No. 25 Tigers Host Buffaloes as Big 12 Season Kicks Off Saturday
9/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 25, 2006
Colorado Buffaloes (0-4) at #25 Missouri Tigers (4-0)
Sept. 30, 2006 -- Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium -- Columbia, Mo.
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NO. 25 TIGERS HOST BUFFALOES AS BIG 12 SEASON KICKS OFF SATURDAY
The 25th-ranked Missouri Tigers (4-0 overall) look to continue their winning ways as they play host to the Colorado Buffaloes (0-4) this Saturday morning at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium in what will serve as the Big 12 Conference opener for both teams. Kickoff for the Fox Sports Net televised game is set for 11:40 a.m. (central). A crowd of 55,000-60,000 is anticipated for the game.
Mizzou is coming off a solid, if unperfect, 31-6 win over Ohio. The Tigers used a dominating second-half performance (outgaining Ohio 211-to-31 in total yardage), overcoming season-high totals in turnovers (3) and penalties (9) to secure its fourth win in as many tries this year. MU cracked the AP poll Sunday for the 1st time this year, at #25.
Colorado comes to Columbia in search of its first win, after dropping a heart-breaker last Saturday at 9th-ranked Georgia, 14-13, as the Bulldogs scored in the final minute of the game to claim the win. Colorado has played in the Big 12 Championship game in four of the last five seasons.
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MU-CU SERIES WHEN TIGERS RANKED: |
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| MU RANK |
CU RANK |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DATE | MU | RESULT | |||
| 11/7/1998 | 18 | -- | W | 38-14 | |
| 10/18/1980 | 16 | -- | W | 45-7 | |
| 10/28/1978 | 13 | -- | L | 27-28 | |
| 11/6/1976 | 16 | 14 | W | 16-7 | |
| 11/10/1962 | 7 | -- | W | 57-0 | |
| 11/5/1960 | 2 | 18 | W | 16-6 | |
| 11/13/1948 | 20 | -- | W | 27-13 | |
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TIGERS CRACK AP TOP-25 FOR 1ST TIME SINCE 2004 SEASON
When Mizzou takes the field this Saturday against old foe Colorado, it will do so carrying the nation's No. 25 ranking into the game. After defeating Ohio, 31-6, last Saturday, on Sunday when the polls came out, the Tigers moved into the AP poll for the first time since 2004.
This marks the first time that Mizzou has been in the AP top-25 since early in the 2004 season, when the Tigers were ranked 19th prior to the second game of the year, at Troy. MU began that season ranked 18th in the AP poll.
Mizzou has played two games previously as the AP's No. 25 team, winning home games in 1997 against Baylor (42-24) and in 1998 against Kansas (41-23).
Saturday will mark the 143rd time overall that Mizzou has entered a game as a ranked team. In its previous 142 such encounters, MU holds an alltime record of 85-56-1 (.607).
This is the 7th week that Mizzou has been ranked in the AP poll under Gary Pinkel, as the Tigers were ranked for 4 weeks (peaking at #22) in 2003, in addition to the aforementioned 2-week stay in the polls in 2004.
Mizzou is 6-1 alltime at home as a ranked team while playing host to Colorado, with the sole loss a 28-27 setback to an unranked Buff team in 1978 (see chart for details).
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MU'S LONGEST WINNING STREAKS |
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13 – 1960-61; |
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TIGER WINNING STREAK UP TO FIVE AND COUNTING
Off to just the school's 6th 4-0 start since 1925, Mizzou will look to move to 5-0 on the year this Saturday as they play host to the Colorado Buffaloes in the Big 12 opener for both schools. Head Coach Gary Pinkel has led MU to a 12-5 record in his last 17 games, and currently has MU on a 5-game winning streak dating back to last season's bowl win over South Carolina.
The last time MU won five games in a row was when the 1981 squad started the year 5-0. A win Saturday over Colorado would stretch the winning streak to six games, which would tie for the 5th-longest streak in MU history (the record is 13 spanning the 1960 and 1961 seasons). At right is a quick look at MU's top winning streaks in modern history (dating back to 1936).
