Sept. 13, 2010

San Diego State Aztecs (2-0) at #25 Missouri Tigers (2-0)

Sept. 18, 2010 – Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field – Columbia, Mo.

TIGERS LOOK TO EXTEND WINNING WAYS AS THEY HOST SAN DIEGO STATE
   The Missouri Tigers (2-0), freshly ranked in the USA Today Coaches' Top-25 Poll for the first time in 2010, tipping the scales at #25 following an impressive 50-6 dismantling of McNeese State last Saturday, look to continue their winning ways as they play host to upstart San Diego State. Kickoff for Saturday's game is set for 6:07 p.m., and the game will be televised on a pay-per-view basis only.
   The Tigers did not fall prey to the rash of upsets already taking place around the country in 2010 between FBS and FCS schools. Gary Pinkel's team saw to it that they wouldn't be the latest victim, as they came out of the gates firing on all pistons. Mizzou scored touchdowns on each of its first four possessions on the way to a commanding 33-0 halftime lead, and they never looked back as MU improved to
10-0 alltime against schools from the FCS/Div. I-AA ranks.
   The competition will be much more stiff this Saturday, as the San Diego State Aztecs (2-0) come calling at Faurot Field. The Aztecs are coming off a solid 41-21 road win last Saturday at New Mexico State, after opening the 2010 season with a 47-0 whitewashing at home of Nicholls State of the FCS ranks.
   The Aztecs come to town toting some impressive numbers, as they rank no worse than 40th in most every major offensive and defensive statistical category. Included in that is a #6 national ranking in total offense (547.00 ypg) and a #20 national ranking in total defense (249.50 ypg).

PAY-PER-VIEW INFORMATION
   Saturday's game between Mizzou and San Diego State was not chosen for telecast over the Big 12 Conference package, which typically includes games most weeks on Fox Sports Net, ESPN, ABC or the Versus Network.
   Per league rules, when a game is not selected for one of those windows, the only option a school has to get the game on TV is to show it on a pay-per-view basis.
   Saturday's game (with kickoff at 6:07 p.m.) will be produced by Fox Sports Net and offered on various cable providers and satellite systems around the country, and it is scheduled to be broadcast in High Definition. Fans are encouraged to check with www.mutigers.com for continuous updates on providers of the telecast, which is available for $39.95.
   For the San Diego State game Dan McLaughlin will call the play-by-play alongside color analyst Rich Baldinger. Todd Donoho will serve as sideline reporter.

MIZZOU-SAN DIEGO STATE SERIES HISTORY
   Mizzou and San Diego State don't have much of a series history, but Saturday's game won't be the first time the schools have met. Back in 1979 and 1980 the schools played a brief home-and-home series, and the Tigers came out victorious in both matchups, winning 45-15 in Columbia in 1979, and taking the rematch the next year, 31-7 in San Diego.
   Interestingly enough, in both of those previous games, a Mizzou defender had three interceptions. In the 1979, the INT hat trick was actually done by a pair of Tigers – Eric Wright and Bill Whitaker. In 1980, Whitaker accomplished the same feat as he pulled in three more interceptions against the Aztecs. Those represent three of the six times in MU history that a Tiger has intercepted three passes in a single game – a number which still stands as the MU single-game record.
   Thanks to the archival work of Media Relations Student Assistant Nathan Bryant, here's a look back at both of those games which feature some of the alltime greats in Tiger football…

A LOOK BACK AT 1979: MIZZOU 45, SAN DIEGO STATE 15
September 8, 1979
Faurot Field, Columbia, Mo.
   It wasn't the easiest 30-point victory for Missouri. The Tigers trailed San Diego State 13-0 at halftime and had just one first down in the first 30 minutes. Missouri's defense, however, saved the game, intercepting seven passes and recovering four fumbles as the Tigers finally exploded with 31 fourth-quarter points.
   Star quarterback Phil Bradley had a touchdown pass of 48 yards and later ran in another score from 63 yards out to help Mizzou avoid the upset bid by the Aztecs.
   Defensive backs Eric Wright and Bill Whitaker each had three interceptions on the day to tie Roger Wehrli's 11-year-old single-game mark for pass thefts. Wright returned his last interception 77 yards for the final touchdown of the game. Gerry Ellis scored two touchdowns for Mizzou, which played without fullback James Wilder, out with a hamstring injury.

