Sept. 4, 2006
Mississippi Rebels (1-0) at Missouri Tigers (1-0)
Sept. 9, 2006 -- Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field -- Columbia, Mo.
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TIGERS AND REBELS RENEW SERIES WITH SATURDAY TILT IN COLUMBIA
The University of Missouri Tigers (1-0 overall) will play host to an opponent from the Southeastern Conference for the first time since 1984 (Mississippi State) when the University of Mississippi Rebels (1-0) come calling to Columbia. Kickoff for the national Fox Sports Net cable broadcast is set for 11:40 a.m.
Mizzou is coming off an encouraging season opening win over Div. I-AA Murray State that the Tigers dominated to the tune of a 47-7 victory. The Tigers outgained the Racers by a margin of 589-150 in offense and had a shutout going until late in the game.
Ole Miss is looking to build on an exciting and hard-fought 28-25 home win in its opener against Memphis, played Sunday afternoon. The Rebels rode a potent ground attack in that win, as they rushed for 240 yards and 4 TDs to post the victory.
TIGERS LOOK FOR 2ND STRAIGHT WIN
After a sparkling debut to the 2006 season, the Missouri Tigers look to continue the momentum built from last Saturday's season-opening 47-7 thrashing of Murray State.
But the competition will be quite stout this time out, as the Tigers welcome the Mississippi Rebels of the Southeastern Conference. The Rebels defeated a tough Memphis squad Sunday afternoon in Oxford, Miss., by a 28-25 score.
This year's Tiger team looks to move to 2-0 for the first time since the 2003 Tigers started the year 4-0, on the way to an 8-5 record overall. That marked the best start to a season for Mizzou since the 1981 Tigers won their first five games, en route to a final mark of 8-4 that year.
QUICKLY ABOUT MIZZOU
Mizzou posted a record of 7-5 in 2005 – which was just the fourth winning season for the program since 1983. Under Head Coach Gary Pinkel, the Tigers have gone 21-16 over the past four years (8-5 in 2003, 5-6 in 2004 and 7-5 in 2005, 1-0 in 2006).
The 2006 Tigers return 17 starters from last year, but that number jumps to 19 when you factor in those who started in the Independence Bowl (including the positions of placekicker and punter).
Even with so many experienced players returning to the fold in 2006, the Tigers still have the look of a youthful squad with plenty of upside. Of the 22 starters from Saturday's opener against Murray State, only 8 were seniors, with 8 being juniors, and 6 being sophomores in standing.
Of the 45 players listed in the two-deep (three were listed at tailback last week), the breakdown included: Seniors – 11; Juniors – 11; Sophomores – 14; Freshmen – 9.
Chase Daniel NAMED BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
The Chase Daniel era couldn't have gotten off to a much better start than it did Saturday evening, as the sophomore QB led Mizzou to a rousing 47-7 victory in which he broke the MU single-game record by throwing 5 TD passes in his first career start.
Daniel completed 23-of-32 passes on the night for 320 yards with no interceptions, and his passer rating of 207.44 was 8th-highest in the nation through games of Saturday. His yardage total ranked 8th-most in the country through Saturday, and only he and Texas Tech's Graham Harrell threw for as many as 5 TDs.
Word came late Monday morning that Daniel had been named the Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts.
Interestingly, the man that Daniel replaced – record-setting QB Brad Smith – also won Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors in his first career start in 2002 against Illinois.
Ironically, that game was played on a Sept. 2nd date – as was Mizzou's game last Saturday.
For the record, Smith won the award after leading MU to a surprise 33-15 win over the defending Big Ten champions, as he threw for 152 yards and rushed for 138 more and 1 TD.
PINKEL CAN SURPASS .500 AT MU WITH A WIN SATURDAY
Mizzou Head Coach Gary Pinkel is in his sixth season at MU and touts a career record of 103-67-3. His career winning percentage of 60.2% to begin the season ranked him 23rd in the nation among active Division I-A coaches with a minimum of seven years coached.
Pinkel, who has led MU to a combined record of 21-16 over the past four seasons, and to bowl games in 2003 and 2005, has a six-year record in Columbia of 30-30. With a team picked to finish fourth in the Big 12 North Division in 2005, Pinkel's Tigers tied for second place (winning all tiebreakers), and were playing for a chance to share for the division title heading into the regular-season finale. Pinkel has now led MU to two bowl games, and that puts him in select company, as he joins Don Faurot, Dan Devine, Al Onofrio, Warren Powers and Larry Smith as the only coaches to guide MU to multiple bowl games. After beating Nebraska (41-24 in 2005) for the second time in three years, Pinkel became the first MU coach since Onofrio to defeat NU twice.
