Oct. 1, 2007
#25/23 Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-1, 1-0) at #17/17 Missouri Tigers (4-0)
Oct. 6, 2007 — Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium — Columbia, Mo.
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KICKOFF: 8:15 p.m. CT.
STADIUM: Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium (68,349 — FieldTurf surface). Opened in 1926. MU is 238-163-20 there alltime, and has won 11 of its last 12 there.
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, and on Sirius Satellite Radio (Channel #181).
TV: ESPN – Ron Franklin (Play-by-Play), Ed Cunningham (Analysis), Jack Arute (Sidelines), Bruce Clark (Director), Patrick McManus (Producer).
RANKINGS (AP/COACHES): MU - 17th/17th; NU – 25th/23rd.
SERIES: NU leads, 63-34-3 overall, but the teams have split the last 4 meetings.
COACHES:
Mizzou: Gary Pinkel (Kent, ‘75), 41-35 at MU (7th year) and 114-72-3 overall (17th year). Pinkel is 2-4 against Nebraska and 1-2 against Bill Callahan.
NU: Bill Callahan (Benedictine, ‘78), 26-16 at NU and overall (4th year). Callahan is 2-1 versus Mizzou and Gary Pinkel.
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BIG 12 NORTH TITLE CHASE HEATS UP SATURDAY IN COLUMBIA
The #17/17 Missouri Tigers (4-0 overall) begin their quest for a Big 12 North Division championship this Saturday evening, when they play host to the #25/23 Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-1 overall, 1-0 in Big 12 play). Kick time for the nationally-televised ESPN game is set for 8:15 p.m. at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium. A sellout is anticipated.
The Tigers are coming off a bye week after getting through the non-conference season unblemished for the 2nd straight season. Mizzou moved up to 17th in both major polls, from 20th, the previous week.
Nebraska, the defending Big 12 North champs, began their title defense last week by defeating Iowa State, 35-17, in Lincoln, Neb. The Cornhuskers are 1-0 on the road this season, with the win coming at Wake Forest (20-17) on Sept. 8th. Nebraska’s only loss this year came at the hands of #1/2 USC (49-31), on Oct. 15th, in Lincoln.
SELLOUT CROWD EXPECTED FOR BIG GAME
While the Tiger team had to maintain focus on its one-game-at-a-time mantra prior to this point, Saturday evening will represent the game that Mizzou fans have had circled ever since the 2007 schedule came out – the Nebraska game.
Nebraska is the defending Big 12 North Division champion, and Mizzou was picked to win the North in 2007 according to the Big 12 Pre-season media poll.
A sellout crowd is anticipated for Saturday night, as fewer than 200 reserved tickets remained available for purchase as of late last week. All general admission seats have been sold already.
The last time MU had a capacity crowd was back on Oct. 11, 2003, when a crowd of 68,349 saw the Tigers defeat 10th-ranked Nebraska, 41-24, in a game that broke a 24-game losing streak to the Huskers.
The last time that MU had more people at a game in Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field was in 1984, when 70,915 stopped by to see the Tigers play Notre Dame. That game stands as the 10th-largest crowd of alltime in Columbia, and is the last crowd to reach the 70,000 plateau.
MIZZOU LOOKS FOR “THREE-PEAT” OVER NU
Mizzou hopes for a repeat of the last 2 times that Nebraska has come calling on the Tigers’ home lair of Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium – MU claimed victories in both 2003 and 2005 by the identical scores of 41-24. It’s been almost 50 years since Mizzou beat NU 3 straight in Columbia.
The win in 2003 was of historical proportions for the program, as it broke a 24-game losing streak to Nebraska that dated back to 1978 when the Tigers had last beaten their conference brethren to the North. Sophomore QB Brad Smith led the way with 303 yards of total offense (180 passing, 123 rushing and 3 TDs) and he also caught a 47-yard throwback pass from WR Darius Outlaw for a 47-yard TD, and the Tigers converted on a 4th-quarter fake FG to overcome a 10-point 4th-quarter deficit. Mizzou outscored Nebraska 27-0 in the 4th quarter to pull away.
The last time the Huskers visited Columbia, Mizzou came away 41-24 winners yet again, thanks to the amazing Brad Smith, who became the first QB in NCAA Div. I-A history to rush and pass for 230 yards each in a game. Smith had 234 yards passing (1 TD) and ran for 246 yards (3 TDs) on the way to a career-high 480 yards of total offense.