A LOOK BACK AT 1980: MIZZOU 31, SAN DIEGO STATE 7
September 27, 1980
San Diego Stadium, San Diego, Calif.
   Defense came to the forefront in Mizzou's 31-7 win over the Aztecs. Cornerback Bill Whitaker intercepted three SDSU passes, had two quarterback sacks and was named “Big Eight Defensive Player of the Week” for his performance.
   Missouri limited the Aztecs to just 14 yards rushing on 40 attempts. Missouri, scoreless in the opening period, struck on the first play of the second period on a 10-yard pass from Phil Bradley to Andy Gibler. Missouri stretched its lead to 17-0 by halftime. San Diego State made it close on a 75-yard TD pass from Matt Kofler to Bobby Taylor, but Mizzou rebounded with a long strike of its own – a 51-yarder from Bradley to Terry Hill.

AZTECS PROVIDE SOME INTERESTING STATISTICAL MATCHUPS FOR MIZZOU
   While perusing the stat lines for Saturday's game, several things jumped out regarding the matchup between Mizzou and San Diego State that make for interesting story lines heading into the contest. Here's a few:

• SDSU offense vs. MU defense – San Diego State comes into the game ranked 6th nationally in total offense, averaging 547.00 yards per game (they had 531 vs. Nicholls State and upped the total to 563 last week at New Mexico State). The Tiger defense has shown signs of being very solid through the early going, and enters the game ranked 25th currently in total defense, allowing an average of 263.00 yards per game. Illinois managed just 281 yards in the opener vs. MU, while McNeese State managed just 245 last Saturday…
• SDSU rushing offense vs. MU rushing defense – The Aztecs rank 21st in the NCAA in rushing, averaging 231.00 yards per game, going for 218 yards vs. Nicholls State and following with a 244-yard outing last week in their win at New Mexico State. The Tigers currently rank 63rd nationally against the run, averaging 132.50 yards per game, but since Illinois gained 157 yards in the 1st half against MU, the Tigers have allowed only 108 yards total on the ground in the last six quarters. Illinois managed only 43 yards rushing in the 2nd half of MU's comeback win, and McNeese had just 65 yards for the game on 33 attempts last Saturday. Mizzou has not allowed a rushing TD yet in 74 attempts by opponents (one of 17 schools in the NCAA so far), while SDSU has 8 rushing TDs so far…
• SDSU passing offense vs. MU passing defense – The Aztecs have shown a nice balance, as they also rank 14th nationally in passing coming into Saturday's game, averaging 316.00 yards per game. That includes 313 yards vs. Nicholls State and 319 vs. New Mexico State. They'll be going up against a Tiger pass defense which currently ranks 13th in the country in pass efficiency defense, with a rating of just 86.20. SDSU has yet to throw an interception in 70 pass attempts this season, while the Tigers are 2nd through 2 games nationally with 6 INTs (Florida leads, with 8 INTs through two games so far)…
• SDSU pass protection vs. MU pass rush – Through 2 games, San Diego State has yet to allow a QB sack, leaving them tied for the NCAA lead, along with 8 other teams. They'll be facing a Tiger pass rush that has been very effective at getting to the QB, as Mizzou ranks 28th nationally in sacks, averaging 2.50 per game…

