Sept. 12, 2005
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
TIGER NEWS & NOTES
Troy Trojans (1-1) at Missouri Tigers (1-1)
Sept. 17, 2005 - Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium - Columbia, Mo.
KICKOFF: 1 p.m. (central time).
STADIUM: Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium (68,349 - FieldTurf surface). Opened in 1926. MU is 227-161-20 there alltime, but has lost 4 straight, dating back to 2004.
RADIO: Tiger Network (Mike Kelly, play-by-play/John Kadlec, color/Chris Gervino, sidelines). Carried on over 50 stations statewide, and on the Internet at mutigers.com. The game is also carried on SIRIUS Satellite Radio on Channel #138.
TV: None for this game.
RANKINGS (AP/ESPN-USA): Neither team is currently ranked.
SERIES: Tied, 1-1. MU won 44-7 in Columbia in 2002, while Troy upset the 19th-ranked Tigers last year in Troy, Ala., 24-14.
COACHES:
Mizzou: Gary Pinkel (Kent, '75), 23-26 at MU (5th year) and 96-63-3 overall (15th year). Pinkel is 1-1 versus Troy and Larry Blakeney.
Troy: Larry Blakeney (Auburn, '70), 116-54-1 at Troy (15th year) and overall. Blakeney is 1-1 versus Mizzou and Gary Pinkel.
The Missouri Tigers (1-1 overall) look to bounce back from a tough loss last Saturday, as they play host to the Troy Trojans (1-1) on Sept. 17th at Faurot Field. Kickoff for the non-televised game will be 1 p.m. central.
Mizzou is coming off a 45-35 home defeat last Saturday at the hands of the New Mexico Lobos, in an offensive shootout that ultimately was decided by turnovers. New Mexico forced three Tiger miscues which led to 14 points, while MU could not gain a turnover from its visitors.
Troy, meanwhile, is looking to bounce back as well, as it lost a home game last weekend to UAB by a score of 27-7. The Trojans opened their 2005 season with a 27-10 home victory over Cal-Poly.
TIGERS DROP SHOOTOUT TO NEW MEXICO
Mizzou enters Saturday's game against Troy looking to rebound from a tough 45-35 loss last week against New Mexico. The Tigers had their second straight impressive day offensively, but the Lobo offense was equal to the task, and New Mexico decisively won the turnover battle, as it converted 3 MU miscues (2 INTs, and 1 fumble returned for a TD) into 14 points. In turn, the Lobos played a perfect game from a turnover standpoint, as they had no giveaways.
Offensively, Mizzou rolled to 490 yards of total offense on the night, with a balanced attack that featured virtually identical passing and rushing totals of 248 and 242 yards, respectively.
But defensively, MU couldn't get the stops it needed late in the game as the Lobos rallied from a 7-point 3rd-quarter deficit to notch the win. New Mexico scored 24 points in the final 16:11 of the game for the victory. The Lobos ended the game with 431 yards of total offense, and much like Mizzou, was very balanced with 229 in the air and 202 on the ground.
THE FLOW OF IT ALL
Last Saturday's game against New Mexico had so many big plays for both teams, that the flow of the game definitely had its big swings.
Defensively for Mizzou, after allowing the Lobos to take the opening possession of the game for a 10-play, 69-yard TD drive, MU's defenders held UNM scoreless on 6 of its next 7 possessions, stretching late into the third quarter.
That surge in defense had allowed the Tiger offense to catch up and get rolling, as the Tigers took a 28-21 lead late in the 3rd quarter, and appeared headed to a win. But just when things looked so promising, a Tiger drive stalled, and after a short MU punt, the Lobos responded with a 66-yard drive that took just 3 plays to tie the score. That started a string that saw New Mexico score 24 points on four consecutive possessions. In all, the Lobos had 205 yards of their game total of 431 in the game's final 17:22.
At the same token, MU's offense was equally up and down. Scoring 35 points and rolling up nearly 500 yards of offense would tell one that it was mostly up, and it was. However, two key turnovers contributed mightily to New Mexico's win, and kept MU from either pulling away or pulling out a rally for the win.
