Tigers and Cowboys Square Off in Big Early-League Game
10/6/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 6, 2008
#17/#17 Oklahoma State Cowboys (5-0, 1-0) at #3/#2 Missouri Tigers (5-0, 1-0)
Oct. 11, 2008 - Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field - Columbia, Mo.
GAME CENTRAL:
|
|
|
KICKOFF: 7:00 p.m. (central time). The game is sold out. |
|
(530 kb)
TIGERS AND COWBOYS SQUARE OFF IN BIG EARLY-LEAGUE GAME
The 3rd-ranked Missouri Tigers (5-0 overall, 1-0 in Big 12 Conference play) return home to the friendly confines of Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field, where they'll play host this Saturday evening to the 17th-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys (5-0, 1-0). Kickoff for the ESPN-2 televised contest is set for 7 p.m. (central). The game was announced as a sellout last week, along with MU's next home game on Oct. 25th against Colorado.
Saturday's game looks to be one of the top games in the nation, and features two of the most prolific offenses in the country. Mizzou enters the game 3rd nationally in total offense (568.80 ypg), while OSU is right behind, ranking 6th overall (530.20 ypg).
Mizzou is coming off a scintillating performance at Nebraska, as the Tigers claimed their first win in Lincoln since 1978, with a dominating 52-17 victory last Saturday. In the game, QB Chase Daniel threw for 253 yards and 3 TDs, while TB Derrick Washington rushed for a career-high 139 yards and scored 3 TDs (2 rushing, 1 receiving) to lead a balanced offensive attack that featured 261 passing yards and 201 rushing yards. The Tiger defense was also on its game, holding Nebraska to below 30 points for the first time this season, and for the first time in 7 games overall, dating back to 2007.
Oklahoma State comes to Columbia fresh off a 56-28 home blowout over Texas A&M last Saturday, marking the 4th consecutive game that the Cowboys have scored 55 or more points. The Cowboys' prolific offense had 401 yards in all, and were helped by opportunistic play from other areas, as its defense scored twice on interception returns, while special teams added a long punt return for a score. Dez Bryant scored 4 TDs on the night, on receptions of 29, 23 and 21 yards from QB Zac Robinson, while his fourth came on a 78-yard punt return for a score. Robinson, who is ranked 3rd nationally in pass efficiency, threw for 186 yards and 3 TDs in the game, and added 2 more TDs and 66 yards on the ground. The Cowboys feature the Big 12's leading rusher, in RB Kendall Hunter, who ranks 5th nationally with his per-game average of 141.60 yards.
Saturday will be Oklahoma State's second contest of the year away from Stillwater, as they opened the season versus Washington State in a game played in Seattle, Wash. (a 39-13 OSU win), followed by four straight home wins over Houston (56-37), Missouri State (57-13), Troy (55-24) and Texas A&M (56-28).
NEAR-PERFECT PERFORMANCE FUELS MISSOURI TO BIG WIN
Mizzou exorcized 30 years of frustration in Lincoln, Neb. last Saturday, as the Tigers rolled to a 52-17 win over Nebraska - marking the Huskers' largest margin of defeat in Lincoln since 1955. While no coach in his right mind would ever purport to having played a perfect game, us PR hacks can make claims along those lines, and while MU's performance wasn't 100% pristine, it was darn close. Consider the following facts from the game...
- Mizzou punted exactly zero times on the night. Punter Jake Harry wasn't called on, and he's now punted just 2 times total in MU's last 3 games combined...
- The Tigers were flagged for just one penalty on the night, a personal foul that cost 15 yards, while Nebraska was called for 14 penalties totaling 101 yards in all...
- Mizzou did not turn the ball over, nor did it allow a sack on offense...
- The #1 offense scored on 7-of-8 possessions with Chase Daniel at the helm, as he guided the way to 6 TDs and 1 FG in all. The sole non-score came at the first-half gun, as PK Jeff Wolfert tried a 59-yard attempt, only to see the kick fall just short and barely wide left...
- The Tiger defense forced 2 turnovers (scoring on one of them, a 17-yard INT return by LB Brock Christopher) and held Nebraska to just 79 yards rushing on 35 attempts (2.3 avg.)...
