Tigers Are Healed And Ready For Broncos
9/12/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 12, 1999
MISSOURI TIGERS (1-0)
vs.W. MICHIGAN BRONCOS (1-1)
Game #2 ? Sept. 18, 1999 ? 6:30 p.m. CDT ? Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field ? Columbia, MO
GAME AT A GLANCE
KICKOFF: 6:30 p.m. CDT
SITE: Columbia, MO, Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field (capacity 68,174 - grass).
RADIO: Tiger Network (Mike Kelly/John Kadlec/Vic Faust/Chris Gervino). Carried on nearly 60 stations, and on the Internet at www.gamecruiser.com. Also available by calling Teamline at 1-800-846-4700, ext. 5755.
TV: none.
RANKINGS: None for either team.
RECORDS: Missouri is 1-0, Western Michigan is 1-1.
SERIES RECORD: First meeting. Missouri is 2-1 alltime against members of the MAC.
HEAD COACHES:
Missouri - Larry Smith, 27-31-1 at MU (6th season), 137-111-7 overall (23rd season).
Western Michigan - Gary Darnell, 16-8 at WMU (3rd season), 22-41 overall (7th season).
TICKET INFORMATION: A Band Day/Parents Weekend crowd of 55,000 is expected. Tickets are available at the MU Ticket Office in the Hearnes Center (reserved seats $28.00, general admission $10). By phone, tickets may be ordered by calling 884-PAWS (Columbia area) and 1-800-CAT PAWS (toll free). On game day, tickets may be purchased at either Hearnes or the stadium box office (north side).
Tigers Look To Go 2-0 For Second Consecutive Season
The Missouri Tigers, 1-0, play their second of three straight home games this Saturday, when they host the Western Michigan Broncos, 1-1, on Faurot Field.
Game time is 6:30 p.m., and a crowd of 55,000 is expected. It will be Band Day (some 2,500 high school band members are expected to attend) and MU's annual Parents Weekend celebration.
The Tigers have won 12 of their last 17 regular-season games -- with the five losses coming at the hands of two No. 1 teams -- the 1997 Nebraska unit and last year's Ohio State Buckeyes -- and, also in 1998 to No. 2 Kansas State, No. 6 Texas A&M, and No. 7 Nebraska.
Missouri has held the halftime lead in 19 consecutive games, and since Larry Smith came to Columbia, in 1994, the Tigers are 25-8 when leading at the half and 26-3 when leading after three quarters.
Overall, MU has won 18 of its last 26 games, and 22 of its last 36. Mizzou has also gone 10-3 at home the last three seasons, and the Tigers have won 12 straight games against unranked teams.
Missouri has gone 2-1 in non-conference play for the last three years, something that hadn't happened since the Tigers had five straight non-league winning records from 1978-82.
Missouri is 8-6 the last two years in games decided by eight points or less. The Tigers' last four games have been decided by a total of 15 points.
The Missouri-W. Michigan Series
This is the first meeting between the two schools, but Missouri is 2-1 all-time against teams from the Mid-American (Bowling Green 1-1, Eastern Michigan 1-0). All three games have been played during the Larry Smith era at Ol' Mizzou, and this is the third straight season in which the Tigers have hosted a MAC school. MU beat Eastern Michigan, 44-24, in the 1997 season opener, and downed Bowling Green, 37-0, to open the '98 campaign.
Scouting the Broncos
Western Michigan boasts of a potent passing attack led by quarterback Tim Lester who has thrown for 721 yards to the Broncos' first two games.
The senior threw for 3,311 yards and 22 touchdowns last season. So far in 1999, he's completed 45-78 passes with seven touchdowns and two interceptions. Lester has been sacked seven times in two outings.
His top targets are Steve Neal, Micah Zuhl and Corey Alston. Neal has caught 15 passes for 262 yards and three scores, while Zuhl and Alston have respective numbers of 9 for 134 and 8 for 207, respectively.
On the ground, junior tailback Robert Sanford has carried 36 times for 178 yards. No other Bronco runner has carried more than five times.
Western Michigan's first two games have been against two of the nation's top teams - the Florida Gators and Division I-AA power Youngstown State. Those two clubs have piled up an average of 508 yards per game against the Broncos - 211.5 on the ground and 296.5 through the air. WMU has allowed 41.5 points per game.
Linebacker Mario Evans has been the leading tackler, with 15 stops in two games, with 13 of those unassisted. Sophomore free safety Wes Dodson has registered the Broncos' only quarterback sack of the 1999 season.
WMU head coach Gary Darnell was the defensive coordinator at Texas from 1992-96, prior to taking over in Kalamazoo, and he coached against Mizzou in the Tigers' first Big 12 Conference game - a 40-10 Longhorn victory, in Austin, in 1996.
He's also been an assistant at conference schools Oklahoma State (1971-72) and Kansas State (1978-82). He's also coached against Missouri while an assistant at SMU (1973-75) and North Carolina (1976-77).
MU Head Coach Larry Smith
Larry Smith is in his sixth season at Missouri (23rd overall) with a record of 27-31-1. He became Mizzou's 30th head football coach on Dec. 15, 1993. With 17 years as a head coach in NCAA Division I before coming to MU, Smith was the most experienced coach ever hired by a Big Eight Conference school.