TAKIN' CARE OF BUSINESS: TIGERS DISPOSE OF FCS FOE MCNEESE STATE
   Given the fact that four FCS schools have pulled shocking upsets so far during the early stages of the 2010 season, Mizzou entered into its game last Saturday night against McNeese State looking to avoid the upset bug, and to send a message that this team was ready for a dominating performance.
   Message delivered, loud and clear. Despite playing without three starters from week one (TB Kendial Lawrence [shoulder], LB Luke Lambert [hamstring] and FS Jasper Simmons [knee] all sat out), the Tigers dominated from the opening kick and cruised to an impressive 50-6 win.
   Mizzou's offense took the opening kick and promptly drove 76 yards for the game-opening score, as true freshman TB Henry Josey found the end zone from 6 yards out for his first collegiate score. After the Tiger defense pinned the Cowboys in a 3-and-out series, Mizzou took a 14-0 lead on its next possession, as Josey again scored from 6 yards out.
   After McNeese strung together a nice drive, only to see it end in a missed field goal (42 yard try), the Tigers struck quickly, thanks once again to Josey, who carried for a 62-yard touchdown – the longest run by a Tiger since the 2006 Sun Bowl (Tony Temple, 65-yard TD in that game) – and a 21-0 lead.
   The rout was on, as Josey amassed 105 first half rushing yards on the way to becoming the first true freshman to score 3 TDs in a game since former QB great Corby Jones ran for a trio of TDs in 1995 against Iowa State. Josey would carry only twice after halftime, as the Tigers cruised to a 33-0 lead at the half, and he ended with 112 yards on 7 carries and the 3 scores.
   The Tiger defense pitched a shutout for three quarters, before the Cowboys managed a TD midway through the 4th quarter against reserve defenders to account for the final score.
   Mizzou QB Blaine Gabbert was surgical in his dissection of the McNeese defense, as he completed his first 15 passes on the night. He ended the game 26-for-31 passing for 220 yards and 1 TD, on a beautiful 24-yard rainbow strike to WR Jerrell Jackson early in the 3rd quarter, in the last series for the starters as they claimed a 43-0 lead.

OFFENSE GETS OUT OF THE GATES FAST
   Mizzou's offense reversed field last Saturday against McNeese State, as it got off to a rip-roaring start. The Tigers scored TDs on each of their first four possessions, as MU surged to an insurmountable 28-0 lead. The Tigers took the opening kick and promptly marched 76 yards for a TD, and followed that with TD drives of 64 yards and 75 yards on their next two possessions to set the tone for the night.
   That was very pleasing to the eye of Head Coach Gary Pinkel, not only that his team was not looking past the FCS-level competiting, but that it reversed the precedent set by MU in its season opener against Illinois, when the Tiger offense did not reach the endzone until the 3rd quarter. In that game, Mizzou managed only a field goal by PK Grant Ressel in the first half, as the Illini held a 13-3 halftime lead, before MU rallied for 20 unanswered second-half points for the 23-13 win.
   Just how big of a difference was it offensively for MU in the 1st half this past Saturday, compared to the first half of the Sept. 4th opener against Illinois? We'll let the numbers speak for themselves:

JOSEY MAKES BIG SPLASH IN FAUROT FIELD DEBUT
   True freshman TB Henry Josey made quite the first impression on Tiger fans seeing him play in his first game ever at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium last Saturday, when he rushed for 112 yards and 3 TDs on just 7 carries against McNeese State. After logging just one carry in the opener against Illinois (for 10 yards), Josey got the call early on against McNeese, as starter Kendial Lawrence was out with a shoulder bruise.
   Josey came off the bench to work in tandem with starter De'Vion Moore, and he paid immediate dividends, as he went for 34 yards on the third play of the game to get the Tigers down to the McNeese 32-yardline. If that wasn't enough, Josey then became Mr. Touchdown, as he scored TDs on each of his next three carries to virtually single-handedly get Mizzou out to a 21-0 lead.
   His first collegiate score came five plays after his 34-yard run, and it came from 6 yards out to make it 7-0. On MU's 2nd series, Josey got the call again from the 6-yardline, and again, he produced a TD for 14-0 lead. The next time he touched the ball, he raced untouched around left end for 62 yards and a score to begin the 2nd quarter, which gave Mizzou a 21-0 lead. It was the longest run by a Tiger since the 2006 Sun Bowl, when Tony Temple had a 65-yard TD run against Oregon State. He carried just two times early in the 3rd quarter as his day ended early.
   Josey became the first true freshman at Mizzou to score 3 TDs in a game since former QB great Corby Jones had 3 rushing scores to close the 1995 season against Iowa State.

