Nov. 15, 2010

#15 Missouri Tigers (8-2, 4-2) at Iowa State Cyclones (5-6, 3-4)

Nov. 20, 2010 – Jack Trice Stadium – Ames, Iowa

FINAL ROAD TEST OF THE YEAR AWAITS TIGERS IN AMES, IOWA
   The 15th-ranked (BCS/Associated Press) Missouri Tigers (8-2 overall, 4-2 in Big 12 play) hit the road for their final true road game of the 2010 season, as they will play at the always-tough Iowa State Cyclones (5-6, 3-4) this Saturday. Kickoff for the game is set for 6:00 p.m. (central time), with the game being televised live on FOX Sports Net. Mizzou's final game of the 2010 regular season will be played at a neutral site, when the Tigers take on rival Kansas in Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium on Nov. 27th. Any game after that for MU will take place at a neutral site.
   Mizzou is looking to keep the upward surge going in the national polls, as the Tigers jumped five spots in this week's A.P. Top-25 poll, to #15, following a 38-28 win over Kansas State (ranked #24 in last week's BCS standings) last Saturday in Columbia. They'll also be looking to stay within striking distance of North Division-leading Nebraska heading into the last week of the regular season. The Tigers trail Nebraska by one game in the North standings, and need to win in Ames to keep hope alive for a possible division title.
   Mizzou is coming off a solid outing that saw it break a two-game losing streak with a good all-around effort. The Tiger offense had a balanced attack which included 232 yards rushing (2 TDs) and 208 yards passing (2 TDs) in the win over Kansas State, while the Tiger defense forced 4 turnovers against a normally sure-handed K-State team, and turned those into 10 points, including a scoop-and-score fumble return of 53 yards by junior DE Jacquies Smith. Smith's play, which was made possible when sophomore DE Aldon Smith (no relation) crushed KSU QB Carson Coffman on a blind side sack, jarring the ball loose.
   Similar to what MU was facing at home last Saturday, Iowa State is looking to break a two-game losing streak on what will be Senior Day for its team. After winning consecutive games at Texas (28-21 on Oct. 23rd) and at home over Kansas (28-16 on Oct. 30th), the Cyclones lost a heartbreaker at home to Nebraska (31-30 in OT on Nov. 6th) and last week at Colorado (34-14). The Cyclones also got hit with terrible news on the injury front, as senior QB Austen Arnaud was lost for the rest of the year with a knee injury, sustained in the 4th quarter in the loss at CU.

   Comparative scores against common opponents means absolutely nothing in the overall scheme of things, but it's still interesting to look at, so here's a breakdown of how each team fared against the five opponents they've both faced this season:

MU LOOKING FOR JUST 6TH 9-WIN SEASON IN SCHOOL HISTORY
   The 2010 Tigers have already earned distinction, as they are just the 13th team in Mizzou Football history with 8 regular-season wins. Hoping it doesn't stop there, the Tigers will be going for win #9 on the year Saturday in Ames, a win total that has been reached only six times in MU's previous 119 years of existence (began play in 1890). The 9-win seasons include:

• 1899 (9-2)
• 1960 (11-0)
• 1969 (9-2)
• 2007 (12-2)
• 2008 (10-4)

   Head Coach Gary Pinkel, with two 9-win seasons, is currently tied with College Football Hall of Fame Coach Dan Devine for most 9-win seasons in MU history, and a win Saturday would make him the first Tiger coach with three. He's already the only MU coach with two seasons of double-digit win totals.

TIGERS GET BACK TO THEIR WINNING WAYS WITH 38-28 TRIUMPH OVER KSU
   The Missouri Tigers played last Saturday like a team that was determined to do whatever it took to break a mini two-game losing streak. They did just that against a solid Kansas State team, to the tune of a 38-28 win in Columbia that improved Mizzou to 8-2 overall, and 4-2 in Big 12 Conference action. Some notables from the game:

• After a back-and-forth first half, the Tigers broke open a 21-14 halftime lead by scoring 17 straight points after halftime to pull away for a commanding 38-14 lead. Ten of those points came as a result of turnovers forced by the Tiger defense, including a sack/fumble returned for a TD by junior DE Jacquies Smith and another fumble that led to a field goal. Mizzou's defense gained four turnovers on the day against a Wildcat team which came into the game ranking 15th nationally in turnover margin. Kansas State's first six possessions in the second half netted 45 total yards, before a couple of Wildcat stat-padding drives ended in TDs in the final seven minutes to account for the final score…
• The teams traded blows back and forth in the first half, as they alternated scores in a very entertaining half. Mizzou drew first blood when QB Blaine Gabbert found WR T.J. Moe down the middle for a pretty 25-yard TD pass and a 7-0 lead with 5:37 left in the 1st quarter. Kansas State turned to its effective ground game and responded with a short drive to tie things at 7-apiece on a 1-yard run early in the 2nd quarter by Daniel Thomas. The Tigers came right back on their ensuing series to retake the lead at 14-7 on Gabbert's 32-yard TD run at the 11:44 mark of the quarter, thanks in part to a crushing downfield block by WR Wes Kemp that helped spring Gabbert for the final 10 yards…
  (To view video of Kemp's block, point your browser to this link: http://tinyurl.com/2baattz )
• After K-State drove for another short Thomas TD run to tie it at 14, the Tigers again answered by driving 66 yards for a TD with 4:12 left for a 21-14 lead. The final 9 yards were covered on a jet sweep by WR Jerrell Jackson, who went around a perfectly-sealed left end and danced untouched to the house. It looked as though K-State would tie it up at halftime, as they reached the MU 1-yardline with :22 seconds left, but a botched C/QB exchange led to a fumble that Mizzou's Jacquies Smith gladly pounced on at the Tiger 2-yardline to thwart the threat and protect MU's 21-14 lead at half…
• In the 3rd quarter, the Tigers struck first on Jacquies Smith's scoop-and-score play that went for a 53-yard fumble return, after fellow DE Aldon Smith sacked K-State QB Carson Coffman, popping the ball loose in the process on his big blindside hit. On K-State's very next offensive snap, MU senior CB Carl Gettis sniffed out an attempted Fumblerooski play by the Wildcats, and forced a fumble that he recovered on Kansas State's 45-yardline. That led to a 33-yard FG by PK Grant Ressel and the Tigers led, 31-14. The lead would grow to 38-14 early in the 4th quarter, after Gabbert found Moe from 4 yards out for a TD…
• Mizzou flashed great balance offensively in Saturday's win. The Tigers threw for 208 yards and two scores and rushed for 232 yards and two TDs en route to 440 total yards of offense. Mizzou averaged a solid 6.1 yards per carry on its 38 rushes against the Wildcats. Over the last two games Missouri has rushed for a combined 492 yards, including a season-best 260 yards two games ago at Texas Tech…
• Missouri's defense made some big plays on Saturday, recovering three fumbles, including one for a score. The Tigers also had an interception, recorded four sacks and seven total tackles for loss…
• Mizzou's defense held K-State below its rushing average of 201.22 ypg coming in (ranking 20th entering the game in the NCAA), as K-State ran for 187 yards. Star TB Daniel Thomas was held to 66 yards, well below his pre-game average of 122.4 ypg…

GABBERT, Aldon Smith HIGHLIGHTED WIN OVER KANSAS STATE
   While there were many standout efforts on both sides of the ball in Saturday's win over Kansas State, junior QB Blaine Gabbert and sophomore DE Aldon Smith definitely warranted gold-star mention…

• Gabbert helped lead the Tigers to their much-needed win, as he accounted for 297 yards of total offense in the win over #24 (BCS) Kansas State. Gabbert was an efficient 17-of-25 passing for 208 yards and two TDs (one interception), while he also ran for a season-high 89 yards (only five shy of his career high) and a TD, which came on a season-long 32-yard scoring run…
• Gabbert had his most efficient day of the 2010 season, related to QB rating, as his 156.29 passer rating eclipsed his previous season-best of 154.13 against McNeese State. Gabbert came out of the gates on a mission, as he completed 7-of-8 passes for 62 yards and 1 TD in the 1st quarter…
• The win improved Gabbert to 16-7 as a starter at Mizzou…
• On a day where the Tiger defense had a lot of worthy candidates, Aldon Smith stood out for the impact play he made from a position he's not technically supposed to be playing. A defensive end by trade, Smith lined up at every position on the line during the course of the game, and on one play in the 3rd quarter, he got free from the tackle position to sack K-State QB Carson Coffman and force a fumble that was returned 53 yards for a TD by fellow DE Jacquies Smith. That play extended MU's lead to 28-14 with 5:34 to play in the 3rd quarter, and started a run of 17 consecutive points for Mizzou that broke open a tight ballgame…
• Smith ended the day 3 tackles, including 1.5 QB sacks and the forced fumble. He also broke up a pass in the 4th quarter – all of this in spite of the fact that he's still not 100 percent, as he's playing with pain still associated from his cracked fibula back on Sept. 18th against San Diego State. The 1.5 sacks were the first for Smith since returning to the lineup on Oct. 23rd against Oklahoma, after missing three games following the injury. His last QB sack prior to K-State was vs. San Diego State, and he now has 4.5 on the season…

MORE NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE K-STATE WIN
   A few more bits of tid to digest from some of the better individual performances in the win over K-State:

• Sophomore WR T.J. Moe enjoyed the first multi-TD game of his young career. Moe caught scores of 25 yards (first quarter) and four yards (fourth quarter) and now has six receiving TDs on the year, tops on the club. He ended the game against Kansas State with 5 receptions for 36 yards, while also carrying the ball twice for 32 yards and attempting one pass (incomplete)…
• Junior DE Jacquies Smith scored his third career touchdown, as he returned a K-State fumble 53 yards in the third quarter to help break open the contest. Smith scored two TDs in 2009. He returned an interception 43 yards vs. Furman and then recorded a 24-yard TD reception on a fake field goal vs. Colorado. Smith had two total fumble recoveries on the day (including a crucial cover of a K-State fumble at the MU 2-yardline right before halftime) and now has three for his career. He ended the day with 3 tackles, 1.0 TFLs (4 yards), and a half-QB sack (3 yards) to go with his pair of fumble recoveries…
• Sophomore DE Brad Madison added to his team-leading sack total with 1.5 QB sacks on the day. He now has 6.5 sacks on the year, just ahead of Aldon Smith. Smith had 1.5 sacks as well and now has 4.5 sacks on the year. Madison now ranks 2nd in the Big 12 Conference, and 34th overall in the nation, with his 0.65 sacks-per-game average. The Tigers now have 30 total sacks this season after having 31 in 13 games last year…
• Senior S Jasper Simmons led the charge defensively for MU, as he recorded a season-high 10 tackles vs. K-State. He also made an athletic interception early in the 4th quarter, which was his 2nd of the season and 3rd of his career…

2010 SENIOR CLASS GUNNING FOR SCHOOL WINS RECORD
   Mizzou's senior class isn't very big (just 15 in all) but they've no doubt played a big role in helping the Tigers elevate the overall standing of the program in their time at MU. The 2010 senior class entered the season having collected 30 wins over the previous three years, and with 8 wins so far in 2010, that puts them just one win shy of breaking the school record of 38 wins over a four-year period, which was established by the 2009 class. The current class tied the mark of 38 with MU's 38-28 win last Saturday over Kansas State, and they'll work to own the record all by themselves this week at Iowa State.
   The 2009 class one-upped the record of 37, which had been established just the previous year by the 2008 class. The 2010 class has been a very key group of players and leaders who have helped push Mizzou to new heights. They have been part of two Big 12 North Division championship teams (2007, 2008), they've helped lead Mizzou to bowl games in each of the past four seasons overall (2006 Sun, 2008 Cotton, 2008 Alamo, 2009 Texas), and they were also part of the 2007 team which ascended to #1 in the BCS polls on Nov. 25th, 2007.
   With the Tigers having already achieved bowl eligibility in 2010, this senior class will become only the fourth in MU history to play in four bowl games in a four-year span. The only previous classes to achieve that feat were the 1981 senior class, followed by the last two classes to come through (2008 & 2009).
   At right is a look at the most prolific senior classes at Mizzou, in terms of wins.

MIZZOU HAS GONE 8-2 VS. NCAA'S 2ND-TOUGHEST SCHEDULE TO DATE
   Mizzou has won 8 of its first 10 games of the 2010 season with a fairly young team overall (with only 5 senior starters), despite facing what is ranked by the NCAA as the 2nd-toughest schedule in the nation to date. The NCAA figures its toughest schedule rankings in this manner according to the cumulative records of opponents played.
   At right is a look at the national numbers:

MIZZOU-IOWA STATE SERIES HISTORY
   Mizzou and Iowa State have met 102 times previously, with the Tigers holding a 59-34-9 edge in the series history that dates back to the first meeting in 1896. MU is looking for its 4th straight win over ISU, which would be the longest win streak for Mizzou over Iowa State since a 10-game win streak for the Tigers from 1956-65.
   The Tigers have held the upper hand of late between the two longtime rivals, winning three straight, and six of the last seven matchups overall, including a 34-24 win in Columbia in 2009. Last year's win was no walk in the park for the Tigers, however, as the Cyclones held a 17-10 halftime lead in a game that was tied at 24-apiece heading into the 4th quarter before the Tigers pulled away late.
   The only loss in that stretch for Mizzou was a 21-16 setback in Ames in 2006 that saw the Tigers denied a comeback win as a potential game-winning TD was wiped out by a penalty in the final moments.
Mizzou holds a 28-18-2 lead in games played in Ames, Iowa, but the series has been more competitive since ISU's Jack Trice Stadium opened in 1975, as it stands in MU's favor by a slim 9-8. Since the formation of the Big 12 Conference in 1996, the Tigers hold an 8-6 series edge, with ISU holding a 4-3 edge in games played in Ames.
   MU's last visit to Ames saw the Tigers clinch the Big 12 North Division title with a 52-20 win in 2008. Prior to that, the prior three visits to Ames resulted in nailbiters for the Tigers, with the aforementioned 21-16 loss in 2006 the latest thriller. Prior to that, in 2004, Mizzou won a 17-14 overtime game on an Adam Crossett field goal and an A.J. Kincade interception on ISU's ensuing overtime possession. That win denied Iowa State an outright North Division title, and forced them into a tie (at 4-4 in league play) with Colorado for the division lead, as the Buffaloes advanced to the Big 12 title game due to a head-to-head win over ISU earlier in the year.
   In 2002, the underdog Tigers gave 22nd-ranked Iowa State all they could handle in Ames, before falling by a 42-35 score as the Cyclones scored on a 1-yard TD run with just :32 seconds left to avoid the upset loss. ISU's QB Seneca Wallace had a huge day, as he threw for 425 yards against the Tigers, while MU's Brad Smith had a big day of his own, throwing for 241 yards and rushing for 77 more.
Mizzou Head Coach Gary Pinkel stands 6-3 overall against Iowa State.