He has a 23-year career record of 137-111-7, and coached previously at Tulane (18-27, 1976-79), Arizona (48-28-3, 1980-86), and Southern California (44-25-3, 1987-92). He was out of coaching in 1993.
Smith is one of only two active coaches who have taken four schools to bowl games, along with Lou Holtz (S. Carolina), and one of only four who've ever done it (Earle Bruce and Bill Mallory). Smith ranks 12th among active coaches in career victories.
A native of Van Wert, Ohio, Smith is a 1962 graduate of Bowling Green State University. He served as a collegiate assistant coach at Miami (Ohio), Michigan and Arizona before beginning his head coaching career.
MISSOURI COACHES IN THEIR 5th SEASON
COACH 5th SEASON W-L TOT. SEASONS Gwinn Henry 1927 7-2 9 Don Faurot 1939 8-2 19 Dan Devine 1964 6-3-1 13 Al Onofrio 1975 6-5 7 Warren Powers 1982 5-4-2 7 Bob Stull 1993 3-7-1 5 LARRY SMITH 1998 8-4 6
MISSOURI COACHES IN THEIR 6th SEASON
COACH 6th SEASON W-L TOT. SEASONS Gwinn Henry 1928 4-4 9 Don Faurot 1940 6-3 19 Dan Devine 1965 8-2-1 13 Al Onofrio 1976 6-5 7 Warren Powers 1983 7-5 7 Larry Smith 1999 1-0 6
THE TIGERS UNDER LARRY SMITH - Their Record When ...
CATEGORY SIX YEARS 1999 '97-99 Scoring first 17-8-1 1-0 9-1 Scoring 40 or more points 10-0 0-0 7-0 Scoring 30 or more points 21-2-1 1-0 14-1 Scoring 24 or more points 25-5-1 1-0 15-3 Scoring more than 14 points 27-10-1 1-0 15-3 Leading at halftime 25-8 1-0 16-6 Leading after 3 quarters 26-3 1-0 16-2 Outscoring opp. in 2nd half 18-2 0-0 12-0 Outscoring opp. in 4th quarter 13-7 0-0 10-2 Holding opp. to 17 pts or less 7-4 0-0 4-2 Rushing for 300 yards 12-1 0-0 7-1 Rushing for 250 yards 18-2 0-0 11-1 Rushing for 200 yards 22-8 1-0 13-3 With at least one 100-yd rusher 19-8 1-0 12-2 With more than one 100-yd rusher 4-1 0-0 2-1 Having a 200-yard rusher 4-0 0-0 2-0 Outrushing opponent 22-9 1-0 13-4 Holding opp. under 100 yds rushing 9-2 0-0 6-1 Rushing for more yds than passing 23-18 1-0 14-6 Passing for 200 yards 5-6-1 0-0 4-2 Passing for more yds than rushing 4-13-1 0-0 2-3 Making fewer turnovers than opp. 16-10-1 0-0 12-3 Committing two-or-fewer turnovers 23-20-1 1-0 13-5 Amassing 400 yds of total offense 19-2 0-0 11-1 Holding opp under 300 yd total off.8-5 1-0 5-1 Holding time of possession edge 23-15 1-0 12-6 Making 20-or-more first downs 24-11-1 1-0 13-3 With edge in 1st dns & poss. time 18-7 1-0 10-4 Converting 50%+ on 3rd down 16-4 1-0 10-1 When punting two or fewer times 5-0 0-0 4-0
TEAM BEST PERFORMANCES
Rushing 473 yards vs. Iowa State, 1995 Passing 320 yards vs. Iowa State, 1994 Total Offense 544 yards vs. Bowling Green, 1998 Points 51 at Oklahoma State (2 OT), 1997Rushing Defense 17 yards by Bowling Green, 1998 Passing Defense 39 yards by Bowling Green, 1998 Total Defense 56 yards by Bowling Green, 1998 Scoring Defense 0 points by Houston, 1994, Bowling Green, 1998
Indiv. Rushing 319 yards, Devin West vs. Kansas, 1998 Indiv. Passing 320 yards, Jeff Handy at Iowa State, 1994 Indiv. Receiving 169 yards, John Dausman vs. Kansas State, 1998
Missouri Following Open Weeks
This will be the sixth time in Larry Smith's six seasons at MU, that the Tigers are coming off an open date. MU didn't have an open week in 1997, but had two in 1996.
Last season, the Tigers used their open date to recover from a 35-14 defeat at Ohio State, and returned home to better Northwestern State, 35-14.
In 1994, MU came off a 16-0 win at Houston, broke for a week, then lost at home to West Virginia, 34-10. In '95, the Tigers followed up a 31-22 win over NE Louisiana with a 30-0 loss at No. 13 Kansas State after the extra week. In '96, MU lost its opener at Texas, 40-10, had an open date, then lost its home opener, 19-16 to Memphis. Later in the same season, after falling to No. 22 Kansas State, 35-10, the Tigers used the bye week to recover for a 35-28 overtime win over Oklahoma State. The Tigers closed that season winning three of their final five games.
First Game: Missouri 31, UAB 28
Missouri's new starting tailback did a pretty good impersonation of the All-American he's replacing.