GABBERT CARVES UP COWBOYS IN LIMITED ACTION
   While true freshman TB Henry Josey provided the “wow” factor last Saturday vs. McNeese State, junior QB Blaine Gabbert quietly went about his business, and oh, by the way, set a school record for his passing exploits in the process. Gabbert was lights out running the Tiger passing attack, as he broke the MU single-game completion percentage record (minimum 20 attempts), with a mark of 83.9 percent (26-of-31). That broke the old standard of 83.8 percent set by former great Chase Daniel, who completed 31-of-37 passes against Colorado in 2008.
   Gabbert opened the game by completing his first 15 passes for 129 yards, and his first incompletion didn't come until about 9 minutes remained in the 2nd quarter. By then, the Tigers were up, 30-0 and the game was in good hands, but Gabbert continued his outstanding play, and he later threw a 24-yard TD pass to WR Jerrell Jackson early in the 3rd quarter on what was the final drive of the night for a majority of the offensive starters.
   Gabbert ended the night with 220 passing yards and the 1 TD against McNeese, with no interceptions. Gabbert has yet to throw an interception in 2010 in 79 pass attempts.
   In 6 regular-season non-conference games as a starter, Gabbert has feasted on opponents, as he's completed 147-of-210 passes (70.0%) for 1,662 yards and 14 TDs with zero interceptions. That's good for a QB rating of 158.48.

MOE, EGNEW RANK #1, #9 IN NCAA IN RECEPTIONS
   It was pretty clear to observers during fall training camp that QB Blaine Gabbert was in the process of developing a good chemistry with sophomore WR T.J. Moe and junior TE Michael Egnew. That comfort level has most definitely transferred to the season, as Gabbert has connected with Moe for 23 completions in two games, while Egnew's 16 catches aren't far behind.
   Moe, who caught all of 2 passes as a true freshman in 2009, currently finds himself as the nation's most prolific pass catcher through 2 games, as his 23 receptions (for 180 yards and 1 TD) are tied for most in the nation, along with Kamar Jorden of Bowling Green (23-279, 0 TDs). Moe made his 1st career start in the 2010 opener vs. Illinois, and made 13 catches for 101 yards and 1 TD, and he followed with a 10-catch, 79-yard outing against McNeese State last Saturday.
   Egnew is in a similar situation, in that he's relatively new to being a focal point of the passing attack. After catching a total of 7 passes for 47 yards (0 TDs) in 2008 and 2009 combined, Egnew has emerged as a weapon, with 16 receptions for 112 yards and 1 TD through 2 games. Egnew ranks 9th in the NCAA among all players with his 16 receptions. His 16 receptions is most in the nation among tight ends, and it's 3 more than the next on the list (Notre Dame's Kyle Rudolph, with 13). Egnew had 10 catches for 60 yards and 1 TD against Illinois, and followed with 6 grabs for 52 yards against McNeese.

DEFENSE TIED FOR NATION'S LEAD WITH 9 TURNOVERS FORCED
   Mizzou's rallying cry on defense each day is, “It's all about the ball,” a saying meant to put the focus on getting the ball for the Tiger offense. Through 2 games in 2010, that mantra has served Mizzou well, as the Tigers enter Saturday's game against San Diego State tied for most turnovers gained in the nation, with 9. Tied with Mizzou atop the rankings are Florida and Idaho, also with 9 turnovers apiece.
   The big plays began against Illinois in the 2010 opener, when Mizzou nabbed 3 interceptions and 1 fumble in a 4-turnover day, and they continued last Saturday against McNeese as MU collected 3 more INTs and 2 fumbles. Combined with the Tiger offenses' ability to hang onto the ball (3 turnovers so far), MU's turnover margin of +3.00 per game is currently 2nd-best in the nation (Ohio State is #1, at +3.50 p/g).
   Mizzou ranked 50th in 2009 with 23 turnovers gained (15 fumbles, 8 INTs) in 13 games. The 6 INTs so far in 2010 are already just 2 shy of the total of 8 INTs the Tigers forced in 13 games during 2009. The 2010 ratio of 6 INTs in 54 opponent passing attempts so far is 1-in-9.0 attempts, compared to 1-in-59.4 attempts in 2009 (8 INTs in 475 opponent attempts).