There’s no more Brad Smith, thankfully for Husker fans, so it’s up to Chase Daniel and company to make it 3 straight over Nebraska in Columbia. Mizzou has not beaten Nebraska 3 straight times in Columbia since 1957 (W, 14-13), 1959 (W, 9-0) and 1961 (W, 10-0).
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| Year |
Start |
Final |
| 1899 |
7-0 |
9-2 |
| 1905 |
5-0 |
5-4 |
| 1960 |
11-0 |
# 11-0 |
| 1969 |
5-0 |
# 9-2 |
| 1973 |
6-0 |
8-4 |
| 1981 |
5-0 |
8-4 |
| 2006 |
6-0 |
8-5 |
| # - Won conference championship |
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TIGERS LOOK TO CONTINUE PERFECT START
The Mizzou Tigers will look to continue their perfect start to the 2007 season and improve on their 4-0 record, as they play host to Nebraska Saturday evening at Faurot Field.
A win over Nebraska would give Mizzou its second straight season of at least a 5-0 start for the 1st time in school history, and only the 8th ever.
Here’s a look at all of the previous seasons in which MU has started a season 5-0:
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| DATE |
OPP |
RESULT |
| 9-13-1980 |
- |
MU 47, New Mexico 16 |
| 9-23-1978 |
- |
MU 45, Mississippi 14 |
| 10-23-1976 |
3 |
MU 34, at Nebraska 24 |
| 10-31-1970 |
- |
at Kansas St. 17, MU 13 |
| 9-30-1950 |
- |
Clemson 34, MU 0 |
| 11-15-1947 |
- |
Oklahoma 21, MU 12 |
| 11-8-1941 |
- |
MU 26, at NYU 0 |
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MIZZOU REACHES HIGHEST POLL SPOT SINCE 1998
Mizzou climbed 3 spots, to 17th, in both major top-25 polls after sitting idle last weekend. The ranking represents the highest MU has been in the Associated Press poll under Head Coach Gary Pinkel, and the highest overall by the program since 1998, when Mizzou reached as high as 13th in mid-November of that season. Mizzou dropped its final 2 games of the regular season and fell out of the polls, before bouncing back to defeat 24th-ranked West Virginia in the Insight.com Bowl to end that year 8-4 overall and ranked 21st in the final A.P. poll.
A few notes about MU carrying a ranking into a game:
- MU is 89-58-1 overall (60.5%) in its previous 148 games as a ranked team, including 4-3 alltime as the #17-ranked team in the AP poll. Here’s a look at those games at right:
- Mizzou has been ranked higher than its current #17 spot only three times dating back to 1981. That year, MU began its season unranked, but stood ranked 13th in the A.P. poll after winning its first four games, then moved to 8th after reaching 5-0. The Tigers then dropped two straight games to fall out of the rankings, but ended the year ranked 19th after defeating Southern Miss in the 1981 Tangerine Bowl. The only other week in which MU has been ranked higher than its current #17 was the one week in 1998...
- The last time that Mizzou entered a game as the higher-ranked team than Nebraska was in 1969, when the 7th-ranked Tigers claimed a 17-7 win over the 20th-ranked Cornhuskers, in Columbia...
- The last time that Mizzou and Nebraska met when both teams were ranked was in 1998 in Lincoln, when #7 Nebraska held off #19 Mizzou by a 20-13 score. The last time that both teams met in Columbia as ranked teams, was in 1981, when #15 Nebraska squeaked out a 6-0 win over #19 Mizzou...
- Mizzou spent 5 weeks during the 2006 season as a ranked team in the AP poll, peaking as high as 19th after starting 6-0. The Tigers went 3-2 in those games...
- Mizzou is 5-1 playing at home under Gary Pinkel as a ranked team, going 1-0 in 2003, 1-0 in 2004, 2-1 in 2006 and 1-0 and counting in 2007, with the only loss coming to #19 Oklahoma last year, 26-10 (MU was ranked #23 for the game)...
- Interestingly enough, Mizzou is 0-3 alltime when playing against the #25-ranked team in the AP poll, as Nebraska is this week. All 3 previous games came against Colorado, and all 3 were in Boulder, Colo., with MU dropping games by 41-12 (2005), 38-24 (2001) and 55-7 (1991) scores.
PINKEL CAN MAKE HISTORY SATURDAY
Mizzou Head Coach Gary Pinkel can make history this Saturday if his Tigers claim a victory over Nebraska.
A win for Pinkel would link him with Dan Devine as the only MU coaches to have two seasons where they started a season 5-0. Devine went 11-0 in 1960 and started 5-0 in 1969, and no Tiger coach before or after has started a season 5-0 or better more than once.
