Tigers Close Regular Season vs. Archrivals
11/22/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 22, 2010
Kansas Jayhawks (3-8, 1-6) vs. #14 Missouri Tigers (9-2, 5-2)
GAME CENTRAL:
- Gameday Central
- Game Notes
(545 kb) - GameTracker (free live stats)
- Mizzou All-Access
(subscription live audio)
KICKOFF: 11:40 a.m. CT.
STADIUM: Arrowhead Stadium (79,451 - natural grass surface). Opened in 1972. MU is 3-2 there alltime, including 2-1 versus Kansas.
RADIO: Tiger Network. Mike Kelly (play-by-play), John Kadlec (color), Chris Gervino (sidelines), Scotty Cox (producer), Matt Winegardner (director). Carried on over 50 stations across the Midwest, and on the Internet at mutigers.com.
The MU broadcast will also be on Sirius Satellite Radio (channel 130).
TV: FOX Sports Net. Steve Physioc (play-by-play), Dave Lapham (color), Jim Knox (sidelines), Bob Steinfeld (producer), Phil Mollica (director).
RANKINGS (BCS/AP/Coaches):
MU - 14th / 15th / 16th.
KU - None.
SERIES: Mizzou leads, 55-54-9 and has won 3 of the last 4 meetings, including 2-of-3 played in KC's Arrowhead Stadium.
COACHES:
MU: Gary Pinkel (Kent, `75), 76-48 at MU (10th year) and 149-85-3 overall (20th year). Pinkel is 5-4 vs. Kansas and 1-0 vs. Turner Gill.
KU: Turner Gill (North Texas, `90), 3-8 at KU (1st year) and 23-38 overall (5th year). Gill is 0-1 vs. Mizzou and Gary Pinkel.
TIGERS CLOSE REGULAR SEASON AGAINST ARCH RIVAL KANSAS
It's the game that most Mizzou fans circle on their calendar before the season starts, and it's finally here - Mizzou vs. Kansas, the nation's 2nd-most played rivalry and one of the most hotly-contested rivalries in all of sport.
This year's edition will take place Saturday morning in Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium, with kickoff set for 11:30 a.m. FOX Sports Net will be televising the game.
Mizzou enters the game having won two straight contests, earning hard-fought victories the past two weeks over Big 12 North Division brethren Kansas State (W, 38-28 in Columbia on Nov. 13th) and last Saturday at Iowa State (W, 14-0 on Nov. 20th). The Tigers and Cyclones battled in frigid Ames, Iowa, a place where MU has had its share of tough times over the years. But Mizzou avoided the upset bug as the 15th-ranked Tigers rode a stifling defense and just enough big plays from its offense and special teams to turn that into its 9th win of the season - marking just the sixth time in 120 years of Mizzou Football that MU has won 9 games.
At 9-2 overall (5-2 in Big 12 Conference play), the Tigers are looking to improve their already-impressive bowl resume that has seen the Tigers claim wins over five teams who are currently bowl eligible: Oklahoma (9-2); Texas A&M (8-3); Illinois (6-5); Miami (Ohio) (7-4); San Diego State (7-4); and Kansas State (6-5), while another Tiger victim, Colorado, could be a seventh to gain bowl eligibility with a win this weekend (5-6). MU's only losses on the year came on the road to a pair of bowl-eligible teams: Nebraska (9-2) and Texas Tech (6-5).
Kansas, rebuilding in its first year under Coach Turner Gill, comes into the 2010 finale standing 3-8 overall and 1-6 in Big 12 action. The Jayhawks have wins over Georgia Tech, New Mexico State and Colorado, with the latter being an historic one that saw KU erase a 45-17 deficit in the final 11 minutes of the game to post a 52-45 win. The 28-point 4th-quarter comeback was an NCAA record for largest deficit erased in the final quarter of a win.
MIZZOU LOOKING FOR THIRD BIG 12 NORTH TITLE IN FOUR YEARS
Just because Mizzou and Kansas might be trending in different directions doesn't mean the Tigers will struggle to find motivation on Saturday. Aside from the obvious enticements of the big rivalry, a 10-win season, improving bowl positioning, etc., a win on Saturday for Mizzou would assure the Tigers of no worse than a tie for the Big 12 North Division title.