Last Saturday's 47-7 win over Murray State drew him to the .500 mark at Mizzou. Pinkel (who was 21-20 at one point) is the first Tiger coach since Warren Powers to have an MU record of above .500 after at least one full season of coaching (Powers left after the 1984 season with an MU record of 46-33-3).
Pinkel has driven Mizzou to a pair of winning seasons (8-5 in 2003 and 7-5 in 2005) in his five previous years at the wheel, with those representing two of MU's four winning campaigns dating back to the 1983 season. With a winning season in 2006, he would become the first MU coach since Powers to have three winning years.
MIZZOU-OLE MISS SERIES HISTORY
Mizzou and Ole Miss will take to the field for the fifth time when they tangle in Columbia on Saturday, but the meeting will be the first since 1979, when Mizzou downed the Rebels by a 33-7 score in Jackson, Miss.
Mizzou leads the series 3-1, with all four games coming in a seven-year span from 1973-1979. The Tigers claimed a 17-0 win in Columbia in 1973, while the Rebs returned the shutout favor with a 10-0 win in Jackson the next season. The back half of the four-game series ended with Mizzou winning 45-14 in Columbia in 1978, followed by the 1979 Tiger triumph.
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TIGERS AGAINST THE SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE
Mizzou has a solid alltime record of 15-7-1 against teams from the SEC, including a stellar bowl record of 6-2 against the conference. Included in that bowl total was the last instance of MU playing an SEC team, when the Tigers defeated South Carolina in last year's Independence Bowl, 38-31 as MU staged the largest comeback win in school history (21 point defecit).
Ole Miss will represent the first SEC team to visit Columbia since Mississippi State came to town in 1984 in what proved to be a 47-30 Tiger victory. All told, MU stands 5-3-1 in games versus SEC teams in Columbia. At left is a breakdown of how MU stands historically against SEC foes:
TIGERS LEAD NATION IN TOTAL OFFENSE
Sophomore QB Chase Daniel and his offensive teammates got the 2006 season off to a flying start, as they turned in a powerful performance in leading the Tigers to a 47-7 win over Murray State last Saturday night in Columbia.
Mizzou racked up 589 yards of total offense in the game, and while that is just one game, that total was the top figure in the nation through games of Saturday - putting the Tigers at #1 in the country in total offense according to the NCAA.
Offensive Coordinator Dave Christensen's spread attack showed powerful balance on the night, as it picked apart the Racer defense for 333 yards passing and 5 TDs, and plowed for 256 more on the ground and 1 TD.
The 589 yards of offense represented the 10th-highest single-game output in MU history, giving Christensen three of the top-10 single-game yardage totals on the Tiger charts (#2 - 657 yds. vs. Arkansas State in 2005; #8 - 597 vs. Texas Tech in 2003; #10 - 589 vs. Murray State in 2006).
TRIO OF DANIEL, FRANKLIN, TEMPLE PROVIDE HISTORIC OUTPUT
The trio of QB Chase Daniel, WR Will Franklin and TB Tony Temple had an historic output in Saturday's win over Murray State, as they became only the third trio in school history to have 300 yards passing, 100 yards receiving and 100 yards rushing in a single game.
Here's a look at all three instances:
2006 vs. Murray State (Won, 47-7 in Columbia)
• Chase Daniel - 320 yards passing, 5 TDs
• Will Franklin - 138 yards receiving, 2 TDs
• Tony Temple - 119 yards rushing
1989 vs. Kansas (Lost, 46-44 in Columbia)
• Kent Kiefer - 444 yards passing, 4 TDs
• Linzy Collins - 193 yards receiving, 1 TD
• Tommy Stowers - 103 yards rushing, 2 TDs
1969 vs. Oklahoma (Won, 44-10 in Columbia)
• Terry McMillan - 312 yards passing, 3 TDs
• Mel Gray - 171 yards receiving, 2 TDs
• Joe Moore - 110 yards rushing, 1 TD
Daniel, making his first collegiate start, completed 23-of-32 passes for 320 yards and 5 TDs. The TD total broke the school record of 4 accomplished six previous times, and his yardage total ranked as the 10th-most in MU annals.