In 2006, Mizzou started 6-0 – matching the school’s best start since 1973 – and ended 8-5 with an invite to the Sun Bowl.
Pinkel is already the 1st coach in MU history to notch three seasons of 4-0 starts, and is the 1st MU skipper to have 4-0 starts in consecutive seasons.
Pinkel’s 2003 squad began the season 4-0 and ended with an 8-5 overall mark after reaching the Independence Bowl that season.
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| DATE |
MU |
NU |
MU RESULT |
SITE |
| 10/24/1998 |
19 |
7 |
L, 13-20 |
Lincoln |
| 10/24/1981 |
19 |
15 |
L, 0-6 |
Columbia |
| 11/1/1980 |
15 |
8 |
L, 16-38 |
Lincoln |
| 10/23/1976 |
17 |
3 |
W, 34-24 |
Lincoln |
| 11/1/1975 |
12 |
3 |
L, 7-30 |
Columbia |
| 10/13/1973 |
12 |
2 |
W, 13-12 |
Columbia |
| 10/10/1970 |
16 |
6 |
L, 7-21 |
Lincoln |
| 10/11/1969 |
7 |
20 |
W, 17-7 |
Columbia |
| 10/19/1968 |
20 |
13 |
W, 16-14 |
Lincoln |
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MORE RANKING BREAKDOWN HISTORY
Saturday will mark the 10th time overall that Mizzou and Nebraska have squared off with both teams carrying an A.P. top-25 ranking into the game. Nebraska has won 5-of-9 games in that situation, including 3 straight dating back to MU’s last win, in 1976, when the 17th-ranked Tigers downed the 3rd-ranked Huskers, 34-24 in Lincoln. See the chart below for details.
Mizzou has played 51 games in its history where both teams carried an A.P. poll ranking into the game, and the Tigers are 16-35 in those instances (.314), and have lost 11 straight dating back to its last win in 1978, when 19th-ranked MU won at home vs. 20th-ranked Iowa State (W, 26-13).
MIZZOU-NEBRASKA SERIES
Mizzou and Nebraska have played 100 times previously, in a series that dates back to 1892. The only school Mizzou has played more than Nebraska is arch-rival Kansas, which, at 115 games played, is the nation’s 2nd-most played rivalry game.
Nebraska holds a 63-34-3 lead in the series with Mizzou, with a lion’s share of that overall advantage due to a stranglehold the Cornhuskers held over MU from 1979-2002 that saw Nebraska win 24 straight games.
Prior to that NU winning streak, the Mizzou-Nebraska series was a very competitive and fiercly fought rivalry, as going into the 1979 season, Nebraska held just a 37-32-3 overall lead.
Mizzou has managed to split the last 4 games with Nebraska, winning consecutive games in Columbia by identical 41-24 scores in both 2003 and 2005. Mizzou will be looking for its 3rd straight win over Nebraska in Columbia, something that the Tigers haven’t achieved since 1957, 1959 and 1961.
Overall in Columbia, Nebraska holds a 27-18-1 advantage in the series history, but the Husker lead is slimmer in games played at Mizzou’s Memorial Stadium (NU leads, 21-17-1).
LAST YEAR IN LINCOLN: NEBRASKA 34, MIZZOU 20
In a late-season battle for the upper hand in the Big 12 North Division, homestanding Nebraska jumped out to a 27-3 2nd-quarter lead, and held off Mizzou for a 34-20 win on Homecoming.
Mizzou came into the game with hopes of taking over sole possession of 1st place in the North, and was looking for its first win in Lincoln since 1978. Things looked promising early, as the Tigers forced a Husker fumble near midfield on Nebraska’s opening possession, but MU couldn’t manage a first down, and had to punt the ball away.
The Huskers responded by scoring on three straight possessions, including a field goal and a pair of touchdowns – with the last TD coming after a Tiger interception on MU’s 22 yardline – to take a 17-0 lead early in the 2nd quarter.
Mizzou’s high-powered offense, which was held in check early on (16 yards in its first 11 plays, with 3 punts and 1 interception), eventually got untracked and put together a 70-yard drive that ended in a Jeff Wolfert FG to cut it to 17-3. After a Husker punt, Mizzou was driving with the ball at midfield, but a 2nd interception of MU’s Chase Daniel (with both coming on tipped passes), and subsequent return to the Tiger 17 yardline set up Nebraska for another short drive that they converted into a TD for a 24-3 lead.