The first came on the opening possession of the 2nd half, with the score tied at 14 apiece. QB Brad Smith dropped back on a 3rd-and-long, and couldn't find an open man as the pocket collapsed on him. Unable to escape, Smith attempted to throw the ball away, but it was knocked loose and scooped up at MU's 28-yardline and returned for a New Mexico TD by Evroy Thompson. The play was reviewed in the replay booth but the call on the field stood.
Mizzou overcame that momentum swing to lead 28-21 late into the third quarter before seeing the Lobos take a 38-35 lead with just 4:22 remaining in the game. With the ball back and at its own 35-yardline, the Tiger offense appeared poised to march down the field for either a game-tying or game-winning score. But it wasn't to be, as New Mexico's Gabriel Fulbright jumped a pass by Smith and intercepted it near midfield and returned it to MU's 30. Just four plays later, the Lobos sealed the game with a TD to account for the final score.
TIGER OFFENSE HAD ITS WAY FOR THE MOST PART
In looking at the drive charts for last Saturday's game against New Mexico, it seems as though the Tiger offense was never really stopped cold, so to speak.
Of MU's 13 possessions (6 of which ended in scores), 10 of them ended in New Mexico territory. The only 3 MU drives that didn't reach the other side of the 50 did so because of Tiger turnovers. Mizzou's turnovers came from its own 28 yardline (INT), 28 yardline again (fumble returned for a TD) and 42 yardline (INT).
Additionally, Mizzou's four other non-scoring possessions on the night all ended in Lobo territory. The Tigers reached the UNM 38-yardline and 49-yardline before stalling out and punting, while it twice lost the ball on downs in the 4th quarter - at the Lobo 36-yardline and 38-yardline.
MIZZOU-TROY SERIES NOTES
- Mizzou and Troy will meet for the 3rd time since 2002, and the series is tied at 1-win apiece. Mizzou claimed a 44-7 win in 2002 in Columbia in the first game ever played between the two schools, while Troy notched a 24-14 upset win over the 19th-ranked Tiger squad in game #2 last season in Troy, Ala....
- MU QB Brad Smith had 350 yards of total offense in the 2002 meeting in Columbia. He threw for 213 yards and 1 score, and also had 137 rushing yards and 1 TD, with his rushing TD of the highlight-reel variety where he plowed into the middle of the line on a QB sneak on 4th-and-1, and spun around off left tackle after being initially stopped. After spinning, he darted outside and sprinted untouched down the left sideline for an improbable 28-yard TD on what was supposed to be a 1-yard gain to keep a drive alive...
- Smith was held to 260 yards of offense at Troy in 2004, as he threw for 224 yards and 1 score. He was intercepted twice by the Trojans however, and was held to only 36 yards rushing on 15 attempts - a very un-Smith-like average of 2.4 yards per carry.
LAST YEAR REWIND: TROY 24, #19 MIZZOU 14
Statistics don't always paint the most accurate picture, and that old saying proved quite true as the 19th-ranked Missouri Tigers were upset by the unranked Troy Trojans, 24-14, in Troy, Ala. in the second game of the season last year.
Mizzou had better statistics in most categories vs. the Trojans, but came up on the short end of the stick as the Tiger offense was stifled by a stout Troy defense for the final three quarters, and the Trojans overcame a 14-0 deficit to rally with 24 unanswered points for the win.
As the first-ever BCS Conference school to play at Troy, the Tigers came out of the gates strong, dominating all facets of the game in running out to a 14-0 lead less than eight minutes in.
The Tigers received the opening kick, and promptly marched 80 yards in 11 plays and scored on a 6-yard run by Damien Nash to take a 7-0 lead. Tiger CB Shirdonya Mitchell intercepted Troy QB Aaron Leak on the first Trojan play from scrimmage, and returned it to the Troy 39 yardline to set the Tigers up for another score.
The Tiger offense obliged, as it went the distance in 8 plays, and Brad Smith hit TE Victor Sesay in the end zone for a 10-yard score to put MU up, 14-0 at the 7:28 mark in the 1st quarter.
Mizzou's defense continued to dominate Troy, holding the Trojans without a first down until the 9:22 mark in the 2nd quarter. But while MU's defense was taking care of business, the Tiger offense couldn't add to the lead, as it was forced to punt on each of its last 5 2nd-quarter possessions.