LAST YEAR REWIND: MIZZOU 34, IOWA STATE 24
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) – Danario Alexander reached double digits in receptions for the third straight game and Jerrell Jackson had a career day, helping Missouri end a three-game home losing streak in a 34-24 victory over Iowa State. Alexander had 11 catches for 173 yards and a 63-yard score, breaking records for single-season and career yardage set by Jeremy Maclin in the 2008 season. In his last three games, Alexander has 34 catches for 578 yards and five touchdowns. He came up just 27 yards shy of becoming only the third player in NCAA history to post three consecutive 200-yard receiving games.
   Jackson, a sophomore replacing injured senior Jared Perry in the starting lineup (Perry was lost for the remainder of the regular season due to a hairline fracture of his right shin at Kansas State the week before) had eight receptions for 142 yards and a 70-yard score.
   Both of the big plays came in the third quarter for Missouri (7-4, 3-4 Big 12), which had been plagued by poor second halves in conference play before pulling away at Kansas State the previous week. Iowa State (6-6, 3-5) led 17-10 at halftime after Austen Arnaud's 38-yard pass to Darius Darks with 26 seconds left.
   Jackson outran the coverage on his catch, which tied it at 17-17 early in the second half. On MU's next possession, Alexander took a swing pass to paydirt for 63 yards, splitting defenders along the way who appeared to have an angle on him.
   Blaine Gabbert was 23 for 32 for 337 yards and two touchdowns and had 51 yards on 12 carries, helping fill the void after Derrick Washington left the game after sustaining a concussion in the second quarter.
   Mizzou rushed 50 times in all for a season-high 202 yards. De'Vion Moore's 1-yard run with 4 minutes 43 seconds to go gave Missouri a 10-point cushion and sealed the game.
   That game-clinching score capped an 11-play, 59-yard drive that consumed 5:57 off the clock – Mizzou's longest scoring drive of the season in clock time. It was extended on a gutsy 4th-and-1 gamble at midfield with about 9 minutes to go and the Tigers clinging to a slim 27-24 lead.
   Gabbert kept on a sneak and gained two yards on the play to move the chains, and he later hit Alexander on a crucial 22-yard gain on 3rd-and-4 that took the ball to the Cyclone 9-yardline. Moore took it from there, going for eight yards and following on the next snap with his game-clinching score, the second touchdown of the season for the sophomore from St. Louis, Mo.
Iowa State scored on a pair of trick plays, a 10-yard option pass by wide receiver Alexander Robinson to Jake Williams in the first quarter and a 12-yard run by 338-pound tackle Scott Haughton off a lateral pass from Arnaud in the third quarter to make it 24-24.
   The Cyclones allowed 539 yards, one week after clamping down on Colorado for a 17-10 victory that made them bowl-eligible for the first time since 2005.
   Darks had a season-best 107 yards on nine catches for Iowa State, but was held to 22 yards on five receptions in the second half. Mizzou played keep-away from Iowa State in the final quarter, as it held the ball for 12:21 of the 4th quarter, and for the game it owned a 35:55-to-24:05 edge in time of possession.

LAST TIME IN AMES: #12 MIZZOU 52, IOWA STATE 20 (2008)
AMES, Iowa (AP) – Chase Daniel threw for 328 yards and two touchdowns and No. 12 Missouri clinched the Big 12 North and a spot in the conference title game by crushing Iowa State 52-20 on Nov. 15th.
   Swirling winds and temperatures in the high 20s had little effect on Daniel and Missouri's high-flying offense. Daniel went 32-of-40 and completed his first 16 passes as the Tigers (9-2, 5-2 Big 12) jumped out to a 31-7 halftime lead. Derrick Washington rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns and Jeremy Maclin caught eight passes for 103 yards and a score for Missouri, which has won four straight since a two-game losing streak that bounced the Tigers out of the national championship picture.
   Austen Arnaud threw for 326 yards and two touchdowns for Iowa State (2-9, 0-7), setting a school record with 36 completions. The Cyclones have lost nine straight.
   Grant Mahoney hit field goals of 47 and 38 yards to made it 31-13, but Maclin answered by taking a Daniel pass 43 yards for a touchdown with 4:05 left in the third quarter to put the Tigers ahead 38-13. Collin Franklin's 25-yard TD catch brought Iowa State back within 38-20. But Jimmy Jackson's 1-yard plunge early in the fourth quarter put the Tigers back ahead 45-20, and Carl Gettis picked off Arnaud at the goal line midway through the fourth quarter.
   Jackson added his second score, a 6-yard touchdown with 3:23 left. Missouri was nearly perfect in the first half, scoring on five of six possessions to go ahead 31-7. And even when the Tigers slipped up, they rectified things in a hurry. Allen Bell picked off Daniel at the Cyclones 10 early in the second quarter, but William Moore returned the favor with an interception off of Arnaud three plays later, running it back for a 17-yard touchdown and a 21-0 lead.
   Iowa State responded with 5:02 left in the first half on a 1-yard TD pass from Arnaud to Patrick Neal. It took Missouri just 51 seconds to get those points back.
   On a simple off-tackle run, Derrick Washington cut it back inside, slipped past a defender and ran 52 yards for his second touchdown of the game. Jeff Wolfert hit a 30-yard field as time expired in the first half.

