Game 13: No. 5 Mizzou Tigers (11-1, 7-1)
vs. No. 3 Auburn Tigers (11-1, 7-1)
Dec. 7, 2013 - SEC Championship - Georgia Dome - Atlanta, Ga.

• Mizzou Game Notes 
• Mizzou Depth Chart 

MIZZOU TO FACE AUBURN FOR 2013 SEC TITLE

• In just its second year in the Southeastern Conference, the No. 5 Missouri Tigers (11-1 overall, 7-1 in SEC action) have reached the SEC Championship Game, and this Saturday, Head Coach Gary Pinkel and his crew will face the No. 3 Auburn Tigers (11-1, 7-1) for all of the marbles in Atlanta, Ga., at the Georgia Dome. Kickoff for the nationally-televised CBS game is set for 3 p.m. (central time)...
• Mizzou is coming off a hard-fought 28-21 win over then-No. 19 Texas A&M and defending Heisman winning QB Johnny Manziel. The Aggies held a 14-7 halftime lead (Mizzou's first halftime deficit of 2013), but the Tigers took control early in the third quarter with two unanswered scores for a 21-14 lead that it carried into the fourth quarter. After Manziel led a masterful 98-yard TD drive to tie the score with 10:43 left in the game, Mizzou turned to Captain Comeback, junior TB Henry Josey, who scampered untouched 57 yards for a touchdown and a 28-21 lead with just 3:34 remaining. The Mizzou defense then got a 3-and-out (its third consecutive 3-and-out of Manziel and company), giving the ball back to the Tiger offense. Taking over with just 2:01 left to reach Atlanta, QB James Franklin navigated two first downs (including a nifty 16-yarder on a bootleg delay to TE Eric Waters) to kill the clock and send Tiger fans into celebration mode...

MORE TIGER TALK

• Incidentally, Mizzou enters the SEC Championship Game with a better/lower national ranking (No. 5 in the current AP/USA Today/BCS standings), than they received in the 2013 pre-season SEC East Division poll - when the Tigers were picked to finish sixth in the seven-team SEC East. Mizzou's six-game improvement from its 5-7 record in an injury-plagued 2012 inaugural season in the SEC is the nation's second-best turnaround this year, behind only Auburn, which is eight games better than its 3-9 record a year ago...
• Mizzou has now won three straight games since suffering its only defeat of 2013 - a 27-24 double overtime loss to current BCS No. 8 South Carolina. In that game, Mizzou was without the services of its starting QB James Franklin (shoulder) and starting CB E.J. Gaines (quad). Gaines, by the way, is coming off a game against Texas A&M in which he locked down All-America WR candidate Mike Evans, holding Evans to just 4 receptions for a career-low 8 yards. The 7-point victory last Saturday over Texas A&M was the smallest margin of victory for Mizzou in 2013. Each of its previous 10 wins had all come by a minimum of 14 points...

THE OTHER TIGERS

• Auburn is coming off one of the more memorable wins in college football history, as they knocked off previous No. 1 and unbeaten Alabama by a 34-28 score last Saturday. The Tigers rallied from a 21-7 deficit to tie the game at 28-all in the final minute, and returned an Alabama missed field goal 100 yards for the winning touchdown at the final gun. Auburn has won its last eight games entering Saturday's game, following their sole defeat in 2013, a 35-21 setback at LSU on Sept. 21...
• Mizzou and Auburn have played five common opponents in 2013, and they are both a perfect 5-0 against the group. A look at the comparisons to the right...

Gary Pinkel NO STRANGER TO SUCCESS

• While the 2013 Mizzou Tigers are one of the top turnaround teams in the nation, those who follow the program know that Gary Pinkel's outfit is used to winning at a high level. This marks the fourth time in the last seven seasons that Mizzou has won a conference division title (2007, 2008 and 2010 Big 12 North; 2013 SEC East). Additionally, in all four of those seasons, Mizzou has reached double-digit win totals as the Tigers went 12-2 in 2007, 10-4 in 2008, 10-3 in 2010, and of course the current 11-1 mark this year...
• The 2013 Tigers have already made history, as they are just the third MU squad to win 11 games or more in a season. In its previous 122 seasons of football, Mizzou had won 11 games or more only twice - 1960 (11-0 including a loss that was forfeited back to Mizzou by Kansas for using ineligible players) and 2007 (12-2). The current 11 regular-season wins ties with the 2007 team for most regular-season wins in MU history...
• Mizzou's win last Saturday over Texas A&M gave Pinkel his 101st career win at MU, which tied him with Don Faurot for most wins in school history...

