1981 Tangerine Bowl
12/27/2013 12:00:00 AM | Football
Tangerine Bowl -- Orlando, Fla.
The outcome of the 1981 Tangerine Bowl hinged largely on the leg of one player --Tiger kicker Bob Lucchesi. A sophomore walk-on, he had struggled even with extra points early in the season, but responded brilliantly in the bowl game. He hit an MU and Tangerine Bowl record-tying four field goals to propel Mizzou, 8-4, to a 19-17 win. For his efforts, Lucchesi earned the game's Most Outstanding Offensive Player award.
Lucchesi, though, was not Mizzou's only standout. Jeff Gaylord, the game's Most Valuable Player, led a stellar defensive effort. Missouri's defense held Southern Miss quarterback Reggie Collier, the first Division I quarterback to rush and pass for 1,000 yards in the same season, to 70 yards of total offense--16 rushing and 54 passing.
Bobby Meyer, who led all players with 96 yards rushing, scored Missouri's only touchdown, with a three-yard run late in the first quarter. MU led 7-0 and never trailed. After the teams traded field goals, Lucchesi hit from 41 yards in the first half's final seconds for a 13-3 Tiger advantage.
Two more Lucchesi field goals were just enough for Missouri to withstand touchdowns by two of Southern Mississippi's future pro stars -- running back Sammy Winder and wide receiver Louis Lipps.
Following Lipps' TD, a 74-yard reception from backup quarterback Davy Sellers, the Golden Eagles trailed just 19-17 with 1:03 to play. But the Tigers' Tony Davis expected the ensuing onside kick and recovered it, killing the Golden Eagle comeback two points short.
| MISSOURI | 7 | 6 | 3 | 3 | -- | 19 |
| S. MISS | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | -- | 17 |
| M -- Meyer 3 run (Lucchesi kick) |
| SM -- FG Clark 37 |
| M -- FG Lucchesi 45 |
| SM -- Winder 4 run (Clark kick) |
| M -- FG Lucchesi 30 |
| M -- FG Lucchesi 28 |
| M -- FG Verrilli 45 |
| SM -- Lipps 74 pass from Sellers (Clark kick) |
| M -- Hill 1 run (Hornof pass from Bradley) |
| Att. -- 50,450 |
| MU | USM | |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 15 | 16 |
| Rushes-Yards | 44-164 | 52-133 |
| Passing Yards | 141 | 128 |
| Return Yards | 8 | 25 |
| Passes | 10-22-1 | 6-20-0 |
| Punts-Avg. | 7-35.9 | 8-34.5 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 1-0 | 2-1 |
| Penalties-Yards | 7-50 | 6-58 |
| RUSHING -- MU: Meyer 20-96, B. White 18-62, Shorthose 3-11. USM: Winder 13-50, Terrell 9-44, Floyd 7-23, Collier 20-16. |
| PASSING -- MU: Perry 10-22-1-141. USM: Collier 5-17-0-54, Sellers 1-3-0-74. |
| RECEIVING -- MU: Caver 4-65, Meyer 3-11, Gibler 1-38, B. White 1-20, Thomas 1-7. USM: Powell 2-26, Floyd 2-18, Lipps 1-74, Means 1-20. |