That proved costly, because Troy's offense finally got untracked, as it rattled off 17 consecutive points in the final 6:49 of the 2nd quarter to take a 17-14 lead into halftime.
The first score was on a trick play, as Troy WR Jason Samples took a lateral pass from Leak and lofted a 27-yard TD pass to RB Jermaine Richardson to get the Trojans on the board with 6:49 left in the half. After an MU punt, Troy went 92 yards in just 3 plays to tie the game up at 14 apiece.
The score was a bad break for Mizzou, as Troy RB DeWhitt Betterson was separated from the ball by MU's Jason Simpson after an 8-yard gain. Instead of snuffing out the drive, however, the fumble flew straight into the hands of Troy OL Junior Louissant, who caught the ball perfectly in stride and ran all the way to the endzone for a 63-yard run.
Troy got a field goal late in the half, and after a scoreless 3rd quarter, got a 33-yard TD pass from Leak to Samples on a broken play to account for the final margin with 11:13 left in the game.
Mizzou's offensive attack couldn't get untracked in the 2nd half, as it constantly moved the ball, only to get derailed by 3 costly turnovers.
The Tiger defense was very good for most of the night, as it held Troy to just 293 yard of offense, forced 3 Trojan turnovers, notched 4 sacks, and held Troy to just 2-of-12 on 3rd downs.
Brad Smith BREAKS MU CAREER RECORDS FOR PASSING & RUSHING
Last Saturday was a bittersweet occasion for the Tigers, because despite the loss, they witnessed history not once, but twice, in the third quarter, as graduate QB Brad Smith (he earned his bachelor's degree in business administration in May of 2005) broke two major school career records.
First up on the hit list was the MU career passing yardage record of 6,959 by Jeff Handy (1991-94). Smith entered Saturday's game against New Mexico with 6,812 yards, just 148 yards from the record. He got that total by early in the 3rd quarter, and the record fell on a 7-yard pass to TB Marcus Woods on MU's 3rd possession of the quarter.
Smith ended the game with 248 yards passing giving him an updated career total of 7,060 passing yards entering the Troy contest this Saturday.
Next up was the MU career rushing record of 3,198 set by Zack Abron (2000-03). Smith entered the game in 2nd place, with 3,083 yards, and needed 116 to break the record. He had 41 yards on the ground at halftime, but really came on in the third quarter as the Tiger offense racked up 203 yards of offense. Smith broke off two highlight-reel runs of 31 and 15 yards that went for TDs as MU rallied from a 21-14 deficit to take a 28-21 lead.
The rushing record came on a 32-yard run by Smith on the next-to-last play of the 3rd quarter. That pushed his game total to 140 yards, and he ended the evening with 165 to give him a total of 3,248.
Brad Smith OVER 400 YARDS OF OFFENSE IN EACH OF 1ST TWO GAMES
Those wondering how QB Brad Smith would take to MU's new offense have had their questions answered in a big way early on, as Smith has put up total offense numbers of 412 yards against Arkansas State and 413 yards against New Mexico.
His 2-game average of 412.5 yards per game ranks him 3rd nationally, while his rushing average of 130.0 per game is good for 10th in the NCAA heading into Saturday's game with Troy.
Smith had a statistical output of 412 yards of total offense in the season opener against ASU, as he passed for 317 and a career-high (and school-record tying) 4 TDs on the day (6, 1, 7 and 14 yards). Additionally, Smith was MU's leading rusher, as he ran for 95 yards on just 12 carries (7.9 avg.). He did all of this despite playing only 1 series in the final quarter-and-a-half of the game.
Smith completed 29-of-37 passes on the day, without an interception. His single-game QB rating of 186.0 was the 2nd-highest of his career.
Smith was named the SBC Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts. It marked the 5th time that he has won the award, with the other instances coming after performances in 2002 vs. Illinois, in 2003 vs. Nebraska and Texas Tech, and in 2004 vs. Iowa State.
Smith's 412 yards of total offense was just 7 shy of his personal best, when he amassed 419 in 2003 against Texas Tech (291 rushing, 128 passing)...
Smith's 317 yards passing were the 2nd-most of his career, trailing only the 334 he put up as a redshirt freshman in 2002 at Bowling Green...
