (Play-by-Play), Ed Cunningham (Color), and Mark Morgan (Sideline) will call the action.
RANKINGS (AP/COACHES): UT - 2/2; MU - Not receiving votes.
SERIES: Texas leads, 14-5 overall, including 4-1 in Big 12 Conference meetings. Texas won, 28-20, in Austin in 2004.
COACHES:
Mizzou: Gary Pinkel (Kent, '75), 24-26 at MU (5th year) and 97-63-3 overall (15th year). Pinkel is 0-2 versus Texas and Mack Brown.
Texas: Mack Brown (Florida State, '74), 73-19 at UT (8th year) and 159-93-1 overall (22nd year). Brown is 3-0 versus Mizzou and 2-0 versus Gary Pinkel.
TIGERS GUN FOR UPSET AGAINST 2ND-RANKED TEXAS
The Missouri Tigers (2-1 overall) open the Big 12 season with quite a tough test, as they will play host to the 2nd-ranked Texas Longhorns (3-0), in a Saturday morning game at Faurot Field. Kickoff for the ABC telecast is set for 11 a.m.
Both teams are coming off a bye-week, and the Tigers are looking to build on a solid win in its last outing - a 52-21 home win on Sept. 17th versus Troy. In that game, Mizzou racked up over 500 yards of total offense, while its special teams had a big day to contribute heavily to the win.
Texas, picked by many experts to challenge for a national title this season, has not disappointed one bit in the early going as it has ascended to the #2 ranking thanks to impressive wins over Louisiana-Lafayette (60-3), Ohio State (25-22) and Rice (51-10).
The heat gets turned up this Saturday, as the Mizzou Tigers play host to the nation's 2nd-ranked team, in the Texas Longhorns.
The game will serve as the Big 12 Conference opener for both teams. In fact, when the game kicks off just after 11 a.m., it will mark the first Big 12 game of the 2005 season (Baylor and Texas A&M are the next game, kicking at 11:30).
The numbers coming into the game suggest that it could be an offfensive shootout, as both teams enter Saturday's contest ranking among the nation's top 12 in total offense, rushing offense and scoring offense.
Texas and Mizzou rank 2nd and 3rd nationally in rushing entering the game, respectively, with UT averaging 297.00 yards per game, and the Tigers right behind, at 287.33. They trail only Minnesota, which leads the country with an average of 326.50 yards per game.
Mizzou ranks 6th in total offense (553.67), while the Longhorns check in at 11th overall (485.33). In the scoring category, UT holds a slight edge, ranking 9th in the nation (45.33 ppg), with the Tigers at 12th overall (43.67 ppg).
MIZZOU VERSUS #2-RANKED FOES
Mizzou will be facing the 2nd-ranked team in the nation for the 19th time in program history, with MU standing 4-14 overall in its previous 18 chances. MU's last win over the #2-ranked team was a 35-31 win at #2 Nebraska in 1978. Oddly enough, 3 of MU's 4 wins against number twos have come on the road.
Mizzou won three straight games (and four of five overall) against #2-ranked teams, in a stretch dating from 1973 through 1978, with the last three all coming on the road.
PINKEL'S TIGERS HAVE HUNG TOUGH VERSUS TOP-10 FOES
Mizzou Head Coach Gary Pinkel is 1-6 in his time at MU playing against top-10 ranked opposition, but the Tigers weren't that far away from winning in two other contests, and hung tough in a third before eventually falling.
Last season, Mizzou traveled to 9th-ranked Texas and went toe-to-toe with the Longhorns, before falling by a 28-20 score. The other close miss was a 31-24 defeat at Faurot Field in 2002 to #3 Oklahoma - a game in which the Tigers led in the 4th quarter. The year after that, MU played at #1 Oklahoma and fell 34-13 in a competitive game that saw the Sooners score 21 points in the final 6 minutes of the 2nd quarter for the difference.
Of course, the last top-10 team to visit Faurot Field left with a loss, as Mizzou defeated #10 Nebraska on Oct. 11, 2003 by a score of 41-24 - breaking a 25-game losing streak to the Huskers. Here's a quick look at MU's results against top-10 teams under Gary Pinkel.
MIZZOU-TEXAS SERIES NOTES
LAST YEAR REWIND: #9 TEXAS 28, MIZZOU 20
Mizzou went toe-to-toe with the nation's 9th-ranked team, but a pair of mistakes that Texas turned into 14 points proved to be the difference, as #9 Texas held on for a hardfought 28-20 win over Missouri in Austin.
Missouri entered the game as 14-point underdogs, and no-one outside of the Tiger lockerroom gave MU a chance of even staying close with the Longhorns. Early on, it looked as if the pundits would be right, as Texas jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the 1st quarter.