Forced to play catch-up from there, the Tigers did their best to stage a rally, but the hole was too deep. PK Jeff Wolfert did his part and more, as he connected on an MU road-record 54-yard FG at the 2nd quarter gun to make it 27-6 at halftime. Wolfert’s kick was the longest ever by a Husker opponent at Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium, and tied for the 2nd-longest kick in Mizzou history.
The Tigers scored first after the break on a 6-yard TD pass from Daniel to TE Martin Rucker, which cut the score to 27-13. On Nebraska’s next possession, Mizzou’s defense had the Huskers backed up with a 3rd-down-and-11 on the NU 32-yardline, but couldn’t get off the field, as Nebraska threw a screen pass to TB Marlon Lucky that went for 26 yards and a 1st down. The Huskers ended the drive with a short TD run to begin the 4th period that made it 34-13 and effectively iced the game.
Third down was a key stat on the day, as Nebraska converted on 11-of-17 attempts, including three with 11 or more yards to go. Conversely, the Tiger offense couldn’t stay on the field long enough to stage a comeback, as they could convert only 3-of-13 3rd-down tries.
Daniel threw for 244 yards and 2 TDs on the day, and TB Tony Temple had a nice day on the ground, as he gained 99 yards on 18 attempts, but the balanced Husker offensive attack was too much to overcome. Nebraska had 419 yards of total offense on the day, including 236 in the air and 183 more on the ground.
Turnovers also proved crucial, as Nebraska converted both of MU’s tipped interceptions in the 1st half into 14 points, while MU forced 2 Nebraska fumbles on the day, but couldn’t turn them into points.
TIGERS LEAD THE NATION IN 3RD-DOWN CONVERSIONS
The latest NCAA stats show that Missouri enters this weekend’s games atop the nation’s rankings in 3rd-down efficiency, converting a nation-best 57.1% (36-of-63).
As noted previously, 3rd down played a key role in Nebraska’s victory over Mizzou last season in Lincoln, as the Huskers converted on 11-of-17 3rd-down tries (64.7%), including 3 conversions of at least 11 yards to go. Conversely, the Tigers succeeded on just 3-of-13 tries (23.1%), as the offense couldn’t stay on the field, nor could the defense get off the field, in what was eventually a 34-20 Nebraska victory.
TIGERS 2ND NATIONALLY IN FEWEST PENALTY YARDS
One of Head Coach Gary Pinkel’s tried and true lines has to do with Missouri beating Missouri, and how penalties and mistakes do just that. So far in 2007, his Tigers have done a good job of not beating themselves with penalties, as MU ranks 2nd in the nation in fewest penalty yards per game, with just 29.2 yards averaged.
Through 4 games, MU has been flagged 20 times for a grand total of 117 yards.
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| YEAR |
PTS. |
RECORD |
| 2007 |
168 |
4-0 |
| 2005 |
151 |
2-2 |
| 1981 |
151 |
3-1 |
| 2002 |
146 |
3-1 |
| 1999 |
146 |
3-1 |
| 1908 |
141 |
4-0 |
| 2006 |
139 |
4-0 |
| 2003 |
135 |
4-0 |
| 2004 |
131 |
3-1 |
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OFFENSE CLICKING ALONG AT PROLIFIC PACE
We’ll have many things in this set of notes that trumpet the great things Mizzou’s offense has done this year, but one thing uncovered through research by the crack staff shows that the 168 points scored in MU’s 1st 4 games this season is the most ever by a Tiger team.
Here’s a quick look at the points scored breakdown over the years...
DON’T BLINK OR YOU’LL MISS MIZZOU’S QUICK STRIKE OFFENSE
As mentioned above, the Tiger offense has shown its quick-strike nature often thus far this season, as its average scoring drive in 24 offensive scores thus far has been just 2:05.
Against Western Michigan, the Tigers struck quickly and often on the way to a 52-24 win. Every one of their 1st 7 scoring drives took 2:24 or less, including amazing back-to-back drives in the 2nd quarter that traveled 86 yards (TD) and 70 yards (TD) in just 1:04 and 0:52 seconds, respectively.
The game did end with the reserves methodically marching downfield in rather un-Mizzou-like fashion, grinding out a 14-play, 94-yard TD drive that took 5:18. Even with that 5:18 drive, the per-game average for MU’s scoring drive against WMU was a mere 1:54. If that long drive is backed out of the equation, the other 7 scoring drives averaged only 1:25!!