BCS RAdar engaged

• Mizzou was placed at No. 5 in the latest Bowl Championship Series standings (Dec. 1) to set a new program-best for consecutive weeks in the system's Top 10 at seven-straight weeks...
• The previous best for Mizzou was a six-week stay in the BCS Top 10 to close the 2007 season, running Oct. 28-Dec. 2 (9, 6, 5, 4, 1, 6)...
• The Tigers have appeared in every BCS poll thus far and stand a fair chance to be mentioned all season long, joining 2007, 2008 and 2010 seasons as campaigns in which Mizzou was ranked in every release of the BCS standings...

HOW THEY GOT HERE

• Mizzou shocked the pre-season critics and reached the 2013 SEC Championship Game after being picked to finish 6th in the SEC East Division race. The Tigers were so far off the radar that they did not receive a single vote in the pre-season Top 25 polls, and the team stayed there after it opened with a pair of solid home wins over Murray State (W, 58-14) and Toledo (W, 38-23). The Tigers were expected to get a big test next when they played at Indiana, but instead they cruised to a comfortable 45-28 road win, and followed by closing the non-conference schedule with a 41-19 workmanlike win over Arkansas State...
• The Tigers entered SEC play with what the pundits thought would be a tough road test at Vanderbilt, a team which defeated Mizzou in Columbia in 2012. But Mizzou ended it early, jumping out to a quick 20-0 lead, and they cruised to a 51-28 win that turned enough heads to get them into the rankings, at No. 25 in the Associated Press poll. That set up a much-anticipated matchup at No. 7 Georgia, which the Tigers passed with flying colors. After trailing 7-0, the Tigers scored 28 of the game's next 31 points to take a 28-10 halftime lead, only to see Georgia close to 28-26 early in the 4th quarter. With all of the momentum going Georgia's way, things got even more bleak when QB James Franklin left the game with a shoulder injury, but redshirt freshman Maty Mauk came off the bench cold and helped lead a pair of 4th-quarter TD drives and the Tiger defense got a pair of turnovers late to claim a signature 41-26 win between the hedges...
• The Georgia win was good news/bad news, as it propelled the Tigers to 6-0 overall, 2-0 in league play, and to No. 14 in the AP poll, but it came at a cost, as Franklin would miss an indefinite period with his shoulder injury, as would senior CB E.J. Gaines, who sustained a quad injury in the 2nd quarter of that game. A three-game home stretch loomed against No. 22 Florida, No. 20 South Carolina and Tennessee. Despite missing both Franklin and Gaines, the Tigers cruised to a solid 36-17 win over Florida in Mauk's first career start. Heartbreak came next as the now fifth-ranked Tigers held a 17-0 lead over South Carolina, only to see Gamecock QB Connor Shaw come off the bench to engineer a prolific comeback which forced overtime. Mizzou scored a TD in the opening OT possession, and had the Gamecocks on the ropes, facing a 4th-and-goal at the 15-yardline. But Shaw struck magic with a TD toss to force a second OT period, and after South Carolina took a 27-24 lead on a field goal, the game ended when Mizzou's field goal attempt by PK Andrew Baggett hit the left upright and bounced away no good...
• Falling from the ranks of the undefeated and to No. 10 in the polls, Mizzou showed great resiliency as good teams do, and they bounced back to post a dominating 31-3 win over Tennessee to close the three-game homestand. Next up was a date at Kentucky, and the Tigers rolled to a 48-17 win to improve to 9-1 and 5-1. Needing wins in its final two games to hold off South Carolina for the Eastern Division crown, that's exactly what the Tigers did, first with a solid 24-10 win at No. 24 Ole Miss, followed by the late-game victory last Saturday against No. 19 Texas A&M...

MIZZOU LOOKING FOR FIRST CONFERENCE TITLE SINCE 1969

• A win Saturday over Auburn would give Mizzou its first conference title since 1969, when Mizzou went 6-1 in the Big Eight and tied for the title with Nebraska (MU won head-to-head tiebreaker with Nebraska that year and played in the Orange Bowl). The last outright conference title for Mizzou came back in 1960, when the Tigers went 6-1 on the field, and 7-0 in the record books, after Kansas forfeited a win over MU due to the use of ineligible players...
• In all, Mizzou has won 12 conference titles in its previous 122 years of football. Here's a quick listing of Mizzou's previous conference championship teams:
• Missouri Valley - 1909, 1913, 1919, 1924, 1925, 1927
• Big Six - 1939, 1941, 1942, 1945
• Big Eight - 1960, 1969