Franklin caught 4 passes for 138 yards and 2 TDs, with the last two figures representing career highs, while Temple chimed in with a career-high 119 yards rushing on 15 carries. Franklin's yardage total was the most by a Tiger wide receiver since former standout Justin Gage had 148 against Kansas in 2001. Temple's rushing total was the most by a Tiger tailback since Damien Nash tallied 126 in the 2004 season opener against Arkansas State.
DEFENSE WAS UP TO THE TASK IN OPENER, TOO
The Missouri defense played a stellar ballgame last Saturday in its first opportunity to show that they can be counted on this year. The Tiger defense limited Murray State to just 150 yards of total offense on the night, forcing two turnovers (1 fumble, 1 interception).
Mizzou kept the Racers out of the endzone for the game's first 58 minutes and 3 seconds, until Murray State hit a 13-yard TD pass with just 1:57 left. Regardless of the score, the defense held up its end of the bargain, allowing just 10 first downs overall.
The Tiger defensive line, considered by most to be the strength of the unit heading into the season (with 4 returning starters) lived up to its billing, as it was instrumental in holding Murray State to only 27 yards rushing on 25 carries (1.1 avg.).
The longest rush of the night for MSU was just 12 yards – and that was the only run the Racers had over 8 yards long. The longest pass play on the night for the Racers was just 15 yards.
Mizzou was dominant early on, as it did not allow the Racers a first down until the 7-minute mark of the 2nd quarter. Murray State had just 14 yards of total offense in the first quarter and mustered only 42 by halftime.
TIGERS ENJOYED HUGE EDGE IN BIG PLAYS VERSUS MURRAY STATE
Mizzou's offense struck for 9 plays of 20 yards or more in the opener against Murray State, including 5 passing plays and 4 rushing plays. Chase Daniel and Will Franklin connected on 3 of the passing plays, going for gains of 60 (TD), 40 and 34 (TD). Tailback Tony Temple had 2 rushes over 20 yards (27, 22), while Marcus Woods went for a 27-yarder of his own. Backup QB Brandon Coleman got in on the fun too, as he raced 62 yards on a keeper in the 4th quarter for MU's longest play of the evening.
By contrast, the Tiger defense did not allow a single Murray State play to measure 20 yards or more. As noted previously, the longest play of the night for the Racers was a 15 yard pass. The longest rush they had on the day was a 12-yarder, and that represented their only ground gain of more than 8 yards in all.
Chase Daniel ERA GETS OFF TO A ROUSING START
As noted previously, sophomore QB Chase Daniel made his first career start last Saturday against Murray State, and to call his performance good would be a slight understatement. Daniel was precision-like in his distribution of the ball, and he broke the MU single-game record by throwing 5 TD passes. He ended the night 23-of-32 passing for 320 yards in leading the Tigers to a 47-7 victory.
Daniel's single-game passer rating was an astounding 207.44, a figure which ranks him 1st in the Big 12 and 8th nationally through games of Saturday.
Belying his youth and relative inexperience, Daniel began his first collegiate start with a statement, as he completed his first 8 passes for 101 yards and 2 TDs before throwing his first incompletion on his first attempt of the third series. He ended the game with scoring strikes of 60 yards and 34 yards to WR Will Franklin, 35 yards to WR Jared Perry, 8 yards to WR Brad Ekwerekwu and 3 yards to TE Chase Coffman.
Daniel's 320 passing yards stands as the 10th-highest single-game total in MU history, and it is the 3rd-most as a sophomore.
Daniel is replacing all-everything QB Brad Smith, who started every game for Mizzou from 2002-2005 and left holding 69 different MU, Big 12 and NCAA game, season and career records. He was the first QB other than Smith to start a game at MU since Kirk Farmer started the 2001 season finale at Michigan State (a 55-7 loss for MU on Dec. 1st).
While Daniel himself has said all along that he would never hope to achieve what Smith did in his time at Mizzou, the modest QB from Southlake, Texas has those in the program very excited about his potential. He gained invaluable experience as a true freshman in 2005, playing in 10 games and completing 38-of-62 passes (.576) for 347 yards and 1 TD (2 INTs).