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NATION'S LONGEST WINNING STREAKS |
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| Streak | School | Last Loss | |
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| 13 | TCU | 9-10-05 vs. SMU (21-10) | |
| 11 | Ohio State | 10-8-05 vs. Penn State (17-10) | |
| 11 | West Virginia | 10-1-05 vs. Virginia Tech (34-17) | |
| 7 | Purdue | 10-29-05 vs. Penn State (33-15) | |
| 6 | Florida | 11-12-05 vs. South Carolina (30-22) | |
| 5 | MIZZOU | 11-19-05 at Kansas State (36-28) | |
| 5 | Virginia Tech | 12-3-05 vs. Florida State (27-22) | |
| 4 | 10 Schools | N/A | |
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TIGER 5-GAME STREAK RANKS 6TH-BEST IN NATION CURRENTLY
Mizzou's current 5-game winning streak dating back to last season is among the nation's best. Entering play this weekend, MU's streak ranks as 6th-best in the nation. At right is a quick look at the longest active winning streaks:
MIZZOU IN TOP-10 NATIONALLY IN BOTH TOTAL OFFENSE & TOTAL DEFENSE
Mizzou currently can boast being only one of two schools to have both its offense and defense ranked in the nation's top-10 in total yardage.
The Tigers enter Saturday as the nation's top-ranked defense, allowing 175.25 yards per game, while their offensive counterparts aren't far behind, ranking 8th in the NCAA (471.00 ypg). Only Florida has units in the top-10 in both categories in addition to the Tigers, ranking 8th defensively and 9th on offense.
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ALL-TIME 4-0 STARTS AT MIZZOU |
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| Year | Start | Finish | Rank | Bowl Game | |
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| 1895 | 4-0 | 7-1 | n/a | n/a | |
| 1899 | 7-0 | 9-2 | n/a | n/a | |
| 1905 | 5-0 | 5-4 | n/a | n/a | |
| 1906 | 4-0 | 5-2-1 | n/a | n/a | |
| 1908 | 4-0 | 6-2 | n/a | n/a | |
| 1920 | 4-0 | 7-1 | n/a | n/a | |
| 1924 | 4-0 | 7-2% | n/a | Christmas Festival | |
| 1960 | 9-0# | 11-0% | 5th | Orange | |
| 1969 | 5-0 | 9-2% | 6th | Orange | |
| 1973 | 6-0 | 8-4 | 17th | Sun | |
| 1981 | 5-0 | 8-4 | 19th | Tangerine | |
| 2003 | 4-0 | 8-5 | n/a | Independence | |
| 2006 | 4-0 | ??? | 25th | ??? | |
| % - Won conference championship | |||||
| # - Lost 10th game to Kansas but later awarded victory by forfeit | |||||
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TIGERS ON THE PROWL FOR MU'S 1ST 5-0 START SINCE 1981
After sweeping through its non-conference season undefeated, Mizzou opens Big 12 Conference play looking to continue building on its promising start to 2006. The Tigers are 4-0 for the 2nd time under Head Coach Gary Pinkel, and are beginning to turn heads after its quartet of victories.
This year's Tiger team looks to move to 5-0 for the first time since the 1981 Tigers started the year 5-0, on the way to an 8-4 record overall. A win for MU Saturday against Colorado would give Mizzou its 5th 5-0 start to a season since 1925, and it would be the 7th time in MU's 116 years of football that the program started a season 5-0.
The 4-0 start already achieved by Mizzou marks just the 6th time in the last 82 seasons (since 1925) that Mizzou has began a season with four straight wins. In all, it marks the 13th time starting 4-0 since the program began in 1890.