Mizzou enters the game tied atop the North standings, along with Nebraska, at 5-2. If both teams win this weekend (Nebraska hosts Colorado on Friday), they officially tie for the division crown, and Nebraska represents the North in the Big 12 Championship Game on Dec. 4th in Dallas, due to their 31-17 win over MU in Lincoln on Oct. 30th. If Colorado was to upset Nebraska on Friday, then MU would take the field Saturday against KU knowing that a win would elevate them to the title game against either Oklahoma or Oklahoma State.
But regardless of what Nebraska does Friday, a win Saturday for MU would give MU three Big 12 North Division trophies in the last four seasons, matching the ones it won in 2007 and 2008, when it played in the Big 12 Championship Game both years.
MU LOOKING FOR JUST 4TH 10-WIN SEASON IN SCHOOL HISTORY
The 2010 Tigers have already earned distinction, as they are just the 6th team in Mizzou Football history with 9 regular-season wins. Hoping it doesn't stop there, the Tigers will be going for win #10 on the year Saturday in Kansas City, a win total that has been reached only three times in MU's previous 119 years of existence (began play in 1890). The 10-win seasons include:
- 1960 (11-0)
- 2007 (12-2)
- 2008 (10-4)
Head Coach Gary Pinkel is now the first Tiger coach to achieve three 9-win seasons. College Football Hall of Fame Coach Dan Devine, with two, is the only other MU coach with more than one 9-win season. Pinkel is already the only MU coach with two seasons of double-digit win totals.
Closest Rivalry Series with at least 103 Games Played |
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| Rivalry | No. | Series Leader | Next |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mizzou-Kansas | 118 | Missouri by 1 (55-54-9) | Nov. 27th |
| Baylor-TCU | 106 | TCU by 1 (50-49-7) | 2011 |
| Auburn-Georgia | 114 | Auburn by 2 (54-52-8) | 2011 |
| Army-Navy | 110 | Navy by 5 (54-49-7) | Dec. 11th |
| North Carolina-Virginia | 115 | UNC by 5 (58-53-4) | 2011 |
| Minnesota-Wisconsin | 120 | Minnesota by 6 (59-53-8) | 2011 |
| Stanford-California | 113 | Stanford by 10 (56-46-11) | 2011 |
| Oregon-Oregon State | 113 | Oregon by 11 (57-46-10) | Dec. 4th |
TIGERS, JAYHAWKS RESUME NATION'S 2ND-MOST PLAYED RIVALRY
With roots dating back all the way to the Civil War period in American history, Missourians and Kansans have always had a fierce rivalry in everything from football, to a fierce game of Galaga in the neighborhood pub.
Not only is the rivalry a spirited one, but it has several other things going for it that makes it one of the best (and most underrated) in the country...
- The MU-KU series is the 2nd-most played in the nation, with its 118 previous meetings. Only Minnesota and Wisconsin (120 meetings including their 2010 contest won by the Badgers) have played each other more than MU and KU...
- It is one of the most even rivalries around. Amazingly, the series is a virtual deadlock, with MU holding a 55-54-9 edge in the previous 118 meetings. That makes the series the most closely-contested of the nation's top-23 most-played rivalries - those with 103 or more games played alltime...
- And like all great fierce rivalries, it's complete with controversy. Many stories abound about the bad blood between the two programs throughout the years. While the two schools maintain diplomatic relationships, they don't even agree on the series results, as both schools claim to lead the series by a 55-54-9 count. The dispute goes back to the 1960 season, when unranked KU came to Columbia and upset undefeated and #1-ranked Mizzou, 23-7. The win was later forfeited by KU after the Big 8 Conference ruled that ineligible players took the field for the Jayhawks. Kansas counts the result on the field in their record books (and the NCAA also records it as 55-54-9 for KU), while MU counts the forfeit in its win column.
- The loss remains as likely the most bitter in Tiger history, as it cost MU a chance at its only national championship, as the Tigers went on to finish 10-1 on the field (11-0 in the record books with the forfeit), and ranked 5th after defeating Navy in the 1961 Orange Bowl.
MIZZOU-KANSAS SERIES HISTORY
As previously stated, MU and KU have the 2nd-most played rivalry in college football history, and this Saturday will mark the 119th meeting between the two heated rivals, with MU claiming it owns a 55-54-9 lead overall.