TIGERS ARE 15-3 AGAINST BIG 12 NORTH FOES SINCE 2007
   Mizzou's ability to take of business in its own division has been instrumental in the Tigers' rise toward the top of the Big 12 heap. From 2007-10, Mizzou has gone 15-3 in North Division games (83.3%), and that's the best mark by a game-and-a-half over any other North Division school. Here's a look at the comparisons (through games of Nov. 13th)…

	CU	ISU	KU	KSU	MU	NU
2010	1-2	1-3	1-3	2-2	2-1	4-0
2009	1-4	2-3	1-4	3-2	4-1	4-1
2008	2-3	0-5	4-1	1-4	4-1	4-1
2007	1-4	2-3	4-1	1-4	5-0	2-3
vs. North	5-13	5-14	10-9	7-12	15-3	14-5
Pct.	27.8%	26.3%	52.6%	36.8%	83.3%	73.7%

 

DEFENSE HAS EXCELLED AT SUDDEN CHANGE SITUATIONS
   Mizzou's defense has been outstanding at stopping opponents in “sudden change” situations, after a Tiger turnover. Thankfully, the Tiger offense has been pretty sound at holding onto the ball all year long, but when the turnovers have come, the defense has, much more often than not, gotten a stop to stem the tide.
   In 10 games thus far, MU has committed 14 turnovers. Opponents have managed to convert those opportunities into only 10 points total. Against San Diego State, the Tigers committed a season-high 3 turnovers, with all 3 coming in the 4th quarter, including one inside the Tiger 10-yardline. But the defense stood strong, and got an interception near the goalline to snuff out one threat, forced a punt on one situation, and held the Aztecs to a field goal on the other.
   The only Tiger turnover converted by opponents into a TD was by Oklahoma. That came on a muffed punt return by MU that the Sooners covered on the Tiger 45-yardline. OU converted by driving the short field for a TD.
   By contrast, Mizzou has converted 23 opponent turnovers into 65 points.

GABBERT JUST MISSES 200/100 COMBO VS. KANSAS STATE
   After a tough couple of outings at Nebraska and Texas Tech, junior QB Blaine Gabbert regained his swagger from earlier in the season last Saturday as he led the Tigers to a 38-28 win over #24 (BCS) Kansas State, as he accounted for 297 yards of offense and 3 total TDs on the day. Gabbert completed his first 7 passes of the game and ended 17-of-25 passing for 208 yards and 2 TDs, while changing the complexion of the game with his 89 yards on the ground, including a 32-yard TD run in the 2nd quarter. His QB rating of 156.29 was a season high, besting his previous standard of 154.13 against McNeese State.
   The win pushed Gabbert's record as a starting QB to 16-7 in his 23 career starts (69.6%). Win number 15 came against BCS-#1 Oklahoma, as he became the first Tiger QB to ever lead MU to a win over a #1-ranked team (any major poll), and the first QB since former great Corby Jones to beat the Sooners (1998).
   Gabbert was lights out against OU, completing 30-of-42 passes for 308 yards and 1 TD, while also running for 26 yards. He was at his best in crunch time, as he completed 8-of-9 4th-quarter passes for 95 yards and a TD (a 38-yarder to WR Jerrell Jackson that gave MU the lead for good).
   Even though the Tigers tasted defeat for the first time three weeks ago at Nebraska, Gabbert definitely showed his toughness, as he was pressured and harassed most all day. Gabbert was sacked 6 times by the Husker defense, after going down only 7 times combined in the first 7 games of the season. Included on the day were a couple of potential helmet-to-helmet hits and at least one facemask grab against him which weren't flagged, but Gabbert kept getting up to answer the bell. He ended the day with 199 yards passing (on 18-of-42) for 1 TD and 1 INT (his first since Sept. 25th against Miami, Ohio). Gabbert also showed an ability to improvise when the pocket broke down, as he ran for 74 net yards – he actually gained 123 yards in all, but due to sack yardage, the net went down to 74.
   Prior to that, Gabbert improved to 4-1 as a starter in road games as the Tigers cruised to a 30-9 win at Texas A&M, in what was among the best performances of his career. Gabbert was a solid 31-of-47 passing for 361 yards and 3 TDs, with no interceptions as he helped lead MU to a 16-0 halftime lead, and an insurmountable 30-3 lead through 3 quarters of play. He did all of that while playing with a sore right hip/side area, after sustaining a high hip pointer the previous week against Colorado.
   Against the Buffaloes, Gabbert helped guide the Tigers to a 26-0 shutout win when he put up 17-for-29 passing figures for 191 yards and 2 TDs (with zero INTs), before leaving the game early in the 4th quarter due to a high hip (right) pointer sustained earlier in the game.
   Gabbert threw for 351 yards in the win over San Diego State, as he completed 28-of-51 passes, including the game-winning TD to T.J. Moe covering 68 yards with just :51 seconds left. He became the first Tiger QB to throw a game-winning TD in the final minute of play since Pete Woods beat 2nd-ranked Ohio State in Columbus in 1976 (a 22-21 win with :12 seconds left).
   In limited action gainst McNeese State, 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).