- The #1 defensive unit only allowed 10 points, as Nebraska got its last score with :00 on the clock that came against the reserve team...
 |
MIZZOU AT HOME - LAST 16 GAMES |
||
| Category | MU | OPP | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 650 | 249 | |
| Scoring Avg. | 40.6 | 15.6 | |
| 1st Half Points | 363 | 139 | |
| 1st Half Pts. Avg. | 22.7 | 8.7 | |
| Rushing TDs | 33 | 11 | |
| Passing Yds. Avg. | 325.3 | 197.1 | |
| Total Off. Yds. Avg. | 506.8 | 317.7 | |
| 3rd Downs | 123-218 | 87-248 | |
| 3rd Down Pct. | 56.4 | 35.1 | |
|
|||
TIGERS ARE 28-6 AT `THE ZOU' SINCE 2003 SEASON
Since nicknaming Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium "The Zou" prior to the 2003 season, Gary Pinkel's Tigers have done a nice job of defending their home turf (FieldTurf surface, which was also installed prior to the `03 season, by coincidence).
Since 2003, the Tigers are an impressive 28-6 at home, good for a winning percentage of 82.4%, including 15-5 during that time in Big 12 competition (75.0%). That breaks down to records of 6-0 in 2003, 3-3 in 2004, 4-2 in 2005, 6-1 in 2006, 6-0 in 2007 and 3-0 in 2008.
The Tigers carry an active win streak of 10 games at The Zou, and have won 18 of their last 19 at home dating back to midway through the 2005 season. The only loss in that stretch was a 26-10 setback in 2006 to #19 Oklahoma.
Here's a few statistics that really jump out as being decidedly in MU's favor over the last 16 home games (2006 through 2008 seasons):
MIZZOU-OKLAHOMA STATE SERIES
Old Big 8 Conference rivals renew their acquaintances Saturday as Mizzou and Oklahoma State hit the field in Columbia. Mizzou holds a 28-20 overall edge in the series history, and the Tigers have claimed 5-of-6 meetings since the inception of the Big 12 Conference in 1996 between the two schools.
If recent history is any indicator, however, look for Saturday's game to be a tightly-contested one, as all but one of the 6 previous meetings have been decided by 7 points or fewer, and 3 of them have gone into overtime (all won by Mizzou). The 1996 overtime win by Mizzou (35-28) marked MU's first-ever overtime game.
While that bit of recent history is squarely in MU's favor, there is one recent trend they're hoping to break, and that has to do with the road team's dominance. The road team has won the last 3 meetings, as MU claimed a 41-38 triple overtime win in Stillwater in 2001 and then a 38-31 2005 win in its next trip there. Sandwiched between those was an Okie State 20-17 win in Columbia in 2004. Extending this beyond the Big 12 era, in the MU-OSU series, the road team has won 6 of the last 8 times the two schools have played.
LAST MEETING: MU 38, OSU 31 (2005)
Mizzou QB Brad Smith had a big day as the Tigers jumped out to a 31-9 lead and held on for a 38-31 win in Stillwater, to improve to 3-2 on the season. Smith passed for 193 yards and 1 TD, while he ran for 184 yards on 18 carries, including a key 59-yarder in the 4th quarter that set up MU's final score. His long run set up WR Brad Ekwerekwu's 13-yard TD run on a reverse that gave MU a 38-24 lead with 9:07 left. Oklahoma State wouldn't go away, as D'Juan Woods caught a 5-yard TD pass from Al Pena with 6:36 left, and then after MU couldn't quite bleed the entire clock on its next possession while missing a short field goal, the Cowboys drove to near midfield with a chance to tie the game in the final minutes.
But Mizzou safety David Overstreet spoiled the comeback bid as he intercepted Pena with :55 seconds left at the OSU 48-yardline.
Mizzou TB Marcus Woods had a big day, as he rushed for 102 yards and a TD, and also scored on a reception in the 2nd quarter, while he also returned a punt 76 yards to set up another Tiger score.
|
Fewest Penalties Per Game |
||
| Rank | Team | Avg. Penalties | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Mizzou | 3.00 | |
| 2. | Ball State | 3.17 | |
| 3. | Pittsburgh | 3.20 | |
| Syracuse | 3.20 | ||
| Vanderbilt | 3.20 | ||
|
|||
TIGERS NATION'S LEAST-PENALIZED TEAM
Head Coach Gary Pinkel will be pleased when he looks at the national reports to see his Tiger team standing atop the NCAA rankings for fewest penalties in the nation. Through 5 games, Mizzou has been flagged for only 15 penalties - or just one more than Nebraska was called for by itself in last Saturday's MU win in Lincoln (Nebraska was called for 14 penalties for 101 yards). The Tigers were called for just one infraction in last Saturday's 52-17 win at Nebraska
Mizzou's per-game penalties look like this: vs. Illinois (3 penalties, 20 yards), vs. Southeast Missouri State (4, for 46), vs. Nevada (5, for 50), vs. Buffalo (2, for 20) and at Nebraska (1, for 15). The Tigers' average penalty yardage per game of 30.20 ranks them 7th-best in the nation, as well.