Of Mizzou’s 19 offensive TD drives thus far, 15 have taken just 2:50 or less, including 9 in the last 2 games (6 vs. Western Michigan, 3 vs. Illinois State).
DEFENSE MAKING STATISTICAL STRIDES
Mizzou’s defense took some lumps from the peanut gallery after its first two games, when it allowed 435 yards to Illinois and 534 yards to Ole Miss to begin the season.
The Tigers have made improvements statistically each of the last 2 outings, keeping both Western Michigan and Illinois State to under 400 yards apiece. The big plays have come down markedly, as MU allowed only 2 plays of 20 yards or more in each of the last 2 games, compared to 7 of 20 or more by both Illinois and Ole Miss.
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| Coach |
Wins |
# Seasons (Years) |
Record |
Pct. |
# Bowls |
| Don Faurot |
101 |
19 (1935-42, 46-56) |
101-79-10 |
.558 |
4 |
| Dan Devine |
93 |
13 (1958-70) |
93-37-7 |
.704 |
6 |
| Warren Powers |
46 |
7 (1978-84) |
46-33-3 |
.580 |
5 |
| Gary Pinkel |
41 |
7 (2001-Present) |
41-35 |
.540 |
3 |
| Gwinn Henry |
40 |
9 (1923-31) |
40-28-9 |
.578 |
1 |
| Al Onofrio |
38 |
7 (1971-77) |
38-41 |
.481 |
2 |
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PINKEL NABS 41ST WIN AT MIZZOU LAST TIME OUT
Mizzou Head Coach Gary Pinkel is in his 7th season at MU and touts a career record of 114-72-3 (61.1%).
Pinkel, who has led MU to a combined record of 32-21 over the past 5 seasons, and to bowl games in 2003, 2005 and 2006, has a 7-year record in Columbia of 41-35 (54.0%). Dating back to the 2005 Independence Bowl win over Steve Spurrier and South Carolina, Pinkel has won 13 of his last 18 games overall.
MU’s 38-17 win last time out over Illinois State gave Pinkel his 41st MU win, moving him into 4th alltime on the coaching wins list at MU.
Pinkel is in a select group of Mizzou coaches that includes College Football Hall of Famers Don Faurot and Dan Devine, as well as Warren Powers, to be the only coaches to have an MU record of above .500 (with at least one full season coached) dating all the way back to 1935.
The 2006 season got off to an historic start for Pinkel and his Tigers, as he led MU to its first 6-0 start since 1973, and its first 7-1 start to a season since 1969. He was awared with a new five-year contract late in the year that will keep him on the Tiger sidelines through the 2011 season. The new deal trumped the old contract that was set to expire after the 2008 campaign.
Pinkel has led MU to 3 bowl games, and if his Tigers can reach a 4th in 2007, he would join Faurot (4 bowls), Devine (6 bowls), and Powers (5 bowls) as the only coaches to guide MU to 4 bowl games. After beating Nebraska (41-24 in 2005) for the 2nd time in 3 years, Pinkel became the first MU coach since Onofrio to defeat NU twice.
Pinkel has guided Mizzou to 3 winning seasons (8-5 in 2003, 7-5 in 2005, 8-5 in 2006), with those representing 3 of MU’s 5 winning campaigns dating back to the 1983 season.
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| Player, School |
Cl |
Gm |
Catches |
Yds |
TDs |
Rec/Gm |
Yds/Catch |
Yds/Gm |
| Martin Rucker, Missouri |
SR |
4 |
29 |
330 |
1 |
7.25 |
11.38 |
82.50 |
| Cody Slate, Marshall |
SO |
4 |
25 |
321 |
2 |
6.25 |
12.84 |
80.25 |
| Travis Beckum, Wisconsin |
JR |
5 |
30 |
325 |
3 |
6.00 |
10.83 |
65.00 |
| Jed Collins, Washington State |
SR |
5 |
27 |
204 |
3 |
5.40 |
7.56 |
40.80 |
| Darius Hill, Ball St. |
SR |
5 |
25 |
381 |
5 |
5.00 |
15.24 |
76.20 |
| Dennis Pitta, BYU |
SO |
5 |
24 |
375 |
3 |
4.80 |
15.63 |
75.00 |
| Fred Davis, USC |
SR |
4 |
18 |
283 |
2 |
4.50 |
15.72 |
70.75 |
| Chase Coffman, Missouri |
JR |
4 |
18 |
164 |
2 |
4.50 |
9.11 |
41.00 |
| Bear Pascoe, Fresno State |
JR |
4 |
17 |
257 |
4 |
4.25 |
15.12 |
64.25 |
| Dustin Keller, Purdue |
SR |
5 |
20 |
319 |
5 |
4.00 |
15.95 |
63.80 |
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RUCKER LEADS ALL OF NCAA’S TIGHT ENDS IN RECEPTIONS & YARDAGE PER GAME
All-American candidate TE Martin Rucker bypassed the NFL draft after his junior year, in order to come back to help lead his team to great things in 2007, and also to help improve his draft status for next year. Through 4 games, his decision appears to have been an extremely good one, as Rucker has played like a man among children, as he leads all of the nation’s tight ends with his per-game average of 7.25 receptions and 82.50 yards per game (29 receptions, 330 yards, 1 TD). He also ranks 14th nationally – among all position players – with his 7.25 catches per game.