Texas' first score came on defense, as MU took over on its own 3-yardline after being pinned there by a Texas punt. Mizzou QB Brad Smith tried to throw an out pass from his endzone, but Texas' Brian Robison jumped high and somehow caught the rocket from Smith, landed and stepped into the enzone for a 2-yard return to put UT up, 7-0.
Mizzou recovered to drive into Longhorn territory on its next possession, but the drive stalled after reaching the UT 41 yardline. Texas took over on its 20 after a punt , and put together a 4-play, 80-yard drive that was capped off by a scintillating scramble from QB Vince Young that he took 23 yards for a TD and a 14-0 lead with 23 seconds left in the quarter.
The Tigers were undaunted, however, as they quickly responded, and scored TDs on their first two possessions of the 2nd quarter. The first was a 9-play, 66-yard drive that was capped with a Brad Smith to Sean Coffey 4-yard TD pass to cut the deficit to 14-7 at the 6:44 mark. Mizzou's defense pitched in on Texas' next possession, as CB Shirdonya Mitchell jumped in front of a Young pass to set MU up at the Texas 33 yardline.
It took just one play for MU to tie it up, as TB Damien Nash took a handoff and raced untouched around left end for a 33-yard TD run that made it 14-all with 5:26 left in the half.
Momentum further swung to Mizzou's side, as S Nino Williams II grabbed another errant Young throw on Texas' next possession, and returned it 23 yards to the UT 32. Just when it appeared MU was poised to take the lead, disaster struck, when Smith was intercepted on 4th-and-5 from the Texas 27. Texas' Aaron Ross returned the interception 64 yards to the Tiger 12 yardline, and it took Texas just 2 plays to punch it in, and the Longhorns led, 21-14 at halftime.
After a scoreless 3rd period, Texas got a little breathing room after an 11-play, 71-yard drive that ended in Cedric Benson's 2nd rushing TD of the day, to make it 28-14 with 12:52 left. Texas converted a key 3rd-and-10 during the drive, and also survived Benson's 3rd fumble of the day, when he fell on his drop caused by MU's Jason Simpson.
Mizzou responded with a 16-play, 77-yard drive capped off by a Brad Smith 1-yard keeper with 5:25 left to cut it to 28-20 (the PAT failed), and the Tigers got one more defensive stop and had the ball as far as their own 45 yardline before Texas held and got the ball back to run out the clock.
Point off turnovers proved to be the difference, as Texas capitalized on MU's 2 mistakes to score 14 game-swinging points, while MU could manage only 7 points of its own off 3 Longhorn giveaways.
Other than that, Mizzou fared very well statistically, as it outgained Texas by a 358-to-299 total yardage figure. The Tiger defense played quite well, as it held Texas to 193 yards rushing and just 8-of-20 passing for 106 yards. Texas had entered the game ranked 2nd in the nation in rushing (313.60 ypg) and 10th in total offense (470.80 ypg), but was held in check for most of the day. Texas converted on only 3-of-12 3rd downs, and MU held a time of possession advantage of 34:26-to-25:34.
Texas also had some fortune on their side, as the Longhorns fumbled 4 times on the day, but 3 of them bounced right back to the burnt orange-clad team.
TIGER GROUND ATTACK EATING UP THE YARDS
Mizzou enters Saturday's game against Texas carrying the nation's 3rd-ranked rushing attack, at 287.33 yards per game. The Tigers have rushed for totals of 317 yards (vs. Arkansas State), 242 yards (vs. New Mexico) and 303 yards (vs. Troy) so far on the season.
The potent rushing attack is a much-welcomed sight, after MU averaged just 165.00 yards per game in 2004 (ranking 48th overall nationally). Just a year prior, in 2003, MU's ground game was one of the nation's best, as it ranked 6th nationally (237.46 ypg).
Through 3 games this season, Mizzou has 9 rushing TDs, a year after Mizzou managed only 13 scores on the ground in 2004. Last season, the Tigers hadn't recorded their 9th rushing TD until game #6 (at Texas). In MU's 2003 season, the Tigers had an impressive 38 rushing scores.
Additionally, MU's 862 yards through 3 games is already almost half of the season total that Mizzou mustered in 11 games in 2004 (1,815).
SPECIAL TEAMS HAS BIG DAY IN WIN OVER TROY
Mizzou's special teams were, well, special, in the Tigers' 52-21 win over Troy the last time out. The special teams units played a part directly in 24 of MU's 52 points on the day.
CROSSETT WAS MU'S MR. EVERYTHING VERSUS TROY
Continuing the theme from above, sophomore kicker Adam Crossett was Mizzou's Mr. Everything in MU's 52-21 win over Troy, as he handled not only his regular placekicking and kickoff duties, but he also took over the punting job for the first time this year after MU struggled in its previous game in that area...