QUICK HITTERS

• Mizzou Head Coach Gary Pinkel is 2-0 in his career in games coached against San Diego State Head Coach Brady Hoke. The two matched up in 2003 and 2004 when Hoke was at Ball State, with the Tigers winning 35-7 in Muncie, Ind. in 2003 and again in Columbia in 2004 by a 48-0 count. Hoke's brother, Jon, is currently a defensive back coach with the NFL's Chicago Bears, and was an assistant at Mizzou under Coach Larry Smith from 1994-98…
• Missouri true freshmen ran for 173 yards and four scores on 20 carries Saturday against McNeese State. Marcus Murphy ran 9 times for 33 yards in his 1st collegiate appearance, Henry Josey carried 7 times for 112 yards and 3 scores, and true freshman QB James Franklin ran 4 times for 28 yards and a score.
• Mizzou has grabbed 3 interceptions in each of the first two games in 2010. That marks the first time since 1995 that the Tiger defense has intercepted at least 3 passes in consecutive games. The last time MU achieved that feat was in game #1 and #2 of the 1995 season, when the Tigers picked off North Texas 4 times, and followed with a 3-INT day against Bowling Green…
• Kevin Rutland picked off his first pass of the season against McNeese. Rutland, who led MU with 2 INTs in 2010, now has four career INTs. Senior LB Andrew Gachkar picked off his first career pass in the 3rd quarter vs. McNeese. Gachkar also had a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery in the win. Junior safety Kenji Jackson recorded his second INT of the year against McNeese and fourth for his career…
• Senior CB Carl Gettis is not only a leader on defense, as well as MU's primary punt returner (he had a punt return for a TD called back against McNeese due to a penalty), but he's also becoming a punt downing guru for the Tiger punt coverage team. Against McNeese Gettis downed a Matt Grabner punt on the 1-yardline, marking the second straight game he's done that same thing, after doing so in the 4th quarter of the 2010 opener against Illinois…
• Redshirt freshman DE Michael Sam had a huge day for the Tigers against McNeese, further solidifying Mizzou's defensive end depth. Sam blocked his first career punt at the start of the third quarter and recorded his first career safety in the second period. On that safety he was credited with a sack and a forced fumble. Additionally, sophomore DE Brad Madison continued to show a propensity for big plays, as he was credited with 2.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 QB sack, a forced fumble and a pass break up. Against Illinois, Madison also had 1.0 tackle for loss and recovered a fumble…
• Thanks to Mizzou's offensive efficiency, senior P Grabner was called on only twice in the Tigers' 50-6 win over McNeese State Saturday evening, but when he was in the game, Grabner was very effective. He averaged 43.0 yards on two punts, and both ended up inside the 15-yardline. His first, a 36-yarder, was a perfectly-executed sky kick that was downed by CB Carl Gettis on the McNeese 1-yardline. His second, in the 3rd-quarter, was a 50-yard boomer that was fielded on the 12-yardline, and resulted in a loss of two yards on the return. Through 2 games, Grabner is averaging 40.9 yards per punt (7 attempts), and MU's team net punting average of 40.00 ranks 32nd in the NCAA…
• Redshirt freshman LB Andrew Wilson made his first career start Saturday vs. McNeese State, in place of the injured Luke Lambert (hamstring), and Wilson was very solid in his starting debut, as he racked up 7 tackles, which was just one shy of the team high. Wilson's father, Jay, was a standout linebacker at Mizzou from 1980-83, and he left holding the MU career tackles record at the time, with 323 (he now ranks 12th on the list)…

MIZZOU HAS STRING OF 19-STRAIGHT NON-CONFERENCE REG. SEASON WINS
   While conference play is always the most important part of the season, getting to league play in good shape is also a big deal. Gary Pinkel's Tigers have done a masterful job of navigating the non-conference season over the past few years, as they carry a string of 19-consecutive non-conference wins during the regular season into Saturday's game against San Diego State.
   The last time Mizzou dropped a pre-Big 12 game was back in 2005 (New Mexico).

