University of Missouri
Missouri State
Mizzou Set For In-State Foe in Week One
8/29/2017 10:57:00 AM | Football
Mizzou vs. Missouri State
Sept. 2, 11 a.m.
SEC Network
Game Notes
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Fall might not officially hit the calendar until September 22, but it technically begins this Saturday when the Missouri Tigers hit the gridiron for the 2017 season opener against the Missouri State Bears. Kickoff for the game is set for 11 a.m. (central time) at Mizzou's Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium, with the game being broadcast on the SEC Network.
- Mizzou Head Coach Barry Odom begins his second season at the helm looking to continue the momentum built from a strong close to the 2016 season, when his Tigers won two-of-three games (all against bowl teams) last November, including wins over Vanderbilt (26-17) and a comeback triumph over Arkansas (28-24) to cap a 4-8 season. Mizzou returns 10 starters from its offense which developed into one of the Southeastern Conference's top units a year ago under Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach Josh Heupel.
- Missouri State, of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, comes to Columbia with a familiar face leading the way in Head Coach Dave Steckel. "Stec" as he's known by most, served as an assistant coach at Mizzou under former Head Coach Gary Pinkel for 14 seasons, from 2001-14 as linebackers coach. For his final six seasons with Mizzou (2009-14), Steckel served as defensive coordinator, and he was also MU's Associate Head Coach from 2011-14 before landing his first head coaching job at Missouri State. Steckel has gone 5-17 two seasons into his rebuilding project, including a nice improvement to 4-7 in 2016 after a 1-10 debut in 2015.
Welcome Back, Stec!
Forgive most of the staff on the Missouri State visiting sideline if they feel a little nostalgic when they take to Faurot Field this Saturday, because there's quite a big Mizzou flavor to Dave Steckel's team. Including Steckel, who spent 14 seasons (2001-14) as an assistant coach under Gary Pinkel, there are nine former Tiger players/coaches who will be wearing enemy colors.
- That number includes three former Tiger players who will be coaching Saturday – Kenji Jackson (safeties coach), Munir Prince (running backs) and Jason Ray (wide receivers). Jackson was a standout safety for Mizzou from 2008-11, and won honorable mention All-Big 12 honors as a senior co-captain for the Tigers in 2011. Prince transferred to Mizzou after initially attending Notre Dame, and played in Steckel's secondary for MU during the 2009-10 seasons. He also earned his MBA from Mizzou while spending two years as an offensive graduate assistant in 2011-12. Ray was a three-year letterwinner at wideout for Mizzou (2004, 2006-07), and served as a co-captain for the 2007 team which won 12 games and finished ranked fourth nationally. Ray was a second-team academic All-Big 12 selection, and also spent time after his playing days at Mizzou as a development associate for the Tiger Scholarship Fund prior to beginning his coaching career.
- Other current members of Steckel's coaching staff with Mizzou Football ties include: Mack Brown (2012-Offensive Quality Control GA, 2013 & 2014-Offensive GA); Marcus Yokeley (2009-Offensive Quality Control GA, 2010-Defensive GA); Peter Badovinac (2013 & 2014-Defensive GA); Chris Morton (2011-Administrative GA, 2012 Defensive GA); Justin Kramer (2014-Defensive Analyst).
Series vs. Missouri State
Mizzou and Missouri State have met just once in the long and storied histories of both programs. That meeting came in 1923 before the blueprints for what is currently Memorial Stadium were even drawn. Mizzou defeated Missouri State, which was then called Springfield Teacher's College, 10-0.
Mizzou in Season/Home Openers
Saturday will mark the beginning of the 127th season of Mizzou Football (began in 1890, no season in 1918 due to an influenza outbreak), and in its previous 126 season openers, the Tigers have won just under two-thirds of them, going 81-40-5 all-time (66.3%). Included in that win total was a 14-year win streak in season openers, but that string was broken last year when the Tigers faced a tough test opening on the road at West Virginia, where the Tigers fell by a 26-11 count.
- In home openers, Mizzou's all-time record is a tick better, with an overall mark of 91-31-4 (73.8%), and that includes an active home opener win streak of 11, dating back to a 45-35 loss to New Mexico in 2005. In HC Barry Odom's first-ever home game last season, the Tigers dismantled Eastern Michigan by a 61-21 score.
- Since 1926, when Memorial Stadium opened, Mizzou is 61-27-3 all-time in home openers (68.7%), and it has won 18-of-20 dating back to 1997.
- The only previous time that Mizzou and Missouri State have faced each other came in the 1923 season opener (when Missouri State was known as Springfield Teachers College), which the Tigers won 10-0 in Columbia.
Mizzou vs. FCS Opponents
Saturday will mark the 17th game that Mizzou has played against FCS schools, and the Tigers look to build on their perfect mark of 16-0 in those matchups. Last season, Mizzou overpowered Delaware State by a 79-0 score, outgaining the Hornets by a 698-to-140 margin in total offense in a game that was cut short due to Mizzou's large lead at halftime.
- In Mizzou's last 13 games against FCS opponents, the Tigers have outscored their foes by an impressive 656-to-96 margin, good for an average score of 50.5-to-7.4 in such games.