Here's a look at the national leaders:
|
Fewest Turnovers Lost |
||
| Rank | Team | Turnovers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | La.-Monroe | 3 | |
| 2. | Central Michigan | 4 | |
| Florida | 4 | ||
| Georgia | 4 | ||
| Oklahoma | 4 | ||
| 6. | Mizzou | 5 | |
| LSU | 5 | ||
| UNLV | 5 | ||
|
|||
TAKING CARE OF THE BALL ANOTHER GOOD SIGN
Heading into the OSU game, Mizzou has thrown just one interception on the season, which came in the 2nd quarter against Illinois. Since then, QB Chase Daniel has thrown 136 consecutive passes without an interception.
As a team, Mizzou is one of only 8 schools through last weekend to have thrown just 1 interception. Those schools include Mizzou, Florida, Georgia Tech, Georgia, Louisiana-Monroe, Penn State, Vanderbilt and Washington.
Additionally, the Tigers have fumbled the ball away just 4 times overall (including 3 against Buffalo), giving the Tigers 5 total turnovers through 5 games. The Tigers had 2 turnovers in the opener against Illinois (1 fumble, 1 INT) and then lost 3 fumbles vs. Buffalo, meaning that MU has not turned the ball over in 3 games, against SEMO, Nevada and Nebraska.
|
Most Touchdown Drives Under Two Minutes |
||
| Rank | Team | # of Drives | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tulsa | 18 | |
| 2 | Missouri | 17 | |
| 3 | Oregon | 16 | |
| 4 | UL-Lafayette | 15 | |
| 5 | Rice | 14 | |
| 6 | Oklahoma State | 13 | |
|
|||
QUICK-STRIKE OFFENSE
If you like following the Tiger offense, you're best advised not to blink when they're on the field, because Mizzou strikes quickly when it's out there. MU is quickly disproving that winning the time of possession battle is the key to winning football - while Missouri is 3rd the nation in total offense (568.80 ypg), they're doing it despite ranking 118th nationally in time of possession (26:07 average through 5 games).
In fact, in a survey of Div. I (FBS) SIDs, Mizzou is 2nd in the country in most TD drives of under two minutes in length, with 17. Saturday's opponent, Oklahoma State, has also proved quite adept at scoring quickly, as they rank 4th nationally with 13 TD drives taking less than 2 minutes off the clock.
Mizzou had 6 TD drives in this category against Nevada, while turning in 3 each against Nebraska, Buffalo and SEMO and 2 against Illinois. Here's a look at the NCAA leaders in this category:
DEFENSE STINGY AGAINST THE RUN
While Mizzou's offense garners the majority of the headlines, the Tiger defense has quietly gone about its business, and has proven to be solid against the run so far. Through 5 games, Mizzou ranks 15th nationally defending the run, as it has allowed just 95.00 yards per game. Mizzou has allowed just 1 rushing TD by opponents thus far, and is among a group of 6 schools who have allowed 1 or fewer rushing scores this year - Texas (0), Mizzou (1), Kentucky (1), Alabama (1), Auburn (1) and Tennessee (1) are in that distinct group.
Additionally, opponents are averaging just 2.7 yards per rush against the Tigers. That statistic will be one to watch this Saturday, as Oklahoma State enters the game 2nd nationally in rushing (315.2 ypg) and tote a healthy 6.1 average every time they run the ball.
Mizzou has held 4-of-5 opponents to under 100 yards so far, with Nevada being the only one to break the century mark. The Wolf Pack rushed for 182 yards in Mizzou's 69-17 win on Sept. 13th, but that total was still well below the per-game average of 308.00 ypg that Nevada is currently averaging (they rank 4th in the NCAA in rushing offense).