EXTRA-POINT STREAK UP TO 245 FOR TIGERS
   What's the most assured way to break up a no-hitter in baseball? Talk about a no-hitter in the middle of it, of course. With that in mind, it's with a healthy respect for sports superstitions that we reluctantly bring up this impressive streak for Missouri – the Tigers have converted on 245 consecutive extra point attempts entering the game Saturday against San Diego State.
   The last time Mizzou missed an extra point (not including 2-point attempts), was back in 2005 at Colorado. Mizzou missed a PAT on its only kick attempt in a 41-12 loss that year to Colorado, and hasn't missed since. After that, the streak has included:

• 2005: the last 13 PATs of the season (by Adam Crossett)…
• 2006: a perfect 45-of-45 (by Jeff Wolfert)…
• 2007: a perfect 67-of-67 (by Jeff Wolfert)…
• 2008: a perfect 73-of-73 (by Jeff Wolfert)…
• 2009: a perfect 39-of-39 (by Grant Ressel)…
• 2010: a perfect 8-of-8 (by Grant Ressel)…

   A fun way to give the streak perspective is to consider the fact that the last time Mizzou missed a PAT kick, MU's current batch of first-year freshmen were only in the 8th grade!
   Missouri is now within reach of the NCAA record for consecutive PATs made by a school. The record is 262 by Syracuse, achieved from 1978 to 1989 by 7 different kickers.

Aldon Smith WINS WALTER CAMP NATIONAL AWARD FOR PLAY VS. ILLINOIS
   Sophomore DE Aldon Smith, the 2009 Big 12 Conference Defensive Freshman of the Year and 1st-Team Freshman All-American, made it known in the 2010 season opener that he is intent on improving his game from a year ago, as he put together a dominating performance that was key to MU's strong defensive outing.
   Picking right up where he left off from his freshman All-American season of 2009, Smith led the charge for Mizzou's stifling 2nd-half shutout, as he tallied a career-high 10 tackles and added 3.0 tackles for loss (12 yards), and 2.0 QB sacks (9 yards), to go with one other QB hurry.
   His effort was noticed nationally, as Smith was named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Illinois, as well as taking home Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors.
   With Mizzou trailing 13-3 to start the 3rd quarter, on the opening possession of the quarter, Smith broke loose to sack Illini QB Nathan Scheelhaasse on 3rd-and-6 for a 7-yard loss to set the tone for what would be a dominating half of defense. Mizzou allowed only 85 yards of total offense in the second half as the Tigers outscored Illinois, 20-0 to post the comeback win.
   Illinois had just 4 first downs in the second half and converted on just 1-of-6 3rd-down tries after halftime, thanks to the constant pressure that Smith and company provided. He followed with a 4-tackle outing in limited field time last week against McNeese State as the Tigers cruised to a 50-6 win.
   Smith ended his 2009 freshman season with 64 tackles in all, including team-high totals in tackles for loss (19.0 for 126 yards) and QB sacks (11.5 for 99 yards). The sack total broke the MU single-season sacks record of 11.0 set in 2000 by All-American DE Justin Smith (no relation), who is now in his 10th year in the NFL.
   Smith's sack total led all of the NCAA's freshmen in 2010, and ranked 9th among all players (3rd in the Big 12 overall). He begins 2010 on the watch lists for the Nagurski Trophy, the Hendricks Award and the Bednarik Award, and is a consensus pre-season 1st-Team All-Big 12 pick.