JAMES OUTDUELS JOHNNY

• Senior QB James Franklin had a game to remember in his final appearance at Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field, as he accounted for 313 yards of total offense in leading No. 5 Mizzou to a 28-21 win over No. 19 Texas A&M last Saturday to send the Tigers to Atlanta, Ga., their first-ever SEC Championship Game...
• His passing night included 233 yards and 2 TDs, completing 18-of-28 passes with zero interceptions. Franklin recorded a season-high 80 yards on a season-high 18 attempts, as he personally outdueled reigning Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel, who had 216 yards of total offense on the night...
• Franklin continued his personal undefeated run this season as a starter, as last Saturday's win over Texas A&M moved him to 8-0 this season...
• Franklin's season statistics currently rank very well nationally, including 16th in completion percentage (66.9), 21st in passing efficiency (153.2 rating), and 35th in total offense (262.7 ypg). However, against Kentucky, he came off the bench late to hand the ball off in his first appearance since being injured Oct. 12th at Georgia, and he had zero yards of total offense in that brief outing. If that is blacked out, his per-game total offense average for his eight starts is 295.5, and that would rank him 21st there...
• A healthy Franklin is certainly a nuisance to Mizzou's opponents. In games he has started and finished (not counting games left due to injury), Franklin and the Tigers sport a 22-9 record...

TIGER DEFENSE A MODEL OF CONSISTENCY

• The Mizzou defense enters Saturday's game against the very potent Auburn offense looking to keep its strong play going, as it has allowed a total of 51 points in its last four outings. The Tiger defense is one of just three in the nation that have not given up more than 28 points in any game in 2013. The most points allowed this season by Mizzou has been 28 points, and that was achieved twice previously, by both Indiana and Vanderbilt. Both of those games came on the road for the Tigers, and both ended in comfortable MU wins. The most points scored against Mizzou this season at Faurot Field is 27 by South Carolina, but that came in double overtime, as the Gamecocks ended regulation with 17 points after being shutout for three quarters. Toledo's 23 points against MU in Mizzou's 38-23 win on Sept. 7 stands as the most points scored in regulation by an opponent at Faurot Field this season...
• The other defenses who have allowed a maximum of 28 points in 2013? Stout units from Michigan State and Stanford. Both have allowed 28 points twice this season - just like the Tigers - with Michigan State giving up 28 to Indiana and Nebraska, while the Cardinal have given up 28 to both Arizona State and Washington...
• Mizzou's defense ranks 14th in scoring defense coming into Saturday's game, allowing an average of 19.4 points per contest. In 2012, Mizzou ranked 68th in the NCAA in scoring defense, allowing 28.42 points per contest. The best final national ranking Mizzou has established in scoring defense came just three seasons ago, when the 2010 Tigers ranked sixth in the nation, allowing just 15.17 points per game...

JOSEY DOES HIS THING

• Junior TB Henry Josey topped the 90-yard mark for the second-straight week with his 96 rushing yards and game-winning, 57-yard hurdle and sprint to the end zone to give Mizzou its 28-21 victory over Texas A&M last Saturday. The touchdown, his 13th of the season, ranks him 11th all-time on Mizzou's single-season chart...
• The rush was Josey's eighth running play of 20 yards or more in 2013, as well as his fourth rush of 50 yards or more this season. The Tiger TB has scored on three of those runs (86 at Kentucky, 68 vs. Murray State, 57 vs. Texas A&M)...
• Josey racked up 95 rushing yards in the 24-10 victory at No. 24 Ole Miss (Nov. 23). He left Oxford with two more rushing touchdowns to his credit...
• Josey topped 100 yards for the third time in 2013 and 10th time in his career with 113 yards (11 att.) in the 48-17 win at Kentucky (Nov. 9), powered by the second-longest rush in Missouri's program history. Josey put the game in Lexington on ice with an 86-yard touchdown scamper with 10:00 left in the 4Q, setting the final score...
• Josey ran for a season-high 136 yards in the win vs. No. 22 Florida (Oct. 19). He averaged 7.6 yards per carry against a stout Gator defense which came in ranked 4th in the nation in rush defense, allowing only 83.3 yards on the ground per game...
• This all, of course, comes after it took 659 days for Josey to make his big return to start the 2013 season. He rushed for 113 yards on just 13 carries (8.7 avg.) and one touchdown in Mizzou's season-opening, 58-14 victory over Murray State (Aug. 31)...
• Josey was awarded with a game ball by Mizzou Head Coach Gary Pinkel in the locker room after the Murray State game, and that was the first time ever in Pinkel's 35-year coaching career that he had ever awarded a game ball to an individual...
• His outing vs. Texas A&M increased his career rushing total to 2,556. Josey enters the SEC Championship game ranked No. 6 all-time at Mizzou, and is 51 yards behind No. 5 on the list (Darrell Wallace - 2,607 yards from 1984-87)...
• Josey is ranked 9th in the SEC in rushing (79.3 avg.), and 16th in scoring (7.0 ppg)...

