Tigers Host McNeese State in 2010 Home Opener
9/6/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 6, 2010
McNeese State Cowboys (1-0) at Missouri Tigers (1-0)
TIGERS HOST MCNEESE STATE IN 2010 HOME OPENER
The Missouri Tigers (1-0) return home to the friendly confines of Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field, where they will play host this Saturday to the McNeese State Cowboys (1-0). Kickoff for the game is set for 6:00 p.m.
Mizzou is coming off a hardfought 23-13 win over border rival Illinois in the 2010 season opener, played in St. Louis' Edward Jones Dome. The Tigers rallied from a 13-3 halftime deficit to post a dominating second half that saw MU outgain the Illini by a 242-to-85 margin in total offense after intermission.
McNeese State, out of Lake Charles, La., is one of the most consistently-strong programs in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Head Coach Matt Viator (a McNeese grad) is in his fifth year at the helm for the Cowboys, and he's got a sterling 34-10 record in his time running the show. McNeese has reached the FCS playoffs three times under Viator's guidance, and the Cowboys are coming off a 30-27 home win last Saturday over Lamar.
Saturday will mark the first-ever meeting between Missouri and McNeese State in football.
GAME CENTRAL:
- MizzouGameday.com
- Gameday Central
- Game Notes
(1 MB) - GameTracker (free live stats)
- Mizzou All-Access
(subscription live audio)
- Our McNeese State Preview from our summer series
KICKOFF: 6:07 p.m. CT.
STADIUM: Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field (71,004 – FieldTurf surface). Opened in 1926. MU is 250-167-20 there alltime and has won 23 of its last 28 overall and is 33-10 there since 2003 (3-3 in 2009).
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 91).
TV: Pay-Per-View (FOX Sports Net). Dan McLaughlin (play-by-play), D'Marco Farr (color), Todd Donoho (sidelines), Max Leinwand (producer).
RANKINGS (AP/Coaches):
MU – RV [33rd] / RV [37th] (as of pre-season)
McN – 11th in FCS Preseason Coaches Poll.
SERIES: This will mark the first-ever meeting between the schools.
COACHES:
MU: Gary Pinkel (Kent, '75), 68-46 at MU (10th year) and 141-83-3 overall (20th year). Pinkel is 6-0 at MU against FCS schools.
McN: Matt Viator (McNeese, '86), 34-10 at McNeese and overall (5th year). Viator is 1-2 vs. FBS schools.
MIZZOU VERSUS THE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SUBDIVISION
Mizzou is 9-0 alltime against teams from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) — formerly known to most of us as Division I-AA.
MU Head Coach Gary Pinkel is 6-0 against FCS foes in his time at Mizzou, with the average score being 44.3-to-7.5 in favor of the Tigers. The closest margin of victory came in 2007, when the Tigers were given a competitive game by Illinois State before claiming a 38-17 win at Faurot Field, to move to 4-0 on the season.
With that, here's a look at MU's previous FCS contests...
- 2009 – vs. Furman – W, 52-12
- 2008 – vs. SE Missouri State – W, 52-3
- 2007 – vs. Illinois State – W, 38-17
- 2006 – vs. Murray State – W, 47-7
- 2003 – vs. Eastern Illinois – W, 37-0
- 2001 – vs. Southwest Texas State – W, 40-6
- 2000 – vs. Western Illinois – W, 50-20
- 1998 – vs. Northwestern State – W, 35-14
- 1992 – vs. Marshall – W, 44-21
PAY-PER-VIEW INFORMATION
Saturday's game between Mizzou and McNeese 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 6:00 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. Additionally, the following week's game against San Diego State will also be shown in HD as part of a pay-per-view offering.
For the McNeese State game Dan McLaughlin will call the play-by-play alongside color analyst D'Marco Farr, former St. Louis Rams star. Todd Donoho will serve as sideline reporter.
MIZZOU'S HOME OPENER HISTORY
In its previous 119 seasons of play, Mizzou stands 84-31-4 alltime (72.3%) in home openers. Included in that overall figure is a mark of 54-27-3 (69.4%) in home openers since 1926, the year that Memorial Stadium opened for play. Breaking that down even further, since the playing surface at Memorial Stadium was named Faurot Field in 1972 for MU's legendary coach, the Tigers are 27-11 in home openers (71.1%).