DeVaughn Black had 140 yards on 25 carries and his number was called 10 straight times on the game-saving drive in a 31-28 opening victory over Alabama-Birmingham. Coach Larry Smith said the performance reminded him of Devin West, who set a school single-season rushing record with 1,578 yards last season.
"If it ain't broken, don't fix it," Smith said. "He had a hot hand and the offensive line was coming off the ball and they were a little tired and sagging."
So was Black, though only he knew.
"I'm not gonna lie, I was tired," Black said. "But if we had to keep going, I could have kept going. That was a crucial time."
Missouri, which blew at least two victories due to not-so-special special teams play in an 8-4 season last year, survived to win for the seventh time in eight games at home. The Tigers also scored on a blocked punt by Justin Smith in the first quarter.
"We were a very sporadic, erratic team," Smith said. "We were good enough to win and that's about it."
Alabama-Birmingham coach Watson Brown, whose team was 4-7 last season, wasn't satisfied with scaring Missouri.
"We got beat, that's my observation," Brown said. "We came here to win."
Black had 71 yards on 10 carries in a 12-play, 80-yard drive after Alabama-Birmingham cut the gap to three points when it blocked its second punt of the day for a touchdown. He ran for four first downs in the drive that was capped by a 12-yard pass from Kirk Farmer to freshman Joe Chirumbolo with 2:12 to go.
"That was really satisfying," center Rob Riti said. "That's certainly a sign of things to come."
Black got a taste of what it was like to fill in for West last year, when he ran for 48 yards on five carries in the second half of a narrow loss to Kansas State. West was out with an ankle injury at the time.
UAB's Al Hurst burst up the middle on the second block of a punt by Jared Gilpin with 7:57 remaining, setting up a 16-yard return by Adrian Abrams that cut Missouri's lead to 24-21. Chris Brown also scored for the Blazers on a 16-yard return in the first quarter after Avery Warner blocked the first punt by Gilpin, a sophomore making his first start.
"Coach told us in a meeting that we could get one," Hurst said. "You get a blocked punt and it boosts the morale a lot on the sidelines."
Alabama-Birmingham rallied again on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Daniel Dixon to Carl Fair with 1:38 to go. The score came one play after Percy Coleman's 69-yard run. Dixon was 18-for-29 for 124 yards.
"The best thing we did was pass protection," Brown said. "Our quarterback had more time today than we've had in three years."
Smith, the Big 12 defensive freshman of the year last season, blocked UAB's first punt at the 16. Teammate John McPherson scooped up the ball at the 9 and scored for a 10-0 lead with 8:43 to go in the first quarter.
Dwayne Blakely also scored on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Farmer and Zain Gilmore had a 1-yard run for Missouri.
Missouri used a rotating quarterback system until sophomore Jim Dougherty, who started and played the first quarter, left with a sprained left knee late in the second quarter. Farmer, a redshirt freshman, played the entire second half.
Farmer was 9-for-17 for 88 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions and Dougherty was 6-for-13 for 46 yards.
Missouri has blocked 25 kicks in six seasons under Smith, including nine punts.
Missouri led at halftime for the 19th straight game, but only 17-14.
A MIZZOU WIN ...
? would give Missouri a 2-0 record for the second straight season,
? would give Missouri a 1-0 series record against Western Michigan,
? would give Missouri a 3-1 record against MAC member schools,
? would be Missouri's third straight victory,
? would be Missouri's 13th win in its last 18 regular-season games,
? would be Missouri's eighth win in its last nine home games,
? would be Missouri's second straight win at home,
? would be Missouri's 13th straight win over an unranked opponent,
? would be Larry Smith's 28th career win at MU, and 138th overall,
? would give Missouri an all-time record of 537-454-52.
A MIZZOU LOSS ...
? would give Missouri a 1-1 record for the first time since 1997,
? would be Missouri's first loss to a MAC opponent since 1995,
? would give Missouri a 0-1 series record against Western Michigan,
? would give Missouri a 3-2 record against MAC member schools,
? would be Larry Smith's 32nd career loss at MU, and 112th overall,
? would give Missouri an all-time record of 536-455-52.
Last Week: W. Michigan 46, Youngstown State 28
Tim Lester threw for 316 yards and five touchdowns as Western Michigan pulled away for a 46-28 victory over Division I-AA foe Youngstown State in Kalamazoo.
Lester, who threw for 405 yards and two touchdowns in last week's loss to No. 4 Florida, gave the Broncos (1-1) a 24-21 lead on the final play of the first half on a 42-yard touchdown pass to Corey Alston.
Brad Selent accounted for the only points of the third quarter with a 32-yard field goal. Lester increased the margin to 34-21 on a seven-yard TD toss to Joshua Bush, his second scoring catch of the game.
Youngstown State (1-1), ranked 17th in the ESPN/USA Today Division I-AA poll, closed within 34-28 with eight minutes to go on a two-yard burst by Ime Akpan, but Rashad McDade raced 99 yards with the ensuing kickoff to give the Broncos a 40-28 advantage.
Lester capped a 10-play, 64-yard drive with a 12-yard strike to Steve Neal with 2:54 to go. Alston had four receptions for 102 yards, while Neal contributed seven catches for 76 yards.
Robert Sanford netted 129 yards rushing for Western Michigan, which had 465 yards of total offense.