AGGIES GAIN LITTLE ON GAINES

• Senior CB E.J. Gaines turned in an amazing lock-down coverage performance against Texas A&M superstar WR Mike Evans, as he held Evans to season-low totals of four receptions for just eight yards, which was a key in Mizzou's stellar defensive effort...
• Evans came into the game averaging 119.5 yards per outing, with 12 receiving TDs, and his long catch Saturday in Mizzou's win was just a 10-yarder...
• Gaines ended the evening with six total tackles, as the Tiger defense held A&M to 21 points and 379 yards of total offense, well below the Aggies' pre-game averages of 45.6 points and 552.6 yards coming in...
• Additionally, the senior Tiger earned SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week for his performance, the second conference weekly honor of his career. Coincidentally enough, Gaines brought home his first weekly honor in 2011 with a 10-tackle, four-PBU performance in Mizzou's 38-31 OT win at Texas A&M...
• Gaines ranks fourth in the SEC (31st in the NCAA) with his four INTs to date, and he ranks third on team with his 59 tackles in 2013, despite missing 2.5 games due to injury...

MIZZOU OFFENSE ONE OF THE MOST IMPROVED IN 2013

• One of the byproducts of the vast array of injuries suffered by Mizzou's offensive line and quarterback positions in 2012 was an inconsistent offensive unit which struggled to maintain the prowess established since Gary Pinkel's team became a spread offense in 2005. Just how does the current Mizzou offense compare statistically to the 2012 unit?
• Look to above and to the left for a comparison of some categories...

A WHOLE LOT OF RUSHING GOING ON

• Mizzou totaled 225 rushing yards in the SEC East Division-clinching, 28-21 win vs. No. 19 Texas A&M last Saturday, marking the fourth-straight game the Tigers have topped the 200-yard mark on the ground...
• The Tigers rushed for 260 yards in the 24-10 win at No. 24 Ole Miss (Nov. 23) an impressive group performance that included a 95-yard night from junior TB Henry Josey. Junior TB Marcus Murphy rushed for 67 yards, while senior QB James Franklin and sophomore TB Russell Hansbrough added 42 and 32 yards, respectively...
• The 260-yard rushing total against the Rebels was the 16th time under head coach Gary Pinkel that Mizzou topped 250 rushing yards in a conference game. The Tigers are 14-2 in those games. The results thin out to a pristine 10-0 when the Tigers toe or go beyond the "277-yard threshold"...
• The Tigers' 339-yard rushing total in the win over Tennessee (Nov. 2) marked the most rushing yards by a Mizzou team in a conference game since putting 376 rushing yards up against Iowa State on Nov. 29, 2003...
• The road-grading performance vs. Tennessee from Mizzou's offensive line was recognized by the SEC following the win, with senior LT Justin Britt earning Offensive Lineman Player of the Week status from the league...
• Mizzou has topped 200 yards rushing 39 times in conference action with Pinkel at the helm. Six of those instances (245 at Vanderbilt, 205 vs. Florida, 339 vs. Tennessee, 223 at Kentucky, 260 at Ole Miss, 225 vs. Texas A&M) have occurred this season...

Sudden Change No Problem for Mizzou Defense

• On the rare occasion when Mizzou's offense turns the ball over (12 total lost in 2013, fifth-lowest in FBS through Nov. 30), the Tiger defense has limited the damage amazingly well, of late. The last five times the MU offense has turned the ball over, Mizzou's defense has allowed zero points. No such instances were added to the Tigers' ledger during action against Texas A&M, as Mizzou committed zero turnovers...
• In those five series, opponents have run a total of 17 plays for a grand total of 14 yards and no points. What's more is that the average starting field position for MU's foes in those five series has been the Mizzou 48-yardline. To the right is a breakdown of MU's defensive stands following the offense's last five turnovers...
• The last time an opponent scored following a Tiger turnover was Florida on Oct. 19, when MU fumbled a punt that the Gators recovered on the MU 24-yardline. The Tigers held Florida to a field goal, limiting the damage to 5 plays, 18 yards and the three points...
• In Mizzou's first four games of the 2013 season, opponents had much more success capitalizing on MU's mistakes, as foes scored 4-of-6 times following Mizzou turnovers, including 3 TDs, 1 FG and 2 punts...