STILL NO THREE-AND-OUTS SO FAR FOR #1 OFFENSE
Mizzou's #1 offense, through 5 games thus far in 2008, has yet to leave the field having had to punt after a three-and-out possession. In 48 possessions with QB Chase Daniel at the helm, the #1 offense has scored 33 times, including 28 TDs and 5 FGs. The 15 non-scores have resulted in just 5 punts (none after just three plays), 4 lost fumbles, 3 lost on downs, 2 missed FGs and 1 interception.
In an amazing two-game stretch spanning the Southeast Missouri State and Nevada games, Daniel led the offense to scores on all 13 possessions in which he took the field (12 TDs and 1 FG). In those two games combined, Daniel had more TD passes (7) than incomplete passes (6). After scoring a TD and a FG on the first two drives of the Buffalo game, that streak was upped to 15 straight scoring drives. It ended on possession #3 of that game, when the drive stalled after 5 plays and a punt.
STARTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT
Getting out to a good start has not been a problem for Mizzou thus far in 2008. The Tigers have scored a TD on every game-opening possession in 2008, and the Mizzou defense has held opponents scoreless all but once in their opening possessions, as well. That 35-7 advantage in game-opening drives has certainly played a big part in explaining why Mizzou has trailed only once this season - and that lasted for just :13 seconds against Illinois, when, after the Illini took a 13-10 2nd-quarter lead in the season opener, Jeremy Maclin returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a TD to regain the lead.
Maclin also keyed Mizzou to an important fast start last Saturday at Nebraska, as the Tigers faced a 3rd-and-5 at its own 42-yardline on the game's opening possession. With a frenzied crowd of more than 85,000 Nebraska fans screaming for a stop, Maclin broke over the middle and caught a crossing pass from QB Chase Daniel, he made one move to elude a tackler, and got free to the left sideline, racing untouched the rest of the way 58 yards for a score that came just :54 seconds into the game. That early salvo set the tone for the night as the Tigers went on to their historic 52-17 win.
While it's no surprise that Mizzou's high-flying offense has scored early and often, the Tiger defense has also been stingy to open ballgames, holding its first four foes to a total of 2 combined first downs and 12 combined total yards on game-opening drives, before Nebraska drove 60 yards for a TD on its initial series last week. The Tiger defense has also started the 2nd half strong, allowing opponents no points on their initial drives in the 3rd quarter, while the Tiger offense has scored each of the last three games.
TIGERS LOOK FOR 5TH 6-0 START IN SCHOOL HISTORY
Mizzou will look to continue its perfect start to the 2008 season and improve on their 5-0 record Saturday against Oklahoma State. A win over the Cowboys would give Mizzou only its 5th 6-0 start in school history, and the 2nd under Gary Pinkel. With its win last week at Nebraska, MU improved to 5-0 for its third straight season - a feat which had never happened in consecutive seasons at MU prior to the 2006 and 2007 seasons. Mizzou has started 5-0 to a season only 8 times overall in its previous 117 years of fielding a football team.
Here's a look at all of the previous seasons in which MU has started a season 6-0, with the 1st number in parentheses the start and the 2nd number the end record for the season (#-Won Big Eight Championship):
- 1899 (7-0 / 9-2)
- 1960 (11-0 / 11-0)#
- 1973 (6-0 / 8-4)
- 2006 (6-0 / 8-5)
CHRISTOPHER JOINS TOUCHDOWN CLUB
Senior LB Brock Christopher joined the touchdown club last Saturday in Lincoln, Neb., as he scored his first career TD, on a 17-yard interception return in the 2nd quarter that extended Mizzou's lead to 31-7 late in the quarter. His play effectively iced the game for the Tigers, as they cruised from there on the way to a 52-17 romp.
Christopher's TD was the 4th this season in just 5 games produced by Tiger linebackers. Junior Sean Weatherspoon already has two TDs on the year - a 35-yarder he returned in the 4th quarter to ice MU's season-opening 52-42 win over Illinois, and a 65-yarder he took back the next week against SEMO (to become the first Tiger in history to return INTs for a score in consecutive games). The next week against Nevada, reserve LB Jeff Gettys got in the action as he took back an errant pass late in the game for a 27-yard TD for his first career score.
Linebacker Coach Dave Steckel's troops have gathered 4-of-5 interceptions nabbed by Mizzou so far this season, with the only non-LB pickoff coming from DB Kenji Jackson against Buffalo. Of MU's 5 INTs this year, all but Christopher's have come in the 4th quarter.