Jeff Ryan completed 24-of-37 passes for 253 yards, one touchdown and ran for another for the Penguins, who scored 21 of their points in the second quarter. Elliott Giles had nine receptions for 144 yards for Youngstown State, which failed to take advantage of four turnovers by the Broncos.
TIGERS WHO HAVE GOTTEN
THEIR FIRST CAREER START IN 1999
Offense (6) Year OT Justin Bland Sophomore OG Mike Hayes Sophomore OG Joe Glauberman Junior FB T.J. Leon RS Freshman QB Jim Dougherty Sophomore TB DeVaughn Black Senior Defense (4) Year CB Terrence Curry Freshman SS Clarence Jones Sophomore LB Jamonte Robinson Sophomore OLB Pat Duffy Junior Specialists (2) Year K Brad Hammerich Sophomore P Jared Gilpin Sophomore
"THIS WEEK IN MU FOOTBALL"
Hosted by KOMU-TV Sports Director Brian Neuner, "This Week in Mizzou Football" airs on TV stations across the state each week. The show, with Coach Larry Smith, previews the upcoming game, takes a look back at the previous game, includes special features, Big 12 highlights and more. The show begins Sun., Sept. 5, and runs for 12 consecutive weeks. It airs on these stations:
Station City Time, Day KOMU Columbia 10:30 a.m., Sundays KPLR St. Louis 9:30 a.m., Sundays Fox Sports MW St. Louis tba KMCI Kansas City 2 p.m., Sundays Metrosports Kansas City 7:30 p.m., Wednesdays KBSI Cape Girardeau 10 p.m., Sundays KYOU Kirksville/Ottumwa 11:30 p.m., Sundays KGCS Joplin 7 p.m., Wednesdays KYTV Springfield 11 a.m., Sundays
"TIGER TALK"
Coach Larry Smith takes calls from fans around the country each Monday night, along with host Mike Kelly. The show is broadcast "live" from Harpo's (10th & Cherry in Columbia), beginning at 7:08 p.m. "Tiger Talk" may be heard on many of the Tiger Network stations, and on the Internet at www.gamecruiser.com. "Tiger Talk" is preceded by "The Mike Alden Show" at 6 p.m. on KFRU Radio in Columbia.
MU's Tiger Network
Ava, KKOZ-AM, 1430
Ava, KKOZ-FM, 92.1
Bethany, KAAN-AM, 870
Bethany, KAAN-FM, 95.5
Bolivar, KYOO-AM, 1200
Bolivar, KYOO-FM, 99.1
Bowling Green, KPCR-AM, 1530
Bowling Green, KPCR-FM, 94.1
Butler, KMAM-AM, 1530
Butler, KMOE-FM, 92.1
California, KREL-AM, 1420
Cape Girardeau, KZIM-AM, 960
Clinton, KDKD-FM, 95.3
Columbia, KFRU-AM, 1400
Farmington, KREI-AM, 800
Festus, KJFF-AM, 1400
Hannibal, KHMO-AM, 1070
Jeff City/Columbia, KOQL-FM, 106.1
Joplin, WMBH-AM, 1450
Kansas City, KCMO-AM, 710
Kennett, KBOA-FM, 105.5
Kirksville, KTUF-FM, 93.7
Lebanon, KLWT-AM, 1230
Malden, KTCB-AM, 1470
Marshall, KMMO-AM, 1330
Marshall, KMMO-FM, 102.9
Memphis, KMEM-FM, 96.7
Mexico, KXEO-AM, 1340
Moberly, KWIX-AM, 1230
Monett, KRMO-AM, 990
Montgomery City, KMCR-FM, 103.9
Mountain Grove, KELE-AM, 1360
Mountain Grove, KELE-FM, 106.5
Neosho, KBTN-AM, 1420
Nevada, KNEM-AM, 1240
Osage Beach, KRMS-AM, 1150
Poplar Bluff, KWOC-AM, 930
Potosi, KYRO-AM, 1280
Rolla, KTTR-AM, 1490
Rolla, KTTR-FM, 99.7
Salem, KSMO-AM, 1340
Sedalia, KDRO-AM, 1490
Sikeston, KSIM-AM, 1400
Springfield, KWTO-AM, 560
Ste. Genevieve, KSGM-AM, 980
St. Joseph, KFEQ-AM, 680
St. Louis, KTRS-AM, 550
Sullivan, KTUI-AM, 1560
Thayer, KALM-AM, 1290
Trenton, KTTN-FM, 92.3
Versailles, KTKS-FM, 95.1
Washington, KSLQ-AM, 1350
Washington, KSLQ-FM, 104.5
Waynesville, KOZQ-AM, 1270
Waynesville, KFBD-FM, 97.7
West Plains, KWPM-AM, 1450
West Plains, KSPQ-FM, 93.9
True Freshmen Make Their Debuts Against UAB
First true freshmen played for the Tigers in their opener vs. UAB - LB Sean Doyle, FS Gary Anthony, CB Terrence Curry (who started), WR Terrence Garvin, and FB Joe Chirumbolo.
For Chirumbolo, his first Mizzou action was especially sweet. He caught his first career pass in the fourth quarter and it went for a 12-yard touchdown that iced the 31-28 victory for the Tigers.
Open Week Came At An Opportune Time For The Tigers
The Tigers used the past week to brush up on fundamentals and focus on the problem areas that were identified in the opener vs. UAB.