GABBERT STEADY BEHIND THE WHEEL OF TIGER OFFENSE
   There's an old school of thought which says that the second time around is much easier than the first. If that's the case for Mizzou 2nd-year starting junior QB Blaine Gabbert, then Tiger fans should have plenty to cheer about in 2010, because his first go around as a starter was pretty stellar.
   In 2009, Gabbert lived up to advance billing as the highly-recruited signal caller threw for 3,593 yards and 24 TDs with only 9 INTs, as he helped guide the Tigers to 8 wins in his first year as a starter. Throw in the fact that he played 2/3rds of the season on a gimpy ankle which he severely injured in game #5 against Nebraska, and his achievements were outstanding.
   He's got his junior season off to a rousing start, as he's currently 3rd in the NCAA through 2 games in completion percentage (75.9%), trailing only Dan Persa of Northwestern (1st, 86.4%) and Nick Foles of Arizona (2nd, 83.1%). Gabbert has completed 60-of-79 passes so far for 501 yards and 3 TDs, with zero interceptions in helping lead MU to wins over Illinois and McNeese State. Against the Cowboys last Saturday, Gabbert completed his first 15 passes, and eventually finished the game 26-of-31 (220 yards, 1 TD) to break the MU single-game completion percentage record with a mark of 83.9%, breaking the old standard of 83.8% set in 2008 by Chase Daniel vs. Buffalo.
   In the opener against Illinois, Gabbert helped lead the Tigers to a 20-point 2nd half as MU rallied for its 23-13 win over Illinois in St. Louis. Gabbert finished the game 34-of-48 for 281 yards and two TDs. While he was solid in the first half (14-of-20 passing, 114 yards, QB rating of 117.88), he enjoyed a more effective 2nd half, as he completed 20-of-28 passes for 167 yards and 2 TDs (QB rating of 145.10).
   Gabbert ended 2009 ranked 2nd in the Big 12 Conference (29th nationally) in passing efficiency, with a rating of 140.45. He was also 4th in the Big 12 and 11th in the NCAA in total offense, averaging 292.08 yards per game.
   The fourth QB to start for 10th-year Head Coach Gary Pinkel in his Mizzou tenure, Gabbert hopes he can continue a trend his predecessors Brad Smith and Chase Daniel achieved – increasing the win totals dramatically from the first year to the second year as a starter.
   Smith started as a redshirt freshman in 2002 and helped the Tigers to a 5-7 record. In his second year as a starter, the Tigers went 8-5 in 2003 – an improvement of 3 wins. Daniel started for the first time in 2006 as a true sophomore, and he helped take the Tigers to an 8-5 record. In his 2nd year running the show, the Tigers exploded for a school-record 12-2 record – an improvement of 4 wins.

GETTIS STARRING IN SEVERAL FACETS OF THE GAME FOR MIZZOU
   Senior CB Carl Gettis (a native of O'Fallon, Mo., a suburb of St. Louis), had an outstanding fall camp, and seemed primed to put together a big final season as a fourth-year starter in 2010. Through 2 games, Gettis has starred for the Tiger defense, as a punt returner and also as part of the punt coverage unit.
   Opening the season in his hometown of St. Louis against Illinois, he got things started with a bang as he was undoubtedly one of the keys to Mizzou's comeback 23-13 win on Sept. 4th.
   Gettis might very well have been the MVP of the win against Illinois, as he made a trio of huge plays in the 4th quarter which helped seal MU's win. First, he made an acrobatic one-handed interception along the right sideline on a deep pass which was named SportCenter's #5 play of the day. That pick came with 12:24 to play in the game and was the 3rd of his career.
   After MU's offense went 3-and-out on the ensuing possession, Gettis got downfield on the punt team to down Matt Grabner's punt inside the Illini 1-yardline. The Tiger defense forced a quick 3-and-out and Gettis returned the Illinois punt 15 yards to the Illini 45-yardline, which set up a drive by the Tiger offense that resulted in a field goal with 7:21 left that extended the lead to 20-13.
   On the day, Gettis ended with 4 tackles and the interception. Gettis is far and away the most experienced defender on the Tiger squad, as he has now started 39 games in his career – more than double of the next-highest career start total of any other Tiger defender (Luke Lambert has the next most, with 18 career starts).
   Gettis followed with a solid outing last Saturday against McNeese State, when he was credited with 4 tackles in limited action that saw him exit early in the 3rd quarter with the game well in hand. Gettis also returned a punt 41 yards for an apparent 2nd-quarter touchdown, but the return was called back due to a penalty.
   He also continued his stellar play on MU's punt coverage special teams unit, as he downed a Matt Grabner punt at the 1-yardline for the second straight week.