Last season saw one of the more exciting and dramatic games ever played in the storied series, as MU won a back-and-forth affair, getting a 27-yard Grant Ressel at the final gun to claim a 41-39 win. The Tigers trailed 14-3 at the end of the 1st quarter, and faced a 21-13 halftime deficit before rallying to take a 36-28 lead early in the 4th quarter. Kansas posted a rally of their own with 11 straight points, and the Jayhawks appeared on the verge of the upset win, as they held a 39-36 lead after a short field goal with just 5:10 to play. That probably loomed even larger when MU couldn't muster a drive and punted the ball back with three minutes left in the game. But the punt was downed inside the Jayhawk 5-yardline, and on 3rd down, Aldon Smith and Brian Coulter met in the endzone for a sack and safety on Kansas QB Todd Reesing with 2:45 to play to pull MU to within 39-38. After the ensuing free kick, MU drove downfield, thanks to some key runs by TB Derrick Washington, and the Tigers drained the clock to set up Ressel for the game-winner with no time left.
Kansas claimed a 40-37 win in Arrowhead Stadium in 2008 that was a definite gut-kick for the Tigers, who came into the game as favorites. It was a game played in cold and snowy conditions, and after Kansas surged to a 19-7 first-half lead, the Tigers worked some comeback magic and eventually would hold leads of 30-26 and 37-33 in the 4th quarter, only to see the Jayhawks post two TD drives in the final five minutes of play. The last one was capped with a play that will likely burn in the memories of Tiger fans forever, as on 4th-and-7 from the MU 26-yardline with just :27 seconds to play, Reesing avoided pressure and floated a perfect pass to a streaking Kerry Meier in the endzone for a back-breaking TD that accounted for the final score. Mizzou drove furiously downfield in short time, but had to settle for a long field goal attempt, and Jeff Wolfert's 54-yarder at the gun was partially blocked, sending Mizzou home with the defeat to drop them to 9-3 on the season.
The year before left a decidely different taste in the mouths of Tiger fans, as Mizzou claimed a thrilling 36-28 win over KU in the inaugural game at Arrowhead Stadium. Nicknamed "Armageddon at Arrowhead," the game featured 11-0 and 2nd-ranked Kansas against 10-1 and 3rd-ranked Mizzou, with #1 LSU having been upset the night before - meaning the winner would likely ascend to #1 in the polls and control the inside track to a spot in the BCS Title Game. Mizzou rode the arm of QB Chase Daniel to a 14-0 halftime lead, and that would eventually surge to a 21-0 Tiger lead in the 3rd quarter before Kansas could get untracked. Kansas would post an admirable comeback that pulled them to within 34-28 with 2:03 to play, but after Mizzou drove into KU territory on the ensuing possession before pinning the Jayhawks inside their own 5-yardline, the Tigers sealed the deal with a sack of Reesing in the endzone for a safety with just :12 seconds left to account for the final score of 36-28. The win gave MU its first-ever Big 12 North Division title, and two days later, when the polls came out, the Tigers were the #1 team in the land.
MU Coach Gary Pinkel stands 5-4 against Kansas in his nine previous seasons at Mizzou. He won his first two contests against KU, and that made him only the 3rd coach in Tiger history to win his first 2 games over Kansas.
The series returned to Kansas City, Mo., in what was initially a two-year agreement, as both schools agreed to move home games in 2007 and 2008 to Arrowhead Stadium, home of the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs. It was announced the week of the 2008 contest that both schools had reached an agreement, in conjunction with the Chiefs and the Kansas City Sports Commission, to extend the series in Kansas City another four years, meaning the game will be played there through 2012.
Kansas City was the historical site of the MU-KU rivalry, as the city was the host of the 1st 16 games in the series, from 1891-1906, and has been now for 24 games overall. KU holds a 13-8-3 edge overall in games played in the series in Kansas City, and the 2007 game marked the first games played there since MU won in consecutive years in 1944 (28-0) and 1945 (33-12).
SATURDAY IS WORTH MORE THAN A WIN ON THE GRIDIRON
Saturday's winner will not only take home the traditional bass drum trophy given to the winner of the rivalry game, but the school will earn 3 points in the M&I Bank MU-KU Border Showdown Series.
This marks the 9th year of the Border Showdown, which records the head-to-head results between MU and KU in all sports each season. Each competition is assigned a certain amount of points during the year, and the school that wins the most at the end wins a traveling trophy and bragging rights.
Entering Saturday's football game, Mizzou holds a 6.0-to-3.5 lead thus far in the 2010-11 series.
