Nov. 2, 2013

Recap |  Final Stats |  Quotes |  Photo Gallery  |  USATSI Gallery 

• The 31-3 win for Mizzou secures the eighth eight-win campaign in 13 seasons for head coach Gary Pinkel. Pinkel also improved to 98-62 at Mizzou, inching just three wins shy of the all-time coaching wins record at Mizzou (101 by Don Faurot from 1935-42, 46-56).
• Mizzou is now 2-0 all-time against Tennessee after its thrilling 51-48, four-overtime win in Knoxville last season. It was Mizzou's fifth win as an AP top-10 team as well.
• Mizzou rushed for 339 yards in the win, the most since rushing for 358 in the season-opener against Murray State. It was also the most rushing yards by a Mizzou team in a conference game since putting 469 rushing yards against Texas Tech on Oct. 25, 2003.
• Mizzou's defense allowed just three points to the Vols, the fewest points allowed by Mizzou in a conference game since the Tigers shut out Iowa State, 14-0, in Ames on Nov. 20, 2010.
• Mizzou held Tennessee to just 94 rushing yards in the win, the fourth time this season that Mizzou has held its opponent to under 100 yards rushing, with three of the four being SEC games.
• Redshirt freshman Maty Mauk, in his third career start, hooked up with sophomore Dorial Green-Beckham for the game's first touchdown with 2:20 remaining in the first quarter. It was Mauk's third TD of the season and Green-Beckham's fifth TD grab of the season. It was also Green-Beckham's first TD catch since Sept. 28 against Arkansas St.
• Mizzou's first TD drive lasted 14 plays and 5:26 ran off the clock, marking Mizzou's longest TD drive (time-wise) since Sept. 28, 2013, against Arkansas State. The 14-play drive also tied the longest drive (plays-wise) this season - Mizzou also had a 14-play TD drive at Vanderbilt that ended in a one-yard Henry Josey TD.
• Mizzou shut out Tennessee in the first quarter, the fourth time this season that Mizzou has held its opponent scoreless in the opening frame. It is also the second consecutive game that Mizzou has done so after blanking South Carolina in last week's first quarter. Mizzou has allowed just six points in the first half over the last three games, all league contests.
• Mauk picked up a key first down on a third-and-four rush of 20 yards, which at the time was the longest of his career, on Mizzou's second scoring drive that culminated in an Andrew Baggett field goal. Mauk ran for 45 yards on the drive, including a 19-yard scamper later in the drive, which also would have topped his previous career-long run. Mauk accounted for 66 of Mizzou's 74 yards on that drive.
• Mauk then added a career-long 28-yard scamper late in the first half as he finished the first half with 85 yards rushing, more than the entire Tennessee roster at halftime (80). In all, Mizzou finished the first half with 197 rushing yards, more than Tennessee's total yards.
• Mauk became the first Tiger freshman since 2010 to run for more than 100 yards (Henry Josey, 112 vs. McNeese State). Mauk also is the first Mizzou freshman QB to run for more than 100 yards since Brad Smith did so in 2002 against Kansas in a 36-12 win on Oct. 26.
• After missing the last two games with an injury, Mizzou senior co-captain EJ Gaines picked off a Joshua Dobbs pass to extend Mizzou's national-best streak to 39 consecutive games forcing a turnover. Braylon Webb then added his second pick of the season in the third quarter, tying for the national-lead for interceptions this season with Virginia Tech and Houston (17).
• Mauk then connected on a 26-yard TD strike to a wide-open L'Damian Washington on the next play, marking Mauk's first career game with multiple TD passes.
• Mauk then added a 40-yard TD pass to Marcus Lucas with 1:44 remaining in the half which was Lucas' first TD grab since Sept. 28 against Arkansas State. The strike extended Mizzou's lead to 24-3, the fourth time in the last five games that Mizzou has scored at least 23 points in the first half.
• Senior safety Matt White and senior linebacker Donovan Bonner tallied a team-high six tackles in the win, both career-highs as well. Darvin Ruise forced a fumble late in the first quarter, his first career forced fumble.
• Sophomore tailback Russell Hansbrough scored on a 26-yard run in the third quarter, his first TD since Sept. 21 at Indiana and his fourth of the season.
• Senior linebacker Andrew Wilson tallied four tackles on the first 10 plays that Tennessee ran from scrimmage and finished the first quarter with five tackles.
• Mizzou ran 22 plays in UT territory for 174 yards (24 pts) in the first half. The Vols ran just 15 plays in Mizzou territory for nine yards (three pts).