WATCH OUT FOR SAM

• Mizzou's All-American hopeful DE Michael Sam enters the Auburn game leading the SEC and ranking tied for eighth in the nation in QB sacks (10.5 total). He also leads the league in TFLs (1.50 per game/18.0 total), ranking tied for 11th nationally...
• Sam has been named a finalist for both the Bronko Nagurkski Trophy (most outstanding defensive player) and Rotary Lombardi Award (lineman of the year). He is a semifinalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award and Chuck Bednarik Award (defensive player of the year), and is on the watch list for the Hendricks Award (defensive end of the year)...
• The high-motor Tiger has found himself routinely double and triple-teamed during Mizzou's four-game winning streak. He added to his sack statistics with a 0.5 sack of 2012 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel in Mizzou's 28-21 win vs. No. 19 Texas A&M, teaming up with junior DL Matt Hoch for the hit. Sam also recorded a QBH...
• Sam provided a huge game to help key Mizzou's 36-17 win over No. 22 Florida (Oct. 19). He tallied 3.0 sacks on the day (22 yards in loss), and added four tackles in all, to go with one other QB hurry...
• The Tiger was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Gators, marking the second-straight week a Mizzou player brought home the honor (Kentrell Brothers, at Georgia). The recognition was Sam's third weekly conference honor of the season...
• Sam's outing vs. Florida was his third multi-sack game of 2013. He also had 3.0 sacks in wins over Arkansas State and Vanderbilt earlier in 2013. Though 12 games, Sam has pushed his career sack total to 20.0, fourth all-time at Mizzou...
• Sam also has a knack for finding the ball any way possible, as he picked up a Georgia fumble and returned it 21 yards to break the game open. The touchdown return was his second career score...
• Sam is 1.5 sacks away from becoming Mizzou's all-time single-season leader, with former Tiger Aldon Smith's 11.5 sacks in 2009 currently standing as the top mark...

MIZZOU'S DEFENSE LOOKS TO CONTINUE STREAK OF THIEVERY

• Mizzou's nation-leading takeaway steak was extended to 42 games with stout special teams play from redshirt freshmen TB Morgan Steward and CB John Gibson. On a Mizzou punt near the beginning of 2Q action, Steward stripped Texas A&M's punt returner and Gibson fell on the ball to notch the takeaway and give the Tigers the ball at 13:40 2Q...
• The last time Mizzou didn't record a takeaway was Oct. 30, 2010 at Nebraska (a 31-17 loss)...
• An outstanding play by senior LB Andrew Wilson extended the streak in the Tigers' 48-17 win at Kentucky (Nov. 9). A UK 40-yard pass completion was hunted down by Wilson, who stripped the Wildcat. The fumble was recovered by junior LB Darvin Ruise and Mizzou took over at 7:39 3Q...
• Mizzou's defense now has 18 interceptions through 11 games (after recording only 7 INTs in 12 games in 2012), and the Tigers are tied for ninth-most in the nation. Mizzou is +15 on the year entering Saturday's game against Auburn - 27 takeaways, 12 turnovers lost). The Tigers' 1.25 margin/game ranks tied for sixth in the nation...

STREAK OF THIEVERY SUPPLEMENTED BY SURE-HANDED TIGERS

• Mizzou's 28-21 win over No. 19 Texas A&M (Nov. 30) marked the fourth time in SEC play that the Tigers gave zero turnovers to its opponent. The Tigers enter Saturday's game vs. Auburn ranked tied for sixth in the NCAA (first in the SEC) in turnover margin, at +1.25 per game...
• Head coach Gary Pinkel's squad also allowed zero takeaways to Vanderbilt on Oct. 5 (W, 51-28), at No. 7 Georgia on Oct. 12 (W, 41-26) and vs. Tennessee on Nov. 2 (W, 31-3)...
• Mizzou's 12 turnovers lost (six INTs, six fumbles) this season ranks tied for fifth nationally and first in the SEC with Alabama...
• Mizzou has been plus-3 in TO margin in a whopping seven of 12 games in 2013...

SPREADING OUT THE SCORING

• Mizzou's offense has done an excellent job of distributing the ball, and it can not be more apparent with the number of touchdowns scored. For the first time ever, Mizzou has four players with at least eight TDs (Junior TB Henry Josey 14, sophomore WR Dorial Green-Beckham 10, senior WR L'Damian Washington 10, junior TB Marcus Murphy 9)...
• The point-scoring frenzies of the 2007 and 2008 seasons saw just three players finish with at least eight touchdowns in both years. Jeremy Maclin (16) Tony Temple (13) and Martin Rucker (8) brought in the points in 2007, with Derrick Washington (19), Maclin (17) and Chase Coffman (10) handling the scoring in 2008...
• Green-Beckham and Washington rank highly in the SEC with their 10 touchdown catches so far in 2013, standing tied for second in the SEC and tied for 16th nationally...
• According to Mizzou historian Tom Orf, Washington's 9 career touchdown catches of 20-plus yards ranks fourth in school history behind Tiger greats Danario Alexander (14), Jeremy Maclin (13) and Mel Gray (11)...