In the previous eight years of the showdown, MU has won the series six times, claiming yearly wins in 2002-03 (32.0-to-8.5), in 2004-05 (22.5-to-17.5), in 2006-07 (25.0-to-14.0), in 2007-08 (24.0-to-15.0), in 2008-09 (23.0-to-17.0) and again last year in 2009-10 (23.0-to-16.5), with KU claiming wins in 2003-04 (21.5-to-18.5) and in 2005-06 (22.0-to-17.0).
MU-KU BASS DRUM UP FOR GRABS SATURDAY
Most every school has goofy trophies that they play rivals for each year, and Mizzou is no exception. MU and KU play annually for a bass drum. Here are details of the significance behind the drum...
Issued to the winner of the Missouri-Kansas football game ... Originated in 1935 ... Trophy was originally conceived as an Indian War Drum in nature by a couple of Mizzou alumni, since Osage Indians roamed the plains of Kansas and Missouri long before the state universities were founded ... Original intent was to stimulate new interest in longtime series that had dwindled during the Depression of the '30s and MU's all-time low in football victories ... Supposedly authentic Indian drum was purchased in a Kansas City pawn shop, and new drum was acquired prior to 1986 game ... Autographed originally on both drum heads by KU and MU alumni ... Tradition was temporarily forgotten for a few years but resumed on an annual basis in 1947 ... The first game ended in a scoreless tie.
LAST YEAR REWIND: MIZZOU 41, KANSAS 39
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Missouri tackled Todd Reesing for a safety with 2:39 remaining and Grant Ressel hit a 27-yard field goal as time expired, giving the Tigers a 41-39 win over Kansas in another wild Border Showdown at Arrowhead Stadium. These rivals put on a show in 2008 and somehow topped it, trading big plays, scores and momentum seemingly with every snap.
Missouri (8-4, 4-4) had 553 total yards, but needed a safety and Ressel's fourth field goal of the game to beat its biggest rival and end coach Mark Mangino's eight-year stint at Kansas (5-7, 1-7) with a seven-game losing streak. Danario Alexander caught 15 passes for 233 yards, the third time he's eclipsed 200 yards in four games, and Derrick Washington ran for 111 yards and two scores for the Tigers.
Missouri's Blaine Gabbert threw for 303 yards and a score, and ran for 94 more yards in the 118th Border Showdown, boosting Missouri's chances of getting into a bigger bowl.
Reesing threw for a school-record 498 yards and four touchdowns - two to Kerry Meier - in his final collegiate game and Kansas had 547 total yards, but it wasn't enough to avoid the loss. Kansas' Dezmon Briscoe had 14 catches for 242 yards but lost two fumbles that led directly to Missouri touchdowns.
Like last season, when they won 40-37, the Jayhawks were in position to win.
Jacob Branstetter hit a 39-yard field goal with 5:10 left to put Kansas up 39-36, then the Jayhawks forced Missouri into a punt.
Starting the drive at its own 3, KU opted to pass instead of milking clock. After two failed passes, Brian Coulter and Aldon Smith converged on Reesing in the end zone for a safety to cut Kansas' lead to 39-38. Worse yet, the Jayhawks ran just 14 seconds off the clock, giving Missouri plenty of time to move into position for the winning score.
The Tigers did just that, getting a 27-yard run from Washington to set up Ressel's attempt. He split the uprights and, after a brief delay for a penalty on Kansas, the Tigers rushed the field for one of their wildest wins against their biggest rival.
Most of the action took place in the second half.
Trailing 21-13, Missouri marched down the field on its opening drive of the second half for Washington's 14-yard touchdown run up the middle. Kansas answered with a 2-yard pass from Reesing to Meier after Missouri's Sean Weatherspoon was called for running into the center on a made field goal.
Missouri's turn, Jerrell Jackson got the right corner on an end-around and scored on a 37-yard run. The Tigers needed just 55 seconds to score again, following Briscoe's second fumble with Alexander's catch-and-run 68-yard touchdown. Ressel's third field goal, from 37 yards, put Missouri up 36-28 early in the fourth quarter.
Kansas and Briscoe weren't done. Streaking up the sideline, Briscoe pulled down a long pass from Reesing, wobbled safety Jasper Simmons' knees near the 20, then went in for a 74-yard touchdown. Reesing hit Meier for the 2-point conversion, tying the game at 36-all.
KU got the ball back, starting inside its 1, and drove down for Branstetter's field goal to set up the final flurry.