TIGERS IN THE RANKINGS
After Saturday's 52-17 dismantling of Nebraska, Mizzou climbed up one spot in each of the two major weekly polls, as the Tigers ascended to #3 in the Associated Press poll, while reaching #2 in the USA Today Coaches' poll.
Using the A.P. poll as the historical marker, let's take a look at a few random facts concerning Mizzou in the rankings over the years...
- Mizzou has played 75 games at home as a ranked team in its history, and the Tigers stand 53-22 alltime in those contests (70.7%). The Tigers have won 8 straight home games as a ranked team, with the last loss coming to #19 Oklahoma in 2006 (26-10). MU has also won 12 of its last 13 (dating to 2003) and 17 of its last 19 (dating to 1997) home games as a ranked team...
- Oklahoma State comes into Saturday's game as the A.P.'s #17-ranked squad. This will mark only the 2nd time in MU's home history that they'll play against the #17 team at home. The only other such occasion didn't turn out well for the Tigers, as in 1980, #17 Penn State defeated the 9th-ranked Tigers, 29-21. That day saw a record 75,298 fans crowd Memorial Stadium for the game (the stadium has since been reconfigured and retrofitted, thus the current official capacity is smaller at 68,349)...
- Mizzou hasn't taken the field as a ranked team against Oklahoma State since 1980, when the 19th-ranked Tigers defeated unranked OSU, 30-7 in Stillwater. Ten times in all, MU has been ranked when facing OSU, and the Tigers stand 8-2 in those matchups...
- Saturday will be the first time since 1976 that both MU and OSU are ranked in the A.P. poll when facing eachother. That year, 16th-ranked OSU toppled 10th-ranked MU, 20-19 in Stillwater. Only one other time have both teams been ranked when facing off, and the Tigers took that one by a 41-14 count in Columbia in 1975, when MU was ranked 12th and OSU ranked 14th...
LAST TIME OUT: #4 MIZZOU 52, NEBRASKA 17
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Missouri's misery in Lincoln is over.
Chase Daniel threw three touchdown passes, Derrick Washington ran for 139 yards and scored three times and the fourth-ranked Tigers beat overmatched Nebraska 52-17 on Saturday night for their first road win against the Cornhuskers in 30 years.
"That wasn't just about the 2008 football team," Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said. "It's about 30 years of fans from around the world and a lot of former Missouri players. It's pretty good to get a win at one of the toughest places to play in the country."
The 35-point defeat was the Huskers' most lopsided home loss in 53 years and fifth-worst in Lincoln in the program's 119-year history.
Missouri scored the first four times it had the ball, then went up 31-7 on Brock Christopher's 16-yard interception return late in the second quarter.
Missouri (1-0 Big 12) is unbeaten through five games for the third year in a row. Nebraska (3-2, 0-1) is winless in 10 straight against opponents ranked in the Top 10.
This victory was a long time coming. The Tigers hadn't won in Lincoln since 1978, when they upset second-ranked Nebraska 35-31 to deny the Huskers a national title shot.
Missouri ended two long road losing streaks on its march to the Big 12 North title last year - winning at Colorado for the first time since 1997 and at Kansas State for the first time since 1989.
But it was the losing streak in Lincoln that has dogged the Tigers longest. The Tigers were as good as, or better than, they were in beating three non-BCS opponents before starting Big 12 play.
Three of their scoring drives lasted less than 2 minutes - giving them 17 such drives for the season. And their No. 1 offense extended its streak of no three-and-out possessions to 49.
Pelini said earlier in the week that his team's goal was to shut out a Mizzou offense that came in averaging 54 points and 596 yards a game.
That goal was blown away in a hurry.
Daniel found Jeremy Maclin on a short slant on the third play of the game, and Maclin turned it into a 58-yard touchdown to continue the Tigers' streak of scoring on their first possession in each game this season.
Nebraska came right back, with Joe Ganz rolling out and hitting Nate Swift with a 20-yard touchdown pass.
Then it was game over.
Daniel, who was 18-of-23 for 253 yards, led the Tigers on three impressive scoring drives.
A personal foul and pass interference penalty helped fuel a quick 80-yard drive that Washington finished with a 3-yard run. Jeff Wolfert kicked a 48-yard field goal and Jimmy Jackson scored on a 1-yard run to end a 75-yard march.