The open date also gave Missouri a chance to get healthy. Return to practice last week were senior fullback Rob West, out since August 16 with a broken foot, and redshirt freshman cornerback Antoine Duncan, sidelined for a week after arthroscopic surgery to fix a slight carilage tear in a knee.
Bumps and bruises also healed for quarterbacks Jim Dougherty (knee) and Kirk Farmer (shoulder) and fullback T.J. Leon (shoulder).
National Spotlight Shines on Justin Smith
Missouri sophomore defensive end Justin Smith, who had nine tackles and blocked a punt for a touchdown against UAB, will be featured in this week's issue of Sports Illustrated.
Reporter B.J. Schecter was on campus on Thursday, and Smith endured a three-hour photo session on Friday. One of the poses for Smith was a weight-lifting scene on The Quad in front of MU's historic Columns. The story is expected to run this week in the magazine's "Inside College Football" section.
This week, Smith could reach the 100-plateau for his short Missouri career. He enters the contest with 95.
Tigers Turn Turnovers into Points
Missouri picked up right where it left off in the opener vs. UAB, turning the Blazers' only turnover (a fumble recovered by Jamonte Robinson) into a touchdown.
Last year, MU scored 108 points off of 25 turnovers, while MU opponents tallied just 23 following Tiger miscues. UAB failed to turn the Tigers' two turnovers into points two weeks ago.
All of this opportunistic play continues the trend that began in 1997 when Mizzou scored 93 points as a result of 21 turnovers by the opposition, while MU foes managed just 20 points off of Tiger mistakes. In 1996, MU gave up 136 points following its own turnovers.
Since Larry Smith came to Missouri, the Tigers have forced 110 turnovers and committed 96. They've forced at least one turnover in 52 of 58 games since Smith became the head coach. And the Tigers have scored 13 defensive touchdowns during the Smith era, including six last season.
Missouri is 9-2-1 since 1994 when its defense finds the end zone:
1994 @ Iowa State (MU wins, 34-20)
Damon Simon pass interception for a TD
1994 @ Hawaii (MU ties, 32-32)
Damon Simon fumble recovery for a TD
Marc Pedrotti pass interception for a TD
1995 vs. Iowa State at home (MU wins, 45-31)
Caldrinoff Easter pass interception for a TD
1996 @ Baylor (MU wins, 49-42)
Harold Piersey pass interception for a TD
1997 vs. Baylor at home (MU wins, 42-24)
Justin Wyatt pass interception for a TD
1998 @ Ohio State (MU loses, 35-14)
Carlos Posey fumble return for a TD
1998 @ Texas Tech (MU wins, 28-26)
Terrell Jurineack fumble recovery for a TD
1998 vs. Oklahoma at home (MU wins, 20-6)
Wade Perkins pass interception for a TD
1998 vs. Colorado at home (MU wins, 38-14)
Carlos Posey pass interception for a TD
1998 @ Nebraska at home (MU losses, 20-13)
Steve Erickson fumble recovery for a TD
1998 vs. West Virginia (MU wins, 34-31)
Carlos Posey blocked field goal return for a TD
1999 vs. UAB (MU wins, 31-28)
John McPherson blocked punt return for a TD
Tigers Get Their Kicks
After blocking a punt for a TD against UAB (and deflecting another), MU has blocked kicks in four of its last seven games (including the Insight.com Bowl).
That gives Mizzou 24 blocked kicks since Larry Smith took over at MU - 11 PATs, eight punts and five field goals.
OUTLAND TROPHY CANDIDATE
Rob Riti .. center .. 6-3 .. 289 .. senior
o One of 15 players on the pre-season Outland Trophy "watch" list by the Football Writers Association of America.
o Pre-season All-American by many publications, including Playboy, the Sporting News, Student Advantage, Football News, Athlon, and others.
o Holder of the Missouri squat lift record - 1,000 pounds. Has started 34 consecutive games at Missouri, during three seasons in which the Tigers have ranked among the nation's top nine teams in rushing yards per game.
o In 1998, graded out at 86 percent for the season with 59 knockdown blocks, and was a first-team all-Big 12 selection.
Says Rob of his goals for 1999: "If you accomplish your team goals, the individual things will take care of themselves ... I'd like to be the best center in college football."
Riti is spotlighted each weekend on ESPN.com's "The Players" feature.
Layman Nears Top 10
Senior wide receiver Kent Layman is closing in on Missouri's career top-10 for receiving yardage. He's gained 1,052 yards in his career and needs 94 to pass Harold Burnine to 10th place.
He enters this week's game having nabbed 49 passes for 1,052 yards.
MU CAREER RECEIVING LEADERS
name yards REC. YEARS
7. Brian Sallee 1313 119 1991-94
8. Andy Gibler 1290 101 1979-82
9. Tim Bruton 1286 97 1987-90
10. Harold Burnine 1145 75 1953-55
KENT LAYMAN 1052 49 '96-99
Odom Climbs the Charts, Too
Senior linebacker Barry Odom moved into 14th place in career tackling at Missouri with his 10 stops against UAB. Another 10-tackle performance would enable the senior from Ada, Okla., to climb two more spots, passing defensive backs Ken Downing and Harold Piersey.