RESSEL RETURNS AFTER ALL-AMERICAN & RECORD-SETTING 2009 SEASON
   In 2009, Mizzou took to the field with the daunting task of having to replace departed PK Jeff Wolfert, who, in his three seasons (2006-08), set the NCAA combined kicking accuracy record, as he made a combined 244-of-257 kicks (59-of-72 FGs, plus 185-of-185 PATs), for a career percentage of 94.9%.
   In stepped sophomore Grant Ressel, who won the kicking job in the final week of training camp, and who took the field in the 2009 season opener with exactly zero career kicks under his belt. All Ressel did during his sophomore season was establish himself as the most accurate kicker in the nation, as he made a combined 65-of-66 total kicks (98.5%) – a mark which broke the NCAA single-season record for best combined kick accuracy.
   Ressel also led the NCAA in FG percentage among those with 13 or more attempts (96.3%). For the season, Ressel, who joined Mizzou in 2007 as a walk-on (he's now on scholarship), made 26-of-27 FGs, and was perfect on 39-of-39 PATs.
   Through 2 games in 2010, Ressel has picked up where he left off, although he did start the year with an uncharacteristic miss against Illinois, when a high snap threw the timing off of his first attempt of the season, and his 37-yarder went just wide. After that, he's been perfect, as he connected 33, 27 and 34 against Illinois (the last two which came with the game still in the balance in the 4th quarter), and then from 27 and 32 yards last time out against McNeese State. For the 2010 season, Ressel is 5-of-6 on FGs and 8-of-8 on PATs, making him 31-of-33 on FGs (93.9%) and 47-of-47 on PATs (100.0%) for his career.
   He forever etched his name fondly into the hearts of Tiger fans in the 2009 regular-season finale against arch-rival Kansas, when he made four FGs (43, 28, 37, 27 yards), including the game-winning 27-yarder as time expired to give Mizzou a comeback 41-39 win. Ressel's only miss on the year was a 43-yard attempt against Nebraska in terrible downpour conditions, on a play where the snap that was off a bit, which threw off the timing of the kick.
   For his efforts, Ressel was named a 1st-Team All-American by Sports Illustrated, becoming MU's first-ever kicker to achieve 1st-Team All-American status.

PINKEL STANDS 3RD ON ALLTIME MU COACHING WINS LIST
   Mizzou Head Coach Gary Pinkel is in his 10th season at MU (20th overall as a head coach) and touts a career record of 141-83-3 (62.8%). The Illinois game to open the 2008 season was the 200th in Pinkel's head coaching career.
   Pinkel, who has led MU to a combined record of 47-21 (69.1%) over the past 5+ seasons, and to bowl games in 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009, has a 10-year record in Columbia of 69-46 (59.7%). Dating back to the 2005 Independence Bowl win over Steve Spurrier and South Carolina, Pinkel has won 40 of his last 56 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 68.
   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. At right is a quick look at the top winning coaches in MU history.
   For his 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.
   Mizzou's bowl appearance in 2009 means that Pinkel has led MU to 6 bowl games overall, and he now joins Devine as the only other coach to guide MU to 6 bowl games.
   Pinkel has directed Mizzou to 6 winning seasons (8-5 in 2003, 7-5 in 2005, 8-5 in 2006, 12-2 in 2007, 10-4 in 2008 and 8-5 in 2009), with those representing 6 of MU's 8 winning campaigns dating back to the 1983 season.
   The Big 12 North Division titles won by Mizzou in 2007 and 2008 represent the first football conference title of any kind Mizzou has won since 1969 – the last time it claimed a share of the old Big Eight Conference crown.
   In November of 2008, Pinkel agreed to a new seven-year contract, meaning he'll patrol the Tiger sidelines through the 2015 season.