EGNEW NAMED MACKEY SEMI-FINALIST, LEADS ALL TE'S IN RECEPTIONS
   Junior TE Michael Egnew had some pretty big shoes to fill, as he's following in the footsteps of a pair of All-American tight ends, in Martin Rucker (All-American, 2007) and Chase Coffman (All-American, 2008). The Plainview, Texas native has shown that he's quite capable of not only wearing the shoes, but filling them out nicely.
   Egnew finds himself as the nation's top pass-catching tight end heading into the Iowa State game. After catching a total of 7 passes for 47 yards (0 TDs) in 2008 and 2009 combined, Egnew has emerged as a major weapon, with a team-best 71 receptions for 586 yards and 3 TDs through 10 games. Egnew ranks 9th in the NCAA among all players with his 7.10 receptions per game average, and his 71 receptions are most in the nation among tight ends, 20 more than the next on the list (Iowa State's Collin Franklin, with 51). He is also 3rd in the nation among tight ends in receiving yardage per game, at 58.60 yards entering Saturday's game at Iowa State.
   On Monday, Egnew was named as one of eight semi-finalists for the John Mackey Tight End Award, which goes annually to the nation's top player at the position. Coffman won the prestigious award in 2008, while Rucker was a finalist in 2007.
   Egnew began the season by snagging 10 catches for 60 yards and 1 TD against Illinois, and had an outstanding game against SDSU in game #3, as he finished the night with career highs in receptions (13) and yards (145). Both totals represented school single-game records for tight ends at Mizzou, with the old standards being 12 catches for 140 yards by former All-American Chase Coffman at Texas in 2008. He had an impactful 2-TD night against Colorado, when he caught 6 passes for 52 yards, including his pair of 10-yard and 7-yard TD grabs. He turned in a standout game at Texas A&M, where he caught 10 passes for 87 yards and also made 7 catches against Nebraska's tough secondary for 70 yards.

TIGERS RANK 1ST IN BIG 12, 10TH IN NCAA IN SCORING DEFENSE
   A glance at the latest batch of statistics shows that Mizzou's defense leads the Big 12 Conference, and ranks 10th in the nation, in scoring defense. Through 10 games, the Tigers, under 2nd-year Defensive Coordinator Dave Steckel, are allowing an average of 17.50 points per game. That's a nice improvement from last year, when in 13 games, MU ranked 59th nationally in scoring defense, allowing an average of 25.38 points per game.
   Mizzou has allowed only 9 rushing TDs so far, and that total is the lowest in the Big 12, through 10 games.
   While pitching a shutout against Colorado on Oct. 9th undoubtedly helped propel the Tigers up the rankings, it wasn't a one-game deal, as Mizzou entered the CU game ranked 10th nationally in scoring defense. Mizzou entered the CU game allowing 14.0 points per game.
   That was followed with a stifling defensive effort that held Texas A&M's potent offense to a season-low 9 points on their home field. A&M came into the game averaging 35.00 points per game (ranked 27th in NCAA). Mizzou held the Aggies to 379 yards of offense, nearly 100 yards below their average of 472.60 coming in, which ranked them 15th nationally in total offense at the time.
   The Tigers went up against one of the top offenses in the nation recently at Nebraska, and even though the Huskers gained a 31-17 win, that point total was seven points below NU's scoring average coming into the game of 38.86 points per game. Similarly, the Tiger defense was key in MU's win over BCS #1-ranked Oklahoma on Oct. 23rd, when it held the Sooners to 27 points in a 36-27 win. The Sooners came into the game averaging 36.0 points per game. Last Saturday, Mizzou kept Texas Tech to 24 points, and that was below the Red Raiders' scoring average coming into the game of 31.88 points per outing.