TIGERS IN THE NFL
Here's a look at Missouri players who are playing in the National Football League:
#Byron Chamberlain TE Denver Broncos Craig Heimburger OG Green Bay Packers Michael Jones LB St. Louis Rams Rick Lyle DE New York Jets Steve Martin NT Philadelphia Eagles A.J. Ofodile TE Baltimore Ravens Brock Olivo TB Detroit Lions Harold Piersey DB San Francisco 49ers Otis Smith CB New York Jets
# Completed eligibility at another school.
MU CAREER TACKLE LEADERS
name UT-AT-TT YEARS 9. Van Darkow, lb 97-197-294 1978-81 10. Caldrinoff Easter, db 180-103-283 1995-98 11. Chris Garlich, lb 115-161-276 1975-78 12. Harold Piersey, db 162-106-268 1995-98 13. Ken Downing, db 153-110-263 1973-75 14. BARRY ODOM, lb 142-117-259 '96-99
MU PLAYERS-OF-THE-WEEK
The Missouri coaching staff presents player-of-the week awards after each game. Here are the UAB winners:
OFFENSE TB DeVaughn Black DEFENSE LB Jamonte Robinson SPECIAL TEAMS K Brad Hammerich SCOUT TEAM - O QB Darius Outlaw SCOUT TEAM - D DL Jemarcus Joshua
MISSOURI CHAMPIONS CLUB
MU's coaches select a "Champions Club" for players who played winning football in the previous game. The UAB honorees:
OFFENSE - DeVaughn Black, Dwayne Blakley, Joe Chirumbolo, Aaron Crittendon, Jim Dougherty, Kirk Farmer, Brandon Ford, Mike Hayes, Kent Layman, Rob Riti, Kareem Wise.
DEFENSE - Jamonte Robinson, Pat Duffy, Steve Erickson, Jeff Marriott, Pat Mingucci, Barry Odom, Carlos Posey, Andre Roberson, Justin Smith.
SPECIAL TEAMS - Brad Hammerich, Michael Clay, Sean Doyle, John McPherson, Andre Roberson, Justin Smith.
Homegrown Tigers
Missouri's depth chart reveals that 29 members of the two-deep roster are from the State of Missouri - 19 on offense and 10 on defense.
MISSOURI NON-LEAGUE RECORDS
1970 - 83 1984 - 99
1970 2-2 1984 1-3
1971 1-3 1985 0-4
1972 3-1 1986 1-3
1973 4-0 1987 2-2
1974 2-2 1988 1-2-1
1975 3-1 1989 1-3
1976 3-1 1990 2-2
1977 1-3 1991 2-1-1
1978 3-1 1992 1-3
1979 3-1 1993 1-2-1
1980 3-1 1994 1-3-1
1981 4-0 1995 2-2
1982 3-1 1996 2-1
1983 2-2 1997 2-1
TOTAL 37-19 1998 2-1
1999 1-0
TOTAL 22-33-4
If It Goes to Overtime
Missouri has a 3-1 record in overtime, having beaten Oklahoma State in Columbia, 35-28, and, Baylor, in Waco, 49-42 (three overtimes) in 1996, and at Oklahoma State 51-50 (2 OT) in 1997. MU's first OT defeat came on Faurot Field, in '97, when Nebraska prevailed, 45-38, in the "Flea-Kicker" game.
For Mizzou, Defense Never Rests
The Tiger defense got a wake-up call in the season opener against UAB, but the numbers were a bit deceiving. Half of the Blazer's 28 points were scored against the MU special teams, and 69 of UAB's 292 yards came on one draw play late in the fourth quarter when the game had already been decided.
There are high expectations for the Missouri defense in 1999, and not just because the group was the team's third leading scorer a year ago when the Tigers scored six defensive touchdowns.
Coach Larry Smith has said it many times -- that this is the most experienced and deepest defensive unit with which he's been blessed in six season's at Missouri.
Missouri didn't have to outscore many teams to win in last year unlike in '97 when the Tigers averaged 33.5 points per game but gave up 30.2.
Last season, Defensive Coordinator Moe Ankney's unit cut its touchdowns allowed from 45 to 21, and its total defense mark from 386.5 yards per game to 313.4. The 205 points allowed by the defense (down from 332 in 1997) was Missouri's best figure since 1983 when the Tigers' Bobby Bell/Jay Wilson-led-defense allowed just 181.
Maligned in '97 for giving up big plays - 51 for 20-or-more yards - the Tigers were stingy in '98. Missouri opponents managed only 24 plays of 20-plus yards, and only 11 of those came in the season's final seven games.
More unpredictable and mixing their pass coverage more, the Tigers saw their quarterback sacks total jump from 17 to 30.
Here's a look at Missouri's defensive statistical categories and how they ranked nationally in 1997 and 1998:
1997 1998 CATEGORY STAT 'RANK STAT 'RANK Scoring Defense 30.2 84th 18.6 22nd Rushing Defense 193.7 93rd 160.1 63rd Pass Eff. Defense 118.9 47th 110.0 27th Total Defense 386.5 76th 313.4 21st
In Missouri's first game, the defense allowed only one play of more than 20 yards and had two quarterback sacks.
MU Looks to Top 50,000 Again
With season ticket sales having reached 35,000, Missouri is well on its way to reaching its goal of a 1999 attendance average of 60,000 fans per game.