The Tigers have won 4 straight home openers, and 11-of-13 overall, dating back to 1997. Mizzou Head Coach Gary Pinkel currently stands 7-2 in home openers in his 9 seasons at the helm for the Tigers. After dropping his first game as MU head coach to Bowling Green in the 2001 home and season opener (L, 20-13), Pinkel's teams have gone 7-for-8 in home openers and have scored a minimum of 35 points in 7 of those outings at Faurot Field.
Mizzou did get a major scare in its last home opener, when the Tigers rallied from a 20-6 3rd-quarter deficit in 2009 against Bowling Green, to post a 27-20 win which tied for the 2nd-largest comeback win in MU history.
MU IN HOME OPENERS
- Overall from 1890-2009 (84-31-4)
- At Memorial Stadium (54-27-3)
- Last 10 Home Openers (8-2)
A FEW CHANGES IN THE DEPTH THIS WEEK
Due to a couple of injuries on the defensive side of the ball, the depth chart for Mizzou will look a little different for Saturday's game against McNeese State.
Listed as out for Saturday are seniors Luke Lambert (MLB) and Jasper Simmons (FS). Lambert sustained a hamstring injury late in the Illinois game, and Simmons injured a knee and both will definitely miss this Saturday's contest. Redshirt freshman LB Andrew Wilson slides from the strongside LB backup role to the starting role at MLB in Lambert's absence this week, where he would be making his first career start. In Simmons' absence, senior Jarrell Harrison will get the nod at free safety. Additionally, true freshman TB Marcus Murphy is now slated to take over primary kickoff return duties that Simmons had handled previously.
THAT'S A WRAP: TIGERS CLOSE OUT MASTERY OF ILLINOIS WITH 23-13 WIN
The Missouri Tigers made it a perfect 6-for-6 against border rival Illinois last Saturday, as the Tigers won the sixth and final game in St. Louis scheduled between the two schools, 23-13, in the Edward Jones Dome. Mizzou had taken the previous five matchups (2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009) and was determined to make it a clean sweep.
It was anything but clean however, at least during the early going, as the underdog Illini scrapped their way to a 13-3 halftime lead. The tone was set early, as MU took the opening kick and went 3-and-out, while Illinois controlled the ball for a whopping 9:14 on a drive that consumed 17 plays. But the Tiger defense buckled down after the Illini got all the way down to a 1st-and-goal at the Tiger 3-yardline, and a field goal was all they could muster for a 3-0 lead.
After the teams traded fumbles, Mizzou PK Grant Ressel, who missed only one FG in 2009 (26-of-27), was barely wide right on a 37-yarder to start the 2nd quarter. But the Tiger defense answered with the first of three interceptions on the day of freshman QB Nathan Scheelhaase, and the offense drove for a tying field goal (33 yards). The Illini responded with 10 straight points to close the half, including a 52-yard FG at the gun to put them up, 13-3.
The key sequence in the game took place to start the 3rd quarter, as the Illini got the opening possession. Had they mustered some kind of score, it might have signaled trouble for Mizzou, but the Tiger defense dug in and got after the freshman QB, as DE Aldon Smith sacked Scheelhaase on 3rd down to force a 3-and-out. The offense kicked in at the right time too, as QB Blaine Gabbert drove them 77 yards for a TD to make it 13-10. His scramble to buy time on 3rd-and-5 from the Illinois 7-yardline was a thing of beauty, as he rolled left and just before running out of room, he coiled and zipped a strike in the back of the endzone to WR T.J. Moe, who caught it for his first collegiate score.
That drive was a statement by the Tigers that they were ready to take control of the game, and that's exactly what they did. Mizzou outgained Illinois by a 147-to-10 margin in the 3rd quarter, and took its first lead (at 17-13) early in the 4th quarter on Gabbert's TD pass to TE Michael Egnew from 6 yards out. The Tiger defense kept the pressure on, and that results in a pair of 4th-quarter interceptions which helped keep the Illini at arm's length. Ressel added a pair of field goals, the first from 27 yards with 7:21 left to make it 20-13, and the final one from 34 yards with 0:27 seconds left to seal the deal as Mizzou wrapped up the series with Illinois a perfect 6-0 since the teams started playing at St. Louis in 2002.