At right is a quick recap of the 4-0 starts in school history:
PINKEL HAS WON 12 OF LAST 17 GAMES AT MIZZOU
Mizzou Head Coach Gary Pinkel is in his sixth season at MU and touts a career record of 106-67-3 (61.1%). 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 24-16 over the past four seasons (including 12 wins in his last 17 games dating back to the 2004 season finale), and to bowl games in 2003 and 2005, has a six-year record in Columbia of 33-30 (52.4%).
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.
Mizzou's 34-7 win over Ole Miss drew him above the .500 mark at Mizzou. Pinkel 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-COLORADO SERIES HISTORY
Mizzou and Colorado will meet for the 71st time when they tangle Saturday in Columbia, with the Tigers holding a 36-31-3 overall lead in the series since the very first meeting took place way back in 1930.
Up until the mid-1980s, Mizzou held a commanding lead in the series history, but Colorado rolled off a string of 12 consecutive victories over MU from 1985 through 1996 to tighten things up.
The Buffaloes have also had the upper hand since the formation of the Big 12 Conference, as they have claimed 7-of-10 meetings overall, including 3-of-5 games in Columbia.
CU won last year's meeting, 41-12, in Boulder, and has won 6 of the last 7 games overall. Most of them have been very competitive, however, as 4 of those CU wins have come by 10 points or less, including a pair of 7-point overtime losses and another defeat by just 5 points.
In games played in Columbia, the Tigers lead by a margin of 23-11-2. Mizzou won the last encounter held in Columbia by a 17-9 score in the 2004 season. Prior to that, the Buffs had won two straight appearances in Columbia, winning a 42-35 overtime thriller in 2002, and claiming a 28-18 triumph in 2000.
Two of the more historic games ever played at Faurot Field have come between Mizzou and Colorado. Of course, the most infamous took place in 1990, when Colorado came away with a 33-31 win as the Buffs were given an extra down and were awarded a TD on a disputed play in what has gone down in history as the Fifth Down Game. The next appearance in Columbia, in 1992, a 6-0 CU win played in nasty cold, wet weather, was the first-ever night game played at Memorial Stadium, and was played on a Thursday night for ESPN, as portable lights were brought in for the telecast.
LAST YEAR REWIND: #25 COLORADO 41, MIZZOU 12
The task was tall, and the stakes were high, as Mizzou traveled to Boulder, Colo., with first-place in the Big 12 North division on the line as the Tigers played at 25th-ranked Colorado on Nov. 5, 2005. A win in Boulder would have put Mizzou in a tie for first with the Buffaloes, and given MU the head-to-head tiebreaker, but it wasn't to be, as Colorado took advantage of key mistakes by MU and tough calls against the Tigers to pull away for a 41-12 win to take control of the North division heading into the home stretch.
Mizzou was held to 276 yards of offense on the day, including just 59 yards rushing, and Colorado turned 2 Tiger turnovers into 14 points to break open a tight game in the early stretches. The Buffs struck first with a 94-yard drive to claim a 7-0 lead midway through the 1st quarter, but Mizzou answered right back with a brilliant 80-yard drive of its own that ended in a Will Franklin 18-yard TD catch from QB Brad Smith. The extra point was no good, however, and MU still trailed, 7-6. In the 2nd quarter, CU took advantage of two big plays and parlayed those opportunities into a 17-0 surge that made it 24-6 at halftime.
The first big play was a pass interference called on MU's Jason Simpson after the Tiger defense apparently had stopped CU on 3rd-and-15 near midfield. But instead of punting, the penalty gave CU new life, and the Buffs took advantage by punching the ball in for a TD.
On Mizzou's ensuing possession, MU recovered a surprise onside kick and was set up deep in CU territory. Sophomore TB Tony Temple went around right end and had a first down near the CU 35 yardline, and the Tigers appeared poised to answer, but the ball popped out of Temple's grasp, and CU's J.J. Billingsley scooped up the ball near the sideline and raced nearly 40 yards the other direction. Three plays later, CU reached the endzone again, and the Buffs had surged to a 21-6 lead just like that.