MADISON LEADING THE BIG 12'S TOP-RANKED SACK ATTACK
   Don't look now, but the Big 12 Conference's most disruptive pass rush resides in Columbia, Mo., as the Mizzou Tigers currently lead the league, and rank #6 nationally, with their QB sack average of 3.00 per game. The Tigers' 30 sacks in 10 games is already just one shy of the 31 the 2009 Tigers amassed in 13 games.
   Five different Tigers have recorded 3 sacks or more, and that group has been led to this point by sophomore DE Brad Madison, who's not even a starter. Madison has been a “super-sub” off the bench for the Tiger defense, and he's recorded a team-best 6.5 QB sacks through 10 games, for an average of 0.65 per game which ranks him 2nd-best in the Big 12, and 34th nationally among all defenders. Madison, the younger brother of former Tiger standout offensive lineman Ryan Madison (2005-08), has been a play-making machine in his time on the field, as he's recorded a team-best 10 tackles for loss among his 24 total stops on the year. Madison made two starts during the absence of star rush end Aldon Smith, the first two starts of his career.
   Speaking of Aldon Smith, the premier rush end in the Big 12 Conference has returned from a broken leg (cracked fibula suffered in game #3 against San Diego State on Sept. 18th) and is back to wreaking the kind of havoc he brought in 2009, when he was the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year. Last Saturday against Kansas State, Smith had 1.5 QB sacks, including arguably the defensive play of the game, when he crushed the Wildcat QB on a blindside shot, jarring the ball loose, which led to a 53-yard scoop-and-score TD by fellow DE Jacquies Smith. The sack had to feel good, as it was Aldon's first since the SDSU game. Even though he's playing at less than 100%, he's still made a big impact, as evidenced by his huge interception in his first game back, on Oct. 23rd against #1-ranked (BCS) Oklahoma, when he picked off Landry Jones on the MU 14-yardline and returned it 58 yards the other way to set up a Tiger TD. For the season, Smith has 4.5 sacks and 33 tackles in all, in his 7 games.
   Jacquies Smith has also been very disruptive, as he's next on the sack list, with 3.5, in 10 games. Jacquies has also recovered a pair of fumbles – both last week against Kansas State – and returned one of them 53 yards for a TD, while the other came on the MU 2-yardline after a C/QB exhange problem that wiped out a Wildcat scoring threat.
   Sophomore LB Zaviar Gooden (MU's leading tackler currently, with 68 stops overall), and senior CB Kevin Rutland (who is tied for the team lead with 2 INTs and 5 PBUs) are the other two Tigers with 3.0 sacks apiece.

TIGER RED ZONE DEFENSE 2ND NATIONALLY
   It would stand to figure that a good scoring defense performs well in the red zone, and that has more often than not been the case for Mizzou's defense to this point. Through 10 games, Mizzou's defense is ranked 2nd nationally in red zone defense, as opponents have scored just 57% of the time they've gotten inside the Tiger 20-yardline.
   Last Saturday in MU's 38-28 win over #24 (BCS) Kansas State, the Tigers got one stop in three redzone attacks by the Wildcats. While KSU got a pair of TDs on short runs (only the 8th and 9th rushing TDs allowed by MU on the season in 10 games), Mizzou did come up with a game-changing stop just before halftime with their backs against the wall. It wasn't exactly a forced error, but when K-State had C/QB exchange issues on a snap from the Tiger 1-yardline with just :15 seconds left before halftime, Tiger DE Jacquies Smith gladly pounced on the ball to avert the scoring threat. That stop helped preserve MU's 21-14 halftime lead, and loomed even larger when the Tigers scored the next 17 points of the game after intermission to surge to a 38-14 lead.
   Even in MU's recent defeat at Nebraska, the defense didn't give up any redzone scores, as the Huskers never took a single snap inside the Tiger 20-yardline. Last Saturday at Texas Tech, the Red Raiders enjoyed uncommon success, as they converted on 3-of-4 red zone tries, turning all three into TDs. Even so, the Tiger defense buckled down and made the most of the 4th Tech red zone appearance, as LB Zaviar Gooden stepped in front of a pass at the Tiger 2 for his second INT of the year, and he returned it 10 yards to the MU 12-yardline to avert the Tech scoring threat.
   A perfect example of MU's ability to get key stops was on display in MU's 36-27 win against #1 (BCS) Oklahoma on Oct. 23rd, as the Sooners converted on just 3-of-6 redzone opportunities. The Tiger defense got an interception by DE Aldon Smith on its 14-yardline in the 1st quarter, and forced/recovered a fumble on its 14-yardline again, in the 2nd quarter (force by DE Michael Sam, recovered by FS Jasper Simmons). In the 3rd quarter, the Tiger defense held the Sooners to a 30-yard field goal attempt, but the kick was pulled wide left.
   The 14 scores allowed have been split between 12 TDs and 4 FGs. Illinois was 2-of-2 in the red zone against Mizzou (1 TD/1 FG), while McNeese State was 1-of-2 (1 TD). San Diego State and Miami (Ohio) each went 2-of-3 against MU (1 TD/1 FG apiece), while Colorado was shut out all 3 times (1 missed FG, 1 blocked FG, 1 stopped on downs). At Texas A&M, Mizzou's defense allowed only 2 redzone penetrations, with the Aggies converting one into a field goal, and being stopped on downs on the other threat.