THE EASY WAY, OR THE HARD WAY

• For the first time in program history, Mizzou has beaten three conference opponents on the road who have 7+ wins to their credit. Vanderbilt (51-28), Georgia (41-26) both enter the week with 8-4 records. Ole Miss (24-10) holds a 7-5 mark...
• But even further research from MU historian Tom Orf shows that after Mizzou's 28-21 win vs. No. 19 Texas A&M (Nov. 30), the Tigers have defeated six teams with 7+ wins for only the fourth time in program history. Toledo and Arkansas are also 7-4, who Mizzou dispatched by scores of 38-23 and 41-19, respectively, during non-conference action...
• Pinkel's squad in 2010 also accomplished the feat, winning six games against opponents who finished their seasons with at least seven wins (Illinois, South Dakota State, Miami [Ohio], Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Kansas State)...
• Another victory, this weekend in the SEC Championship against Auburn (11-1), would put the 2013 squad in special territory amongst the top Mizzou teams in program history...

WE FORGOT TO WARN YOU ABOUT EALY

• On one side of Mizzou's starting defensive line is senior DE and postseason awards candidate Michael Sam, a well-established fact. The opposiste side is nearly equally as imposing with junior DE Kony Ealy, who made his presence widely known in Mizzou's 48-17 win at Kentucky (Nov. 9) with a 3.0-sack game among six tackles...
• Ealy's 6.5 sacks thus far in 2013 ranks tied for sixth in the SEC, and with Sam at the top of conference with his 10.5, Mizzou makes up two of the league's Top 5 in sacks...
• Keeping opposing quarterbacks on their toes has been one of the finer points of Ealy's game this season, as he leads Mizzou in QB hurries with 14 to his credit...
• Ealy additionally impacts opposing offenses when the ball is in the air. His five pass breakups currently leads the team, and he also made one of the most athletic plays for a defensive lineman in this season of college football. Ealy leapt to deflect an Indiana pass attempt in 2Q action of 45-28 win and came away with an interception instead. The 6-5, 275-pound Tiger took the football back 49 yards for his first career pick and touchdown...

MAUK THROUGH THE AIR AND ON THE GROUND

• Redshirt freshman Maty Mauk can still expect to see snaps with senior QB and co-captain James Franklin back in the lineup for the past two Tiger victories, something Mauk has earned from his performances this season, according to head coach Gary Pinkel...
• The Tiger underclassman QB entered the Ole Miss contest in 2Q action and helped Mizzou's offense tack on a field goal. Mauk completed 3-of-7 passes for 83 yards on the drive, including a 60-yard strike that hit junior WR Bud Sasser in stride on a deep post route. The drive ended with a 33-yard field goal from sophomore PK Andrew Baggett at 7:31 2Q to put Mizzou up 10-0...
• Mauk's excellent play in relief of Franklin continued in the 48-17 win at Kentucky (Nov. 9), with Mauk etching his name into Mizzou's records with five passing touchdowns...
• Mauk's outing tied Mizzou's school record for touchdown passes in a game, a mark only matched by the Tigers' all-time leader in passing and current NFL QB Chase Daniel (who accomplished the feat four times in his Mizzou career)...
• He finished the game with 203 yards passing (17-for-28, 60.7 pct.), 5 TDs (zero INTs), and also tacking on 24 rushing yards...
• Four of the five TD passes went to sophomore WR Dorial Green-Beckham from distances of 8 yards, 7 yards, 22 yards and 7 yards, with a TD toss to junior TB Henry Josey (6 yards) following Mauk's first 7-yard pass to Green-Beckham...
• Mauk posted a 3-1 record as a starter in Franklin's absence. He became the first Mizzou QB since 2011 (James Franklin vs. UNC) to throw and rush for 100 yards in a game with his performance vs. Tennessee (Nov. 2). He ended the night with 163 yards passing and 3 touchdowns (zero interceptions) while he ran for a career-high 114 yards on 13 carries (8.8 avg. per att.)...
• Mauk also came in for a "save" at Georgia in the 4Q of Mizzou's 41-26 win (Oct. 12), when he replaced the injured Franklin and extended the Tigers' tenuous 28-26 lead at the time...
• Mauk received his third Freshman Player of the Week recognition from the SEC for his strong play against the Wildcats. The Mizzou underclassman also brought home the honor after the Tigers' wins over Florida (Oct. 19) and Tennessee (Nov. 2)...