Most notably, Daniel relieved an injured and ineffective Smith in the fourth quarter of MU's Homecoming game last year against Iowa State, and led MU from a 10-point deficit with just under 9 minutes left to a thrilling 27-24 comeback win. With MU's back squarely against the wall, Daniel belied his youth by calmly leading the Tigers downfield on consecutive drives of 75 and 87 yards, and hit WR Sean Coffey from 4 yards out for a game-tying TD with just 20 seconds left in regulation. After ISU failed to score on its OT possession, Daniel again directed a drive that culminated with PK Adam Crossett's game-winning 26-yard field goal.
BACON BRINGS IT HOME IN OPENER
Senior WLB Marcus Bacon had quite a night in the 2006 season opener, as he led the Tiger defensive effort by making a career-high 12 tackles. The Houston, Texas native had 8 solo stops and added 4 assists (adjusted for coaches' film) and also contributed with 1 tackle for loss.
Bacon also notched his first turnover gained of the season when he scooped up a fumble caused on a QB sack by sophomore NOSE Ziggy Hood. Bacon returned the fumble 6 yards down to the Murray State 17-yardline to set up a drive that the Tiger offense converted into a touchdown just 3 plays later.
Bacon had a breakout year as a junior, as he amassed a career-high 85 tackles (which ranked 3rd on the team overall and 1st among LBs), while starting 8 games at the strongside position. Bacon was also a standout on special teams, playing on several units, and led the team in total special teams tackles with 12 (8 on punts, 4 on kickoffs). On defense, he recorded a career-high 3 QB sacks for 23 yards in losses, and had 5 tackles or more in all but 1 game, and reached double figures three times overall.
WILL GETS HIS THRILLS IN SEASON OPENING GAMES
Something about season openers gets junior WR Will Franklin revved up and ready to roll. Franklin opened his junior campaign last Saturday by grabbing 4 catches for a career-high 138 yards and 2 TDs – with all of the catches coming in the 1st half. His yardage total was the most in a game for a Tiger receiver since former standout Justin Gage had 148 yards against Kansas in 2001, and it ranked as 9th-most in the NCAA through games of Saturday.
He got things started in a big way early on, as on the 5th play of the season, he took what was a quick hitter route of about 12 yards, spun to his left out of the defender's grasp, and took off down the sideline and after getting a good block downfield from fellow WR Brad Ekwerekwu, went untouched into the endzone for a 60-yard TD.
Franklin later caught a short pass for 4 yards on MU's 2nd drive, and on the 3rd possession, hooked up with QB Chase Daniel for a 40-yard gain that took the ball to the Murray State 5 yardline. The duo capped their productive night by teaming on a 34-yard TD strike with just :57 seconds remaining in the 2nd quarter to put the Tigers up 35-0.
The St. Louis, Mo. native had big start to his 2005 season, when he caught 8 passes against Arkansas State for 116 yards and 1 TD. He went on to post career-high numbers of 40 catches for 413 yards and 2 TDs for the year.
There was a lot of talk in the offseason about Franklin and Daniel developing a chemistry with each other, and from the looks of the first game, that work has paid off. Head Coach Gary Pinkel has also credited Franklin with elevating himself through a great work ethic and him taking on the role of being a leader for the Tiger offense.
TEMPLE GETS GROUND GAME OFF TO BIG START
Junior TB Tony Temple was named the starter after turning in an impressive fall camp. Temple worked hard in the weight room over the summer and is now up to 200 pounds for the first time in his career (he played at 190 last year, but was down to 176 at the end of the season).
Temple showed that he is carrying his added bulk well, as he plowed over Murray State for a career-high 119 yards rushing last Saturday, on just 15 carries – good for a salty average of 7.9 yards per carry. His yardage total was the most in a game by a Tiger tailback since Damien Nash ran for 126 in the 2004 season opener against Arkansas State.
Temple had runs of 27 and 22 yards on the night, with the latter being of the highlight-reel variety, as he went around left tackle, got flipped head-over heels about 10 yards downfield on a tackle, rolled over the would-be tackler but did not go down, regained his footing and raced another 12 or so yards before being dragged down.
He also showed an improved ability to provide blocking for QB Chase Daniel, as he was seen picking up charging defenders to free Daniel up to get the ball away safely.
Temple played in 10 games a year ago, and led Tiger tailbacks with a per-carry average of 5.4 yards per attempt. He ended the year with 437 yards and 3 TDs, and made starts in 2 of the Tigers' last 3 games of the year.
He also serves as MU's primary kickoff return man. Temple ranked 4th in the Big 12 in 2005 with a return average of 23.5 per return. He returned only one kick last week against Murray State, and made it good for a 26-yard effort.