The crowd of 50,356 that was on hand for the UAB opener was the 10th crowd of 50,000-or-more since Larry Smith became the Missouri head coach in 1994. That means that 10 of the top 16 home crowds Mizzou has had since '84 have come with Smith at the helm.
Next week, when Nebraska comes to town, MU will have its second sellout in a span of four home games. The tilt against the Cornhuskers was declared a complete sellout on Wednesday, when the last general admission tickets were sold. That means a crowd of 68,174 will be on hand for the Big 12 Conference opener.
BIG CROWDS SINCE 1984 9/29/84 70,915 Notre Dame 16, Missouri 14 10/19/85 62,733 Nebraska 28, Missouri 20 11/9/85 50,321 Oklahoma 51, Missouri 6 10/31/87 55,594 Nebraska 42, Missouri 7 10/14/89 55,620 Nebraska 50, Missouri 7 10/24/92 53,337 Nebraska 34, Missouri 24 ARRIVAL OF LARRY SMITH 9/3/94 55,263 Tulsa 20, Missouri 17 10/22/94 50,537 Nebraska 42, Missouri 7 9/6/97 52,514 MISSOURI 44, E. Michigan 24 9/27/97 58,882 Ohio State 31, Missouri 10 11/8/97 66,846 Nebraska 45, Missouri 38 (ot) 9/12/98 59,720 MISSOURI 41, Kansas 23 10/17/98 61,586 MISSOURI 20, Oklahoma 6 11/8/98 57,261 MISSOURI 38, Colorado 14 11/21/98 68,174 Kansas State 31, Missouri 25 9/4/99 50,356 MISSOURI 31, UAB 28
Tiger Tales
? At the conclusion of two-a-day workouts, Coach Larry Smith rewarded four players who came to Mizzou as walkons. Now on full scholarship are seniors Brad Smith (OT), DeVaughn Black (TB) and Arty Johnson (WR), and sophomore Ben Davidson (deep snapper).
? The St. Petersburg Times recently picked a alltime list of the top-100 high school football players in Hillsborough County. Checking in at No. 6 was Missouri sophomore tailback Zain Gilmore.
? Brad Hammerich's 42-yard field goal against UAB was Missouri's longest since the opening game of 1997 when Scott Knickman booted the longest of his career - 47 yards vs. Eastern Michigan.
? In the 1999 NCAA Football Records Book, just released, former MU quarterback Corby Jones was mistakenly omitted on page 28 from the list of alltime quarterbacks with the most career yards gained rushing. Jones' total of 2,533 yards ranks 11th in NCAA history.
MISSOURI IN BIG 12 CONFERENCE/NCAA TEAM STATS
CATEGORY STATISTIC BIG 12 NCAA Rushing Offense 245 yards/game 3rd 16th Passing Offense 134 yards/game 11th 98th Total Offense 379 yards/game T-9th T-57th Scoring Offense 31 points/game 9th T-43rd Turnover Margin -1/game 9th T-84th Pass Effic. Def. 109.4 rating pts 10th 43rd Rushing Defense 168 yards/game 9th 74th Total Defense 292 yards/game 7th 32nd Scoring Defense 28 points/game 9th T-71st Net Punting 22 yards/punt 12th 114th Punt Returns 14.5 yds/return 3rd T-15th Kickoff Returns 18 yds/return 9th 80thTIGERS IN BIG 12 CONFERENCE/NCAA INDIVIDUAL STATS
CATEGORY PLAYER STATISTIC BIG 12 NCAA Rushing DeVaughn Black 140 yards/game 3rd 13th All-Purpose Running DeVaughn Black 140 yards/game 4th T-49th Passing Efficiency Kirk Farmer 111.7 rating pts 11th - Total Offense DeVaughn Black 140 yards/game 12th - Scoring Brad Hammerich 7 points/game T-9th 6th Field Goals Brad Hammerich 1/game T-3rd T-33rd
Big Crowds Necessitate New Traffic Patterns
As soon as the 1998 season was completed, Missouri officials began revising the parking and traffic patterns at Memorial Stadium to accommodate the big crowds that have become commonplace the last two seasons.
Patrons are reminded that most parking lots in the immediate vicinity of the stadium are reserved for donors to the Tiger Scholarship Fund. General public parking may be found on the east side of Hearnes Center and at the Maryland Ave. Parking Garage.
In 1999, Mick Deaver Drive (which runs between Hearnes Center and Memorial Stadium) and South Hearnes Drive (south of the stadium) will be accessible pre-game only to those persons who have permits to park in Tiger Scholarship Fund lots.
Post-game, traffic exiting most lots will be required to turn right for the first 30-45 minutes to clear the stadium area as quickly as possible.
New Media Parking Lot
A new parking lot has been constructed for the media and game officials. It is located at the southwest corner of Providence Road and Carrie Francke Drive, just south and west of its previous location in Lot C.
Two media shuttle vans will run continuously from the new lot to the Memorial Stadium press box. Shuttle service will begin three hours prior to kickoff, and will run until four hours after the game's conclusion.
Tigers Score Against Hunger
Again this year, MU Head Coach Larry Smith and the Tigers have teamed up with the Central Missouri Food Bank to stop hunger in its tracks. Interested persons can pledge money for every point the Tigers score in 1999. The proceeds help the food bank and more than 120 charities in its 29-county region provide free food to soup kitchens, shelters and food pantries.