SMITH MOVES INTO TOP-10 ON NCAA ALLTIME LIST
As mentioned above, Smith enters the Troy game with 3,248 rushing yards in his career. Every rushing yard he accumulates this year will get him closer to the top of the NCAA rushing record for a quarterback. Smith ranks 10th alltime on the NCAA QB rushing list, as the chart below indicates.
He's still got a bit to go to reach the record of 3,895 set by Antwaan Randle El of Indiana (1998-2001), but he has a shot to reach it. Given that he is 647 yards shy of the record entering Saturday's game, and with his career average of 85.5 yards rushing per game, he needs just under 8 more games to break the mark.
Smith's rushing total of 1,406 yards during the 2003 season was the 4th-most ever in a season by a quarterback, behind only Beau Morgan of Air Force (1,494 in 1996), Stacey Robinson of Northern Illinois (1,443 in 1989) and Jamaal Lord of Nebraska (1,412 in 2002).
SMITH ONLY 3RD QB IN NCAA D-I HISTORY TO ACHIEVE 6,000/3,000 FEAT
With 95 rushing yards Sept. 3rd against Arkansas State, Brad Smith passed the 3,000-yard plateau for his career in that category. That put MU's signal caller in rarified air from a national perspective, as he became only the 3rd player in NCAA Div. I-A history to achieve at least 6,000 yards passing and 3,000 yards rushing. In fact, only 4 others altogether have ever achieved the 3,000/3,000 feat.
As we all know, as a redshirt freshman in 2002, Smith became only the 2nd player in NCAA D-IA history to throw for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a single season, when he threw for 2,333 and rushed for another 1,029. He just missed that feat a 2nd time in 2003, when he threw for 1,977 yards and rushed for 1,406.
MORE Brad Smith QUICK SLANTS
We'll try to wrap up the homage to Brad Smith with a few more quick facts...
Is the NCAA's active career leader in total offense, with 10,308 yards entering the Troy game. Next most behind him is senior QB Brett Basanez of Northwestern, with 8,172 yards after two games...
Ranks 1st in the NCAA active career leaders in TDs responsible for, with 81, and leads 2004 Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart of USC (78)...
Can tie an NCAA total offense record if he gains 3,000 total yards this season, then he will join five others (Ty Detmer of BYU; Chad Pennington of Marshall; Tim Rattay of Louisiana Tech; Kliff Kingsbury of Texas Tech and Timmy Chang of Hawaii) as the only players in Division I-A history to have 3 years of 3,000 yards or more in total offense...
With just 2,500 yds. of offense in 2005, will become only the 3rd player in D-I history to have 4 years of 2,500 yds. (Antwaan Randle El of Indiana and Timmy Chang of Hawaii)...
With 3 rushing TDs and a rushing 2-point conversion against New Mexico, Smith upped his career scoring total to 204 points, making him only the 4th player in NCAA D-I history to throw for 200 points and score 200 points in a career (Rick Leach of Michigan; Antwaan Randle El of Indiana and Joshua Cribbs of Kent State)...
Enters the Troy game ranked 34th in NCAA D-I history in total offense (10,308 yds.), and if he reaches his three-year average of 3,161 in 2005, he'd end up with 12,644 yards, which would put him 5th alltime...
THE CHASE IS ON
For the second season in a row, a freshman tight end is making eye-opening contributions right out of the gate for Mizzou.
Last year, it was redshirt freshman Martin Rucker who made a splash as he earned freshman All-American status by catching 19 passes for 263 yards and 4 TDs.
This year, it is true freshman Chase Coffman that is turning heads. Coffman is coming off his second straight impressive game, as he had a career-high 6 catches for a team-best 49 yards and MU's only receiving TD of the night against New Mexico. Quite a clutch catch it was, as well, as he hauled in a 13-yarder on 3rd-and-goal to tie the game with under eight minutes left in the contest.
That marked the 2nd-straight game that Coffman has scored a TD, as he made a beautiful leaping catch in the back of the end zone at Arrowhead Stadium two weeks ago in MU's season-opening 44-17 win over Arkansas State. He ended that day with 3 catches for 36 yards and the one score.
At his current rate, Coffman is on pace to grab around 50 passes for over 450 yards.
