COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri has accepted an invitation to play Texas in the 2017 Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl, Wednesday, Dec. 27, at 8 p.m. (Central) inside NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
"On behalf of the University of Missouri, Chancellor Cartwright, Coach Odom and our student-athletes, we are honored to accept an invitation to participate in the 2017 Texas Bowl," said Mizzou Director of Athletics Jim Sterk. "We are excited about playing in Houston, an area which we recruit, and look forward to Mizzou fans turning out to cheer on the Tigers against Texas."
Mizzou, 7-5 on the season and winners of six-straight, will face former Big 12 Conference opponent Texas (6-6) when the nationally televised (ESPN) Texas Bowl kicks off. Both teams will be playing in the Texas Bowl for the second time in their respective histories, with Mizzou dropping a 35-13 decision to Navy in the 2009 game and Texas losing to Arkansas, 31-7, in 2014.
"I am so proud of our players and coaches for staying together and closing the 2017 season with six-straight wins to become bowl-eligible, and we look forward to playing Texas in Houston," said Mizzou Head Coach Barry Odom. "We're fortunate to have the opportunity to play a Big 12 opponent in a great NFL stadium like NRG Field."
A win over the Longhorns would be historic for Mizzou, as the 2017 Tigers would become just the second team in college football history (Rutgers, 2008) to register eight victories after starting the season 1-5. Since its 1-5 start Mizzou has ran off six-straight wins by an average margin of 30.0 points while scoring 45 or more points in each game for the first time in program history.
Mizzou and Texas will be meeting on the gridiron for the 24th time, with Texas holding a 17-6 advantage in the series. The Tigers won the last meeting between the programs, 17-5, at Columbia in 2011, which was Mizzou's final Big 12 season before joining the SEC.
Entering its 12th year, the Texas Bowl is owned and operated by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, and managed locally by Lone Star Sports & Entertainment, an event management company founded in 2003 that is closely related with the NFL's Houston Texans. The Texas Bowl has ranked fourth in bowl game attendance since 2014, averaging over 70,000 fans and trailing only the Rose, Cotton and Peach Bowls in that span. The Bowl's official charitable beneficiary is DePelchin Children's Center.
Mizzou is allotted 8,000 tickets for the 2017 Texas Bowl. The tickets, which are priced at $125 (300 Club Level) or $85 (100 Lower Level), may be purchased online at mutigers.com/tickets. Tickets can also be purchased by calling the MU Athletic Ticket Office (1-800-CAT-PAWS) or in person at the Mizzou Arena box office from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. TSF members and season ticket holders must place their orders by Wednesday, Dec. 6, at Noon, to receive priority.
Mizzou Football Notes
- Mizzou has earned a bowl bid for the first time since the 2014 season when it handed Minnesota a 33-17 loss in the 2015 Citrus Bowl at Orlando, Fla.
- The Tigers are playing in a bowl game for the 32nd time, which ranks 30th all-time in NCAA history.
- Mizzou is 15-16 all-time in bowl games, including victories in its last three appearances. The Tigers' 15 bowl wins are tied for 26th all-time in NCAA history (Arkansas, West Virginia, TCU and Syracuse also have 15 bowl wins).
- Mizzou's seven wins are its most since 2014; and a bowl win would mark only the second time in NCAA history a team has won eight games after starting the season 1-4.
- Mizzou is the 14th team in FBS history to go from 1-5 to bowl eligible.
- Mizzou's six-game win streak is the nation's seventh-longest active streak; averaging 51.3 points per game in that span.
- Mizzou is the fourth Power 5 team ever to start 1-5 and win its final six games.
- For the first time in school history, Mizzou has won six games by 28 points or more. Mizzou and Ohio State are the only schools to accomplish that feat this season.
- Mizzou has scored at least 45 points in six-straight games for the first time in school history.
- Mizzou's offense is averaging 7.24 yards per play this season. The only SEC schools with a better mark since 2008 are:
- 2010 Auburn led by Cam Newton (7.37)
- 2013 Texas A&M led by Johnny Manziel (7.34)
- Mizzou is one of just three teams nationally to rank in the top 15 in both tackles for loss (13th) and tackles for loss allowed (1st).
- Mizzou's 2.83 tackles for loss allowed per game average is on pace to be the best mark in FBS history since the NCAA began tracking the stat. Mizzou set the record last season at 2.90.
- Mizzou ranks among the nation's Top 25 in 16 different statistical categories, and leads the country in tackles for loss allowed, plays of 50+ yards, passing plays of 50+ yards and number of defensive players with a TFL.