RED ZONE OFFENSE ONE OF NATION'S MOST EFFICIENT
Mizzou's offense has been good between the 20s, and just as efficient when it gets down inside the red zone. The Tiger offense is one of only 13 in the nation thus far to still have a 100 percent success rate in the red zone.
In 15 red zone situations, Mizzou has 15 scores, tallying 12 TDs and 3 field goals. The Tigers were 5-of-5 in the red zone in the opener versus Arkansas State (5 TDs), were 4-of-4 against New Mexico (3 TDs/1 FG) and 6-of-6 against Troy (4 TDs/2 FGs).
MU's 12 red zone TDs have been balanced perfectly, with 6 coming on the ground and 6 in the air.
Brad Smith BREAKS MU CAREER RECORDS FOR PASSING & RUSHING
MU's game vs. New Mexico was a bittersweet occasion for the Tigers, because despite the loss, they witnessed history not once, but twice, in the third quarter, as graduate QB Brad Smith (he earned his bachelor's degree in business administration in May of 2005) 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 after 183 more through the air against Troy, he enters Saturday's game against Texas with 7,243 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. After a 79-yard rushing day against Troy last time out, he now has 3,327 career rushing yards entering the Texas game.
Brad Smith RANKS 3RD NATIONALLY IN TOTAL OFFENSE THUS FAR
Those wondering how QB Brad Smith would take to MU's new offense have had their questions answered in a big way early on, as Smith has put up total offense numbers of 412 yards against Arkansas State and 413 yards against New Mexico. He had a workmanlike day last time out against Troy, with 262 yards (183 passing / 79 rushing), 2 TDs (1 passing / 1 rushing) and 1 2-pt. conversion run.
His 3-game average of 362.33 yards per game ranks him 3rd nationally, while his rushing average of 113.00 per game is good for 16th in the NCAA heading into Saturday's game with Texas.
Smith had a statistical output of 412 yards of total offense in the season opener against ASU, as he passed for 317 and a career-high (and school-record tying) 4 TDs on the day (6, 1, 7 and 14 yards). Additionally, Smith was MU's leading rusher, as he ran for 95 yards on just 12 carries (7.9 avg.). He did all of this despite playing only 1 series in the final quarter-and-a-half of the game.
Smith completed 29-of-37 passes on the day, without an interception. His single-game QB rating of 186.0 was the 2nd-highest of his career.
Smith was named the SBC Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts. It marked the 5th time that he has won the award, with the other instances coming after performances in 2002 vs. Illinois, in 2003 vs. Nebraska and Texas Tech, and in 2004 vs. Iowa State.
Against New Mexico, Smith had 413 yards of offense, as he threw for 248 yards and 1 TD and rushed for 165 yards and 3 TDs in MU's defeat. Smith's 413 yards of total offense was just 6 shy of his personal best, when he amassed 419 in 2003 against Texas Tech (291 rushing, 128 passing).
SMITH MOVES INTO 9TH-PLACE ON NCAA ALLTIME LIST
As mentioned above, Smith enters the Texas game with 3,327 rushing yards in his career. Every rushing yard he accumulates this year will get him closer to the top of the NCAA rushing record for a quarterback. Smith ranks 9th alltime on the NCAA QB rushing list, as the chart below indicates. He moved into 9th place after his 79-yard outing Sept. 17th versus Troy.
He's still got a bit to go to reach the record of 3,895 set by Antwaan Randle El of Indiana (1998-2001), but he has a shot to reach it. Given that he is 569 yards shy of the record entering Saturday's game, and with his career average of 85.3 yards rushing per game, he needs just under 7 more games to break the mark.
Smith stands just 107 rushing yards shy of the Big 12 Conference record of 3,434 yards set by Nebrask'a Eric Crouch (1998-2001).
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 3RD QB IN NCAA D-I HISTORY TO ACHIEVE 6,000/3,000 FEAT
With 95 rushing yards Sept. 3rd against Arkansas State, Brad Smith passed the 3,000-yard plateau for his career in that category. 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.
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.
MORE Brad Smith QUICK SLANTS
We'll try to wrap up the homage to Brad Smith with a few more quick facts...
SURELY, TEMPLE
Sophomore TB Tony Temple provided a big impact for MU's offense in its last outing against Troy. The speedy back opened scoring on the day as he raced 59 yards for a TD early in the 1st quarter to stake MU to a 7-0 lead. It was MU's longest TD run since former Tiger Ernest Blackwell had a 67-yard TD run against Texas in 1997.
'WILL THE THRILL' LEADS BIG 12 IN RECEPTIONS PER GAME
Sophomore WR Will 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 116 yards (both career-highs) and 1 TD (the 2nd of his career).
THE CHASE IS ON
For the second season in a row, a freshman tight end is making eye-opening contributions right out of the gate for Mizzou.