Trailing 24-6 at half, Mizzou had one more surge of its own. On its first defensive series in the 3rd quarter, redshirt freshman DE Stryker Sulak sacked CU's Joel Klatt, forcing a fumble. Teammate Jamar Smith picked up the ball on the CU 12-yardline and raced untouched to the endzone to pull MU to within 24-12 (the ensuing 2-pt. try failed).
With momentum on its side, Mizzou's defense again came up big, as it had CU stopped with a 4th-and-12 on its own 33-yardline. But instead of getting the ball back with a chance to further cut into the lead, MU's Willie Moore was called for roughing the punter on CU's punt. The tough call went against MU again, and again, CU took advantage, as the penalty gave the Buffs a fresh set of downs. They proceeded to drive for a TD that made it 31-12 and in effect, gave Colorado the win.
Lawrence Vickers rushed for 88 yards and 4 TDs on the day for Colorado (7-2, 5-1). The Buffs averaged just 3.2 yards per carry on the day (136 yards on 42 carries), but senior QB Joel Klatt had an impressive performance as he threw for 253 yards (on 23-of-31 passing) and 1 TD.
Colorado held a more than 9-minute advantage in time of possession, 34:35-to-25:25 on the day, and TB Jimmy Jackson was MU's leading rusher, gaining just 17 total yards on 4 carries. Brad Smith completed 19-of-29 passes for 160 yards and 1 TD, while TE Martin Rucker led MU receivers with 9 catches for 88 yards.
LAST TIME OUT: MIZZOU DOMINATES 2ND HALF IN 31-6 WIN OVER OHIO
Mizzou improved to 4-0 to begin a season for just the 6th time since 1925 with a solid 31-6 win over visiting Ohio last Saturday, thanks in large part to a dominant 2nd half performance.
The MU defense, which allowed 157 yards of offense in the 1st half, shut down Ohio after intermission, allowing only 31 total yards in the 2nd half (with 37 coming on its final possession before an MU interception ended the game). The Tiger offense chipped in adequately, despite 3 turnovers in the game, outgaining the Bobcats 211-to-31 in the 2nd half, and 428-to-188 in total on the day.
The Tiger defense, ranked 2nd in the nation coming into the game, got challenged early, as Ohio forced a turnover on MU's game-opening possession and took over on the Tiger 41-yardline. The Bobcats mustered only 20 yards, however, and had a 38-yard field goal attempt blocked by LB Marcus Bacon to end the threat.
The Tiger offense responded 3 plays later, when QB Chase Daniel hit a wide-open WR Will Franklin down the left sideline for a 68-yard TD pass - the longest pass play since 2000 at MU - to give Mizzou the lead, 7-0.
The Bobcats wouldn't go away, however, as they strung together a 7-play, 80-yard TD drive midway through the 2nd quarter to close to within one point, at 7-6. The extra point was blocked by DL Lorenzo Williams and DE Xzavie Jackson, though, to preserve the Tiger lead.
That block seemed to swing momentum for the homestanding Tigers, as the offense answered with an 11-play, 75-yard TD drive that ended with Daniel's 2nd TD pass to Franklin (from 11 yards) with 5:26 left in the half to make it 14-6.
After a quick 3-and-out forced by MU's defense to open the 3rd quarter, the Tiger offense scored on its first two possessions - on a career-long 44-yard field goal by PK Jeff Wolfert and a 5-yard TD run by Daniel - to extend the lead to 24-6 with 6:38 left in the period.
The TD drive covered only 28 yards and was set up by Williams' fumble recovery after CB Darnell Terrell crashed from the corner to force an errant option pitch by Ohio QB Austen Everson that Williams pounced on.
In four 3rd-quarter possessions by Ohio, the Tiger defense held the Bobcats to -13 yards on 14 total plays, while the MU offense totaled 102 yards in the same 15 minutes.
TB Jimmy Jackson capped the scoring with a 2-yard run (his first of the season) with 3:13 left in the game to account for the final score. Ohio drove 37 yards on its final drive, only to have Bacon grab his 2nd interception of the season. He returned his pickoff 48 yards before being dragged down.