TIGER GROUND ATTACK AVERAGING 203 YDS. IN LAST 4 GAMES
   Mizzou's rushing attack doesn't garner the attention its aerial game does in the spread offense MU has employed since installing it prior to the 2005 season. However, the Tigers have shown in 2010 that their ground game can be very effective when called upon. Here are some basic factoids regarding the Tiger ground game…

• Mizzou's average of 160.30 yards per game on the ground doesn't pop eyes (it ranks MU 54th nationally as a team), but the production has been building in recent weeks. In the last 4 games, Mizzou is averaging 203.0 yards per game on the ground (812 yards, 142 attempts, 7 TDs), and has averaged a very solid 5.71 yards per attempt in that stretch. In its first 6 games, MU averaged 131.8 yards per game on the ground (791 yards, 181 carries, 13 TDs), with a per-carry average of 4.40…
• Mizzou has consecutive 200-yard ground games entering Saturday's game at Iowa State, after rushing for 232 last week against Kansas State, after going for a season-high 260 yards two weeks ago at Texas Tech. The last time MU ran for 200 yards in three straight games was back in 2007, when the Tigers went for 229 on the ground at Mississippi, followed by a 272-yard outing at home against Western Michigan, and a 240-yard outing at home against Illinois State…
• It's been a tailback by committee approach, with the bulk of the carries being split by junior De'Vion Moore (73 carries, 415 yards, 5 TDs, 5.7 avg.), true freshman Henry Josey (61-356, 4 TDs, 5.8 avg.), sophomore Kendial Lawrence (51-302, 2 TDs, 5.9 avg. in 9 games), and true freshman Marcus Murphy (18-170, 2 TDs, 9.4 avg. in 9 games). Lawrence missed the McNeese game due to an injury, and Murphy did not play in the opener against Illinois…
• Those four backs have been very potent, as they've combined to average a solid 6.2 yards per attempt (203 combined carries, 1,244 yards, 14 TDs)…
• QB Blaine Gabbert has been more involved in the ground game of late, as well, as he's rushed for 197 net yards in the last 4 games, after going for negative 26 (–26) yards net in MU's first 6 games. He's coming off a season-high 89-yard rushing day against Kansas State, which included a 32-yard TD run (his 3rd of the season). Gabbert also had a 74-yard rushing day at Nebraska recently…
• Tiger wideouts were also a big factor in the rushing attack this past week vs. Kansas State. T.J. Moe ran twice for 32 yards, while Jerrell Jackson and Wes Kemp each carried once for 9 yards apiece, with Jackson's going for a 9-yard TD on a perfectly-executed jet sweep…
• Mizzou enjoyed great success on the ground two weeks ago at Texas Tech, as it rushed for a season-high 260 yards, including 69-yard and 71-yard 1st-quarter TD runs by Murphy and Lawrence, respectively. In its recent win over BCS-#1 Oklahoma, as the Tigers gashed the Sooners for 178 rushing yards, which factored heavily in MU's 36-27 win. . De'Vion Moore led the way with 73 yards and 1 TD on 10 carries (7.3 avg.) and Henry Josey added 14 carries for 64 yards (4.6 avg.) in support…
• Mizzou has 20 rushing TDs through 10 games in 2010, and that already surpasses MU's 13-game total of 15 rushing TDs in all of 2009…
• The Tigers have 20 rushing TDs in 323 attempts in 2010, good for a TD per 16.15 attempts. In 2009, MU had 15 rushing TDs in 444 attempts, for a ratio of one rushing TD per every 29.6 attempts…

PINKEL GETS WIN #75 AT MIZZOU AGAINST KANSAS STATE
   Mizzou Head Coach Gary Pinkel is in his 10th season at MU (20th overall as a head coach) and touts a career record of 148-85-3 (63.4%). Following Mizzou's recent historic win over #1 (BCS) Oklahoma, the Tigers ascended to as high as #6 in the BCS rankings, and the 7-0 start to the season was only the third in school history, and the first for any Tiger team since 1960.
   Pinkel, who has led MU to a combined record of 53-23 (69.7%) 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 75-48 (61.0%). Dating back to the 2005 Independence Bowl win over Steve Spurrier and South Carolina, Pinkel has gone 47-18 in his last 65 games overall (72.3%). 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 75.
   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. The Tigers have already attained bowl eligibility in 2010, and that will give Pinkel an MU-record 7th bowl game appearance later this season.
   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.