It’s hard to imagine a tight end playing more inspired ball right now, as Rucker has been a beast every time he’s touched the ball – we’re hyperbolizing a little here, probably, but it’s hard to remember a time when he was brought down by any less than 3 people on a play when he’s touched the ball this season.
Rucker, who was voted a team co-captain by his teammates this off-season, caught 53 passes for 511 yards and 5 TDs a year ago. He entered his senior season (after bypassing the NFL Draft) already holding the MU career records for TEs in receptions (119) and yardage (1,341).
Rucker opened the 2007 season by catching a then-career-high 10 passes against Illinois for 86 yards. He also rushed twice for 11 yards. He followed by making 4 catches for 58 yards and 1 TD at Ole Miss, on a 40-yard catch-and-run where he broke one tackle about 10 yards from scrimmage and raced the rest of the way for the score to cap a key 93-yard drive and put MU up, 21-0. He’s coming off a career-best outing against Western Michigan that saw him catch 11 passes for 115 yards.
Rucker is the younger brother of Mike Rucker, who was an All-American defensive lineman at Nebraska and is a standout with the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. His father, Martin Sr., also has a very public job, as he is a State Representative in the Missouri House of Representatives, for District 29.
Here’s a look at the NCAA’s top tight ends statistically speaking...
NCAA’S TOP ALL-PURPOSE MAN IS MIZZOU’S Jeremy Maclin
Redshirt freshman WR Jeremy Maclin was a highly-touted recruit in 2006 who figured to be a big part of the Tiger offense a year ago, before suffering a season-ending knee injury during summer drills prior to last season.
It's only taken 4 games into his Tiger career to show that he’s fully recovered, and for MU fans to start looking for #9 jerseys in the Tiger Team Store at Memorial Stadium, as Maclin has been next-to-unbelieveable thus far for Mizzou, as he enters Saturday’s game against Nebraska leading the nation in all-purpose yardage, at 230.2 yards per game.
In fact, Maclin is the only player in the nation currently to have 100 yards in each of the 4 all-purpose categories: rushing (122 yds.), receiving (244), punt returns (200) and kickoff returns (355). In the latest NCAA rankings, of the top 100 players ranked in the all-purpose category, only 10 others even have double figures in all 4 categories.
Maclin is coming off a 238-yard outing against Illinois State, in which he scored on a 64-yard punt return for a TD and also on an 8-yard pass on offense. In all, Maclin had a team-best 5 catches for 53 yards (1 TD), 1 rush for 22 yds., 4 punt returns for 84 yds. (1 TD) and 3 kickoff returns for 82 yards (with a long of 38 yds.).
His 4th-quarter punt return for a TD against Illinois State gave him 2 for the season, and that already ties him for the MU season and career records – only 4 others alltime at Mizzou have returned 2 punts for TDs. He was named the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week for his big day.
Prior to that, Maclin had a career-high 275-yard all-purpose outing against Western Michigan – the 5th-highest single-game total in MU history. On the day, Maclin had 7 receptions for a career-high 96 yards and 1 TD, he rushed 6 times for 52 yards and 1 TD, had 2 punt returns for 31 yards and returned 5 kickoffs for 96 yards.
While it’s very early in the season still, Maclin is on pace for 2,762 all-purpose yards so far, which would obliterate the MU single-season record of 1,621 set in 1998 by former MU All-American, Devin West.
He currently ranks 3rd in the Big 12 and 12th in the NCAA with his punt return average of 16.67 yards.
Maclin is currently 2nd on the team with 21 receptions, 1st in scoring (36 points), 2nd in rushing (122 yards) and 3rd in receiving yards (244).
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