COMEBACK WIN WAS ONE FOR THE RECORD BOOKS
A few factoids that describe the historical nature of Mizzou's 23-13 comeback win over Illinois include:
- Mizzou rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to win for only the 10th time in program history, as it posted a 23-13 win, after finding itself trailing at half by a 13-3 margin. The last time MU trailed by 10 or more at halftime and came back to win was in 2005, when MU trailed in the 2005 Independence Bowl at half to South Carolina, 28-14, before posting a 38-31 comeback win in the final game of Brad Smith's Tiger career…Mizzou Wins
when down 10 at halfYear Opponent Half Final 2010 Illinois 3-13 23-13 2005 South Carolina 14-28 38-31 1985 Iowa State 14-24 28-27 1979 San Diego St. 0-13 45-15 1976 Ohio State 7-21 22-21 - Additionally, the Tigers were able to overcome a slow start to the day by its offense, as it posted a victory for the first time since 1987, when scoring 3 points or fewer in the first half. The last time the Tigers won a game in which it scored 3 or fewer points in the opening half of a game came back when MU opened the 1987 season under Coach Woody Widenhofer at home against Baylor and won a 23-18 game after being tied, 3-3, at halftime…
- In addition to that factoid, the last time that Mizzou scored 3 or fewer points in the first half and trailed at halftime, only to post a win, was back in 1980. Under Coach Warren Powers, Mizzou trailed at Oklahoma State, 7-0 at halftime, but thanks to a 23-point 4th-quarter, the Tigers pulled away to a 30-7 win that day…
- Lastly, thanks to the research skills of resident MU historian Tom Orf, the comeback marked only the 5th time in school history that the Tigers have won a game when trailing by 10 or more at halftime. Two of those instances have come under Head Coach Gary Pinkel (Illinois, 2010; South Carolina, 2005). At right is the quick listing:
DEFENSE PITCHES 2ND-HALF SHUTOUT OF ILLINI
Mizzou's defense had a sterling day overall in the 23-13 season-opening win over Illinois, as it allowed just 281 yards of offense – the least allowed to Illinois in all of the 6-game St. Louis series (previous low by Illinois was 313 yards in 2002 against Mizzou).
After giving up 13 1st-half points, the Tigers turned up the heat in the 2nd half and pitched a shutout, marking the first time since a 58-0 win over Colorado in 2008 that MU had shutout an opponent in the 2nd half. Here's a look at the 1st-half/2nd-half comparison for the Tiger defense against the Illini. In the 1st half, Illinois scored on 3-of-5 possessions (even though MU did get 2 turnovers). In the 2nd half, Illinois' 8 possessions ended in 4 punts, 2 interceptions, 1 on downs, and the final one on end of game.
- In the 2nd half, the longest Illini possession covered 37 yards, and 7-of-8 drives by Illinois consumed 2:00 or less of clock time. The only possession which went longer was a 3rd-quarter series that was 6 plays for 9 yards that took 3:10 of possession time…
- Overall, Mizzou's defense forced 4 Illinois turnovers, grabbing 3 interceptions and 1 fumble. Mizzou posted just 8 interceptions in 2009 in 475 pass attempts against it, for an INT ratio of one in every 59.4 pass attempts. Illinois attempted 23 passes on Saturday, making that interception ratio a very stout one in every 7.7 attempts…
- Mizzou held Illinois to just 85 yards of total offense in the second half (43 rushing/42 passing), and the 3rd quarter was especially dominant, as MU outgained the Illini by a 147-10 margin overall…
Mizzou 1st/2nd Half Comparison |
||
| Category | 1st | 2nd |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 3 | 20 |
| 1st Downs | 9 | 14 |
| Rushing Yds. | 23 | 75 |
| Avg./Rush | 1.9 | 4.4 |
| Passing Yds. | 114 | 167 |
| Total Yds. | 137 | 242 |
| Avg. Yds./Play | 4.3 | 5.4 |
| Time of Poss. | 12:10 | 17:51 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Red Zone Scores | 1-of-2 | 4-of-4 |
| 3rd Down Conv. | 3-of-7 | 6-of-11 |
OFFENSE CAPS COMEBACK WITH STRONG SECOND HALF
The Tiger offense paired well with their defensive teammates in MU's second-half comeback win over Illinois, as they put up 20 points after intermission, after scoring just 3 in the first half of play while Mizzou fell behind, 13-3. The offense didn't get shut down in the first half, as it mustered a pair of drives into the red zone, before both stalled out and the Tigers had to settle for field goal tries (made 1-of-2). A third promising drive ended on the Illini 35-yardline after QB Blaine Gabbert was stripped of the ball on a keeper. The other two possessions ended in punts.