Chase is the son of Paul Coffman, who was a standout tight end for the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs (1986-87), and the Green Bay Packers (1978-85), after playing collegiately at Kansas State.
SURELY, TEMPLE
Sophomore TB Tony Temple was held in check offensively by New Mexico last week, as he was limited to 31 yards rushing on 10 carries.
However, he was very effective on special teams, as he averaged 30.3 yards on four kickoff returns, and came close to breaking really big plays a couple of times.
Temple had 3 returns in the game for 30 yards or more, including a long of 36. He enters the Troy game with a return average of 28.8 yards, and that ranks him 3rd in the Big 12 Conference, and 20th nationally.
Temple hopes to become the first Tiger to return a kickoff for a touchdown since 1982, when Ricky Doby took a reverse and went 85 yards for a TD against Oklahoma State. Since then, MU has returned 887 consecutive kickoffs without a score.
CROSSETT GETTING HIS KICKS IN
Sophomore placekicker Adam Crossett was very dependable last Saturday against New Mexico, as he was perfect on all 5 of his kicks, including 2 field goals and 3 PATs.
Crossett single-handedly kept Mizzou in the game early, as he accounted for the Tigers' first six points on field goals of 25 and 45 yards - the latter of which tied his career long set during week one against Arkansas State. He is 3-of-4 through two games on three-point tries, after going 1-of-2 against ASU (make from 45, miss from 43) prior to last Saturday. He is 6-of-7 entering Saturday's game against Troy on extra points.
Crossett, who originally joined the team last year as a walk-on, also doubles as MU's kickoff man. He has displayed his strong leg enough to warrant 8 opponent touchbacks in 15 kickoff attempts. The opponents' average starting yardline after MU kickoffs has been only the 23 yardline.
TIGERS TURN IN EXPLOSIVE OFFENSIVE DAY IN SEASON-OPENING WIN OVER ASU
Mizzou was quite explosive in its 44-17 season-opening win over Arkansas State.
In that game, the Tigers rolled up 657 yards of total offense, with a potent and balanced attack that produced 340 yards passing and 317 yards rushing. It marked the first time that MU had 300 yards both rushing and passing in a game since 1969 against Kansas (344 rush / 307 pass).
MU's new spread attack accounted for a school-record-tying 4 TD passes (all by QB Brad Smith) and a pair of rushing TDs (one each by TBs Marcus Woods and Tony Temple).
After a 490-yard outing in game 2 versus New Mexico, MU ranks in the top-20 in four major offensive categories, including: total offense (3rd - 573.50 ypg), rushing (5th - 279.50 ypg), passing (14th - 294.00 ypg), and scoring (18th - 39.50 ppg).
OFFENSIVE RECORD NEARLY FALLS
Not only was MU's total offensive output of 657 yards the 2nd-highest total in the nation for the first weekend of play, it came oh-so-close to breaking a school single-game record.
Mizzou's single-game total offense record is 665 - just 8 yards more than MU's total against Arkansas State - and that came all the way back in 1949, when MU defeated rival Kansas in Lawrence, 34-28. That day, the Tigers racked up 465 yards rushing and 200 yards passing.
The ASU game marked just the 7th time in school history that the Tigers have topped the 600-yard plateau in a game. The last time that happened was in 1992 when MU beat then-Div. I-AA Marshall, 44-21 with 641 yards of total offense (258 rush, 383 pass). The last time MU had 600 yards of offense against a Div. I-A foe was against Kansas State in 1984 when the Tigers won 61-21 in Manhattan thanks to 614 yards of offense (355 rush, 259 pass).
The 657 yards of total offense on Sept. 3rd also was the most ever for MU in a season opener. The previous mark was 603 yards in 1982 versus Colorado State (244 rush, 359 pass) in a 28-14 win in Columbia.
DEFENSE HOLDS IT OWN AGAINST ARKANSAS STATE
While MU's offense stole the show in the season-opening win over Arkansas State, the Tiger defense played well itself overall. Mizzou held the Indians scoreless until ASU got a 32-yard field goal with 3:32 left in the 3rd quarter - after MU had built an insurmountable 37-0 lead.