TIGERS GET FIRST ROAD CONFERENCE SHUTOUT WIN SINCE 1967 AT ISU
Mizzou improved to 9-2 overall and 5-2 in Big 12 Conference play with a gritty 14-0 shutout win at Iowa State against a motivated Cyclone team which was going for bowl eligibility in its final game of the regular season. The Tigers held a 7-0 halftime lead thanks to a Blaine Gabbert-to-Michael Egnew TD pass of 11 yards in the 1st quarter, and they extended the lead to 14-0 on a 1-yard TD run early in the 4th quarter by TB De'Vion Moore. The Tiger defense made sure that score stood up, as it pitched the first conference road shutout by Mizzou since 1967 (W, 7-0 at Stillwater). It was MU's first road shutout overall since a 16-0 win at Houston in 1994.
The shutout was the second of the season for Mizzou (beat Colorado, 26-0, in Columbia on Oct. 9th), and that gives MU two shutouts in the same season for the first time since 1983 (W, 38-0 at home against Kansas State & W, 10-0 at home against Oklahoma).
Here are a few fun facts regarding shutouts and Big 12 Conference play:
- In the last five seasons (2006-Present), there have been five shutouts posted in Big 12 games, and Mizzou owns three of them:
2010 - at Missouri 26, Colorado 0
2010 - at Oklahoma 52, Iowa State 0
2010 - Missouri 14, at Iowa State 0
2009 - at Oklahoma 27, Oklahoma State 0
2008 - at Missouri 58, Colorado 0 - The road shutout was the first overall in Big 12 Conference play since 2005, when Colorado posted a 34-0 road win at Oklahoma State...
2010 Mackey Award Finalist Statistical Comparison |
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| Player, School (Year) - GP |
Rec. | Yards | Avg. | TDs | Rec YPG | Rec/Gm | Sched.* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Egnew, Missouri (Jr.) - 11 |
78 | 663 | 8.5 | 4 | 60.3 | 7.10 | 7th |
| Lance Kendricks, Wisconsin (Sr.) - 11 |
35 | 547 | 15.6 | 4 | 49.7 | 3.18 | 75th |
| D.J. Williams, Arkansas (Sr.) - 11 |
46 | 561 | 12.2 | 4 | 51.0 | 4.18 | 15th |
| *-Schedule strength as measured by NCAA as of Nov. 20th | |||||||
EGNEW NAMED MACKEY 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.
On Monday, Egnew was named as one of three 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, meaning that MU has now had a Mackey finalist in three of the last four seasons.
Egnew finds himself as the nation's top pass-catching tight end heading into the Kansas 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 78 receptions for 663 yards and 4 TDs through 11 games. Egnew ranks 10th in the NCAA among all players with his 7.1 receptions per game average, and his 78 receptions are most in the nation among tight ends, 24 more than the next on the list (Iowa State's Collin Franklin, with 54). He is also 2nd in the nation among tight ends in receiving yardage per game, at 58.60 yards entering Saturday's game against KU.
He's coming off an outstanding game at Iowa State, as he caught a game-high 7 passes for 77 yards and a beautiful 11-yard TD grab in the 1st quarter to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead, when he made a leaping grab in the back corner of the endzone.
Egnew has the most catches and yards among the Mackey finalists, and his 4 TDs is equal to that of the other two finalists. At right is a look at the three finalists.
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.
SENIOR CLASS WINS, 4-YEAR PERIOD |
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| Rank | Class | Wins | Bowls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 2010 | 39 | 4 |
| 2. | 2009 | 38 | 4 |
| 3. | 2008 | 37 | 4 |
| 4. | 1963 | 33 | 2 |
| 5. | 2007 | 32 | 3 |
| 1962 | 32 | 3 | |
2010 SENIOR CLASS OWNS 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 9 wins so far in 2010, they have broken the school record of 38 wins over a four-year period, which was established by the 2009 class. The current class broke the mark of 38 with MU's 14-0 win last Saturday at Iowa State, and they'll work to up the record this week vs. Kansas.
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.
OPPOSING KICKERS HAVING A ROUGH GO AGAINST MIZZOU
Field goal defense isn't an official statistic in football, but if it were, the Tigers would have to rank high nationally, as Tiger opponents have now made just 8-of-17 FG tries on the year (47.1%), and that's a stark contrast to the 2009 season, when Tiger opponents could hardly miss, as they made 18-of-19 FGs against MU a year ago (94.7%).