INTERCEPTIONS? MIZZOU HAS THOSE

• Mizzou got back into the interception business vs. Ole Miss (Nov. 23), with senior CB Randy Ponder intercepting Rebel QB Bo Wallace and returning the ball 17 yards at 10:01 1Q. The pickoff was Mizzou's 18th in 2013, currently the best mark in the SEC (tied for ninth nationally)...
• Missouri recorded three interceptions for three-straight games to start the 2013 season, building a solid base for the 18 the defense has collected. The Tigers have more than doubled last season's total of just seven INTs...
• Eleven different Tigers have combined for the 18 total interceptions, with senior CB E.J. Gaines leading with four pickoffs. Gaines is also Mizzou's active career INT leader with seven. His 0.40 per-game INT average is the fourth-best mark in the SEC...

SACK SUCCESS A STORY FOR TIGERS

• Mizzou now has 34.0 QB sacks in its last nine games, an impressive sight, as the Tigers had totaled only 3.0 combined sacks in its first three outings (with all three coming in the opener against Murray State)...
• Mizzou's 37.0 sacks over its 12 games in 2013 is the top mark in the SEC and ranks tied for No. 4 in the country...
• The Black & Gold got after 2012 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M (Nov. 30) to the tune of 2.0 sacks, as well as 1.0 tackle-for-loss by senior LB Andrew Wilson on a designed QB run...
• The Tigers notched 7.0 sacks for the second time this season in its 48-17 win at Kentucky (Nov. 9). Ths sack spree was also a major factor in Mizzou's big win at Vanderbilt (Oct. 5). Mizzou's front four got pressure all night long, and the Tigers ended the game with 7.0 sacks in all - with all of them coming from the line...
• The 7.0 sacks in both the UK and VU wins are the most by Mizzou since they recorded 7.0 in a 30-9 win at Texas A&M on Oct. 16, 2010 against Aggie QB Ryan Tannehill...
• Individually, senior DE Michael Sam ranks first in the SEC, and tied for eighth in the nation, with his 10.5 sacks (0.88 sacks-per-game average). Sam is also the league's top-ranked performer in tackles-for-loss (18.0) currently, with an average of 1.50 per game, which also ranks him tied for 11th nationally...

DEFENSIVE LINE IS MIZZOU DEFENSE'S ENGINE

• Mizzou's defensive line continued to pile onto the Tigers' SEC-leading tackle-for-loss total in the win vs. Texas A&M (Nov. 30), recording 4.0 of a team total of 8.0. The Tiger defense heads into the SEC Championship vs. Auburn with a league-best total of 95.0 (357 yards lost), a mark that ranks tied for fifth nationally...
• The Tigers padded their sack total with 6.0 more in the 48-17 win at Kentucky (Nov. 9). Junior DE Kony Ealy had the latest 3.0-sack game for the Tigers, with juniors Markus Golden and Matt Hoch getting 1.0, along with sophomore DE Shane Ray...
• The Tigers' defensive linemen have been making plays all season, with 35.0 of Mizzou's total 37.0 sacks going to their credit. The same is true for total tackles-for-loss, with the D-line recording 66.5 of the 95.0 total...

Gary Pinkel IS EIGHTH-WINNINGEST ACTIVE FBS COACH

• With his 173 career wins in 23 seasons as a head coach, Mizzou's Gary Pinkel is ranked eighth among active FBS coaches. Pinkel has a career record of 173-99-3 all-time (63.5%), including a 73-37-3 record (64.6%) in 10 years at Toledo (1991-2000) and 101-62 (62.0%) in 13 years at Mizzou...

MIZZOU COACHING WINS LEADERS
Coach	Wins	# Seasons (Years)	Record	Pct.	# Bowls
Don Faurot	101	19 (1935-42, 46-56)	101-79-10	.558	4
Gary Pinkel	101	13 (2001-Present)	101-62	.620	8*
Dan Devine	93	13 (1958-70)	93-37-7	.704	6
Warren Powers	46	7 (1978-84)	46-33-3	.580	5
* Mizzou has qualified for a 9th bowl game in Pinkel's tenure