MU was especially stingy on 3rd down, as the Tiger defenders allowed ASU to convert on only 2-of-15 3rd down tries on the day (13%).
SIX 1ST-TIME STARTERS GET THE NOD IN OPENER
Three starters on each side of the ball made their first career starts last Saturday versus Arkansas State, as the Tigers cruised to a 44-17 win.
Making their first career starts in the game on offense were WR Will Franklin, OL Mike Cook and OL Joel Clinger.
Making their first career starts on defense that day included LB Derrick Ming, DL Lorenzo Williams and DL Earl Stephens.
In game two, two more first-time starters were named: WR Tommy Saunders on offense, and S Brandon Massey on defense.
FOUR TRUE FRESHMEN HAVE SEEN ACTION THUS FAR
It appears that at least four true freshmen will not take redshirts this season, as three first-year Tigers saw action in the opener against Arkansas State and another did the same in game 2.
The quartet includes TE Chase Coffman, DL Ziggy Hood, QB Chase Daniel and LB Brock Christopher.
Coffman, who grew up in the Kansas City area, entered the season-opener on MU's second offensive possession and promptly caught a 16-yard pass from QB Brad Smith to get his feet wet. He later caught a 6-yard pass and capped his solid debut by making a beautiful leaping grab in the back of the end zone in the 4th quarter from Smith to notch his first career TD, from 14-yards out. Coffman made his collegiate debut in the same stadium where his father, Paul Coffman, played professionally. Paul was a standout tight end for the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs (1986-87), and the Green Bay Packers (1978-85), after playing collegiately at Kansas State.
Hood, a defensive tackle who hails from Amarillo, Texas, entered the ASU game on MU's second defensive series as well. Ziggy (that's what he prefers to be called - it's a nickname derived from his grandmother, who could not pronounce his given name Evander) did not record any stats on the day. He was credited with 1 tackle last time out against New Mexico.
The final true freshman to play in week one was QB Chase Daniel. The Southlake, Texas, native came in with 6:49 left in the 3rd quarter, and MU leading 37-0. He didn't have the type of debut that was indicative of the fall camp that he put together that prompted his move to No. 2 on the QB depth chart, but Daniel certainly got his feet wet to the collegiate game. In all, Daniel completed 4-of-11 passes for 23 yards and 1 interception. He also rushed 6 times for 22 yards. For you trivia buffs, his first collegiate pass attempt was completed to WR Arnold Britt for a gain of 3 yards. Daniel did not play in game two against New Mexico.
A fourth true freshman, in LB Brock Christopher, saw action in game two against New Mexico. He was credited with 2 tackles on the night playing on both special teams and the defense, and was credited with a forced fumble - which came on the game's opening kickoff.
HARRINGTON LEADS DEFENSIVE CHARGE IN OPENER
Junior LB Dedrick Harrington was quite impressive in the season opener against Arkansas State. The Mexico, Mo., native led the Tiger defensive charge that had ASU shut out for the game's first 41 1/2 minutes as the Tigers built a commanding 37-0 lead.
Harrington was credited with 5 tackles on the day, but made several big hits and plays that made him stand out. He grabbed the 2nd interception of his career (his 1st since 2003) in the 3rd quarter when he made a highlight-reel one-handed diving catch over the middle as he leapt to his right to cover an ASU receiver.
"Deke" as he's called by teammates, also registered 1 TFL on the day and was credited with 1 QB hurry as well.
He had 3 tackles in game 2 against New Mexico, including 2 TFLs.
'WILL THE THRILL' ENJOYS CAREER DAY IN OPENER
Sophomore WR Will Franklin displayed his game-breaking skills early and often in MU's opener against Arkansas State, as the St. Louis, Mo., native caught 8 passes for 116 yards (both career-highs) and 1 TD (the 2nd of his career).
Franklin's yardage was the most in a game for an MU receiver since former great Justin Gage had 123 in 2002 against Texas A&M. It was also only the second 100-yard receiving game by a Tiger since Gage's '02 game against A&M. Sean Coffey had the other, with a 113-yard outing in 2004 against Arkansas State.
Franklin had 3 plays of 20 yards or more against ASU, including gains of 42, 30 and 22 yards on the day. He got his TD with 8:27 left in the 2nd quarter, on a 6-yard shovel pass, making the score 19-0 in favor of Mizzou.