Still, the second half was a much more crisp showing, as the comparison numbers would indicate. Here's a look at the 1st half/2nd half stat comparison for the Tiger offense...
Aldon Smith WINS WALTER CAMP NATIONAL AWARD FOR PLAY SATURDAY
Sophomore DE Aldon Smith, the 2009 Big 12 Conference Defensive Freshman of the Year, made it known in Saturday's 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 on Sunday was named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Illinois.
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.
MOE HAS BREAK-OUT PERFORMANCE WITH 13 CATCHES VS. ILLINOIS
A former record-setting high school QB, O'Fallon, Mo. native T.J. Moe came to Mizzou with the potential to play on either side of the ball. As Tiger coaches on both sides lobbied for his services, the offense ended up winning the argument, and he was slotted as a wide receiver in MU's spread attack. The decision certainly looked like a great one on Saturday, as Moe broke out with a huge performance in Mizzou's 23-13 win over Illinois.
Moe made his first career start one to remember as he hauled in 13 receptions – which tied for most in the nation in week one – for 101 yards and 1 crucial touchdown which helped flip the momentum of the game.
Moe, who caught 2 passes for 8 yards total as a true freshman in 2009, started in his hometown of St. Louis on Saturday, and made catch after catch as he helped Mizzou rally from a 13-3 halftime deficit to post the comeback win. His 13 receptions was just 3 shy of the MU single-game record of 16 receptions (by Justin Gage vs. Bowling Green in 2002). Only 4 Tiger receivers have caught more in a game than Moe's 13.
Six of Moe's receptions resulted in first downs for the Tiger offense, with three of those coming on third down plays. His 7-yard TD catch on 3rd-and-goal in the back of the endzone with 9:38 remaining in the 3rd quarter got Mizzou into the endzone for the first time in 2010, and it closed the deficit to 13-10. It was also the former high school quarterback's first collegiate touchdown.
Moe was thrown to 14 times on Saturday against Illinois, and caught 13 of those passes.
GETTIS STARS IN HOMETOWN AGAINST ILLINI
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. Opening the season in his hometown of St. Louis last Saturday against Illinois, he got things started with a bang as he was undoubtedly one of the keys to Mizzou's comeback 23-13 win.
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 started 38 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).
ANOTHER QUALITY START FOR GABBERT AGAINST ILLINOIS
Returning to the scene of his first career start, Mizzou junior QB Blaine Gabbert helped lead the Tigers to a 20-point 2nd half as MU rallied for its 23-13 win over Illinois in St. Louis last Saturday. Gabbert was outstanding Saturday afternoon, finishing 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 recorded his sixth consecutive 200-yard passing day and now has 10 200-yard days for his career. He also has nine career multi-TD games throwing the football in his second season as a starter, which has seen him collect nine wins entering Saturday's game against McNeese State.
In two career games in his hometown of St. Louis Gabbert is 59-of-81 for 600 yards passing, four TD throws and another TD rush (2009). He also had zero interceptions in the two Dome games.
GACHKAR, GOODEN, LAMBERT ALSO HAD BIG DAYS FOR TIGER DEFENSE
Naturally, when a defense pitches a 2nd-half shutout, there's more than one star on the day, and that was definitely the case for Missouri last Saturday against Illinois.