For more information, call 1-800-764-3663, or 573-474-1020.
Since the program began five years ago, more than $750,000 has been raised and more than 11 million meals have been provided to Missourians in need.
Last Year's Stars in the House
Both Devin West and Corby Jones will be on the Missouri sideline Saturday afternoon. West is now working as an assistant in the MU weight room. Jones is a quarterback with the CFL's Montreal Allouettes. He didn't make their trip this weekend to Vancouver to allow another squad member who has family in Seattle to travel.
? Freshman running back Zain Gilmore's name is of African origin. His first name is actually pronounced Zah-een, but he gave up on the pronunciation years ago because no one ever got it right. It means: "beautiful and nice." His middle name is Jabbaar, which means "huge and powerful."
He's always got a big smile on his face and his teammates have nicknamed him "Happy." [You'll remember, too, the Adam Sandler movie, Happy Gilmore.]
? Missouri's shutout victory in the opener was its first at home since 1986, its first in a season opener since 1973, and just the second of the Larry Smith era at MU.
? John Dausman caught his first pass as a Tiger against Kansas and it went for a touchdown. He slipped the ball to equipment manager Brad Berlin for safe keeping. He had a career-high four receptions at Nebraska.
Elsewhere in the Southridge subdivision (about two miles south of Faurot Field), a neighboring roof damaged the duplex of Ryan Douglass, Joe Glauberman, and Barry Mazuch.
A number of other MU student-athletes were affected, too, but luckily, no one was injured by the storm that did more than $6.4 million damage.
Tigers Score Against Hunger
Again this year, MU Head Coach Larry Smith and the Tigers have teamed up with the Central Missouri Food Bank to stop hunger in its tracks. Interested persons can pledge money for every point the Tigers score in 1998. The proceeds help the Central Missouri Food Bank and more than 120 charities in its 29-county region provide free food to soup kitchens, shelters and food pantries.
For more information, call 1-800-764-3663, or 573-474-1020.
Last year's campaign, thanks to the record 368 points scored by the Tigers, netted nearly $250,000. Since Smith came to Missouri, the program has provided nearly eight million meals to Central Missourians in need.
Baseball Stadium Project Receives $1 Million Boost
A $1 million gift from Ralph O. Taylor and his wife, Debbie, both of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Prairie Village, Kan., will go a long way towards completing the West Grounds of The Sports Park at MU. Director of Athletics Michael Alden announced Sept. 11 that the gift will begin the process to construct a new baseball stadium and team facilities.
"On behalf of the entire University of Missouri family, I want to thank the Taylors for their generosity. This is an exciting moment for the University of Missouri and particularly for our baseball program," Alden said. "Our development staff and Coach Tim Jamieson are to be commended. I know they have worked hard to secure support for improvements to the baseball facilities.
"Ralph and Debbie Taylor have continued the momentum that's been generated toward facility improvements at MU. Within the last several years every athletic venue south of Providence Road has received attention ? Walton Stadium, the Devine Pavilion, the Shelden Academic Resource Center and the McElroy Sports Medicine Center."
Simmons Field, the site of Tiger baseball since 1958, has long been acknowledged as having one of the best playing surfaces in the Midwest - especially after its turf renovation in 1994. Now, spectators will be provided with long-coveted amenities. Alden anticipates that construction will begin in the summer of 1999, with completion of a 2,000-seat stadium in time for the 2000 season.
Besides having a permanent grandstand, the new stadium will also feature a new press box, team rooms, fan amenities (concession stands, restrooms, ticket office, etc.).
"The Missouri baseball program has had a long-standing winning tradition," Jamieson said. "The Taylors have helped us match the commitment to excellence that all of the players in the past have made and the players of the future will be expected to make. I'm happy for the program and all the players, past and present, and to those who have been great supporters of Missouri baseball over the years."
New Facilities Dedicated
It was a proud moment for the University of Missouri in September when three jewels of The Sports Park at MU's Central Grounds were dedicated in special ceremonies.
The Daniel J. Devine Pavilion, Glenn L. McElroy, M.D. Sports Medicine Center and the Shelden Academic Resource Center each had separate ribbon-cuttings on Sept. 11.
Construction on the $12 million facilities, which were designed by the Kansas City architectural firm of Ellerbe Becket, began last year and was completed in August. The general contractor was Curtiss Manes Schulte of Eldon, Mo.
-- The Devine Pavilion, named for former MU football coach and two-term athletic director Dan Devine, is an indoor practice facility that will be utilized by the football, baseball, softball and soccer teams. It features an 80-yard synthetic field and permanent and portable batting cages.
-- The Shelden Academic Resource Center, named for Dr. and Mrs. Russell Shelden of Kansas City, is a state-of-the-art home to the University's Total Person Program. It includes staff offices and conference rooms, individual tutorial rooms, open study areas and a large computer laboratory.
-- The Glenn L. McElroy, M.D. Sports Medicine Center, named for team physician emeritus Glenn McElroy, includes greatly expanded taping and treatment areas, staff offices, physician's examining rooms, and hydrotherapy space. The center also features new dressing rooms for MU's softball and soccer teams, staff dressing rooms and the Varsity M Association Student-Athlete Lounge.