In Big 12 play this season, opponents have made just 3-of-10 FGs against the Tigers. And it's not like they've all been from long distance, as five of the seven misses have been from 40 yards or closer, including two misses from 40 yards out by Colorado, a miss from 30 yards away by Oklahoma and misses last week by Iowa State from 38 yards and again from 27 yards out.
Certainly, MU should get partial credit for opponents struggles here, as the Tigers have been credited with blocking five FGs in 2010, and because of that, perhaps that's influenced opposing kickers when the kick isn't blocked?
EGNEW, Jacquies Smith, GRABNER STAR IN WIN OVER CYCLONES
Junior TE Michael Egnew, junior DE Jacquies Smith and senior P Matt Grabner got our unofficial nods as Mizzou's offensive, defensive, and special teams players of the game, respectively. Here's a look back at their exploits...
- Egnew, named last week as a John Mackey Award semi-finalist and elevated to finalist status on Monday, lived up to his billing as one of the nation's top tight ends, as he hauled in a game-high 7 receptions for 77 yards and a TD to help the Tigers to their 14-0 win in Ames. Egnew's score came on a beautiful 11-yard leaping grab in the corner of the endzone with 1:40 to play in the 1st quarter that gave MU a 7-0 lead. It was his 4th receiving TD of the season...
- Egnew caught 7 of Blaine Gabbert's 16 completions on a night where the ISU defense clamped down pretty tightly on the Tiger passing attack, limiting MU to just 172 yards passing and the 1 TD...
- Egnew continues to be the nation's leader far and away in receptions by tight ends, as the ISU game upped his season total to 78 receptions for 663 yards and 4 TDs. That is 24 receptions more than the next-highest individual total by any tight end (54 by Iowa State's Collin Franklin), and his yardage-per game average of 60.27 is also 2nd-best among all tight ends currently...
- Smith was a big disruptive force in MU's historic shutout win (MU's first road conference shutout since 1967), as he had 3.0 tackles for loss, including 2.0 QB sacks, while adding a forced fumble and another QB hurry in MU's 14-0 win at Iowa State...
- Smith was credited with 3 tackles on the night, but his active game was definitely a key in MU's overall defensive effort. It was another great overall team effort on defense, as 10 different Tigers contributed 3 or more tackles, all the way up to leading tackler, senior LB Andrew Gachkar, who led the way with 7 stops...
- Smith now has 5.5 QB sacks on the season, and that ranks him 10th in the Big 12 Conference, while his 10.0 tackles for loss on the year also rate as 10th-best in the league...
- Grabner, a strong-legged senior punter, merits kudos not as much for his work associated for his 8 punts in MU's 14-0 win over Iowa State, but rather for the one time he took the field and didn't punt - when he carried for 15 yards on a fake punt to jump-start a drive that led to MU's second TD of the night. With MU clinging to a 7-0 lead late in the 3rd quarter, a drive stalled on the Mizzou 28-yardline, where it was 4th-and-2. Tiger coaches called a gutsy fake, and Grabner executed it perfectly, taking his first career rush 15 yards up the gut for a huge conversion. Nine plays later, the Tigers punched in from the 1-yardline for a TD that made it 14-0 early in the 4th quarter...
- Grabner also played a key role in helping keep the Cyclone offense bottled up on its own end of the field most of the night. He punted 8 times, and while his average of 36.9 wasn't eye-popping, 5 of his kicks finished inside the Iowa State 20-yardline. After Grabner's last 7 punts of the night, the Cyclones started possessions at their 20, 14, 9, 5, 14, 13 and 20 yardlines, respectively. Iowa State's average starting field position was its own 14-yardline in the 2nd quarter, its own 5-yardline in the 3rd quarter, and its own 20 yardline in the 4th quarter, and that undoubtedly factored heavily into the shutout victory for the Tigers...
- Grabner, in his first year of action, enters the final week of the regular season ranked 5th in the Big 12 Conference, and 38th nationally, with his punting average of 42.66 yards per kick. The Tigers have also been outstanding in the net punting category, as they rank 13th nationally (4th in the Big 12) with a per-kick net average of 42.73 yards...
- Twenty-six of Grabner's 61 punts on the year have been downed inside the opponent 20-yardline, and he's got 12 boots of 50 yards or more, including a long of 71 on the season...