Down 24-7 and facing third-and-14 at his own 16, Ganz tried to force a pass to Menelik Holt. But Christopher stepped in front from his linebacker spot and went in for a score.
Ganz finished 26-of-38 for 290 yards and two touchdowns, the last one a meaningless 20-yarder to Holt as time expired.
The Huskers, who hadn't been beaten so bad since Oklahoma shut them out 41-0 in 1955, never gave themselves a chance to get back into the game, stalling repeatedly because of penalties or turnovers.
OFFENSIVE LINE HAS BEEN AIRTIGHT IN 2008
Even with the return of 2007 Heisman Trophy finalist QB Chase Daniel to the fold this season, much was made of the expected uncertainty of Mizzou's offensive line going into the year. That's largely because the Tigers lost a pair of four-year starters to graduation, in C Adam Spieker and LT Tyler Luellen. And when it was announced during fall camp that redshirt freshman Elvis Fisher was named the starter at left tackle - thus protecting Daniel's blindside - people wondered if it would take awhile for the offensive line to gel.
Opening up against Illinois, which has a couple of NFL prospects on their defensive line, the Tiger line showed it was indeed ready for the challenge, and that Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach Dave Christensen knew what he was doing in naming Fisher the starter. All the Tigers did in that game was rack up 549 yards of total offense, including 323 passing and 226 rushing. As noted previously, this offensive line is paving and protecting the way for a unit that ranks 3rd nationally in both total offense (568.80 ypg) and 2nd in scoring (53.40 ppg).
The Tiger offensive line comes into the game having allowed only 2 sacks in 5 games on 183 pass attempts - that's a healthy once every 91.5 passes average. Mizzou ranks 5th nationally coming in with its 0.40 sacks allowed average per game, and the #1 line has given up just one of them on Daniel - in the opener against Illinois. They haven't given up a sack since game #2 against Southeast Missouri, with the other one coming against Illinois in the opener - and that one was actually charged to Daniel, as he kept the ball too long instead of throwing it away (although he did have two receivers fall down on the play, to his defense).
|
MIZZOU COACHING WINS LEADERS |
|||||
| Coach | Wins | # Seasons (Years) | Record | Pct. | # Bowls | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Don Faurot | 101 | 19 (1935-42, 46-56) | 101-79-10 | .558 | 4 | |
| Dan Devine | 93 | 13 (1958-70) | 93-37-7 | .704 | 6 | |
| Gary Pinkel | 54 | 8 (2001-Present) | 54-37 | .593 | 4 | |
| Warren Powers | 46 | 7 (1978-84) | 46-33-3 | .580 | 5 | |
|
||||||
PINKEL STANDS 3RD ON ALLTIME MU COACHING WINS LIST
Mizzou Head Coach Gary Pinkel is in his 8th season at MU and touts a career record of 125-74-3 (62.6%). The Illinois game was the 200th in Pinkel's head coaching career.
Pinkel, who has led MU to a combined record of 43-23 (65.2%) over the past 5 seasons, and to bowl games in 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007, has an 8-year record in Columbia of 52-37 (58.4%). Dating back to the 2005 Independence Bowl win over Steve Spurrier and South Carolina, Pinkel has won 24 of his last 31 games overall.
MU's win in the 2008 opener against Illinois gave Pinkel his 50th MU win, and he now ranks 3rd on the coaching wins list at MU, with 52.
Pinkel is in a select group of Mizzou coaches that includes College Football Hall of Famers Don Faurot and Dan Devine, as well as Warren Powers, to be the only coaches to have an MU record of above .500 (with at least one full season coached) dating all the way back to 1935.
Here's a quick look at the top winning coaches in MU history at right.
For the efforts in 2007, Pinkel was a finalist for several national coach of the year awards, including the Robinson, Bryant and Munger awards. He was also named the National Coach of the Year by FieldTurf in 2007.
Pinkel has led MU to 4 bowl games, and if his Tigers reach a 5th in 2008, he will join Devine (6 bowls), and Powers (5 bowls) as the only coaches to guide MU to 5 bowl games. After beating Nebraska in 2007 (41-6) for the 3rd time in 5 years, Pinkel became the first MU coach since Onofrio to defeat NU three times.
Pinkel has guided Mizzou to 4 winning seasons (8-5 in 2003, 7-5 in 2005, 8-5 in 2006, 12-2 in 2007), with those representing 4 of MU's 6 winning campaigns dating back to the 1983 season.