PINKEL TIED FOR MOST WINS IN MIZZOU HISTORY

• Mizzou Head Coach Gary Pinkel is in his 13th season at MU (23rd overall as a head coach) and touts a career record of 174-99-3 (63.6%)....
• Pinkel, who has led MU to a combined record of 79-37 (68.1%) in the past 9 seasons, and to bowl games in 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and an upcoming 2013 trip, has a 13-season record in Columbia of 101-62 (62.0%). Dating back to the 2005 Independence Bowl win over Steve Spurrier and South Carolina, Pinkel has gone 72-32 in his last 104 games overall (69.2%). MU's win in the 2008 opener against Illinois gave Pinkel his 50th MU win, and he now ranks tied for first on the coaching wins list at MU, with 101, just one win from passing legendary head coach Don Faurot. The win over Kansas in 2010 was the 150th of his career...
• 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. Here's a quick look at the top winning coaches in MU history...
• In 2007, Pinkel guided the Tigers from unranked in the pre-season to a team which won a school-record 12 games and a final ranking of #4 in the Associated Press Top-25. Mizzou ascended to #1 in the BCS rankings following the regular season, and stood just one half away from playing in the BCS National Championship Game (before Oklahoma pulled away from a halftime tie to win the Big 12 title game). 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, and his 8 bowl games is an MU record...
• Pinkel has directed Mizzou to 9 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, 10-3 in 2010, 8-5 in 2011 and 11-1 in 2013), with those representing 9 of MU's 11 winning campaigns dating back to the 1983 season...
• Before this season's SEC Eastern Division title, Mizzou's Big 12 North Division titles won in 2007, 2008 and 2010 represented the only football conference titles of any kind Mizzou had won since 1969 - the last time it claimed a share of the old Big Eight Conference crown. In April of 2011, Pinkel agreed to a two-year contract extension, meaning he'll patrol the Tiger sidelines through the 2017 season...

WITH A TIGER VICTORY, MIZZOU WILL...

• Improve to 102-62 under head coach Gary Pinkel, with the Tiger coach becoming Mizzou's all-time winningest coach. Pinkel is tied in wins with the legendary Don Faurot, who won 101 games (1935-42, 46-56).
• Record 12 wins for the second time ever (2007).
• Claim its first conference championship in football since 1969, when it shared the title with Nebraska.
• Win its first outright conference title since 1960, when Mizzou won the Big Eight under Hall of Fame head coach Dan Devine.
• Improve to 2-0 vs. Auburn after its 34-17 win against the school in the 1973 Sun Bowl.

SERIES HISTORY - Mizzou vs. AUBURN

• Saturday's Mizzou-Auburn game is just the second all-time meeting between the two programs, with Mizzou winning its 1973 Sun Bowl matchup against Auburn, 34-17, in El Paso, Texas...
• The 1973 Tigers, led by Mizzou's Al Onofrio, finished the season with an 8-4 record, along with an incredible 13-12 win over No. 2 Nebraska (Oct. 13, 1973) to their credit...
• The SEC Championship matchup means that both Tiger teams have only ever faced each other in postseason competition...

Mizzou		AUBURN
RUSHING Att. Yds. Avg. TD Avg/G Josey 153 951 6.2 13 79.2 Hansbrough 99 624 6.3 4 52.0 Murphy 81 561 6.9 9 46.8		RUSHING Att. Yds. Avg. TD Avg/G Mason 237 1332 5.6 18 109.8 Marshall 140 1047 6.6 10 83.8 Grant 60 599 9.8 5 48.8
PASSING Com.-Att. Pct. Yds. TD-Int. Avg./G Rating Franklin 162-242 66.9 1952 16-4 216.9 153.21 Mauk 66-129 51.2 1039 10-2 86.6 141.30		PASSING Com.-Att. Pct. Yds. TD-Int. Avg./G Marshall 119-201 59.2 1627 11-5 147.9 Johnson 29-41 70.7 422 6-2 70.3
RECEIVING Rec. Yds. Avg. TD Avg./G Lucas 50 596 11.9 2 49.7 Green-Beckham 49 686 14.0 10 57.2 Washington 44 824 18.7 10 68.7 Sasser 20 292 14.6 1 24.3		RECEIVING Rec. Yds. Avg. TD Avg./G Coates 32 747 23.3 6 62.2 Louis 25 290 11.6 2 24.2 Davis 22 191 8.7 1 15.9 Bray 20 191 9.6 3 15.9
DEFENSE S-Ast. Total TFL Sack Int. PBU FF-FR Wilson 45-42 87 6.0 0.0 0-0 3 0-1 Webb 49-24 73 1.5 0.0 2-9 7 0-0 Gaines 44-15 59 3.0 0.0 4-15 2 0-0		DEFENSE S-Ast. Total TFL Sack Int. PBU FF-FR Davis 45-20 65 2.5 0.0 0-0 12 1-0 Smith 37-19 56 0.5 0.0 3-4 3 1-0 McKinzy 32-24 56 7.5 1.5 1-0 0 0-0