Franklin also caught a 2-point pass from Smith later in the 2nd quarter - the first conversion of his career. After a 6-catch, 45-yard outing last time out against New Mexico, Franklin now ranks 2nd in the Big 12 Conference and 21st nationally with his average of 7.00 receptions per game.
Brian Smith MOVES UP THE QB SACK LIST
Junior DE Brian Smith continued his move up the Mizzou career QB sack list, as he recorded 1.5 more sacks versus Arkansas State. Those sacks bumped his career total to 16.5 and moved him past former Tiger C.J. Mosley into 6th-place on the MU charts. His next sack will put him in third place on the list, and he stands only 6 away altogether from the record established by former Tiger All-American DE Justin Smith (22.5 from 1998-2000).
In all, Smith recorded 5 tackles on the day, and 1 QB hurry. His sacks totaled 10 yards in losses.
The Denton, Texas, native led all NCAA freshmen defenders as a redshirt freshman in 2003 with 8 QB sacks. He followed last season with 7 more as a sophomore.
'DYNAMIC DUO' OF WOODS AND TEMPLE SHINE IN OPENER
Mizzou's talented sophomore tailback tandem of Marcus Woods and Tony Temple looked quite comfortable in MU's new offense against Arkansas State, as the pair of scatbacks scooted and eluded for 152 yards and 2 TDs on only 16 attempts (9.5 yards per rush).
Woods drew first blood, as it were, when he took a pitch and broke through the left side of the line, broke a couple of tackles and raced into the endzone for a 23-yard TD at the 6:10 mark of the 1st quarter to give MU its first score of the 2005 season. It was the longest TD run of Woods' career, and was the 3rd of his career. Woods ended the day with 90 yards rushing on 9 carries (a 10.0 avg. for those of you without a calculator).
Temple, a Kansas City, Mo., native, played before what he estimated were around 100 family and friends in the crowd of over 32,000. He didn't disappoint, as he gained 62 yards on 7 attempts (8.9 avg.), and scored the 1st TD of his collegiate career with 56 seconds left in the 1st quarter on a highlight-reel 6-yard run.
On the play, Temple took a pitch and raced around left end, where he was met at the 5-yardline by a couple of ASU defenders. Temple juked before being wrapped up by one defender as the other fell to the ground. Temple kept his feet and spun out of the tackle attempt, rolled on the back of the fallen defender - all the while never having his own knee touch the ground - and regained his balance to trot into the endzone for the score.
Both runners were held somewhat in check by New Mexico last week, as Woods gained 47 yards on 10 carries (while catching a career-high 6 passes for 28 yards), and Temple gained 31 yards on 10 carries.
SIMPSON LEADS TIGER DEFENSE INTO 2005 SEASON
Senior S Jason Simpson is the top returner on a defense that was one of the nation's most improved units in 2004. Mizzou ranked among the NCAA's top-25 last season in four major categories, including pass defense (3rd - 149.27 ypg), pass efficiency defense (12th - 104.28 rating), total defense (14th - 301.36 ypg) and scoring defense (23rd - 19.55 ppg).
Simpson was a major reason for MU's upward swing on defense in 2004, as the then-junior enjoyed a breakout year that saw him record a career-high 98 tackles and a team-best 15.0 tackles for loss. He also broke up 6 passes on the year (ranked 2nd on the team) and tied for the team lead in forced fumbles (2), in addition to grabbing his first career interception - a 2nd-quarter heist at Baylor that turned the game in MU's favor for good.
The outspoken and always hard-hitting safety has been signaled out by his teammates for his leadership, as he was voted by the team to serve as a captain for the 2005 season.
Here's a couple of more quick hits about Jason Simpson, who was named a pre-season honorable mention All-American this summer by Street & Smith's...
With 31 career starts entering the Troy game, he is by far the most experienced player on the Tiger defense (next most active career starts is 19 by Dedrick Harrington)...
With 259 career tackles entering the Troy game, Simpson needs 64 more to rank among MU's alltime top-10 in that category. He opened his senior campaign by registering 8 stops against Arkansas State, in addition to breaking up 2 passes on the day. He had 6 more stops last time out against New Mexico, and broke up 2 more passes.