Senior SLB Andrew Gachkar had an impactful day, as he tallied 7 tackles in all, but he made his presence felt big-time in the first quarter when he came in to sandwich Illini QB Nathan Scheelhaase on a keeper that popped the ball free near midfield, a fumble that the Tigers jumped on to end the drive. Later in the game, Gachkar broke up a pair of passes, including one on 3rd down when Illinois was backed up inside its own 10-yardline.
Sophomore WLB Zaviar Gooden made his first career start Saturday against Illinois, and he responded by notching a career-best 8 tackles, including being credited with a half-tackle for loss. His run stuffing in the 2nd half was key to Mizzou holding Illinois in check on the ground, as he had four stops of Illinois RB Mikel Leshoure after halftime, and all four of the rushes by Leshoure went only for 2 yards (twice) or 1 yard (twice).
Senior MLB Luke Lambert had to leave the game late in the 4th quarter with a hamstring injury that will sideline him this week against McNeese State, but before he left the field last week, he racked up 8 tackles and was also credited with a half-tackle for loss and a QB pressure.
TIGER BYTES FROM ILLINOIS
- Mizzou finished the 2009 season ranked 4th in the NCAA in team net punting, and with the graduation of punter Jake Harry IV, the Tigers broke out a new punter last week, in senior P Matt Grabner. Grabner was outstanding in his collegiate debut, as he punted 5 times and averaged 40.0 yards per kick, with two of his boots being downed inside the Illinois 20-yardline, including one that was downed inside the 1-yardline in the 4th quarter. Grabner originally attended Mississippi to play soccer, but eventually chose to transfer to Mizzou for reasons other than football, but eventually was convinced by friends to try and make the Tiger team due to his strong leg. He walked onto the team prior to the 2009 season and served as Harry's understudy...
- Junior PK Grant Ressel overcame a rare miss early in the game to regain his All-American form against Illinois, as he finished with three field goals in Mizzou's 23-13 win on Saturday. After making 26-of-27 FGs in 2009, Ressel just pushed his first try of 2010 wide right in the 2nd quarter from 37 yards. But he was automatic from that point, connecting from 33 yards in the 2nd quarter, to go with a pair of game-clinching kicks in crunch time in the 4th quarter. His final-quarter kicks came from 27 yards and 34 yards, and extended the MU lead to 20-13 (with 7:21 left) and ultimately to 23-13 (with 0:27 seconds left), as his last kick clinched the outcome. Ressel was also 2-of-2 on PAT tries, as he extended MU's consecutive made PAT streak to 239 (dating back to MU's last missed PAT kick, in 2005). The NCAA record for most consecutive made PAT kicks is 262, set by Syracuse from 1978-1989…
- Junior TE Michael Egnew made his first career start on Saturday, and caught a career-high 10 passes for 60 yards and his first career TD. The junior tight end had just seven career catches for 47 yards prior to last Saturday's game…
- Junior TB De'Vion Moore carried a career-high 16 times on Saturday, and finished with a career-high 78 yards, going for an average of 4.9 per try…
- Missouri had a number of players seeing their first career action on Saturday. Defensive back E.J. Gaines, tailback Henry Josey, tight end Eric Waters and wide receiver Marcus Lucas all saw action as true freshmen. Redshirt freshmen L'Damian Washington (WR), Tavon Bolden (LB), Jaleel Clark (WR), Matt White (S), Andrew Wilson (LB), Michael Sam (DL), Brayden Burnett (DL) and Justin Britt (OL) saw their first playing time as well…
- Making their first career starts at Mizzou were Jayson Palmgren (OL), Michael Egnew (TE), Kendial Lawrence (TB), T.J. Moe (WR) and Zaviar Gooden (LB)…
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 | 68 | 10 (2001-Present) | 68-46 | .597 | 6 |
| Warren Powers | 46 | 7 (1978-84) | 46-33-3 | .580 | 5 |
PINKEL STANDS 3RD ON ALLTIME MU COACHING WINS LIST
Mizzou Head Coach Gary Pinkel is in his 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 46-21 (68.7%) 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 68-46 (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.