Bacon led all Tigers, with 9 tackles, while Daniel totaled 302 yards of total offense, including 258 passing and 44 rushing. Franklin led all receivers with 99 yards receiving on 4 catches (w/TDs of 68 & 9 yds.), and TB Tony Temple had a team-high 60 yards rushing on 15 attempts.
TIGER DEFENSE ENTERS CU GAME AS NATION'S #1-RANKED UNIT
Mizzou's defense, which returns 7 starters from a year ago, has been nothing short of outstanding in MU's first 4 games of the 2006 season.
Heading into the Colorado contest, MU's defense is the nation's #1-ranked unit, allowing just 175.25 yards per game. Mizzou is coming off a solid outing against Ohio, as the Tiger defenders allowed just 188 yards of offense, including only 31 total yards in the 2nd half (on 28 plays in all).
The Bobcats were held to just 43 net yards rushing on the day, on 30 attempts, good for an average of just 1.4 yards per attempt. Their longest rush of the day went for 9 yards, and 13 of their 30 attempts went for 1 yard or less, including 8 that went for negative yardage.
The Tigers held New Mexico to 201 total yards on the road (with 66 of those coming during garbage time) two weeks ago, and previously held Ole Miss to just 162 total yards in a 34-7 win, and began the year with a stifling performance against Murray State, as they held the Racers to just 150 yards in MU's 44-7 win.
Against New Mexico, the Tiger defense was dominant most of the night, as it held the Lobos to just 135 yards of offense before their last drive, and Mizzou forced 3 turnovers, and sacked the UNM quarterback 8 times for 55 yards in losses.
Against Ole Miss, the Tiger defense was swarming from the get-go, holding the Rebels to just 7 total yards on 11 plays in the first quarter as MU built a quick 10-0 lead. Mizzou eventually forced 3 turnovers on the day, all coming on interceptions, and now has garnered 10 takeaways through 4 games (6 INTs, 4 fumbles).
That solid overall performance followed up an even stingier outing in the 2006 season opener against Murray State. 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, and held Murray State to only 27 yards rushing on 25 carries (1.1 avg.).
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.
MIZZOU HAS YET TO TRAIL IN A GAME SO FAR
Sales of antacid products like Tums and Rolaids have presumably been low in Columbia so far this fall, as the Tigers have not yet played any nail-biters - winning by an average margin of 25.6 points per game thus far.
In fact, the stress level for fans has been very low so far overall, as Mizzou has yet to trail in a game heading into the Big 12 opener against Colorado. In MU's first four games, the Tigers have never trailed, and have been tied each outing only at 0-0.
In all, in 240 total minutes of play so far, Mizzou has held the lead for 221 minutes and 19 seconds. It has been tied for a total of just 18 minutes and 41 seconds of play so far.
DEFENSE STINGY ON THE GROUND, NO RUSHING TDS ALLOWED SO FAR
The Tiger defense ranks 2nd in the Big 12 Conference, and 5th in the NCAA, in rushing defense, allowing only 43.75 yards per game on the ground thus far. Mizzou trails only Texas in the league, as the Longhorns are currently giving up only 24.00 rushing yards a game.
Mizzou has yet to allow a rushing TD this season through 4 games, making it one of only 6 defenses entering the weekend that can make that claim. The others include Arizona State, Auburn, Michigan, Ohio State and Utah.
In 2005, the Tigers allowed 23 rushing TDs (an average of just under 2 per game), including at least 1 in every game but Baylor.
Opponents in 2006 are averaging just 1.6 yards per attempt on the ground so far, less than half of the 3.8 yards per carry allowed by MU in 2005.
In its opener, Mizzou permitted just 27 yards rushing by Murray State, and followed by allowing 72 net rushing yards to Ole Miss (which had gained 240 yards on the ground in their season opener against Memphis). The next week, the Tiger defense allowed only 33 rushing yards to a New Mexico team that gained 202 yards on the ground in an upset win in Columbia (45-35) in 2005. They closed out the non-conference season by allowing a total of 43 net rushing yards on 30 attempts (1.4 avg.) to Ohio.