TIGERS WELL-REPRESENTED ON PRE-SEASON AWARD LISTS
While nothing much exciting happens in the off-season, good things were happening for at least five Tiger players, in terms of earning national recognition for the upcoming season.
Five Tigers - all on the offensive side of the ball - earned mention on very prestigious pre-season award watch lists, including QB Brad Smith, OL Tony Palmer, TE Martin Rucker, OL Adam Spieker and WR Sean Coffey. Here's a quick look at who is up for what:
Tigers on Award Watch Lists
QB Brad Smith - O'Brien (Quarterback), Unitas (Quarterback), Walter Camp (Player of the Year)
OL Tony Palmer - Lombardi (Lineman)
TE Martin Rucker - Mackey (Tight End)
OL Adam Spieker - Rimington (Center)
WR Sean Coffey - Biletnikoff (Wide Receiver)
IN MEMORY OF A.O.
Hearts will be heavy all season on the Tiger sideline, for while MU's team looks to focus on the football side of life, weighing on everyone's mind will be the loss suffered over the summer of redshirt freshman linebacker Aaron O'Neal.
On July 12th, O'Neal participated with his teammates in a voluntary workout in Columbia. He collapsed after the workout and efforts to save him were unsuccessful. His tragic death was later determined to be due to complications arising from Lymphocytic Meningitis (viral).
While the loss was devastating for everyone in the program, the team has resolutely decided to dedicate its season to A.O.'s memory. A helmet decal is being worn to honor the St. Louis, Mo. native. A moment of silence is planned prior to Saturday's game between MU and New Mexico, as well.
Additionally, several other means of honoring Aaron are planned throughout the 2005 season, and beyond. Here's a listing of the planned tributes...
A moment of silence was held prior to the Sept. 3, 2005 game with Arkansas State at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo...
A moment of silence was held prior to the Sept. 10, 2005 game with New Mexico at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Mo. For this moment, the MU team lined up on the 25-yardline, in honor of Aaron's jersey number (25)...
The team will wear a commemorative sticker on its helmet (#25) for the 2005 season...
A page dedicated to his memory was put in the game program for the New Mexico game on Sept. 10, 2005...
A page dedicated to his memory has been put in the 2005 Media & Recruiting Guide, and the cover of the book reads "In Memory of Aaron O'Neal #25 - Forever a Tiger"...
Aaron will be kept on the official team roster in all publications until his eligibility would have expired, following the 2008 season...
Aaron will have a page dedicated to his memory in future media guides, through the 2008 season...
Aaron will be honored on Senior Day in 2008, along with his fellow recruiting classmates...
The jersey number 25 will not be assigned to anyone through the 2008 season...
Aaron's locker in the Tom Taylor Complex has been preserved behind plexiglass...
"AO #25" will be painted on the grass berm near midfield beyond both the East and West sidelines at Faurot Field for the 2005 season...
A room (to be determined later) will be named in his memory in the new $16 million renovation and expansion project that is set to break ground this fall...
MIZZOU-ARKANSAS STATE REWIND
Mizzou opened its 2005 season with a solid 44-17 win over Arkansas State on Sept. 3rd in a game played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. Here are a few various and sundry notes from the contest...
Mizzou was dominant in the first 2-1/2 quarters, as it established a 37-0 lead before ASU got on the scoreboard...
The Tigers debuted their new spread offense, and the results were nothing but impressive, as MU amassed 657 yards of offense (340 passing, 317 rushing) - a total which ranked 2nd alltime in school history, as well as the 2nd-most in the opening weekend of NCAA play...
Graduate QB Brad Smith was the star of the game, as he totaled 412 yards of total offense (317 passing and a school-record-tying 4 TDs, in addition to a team-high 95 rushing yards). Smith's rushing yardage gave him over 3,000 for his career, and made him only the 3rd player in NCAA Div. I-A history to achieve at least 6,000 yards passing and 3,000 yards rushing...
The Tiger defense was stingy for most of the day, as it held ASU scoreless until 3:37 remained in the 3rd quarter. In all, the defense allowed just 323 yards of offense to the Indians, and grabbed 2 turnovers (1 INT, 1 fumble recovery)...