Toughest Schedules (Past Opposition) |
|||||
| Rk. | Team | G | Rec. | Opp. Rec. | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Texas A&M | 11 | 8-3 | 62-30 | .674 |
| 2. | Notre Dame | 11 | 6-5 | 64-35 | .647 |
| 3. | San Jose State | 11 | 1-10 | 63-29 | .646 |
| 4. | Iowa | 11 | 7-4 | 58-33 | .637 |
| Minnesota | 11 | 2-9 | 58-33 | .637 | |
| 6. | Washington | 10 | 4-6 | 55-32 | .632 |
| 7. | MIZZOU | 11 | 9-2 | 59-35 | .628 |
MIZZOU HAS GONE 9-2 VS. NCAA'S 7TH-TOUGHEST SCHEDULE TO DATE
Mizzou has won 9 of its first 11 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 7th-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:
TIGERS RANK 1ST IN BIG 12, 7TH 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 7th in the nation, in scoring defense. Through 11 games, the Tigers, under 2nd-year Defensive Coordinator Dave Steckel, are allowing an average of 15.91 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 11 games.
As noted previously, MU is coming off a 14-0 shutout win at Iowa State, and that, coupled with a 26-0 shutout win earlier in the year over Colorado, gave MU two shutouts in the same season for the first time since 1983. More impressively, the whitewash was MU's first in a conference road game since 1967, when the Tigers won a 7-0 game at Oklahoma St.
Earlier, MU put together 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 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. 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.
TIGERS ARE 16-3 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 16-3 in North Division games (84.2%), and that's the best mark by two full games over any other North Division school. Here's a look at the comparisons (through games of Nov. 20th)...
| CU | ISU | KU | KSU | MU | NU | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 2-2 | 1-4 | 1-3 | 2-3 | 3-1 | 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 | 6-13 | 5-15 | 10-9 | 7-13 | 16-3 | 14-5 |
| Pct. | 31.6% | 25.0% | 52.6% | 35.0% | 84.2% | 73.7% |
TIGERS RANK 1ST IN BIG 12, 7TH 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 7th in the nation, in scoring defense. Through 11 games, the Tigers, under 2nd-year Defensive Coordinator Dave Steckel, are allowing an average of 15.91 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 11 games.
As noted previously, MU is coming off a 14-0 shutout win at Iowa State, and that, coupled with a 26-0 shutout win earlier in the year over Colorado, gave MU two shutouts in the same season for the first time since 1983. More impressively, the whitewash was MU's first in a conference road game since 1967, when the Tigers won a 7-0 game at Oklahoma St.
Earlier, MU put together 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 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. 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.
Red Zone Defense National Leaders |
|||||
| Rk. | Team | G | Scores | Opp. | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Boise State | 10 | 9 | 19 | 47% |
| 2. | MIZZOU | 11 | 16 | 30 | 53% |
| 3. | Oregon | 10 | 19 | 30 | 63% |
| 4. | Texas A&M | 11 | 25 | 39 | 64% |
| 5. | Arizona State | 10 | 24 | 37 | 65% |
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 11 games, Mizzou's defense is ranked 2nd nationally in red zone defense, as opponents have scored just 53% of the time they've gotten inside the Tiger 20-yardline.
Last Saturday was very reflective of the success MU's defense has enjoyed when it's been backed up to the red zone, as Iowa State penetrated the Tiger 20-yardline only twice, but they came up empty both times, missing on field goals of 38 yards and 27 yards.
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. 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.
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 | 76 | 10 (2001-Present) | 76-48 | .613 | 7 |
| Warren Powers | 46 | 7 (1978-84) | 46-33-3 | .580 | 5 |
PINKEL LOOKING FOR CAREER WIN #150 THIS SATURDAY
Mizzou Head Coach Gary Pinkel is in his 10th season at MU (20th overall as a head coach) and touts a career record of 149-85-3 (63.5%). 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 54-23 (70.1%) over the past 5+ seasons, and to bowl games in 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and soon-to-be again in 2010, has a 10-year record in Columbia of 76-48 (61.3%). Dating back to the 2005 Independence Bowl win over Steve Spurrier and South Carolina, Pinkel has gone 48-18 in his last 66 games overall (72.7%). 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 76.
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.
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 7 winning seasons (8-5 in 2003, 7-5 in 2005, 8-5 in 2006, 12-2 in 2007, 10-4 in 2008, 8-5 in 2009 and 9-2 in 2010), with those representing 7 of MU's 9 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.