TIGER OFFENSE ALSO RANKS IN TOP-10 NATIONALLY
Not to be outdone by their defensive teammates, the Tiger offense has also been prolific in the early going, as it also ranks 8th in the NCAA - and 2nd in the Big 12 - through 4 games, averaging 471.00 yards per game.
Mizzou began the season with a 589-yard outing in a 47-7 win over Murray State, then laid 471 more yards on Ole Miss of the Southeastern Conference in a dominating 34-7 the next week. The production dropped a little in week 3 on the road, as New Mexico's unique 4-2-6 defensive look contained the offense a little better, but the Tigers still managed 396 yards.
The Tigers followed up last week with a 428-yard day against Ohio (258 passing, 170 rushing), despite turning the ball over a season-high 3 times in the game (2 fumbles, 1 INT).
TIGERS RANK HIGHLY IN NATIONAL STATISTICAL REPORTS
Through 4 games, Mizzou ranks among the nation's top-10 in 7 different statistical categories: Total Defense (1st - 175.25); Rusing Defense (5th - 43.75); Tackles for Loss (T-5th - 9.00); QB Sacks (6th - 4.00); Total Offense (8th - 471.00); Pass Defense (8th - 131.50); and Scoring Defense (10th - 9.25).
Additionally, the Tigers rank in the top 25 in 5 other categores, as well: Pass Efficiency Defense (11th - 90.60 rating); Rushing Offense (14th - 210.25); QB Sacks Allowed (T-14th - 1.00); Passing Offense (20th - 260.75); and Scoring Offense (22nd - 34.75).
FAST STARTS GET MIZZOU OFF TO THE RACES
Mizzou hopes to continue a trend that has seen them jump out to leads right away in its first three games. As indicated earlier, Mizzou has not yet trailed in a game, and the Tigers have outscored opponents by a whopping 48-0 margin thus far.
Mizzou has gained a total of 653 yards of offense in the 1st quarter, compared to a total of 114 yards for opponents, and opponents had not taken a snap on MU's side of the field, nor had they achieved one first down in the 1st quarter against MU's , until Ohio did so last Saturday.
Here have been the scores after the 1st quarter in each game so far this year:
• Mizzou 21, Murray State 0
• Mizzou 10, Ole Miss 0
• Mizzou 10, New Mexico 0
• Mizzou 7, Ohio 0
While the Tigers outpointed Ohio 7-0 in the 1st quarter last Saturday, MU did not score on its opening possession for the 1st time this year. Mizzou appeared off to the races, as it took the opening kick and got 21 yards on a 1st-down rush by TB Tony Temple. But on the 2nd play of the drive, QB Chase Daniel was flushed from the pocket after dropping back, and he scrambled for a nice gain, but lost the ball as he was hit going down for an 8-yard gain. Ohio recovered on the MU 41-yardline, but the Tiger defense picked up the team as it held the Bobcats to a field goal, which was blocked by LB Marcus Bacon.
In the previous week's game at New Mexico, playing on the road for the 1st time, the Tiger offense scored on its opening possession for the 3rd straight game, as it drove 61 yards to get a Jeff Wolfert 37-yard field goal. After a defensive stop, QB Chase Daniel led the Tigers on a 56-yard drive that culminated with his 6-yard TD pass to TE Martin Rucker for a quick 10-0 lead.
The previous week against Ole Miss, the Tigers took the opening kickoff and marched 80 yards in 10 plays to take a 7-0 lead. Mizzou's defense held up its end too, as it held the Rebels to a 3-and-out series, and the offense followed with a field goal for a quick 10-0 lead.
That followed an even more impressive start in MU's season opener against Murray State, as the Tigers scored TDs on their first 3 possessions to jump out to an imposing 21-0 lead in the 1st quarter, as the MU defense held the Racers without a first down and to a total of 9 yards in their first 3 drives.