TIGERS DROP SHOOTOUT TO NEW MEXICO
Mizzou was defeated at home on Sept. 10th in a tough 45-35 loss against New Mexico. The Tigers had their second straight impressive day offensively, but the Lobo offense was equal to the task, and New Mexico decisively won the turnover battle, as it converted 3 MU miscues (2 INTs, and 1 fumble returned for a TD) into 14 points. In turn, the Lobos played a perfect game from a turnover standpoint, as they had no giveaways.
MIZZOU-ARKANSAS STATE REWIND
Mizzou opened its 2005 season with a solid 44-17 win over Arkansas State on Sept. 3rd in a game played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. Here are a few various and sundry notes from the contest...
TIGER OFFENSE HAD ITS WAY FOR THE MOST PART AGAINST NEW MEXICO
In looking at the drive charts for MU's game against New Mexico, it seems as though the Tiger offense was never really stopped cold, so to speak.
Of MU's 13 possessions (6 of which ended in scores), 10 of them ended in New Mexico territory. The only 3 MU drives that didn't reach the other side of the 50 did so because of Tiger turnovers. Mizzou's turnovers came from its own 28 yardline (INT), 28 yardline again (fumble returned for a TD) and 42 yardline (INT).
Additionally, Mizzou's four other non-scoring possessions on the night all ended in Lobo territory. The Tigers reached the UNM 38-yardline and 49-yardline before stalling out and punting, while it twice lost the ball on downs in the 4th quarter - at the Lobo 36-yardline and 38-yardline.
TIGERS TURN IN EXPLOSIVE OFFENSIVE DAY IN SEASON-OPENING WIN OVER ASU
Mizzou was quite explosive in its 44-17 season-opening win over Arkansas State.
In that game, the Tigers rolled up 657 yards of total offense, with a potent and balanced attack that produced 340 yards passing and 317 yards rushing. It marked the first time that MU had 300 yards both rushing and passing in a game since 1969 against Kansas (344 rush / 307 pass).
MU's new spread attack accounted for a school-record-tying 4 TD passes (all by QB Brad Smith) and a pair of rushing TDs (one each by TBs Marcus Woods and Tony Temple).
After a 490-yard outing in game 2 versus New Mexico, and another 514 against Troy, MU ranks in the top-20 in three major offensive categories, including: rushing offense (3rd - 287.33 ypg), total offense (6th - 553.67 ypg), and scoring (12th - 43.67 ppg).
OFFENSIVE RECORD NEARLY FALLS
Not only was MU's total offensive output of 657 yards the 2nd-highest total in the nation for the first weekend of play, it came oh-so-close to breaking a school single-game record.
Mizzou's single-game total offense record is 665 - just 8 yards more than MU's total against Arkansas State - and that came all the way back in 1949, when MU defeated rival Kansas in Lawrence, 34-28. That day, the Tigers racked up 465 yards rushing and 200 yards passing.
The ASU game marked just the 7th time in school history that the Tigers have topped the 600-yard plateau in a game. The last time that happened was in 1992 when MU beat then-Div. I-AA Marshall, 44-21 with 641 yards of total offense (258 rush, 383 pass). The last time MU had 600 yards of offense against a Div. I-A foe was against Kansas State in 1984 when the Tigers won 61-21 in Manhattan thanks to 614 yards of offense (355 rush, 259 pass).
The 657 yards of total offense on Sept. 3rd also was the most ever for MU in a season opener. The previous mark was 603 yards in 1982 versus Colorado State (244 rush, 359 pass) in a 28-14 win in Columbia.
DEFENSE HOLDS IT OWN AGAINST ARKANSAS STATE
While MU's offense stole the show in the season-opening win over Arkansas State, the Tiger defense played well itself overall. Mizzou held the Indians scoreless until ASU got a 32-yard field goal with 3:32 left in the 3rd quarter - after MU had built an insurmountable 37-0 lead.
MU was especially stingy on 3rd down, as the Tiger defenders allowed ASU to convert on only 2-of-15 3rd down tries on the day (13%).
TIGERS WELL-REPRESENTED ON PRE-SEASON AWARD LISTS
While nothing much exciting happens in the off-season, good things were happening for at least five Tiger players, in terms of earning national recognition for the upcoming season.
Five Tigers - all on the offensive side of the ball - earned mention on very prestigious pre-season award watch lists, including QB Brad Smith, OL Tony Palmer, TE Martin Rucker, OL Adam Spieker and WR Sean Coffey. Here's a quick look at who is up for what:
Tigers on Award Watch Lists
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 will be 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 in the program, the team has resolutely decided to dedicate its season to A.O.'s memory. A helmet decal is being worn to honor the St. Louis, Mo. native. A moment of silence was held prior to MU's Sept. 10th game between MU and New Mexico, as well.
Additionally, several other means of honoring Aaron are planned throughout the 2005 season, and beyond. Here's a listing of the planned tributes...