- Junior quarterback Drew Lock's 43 touchdown passes lead the nation, and rank as the most-ever by a Mizzou (39; Chase Daniel in 2008) or SEC signal caller (40; Kentucky's Andre Woodson in 2007).
- Lock is the only Power 5 QB this century to pass for at least three TD passes in eight-straight games.
- Lock holds school records for most 400-yard games (five) and games with five TD passes (six).
- Only four Power 5 QBs have ever thrown for more TD passes in a single season (BJ Symons, Sam Bradford, Graham Harrell (twice), Kliff Kingsbury) than Lock's 43. His 43 TD passes already rank as the 23rd-most in FBS history.
MIZZOU'S ALL-TIME BOWL RESULTS (15-16)
| Date | Bowl | Site | Result | Attend. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/25/1924 | Christmas Festival | Los Angeles, Calif. | Southern California, 20, Missouri 7 | 47,000 |
| 1/1/1940 | Orange | Miami, Fla. | Georgia Tech 21, Missouri 7 | 36,500 |
| 1/1/1942 | Sugar | New Orleans, La. | Fordham 2, Missouri 0 | 72,000 |
| 1/1/1946 | Cotton | Dallas, Texas | Texas 40, Missouri 27 | 46,000 |
| 1/1/1949 | Gator | Jacksonville, Fla. | Clemson 24, Missouri 23 | 35,273 |
| 1/2/1950 | Gator | Jacksonville, Fla. | Maryland 20, Missouri 7 | 22,000 |
| 1/1/1960 | Orange | Miami, Fla. | Georgia 14, Missouri 0 | 75,280 |
| 1/2/1961 | Orange | Miami, Fla. | Missouri 21, Navy 14 | 71,218 |
| 12/22/1962 | Bluebonnet | Houston, Texas | Missouri 14, Georgia Tech 10 | 55,000 |
| 1/1/1966 | Sugar | New Orleans, La. | Missouri 20, Florida 18 | 67,421 |
| 12/28/1968 | Gator | Jacksonville, Fla. | Missouri 35, Alabama 10 | 68,001 |
| 1/1/1970 | Orange | Miami, Fla. | Penn State 10, Missouri 3 | 78,282 |
| 12/23/1972 | Fiesta | Tempe, Ariz. | Arizona State 49, Missouri 35 | 51,318 |
| 12/29/1973 | Sun | El Paso, Texas | Missouri 34, Auburn 17 | 30,127 |
| 12/23/1978 | Liberty | Memphis, Tenn. | Missouri 20, LSU 15 | 53,064 |
| 12/29/1979 | Hall of Fame | Birmingham, Ala. | Missouri 24, South Carolina 14 | 62,785 |
| 12/27/1980 | Liberty | Memphis, Tenn. | Purdue 28, Missouri 25 | 53,667 |
| 12/19/1981 | Tangerine | Orlando, Fla. | Missouri 19, S. Mississippi 17 | 50,450 |
| 12/23/1983 | Holiday | San Diego, Calif. | Brigham Young 21, Missouri 17 | 51,480 |
| 12/29/1997 | Holiday | San Diego, Calif. | Colorado State 35, Missouri 24 | 50,761 |
| 12/26/1998 | Insight.com | Tucson, Ariz. | Missouri 34, West Virginia 31 | 36,147 |
| 12/31/2003 | Independence | Shreveport, La. | Arkansas 27, Missouri 14 | 49,625 |
| 12/30/2005 | Independence | Shreveport, La. | Missouri 38, South Carolina | 41,332 |
| 12/29/2006 | Sun | El Paso, Texas | Oregon State 39, Missouri 38 | 48,732 |
| 1/1/2008 | Cotton | Dallas, Texas | Missouri 38, Arkansas 7 | 73,114 |
| 12/29/2008 | Alamo | San Antonio, Texas | Missouri 30, Northwestern 23 (OT) | 55,986 |
| 12/31/2009 | Texas | Houston, Texas | Navy 35, Missouri 13 | 69,441 |
| 12/28/2010 | Insight | Tempe, Ariz. | Iowa 27, Missouri 24 | 53,453 |
| 12/26/2011 | Independence | Shreveport, La. | Missouri 41, North Carolina 24 | 41,728 |
| 1/3/2014 | Cotton | Arlington, Texas | Missouri 41, Oklahoma State 31 | 72,690 |
| 1/1/2015 | Citrus | Orlando, Fla. | Missouri 33, Minnesota 17 | 48,624 |