Oct. 16, 2006
Kansas State (4-3, 1-2) at #24 Missouri Tigers (6-1, 2-1)
Oct. 21, 2006 — Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium — Columbia, Mo.
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KICKOFF: 1:08 p.m. CT.
STADIUM: Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium (68,349 — FieldTurf surface). Opened in 1926. MU is 235-162-20 there alltime, including 4-0 in 2006.
RADIO: Tiger Network (Mike Kelly, play-by-play/John Kadlec, color/Chris Gervino, sidelines). Carried on over 50 stations statewide The game is also carried on SIRIUS Satellite Radio on Channel #147.
TV: None.
RANKINGS (AP/COACHES): MU – 24th/RV (27th); KSU – NA/NA.
SERIES: MU leads, 55-31-5 overall, but K-State has won 13 straight from 1993-2005. MU’s last win in the series was a 27-14 win in Columbia in 1992.
COACHES:
Mizzou: Gary Pinkel (Kent, ‘75), 35-31 at MU (6th year) and 108-68-3 overall (16th year). Pinkel is 0-5 versus KSU, and is 0-0 versus Ron Prince.
Kansas State: Ron Prince (Appalachian State, ‘92), 4-3 at KSU (1st year), and overall. Prince is 0-0 versus Mizzou and Gary Pinkel.
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Game Notes in PDF Format 
MIZZOU HOSTS KANSAS STATE FOR 2006 HOMECOMING BATTLE
It’s Homecoming week at Ol’ Mizzou, and the 24th-ranked Missouri Tigers (6-1 overall, 2-1 in Big 12 play) will cap the nation’s oldest such celebration by playing host to the Kansas State Wildcats (4-3, 1-2) Saturday in a game set for a 1:08 p.m. kickoff.
Mizzou looks to return to the winners circle, after tasting defeat for the first time last Saturday, as the then-#19 Tigers were upset at Texas A&M by a 25-19 count. The Tigers lost the turnover battle 3-0, and faced a huge disadvantage in time of possession to the Aggies, by a 41:30 to 18:30 margin.
The Wildcats are also looking to bounce back from a tough loss, as they are coming off a 21-3 home defeat to #21 Nebraska. K-State began its season with new Head Coach Ron Prince with three straight wins (Illinois State, Florida Atlantic, Marshall), but have lost three of four since, with the win coming two weeks ago at home against Oklahoma State (losses to Louisville, Baylor, Nebraska).
THE BIRTHPLACE OF HOMECOMING RENEWS ITS TRADITION SATURDAY IN COLUMBIA
Legend states that the Homecoming tradition got its start at the University of Missouri in 1911, thanks to the vision and efforts of Chester L. Brewer, MU’s Director of Athletics at the time. Although Illinois claims to have staged a similar celebration in 1910, Missouri claims to have been the first school to hold a Homecoming football game.
That year, the Missouri-Kansas game was to be played on a college campus for the first time ever. Previously, the game had been played in either Kansas City or St. Joseph, and Mizzou trailed in the series at the time by a 12-5-3 count.
Brewer wanted to add some spice to the season-ending game in Columbia, so he issued a plea to Mizzou alumni, and especially to former Tiger football players to “Come Home” for the game. They did just that, with a record crowd of 9,000 overflowing old Rollins Field.
With four minutes to play in that inaugural Homecoming game, and MU trailing by three points, Tiger captain Glen Schuck booted a tying field goal from a difficult angle. Then, little Billy Blees caught a rampaging KU fullback in the open field in the final seconds to preserve a 3-3 tie, and he was carried off the field a hero.
Hence, “Homecoming” was born. MU has a 53-36-5 alltime record in Homecoming games, and has won 3 of its last 4, including a dramatic 27-24 overtime comeback win in 2005 against Iowa State, in which the Tigers rallied from a 10-point 4th-quarter deficit. In all, rival Kansas has been MU’s most frequent Homecoming guest, a total of 27 times, with Mizzou holding an 18-7-2 edge in those meetings.
Kansas State has been MU’s Homecoming opponent 9 times previously, and the Tigers have gone 7-2 in those games, including winning the last three (1983, 1987, 1990). This Saturday will mark the first time that K-State has been MU’s Homecoming foe since a 31-10 MU win in 1990. K-State’s only win as MU’s Homecoming guests have come in 1971 (28-12) and 1979 (19-3). MU Head Coach Gary Pinkel is 3-2 in his previous 5 Homecoming games.
For more information on Mizzou’s 2006 Homecoming celebration (titled “Pride on the Prowl”), please visit its online home.
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| Streak |
Began With |
Ended With |
| 20 |
6-0 vs. Michigan St. (11-5-38) |
20-13 vs. Oklahoma (11-13-43) |
| 9 |
37-0 vs. E. Illinois (9-13-03) |
20-17 vs. Oklahoma St. (10-23-04) |
| 9 |
9-0 vs. Nebraska (10-24-59) |
14-14 vs. California (10-7-61) |
| 8 |
45-6 vs. Washington (Mo.) (11-13-26) |
6-0 vs. Drake (11-3-28) |
| 7 |
45-7 vs. Colorado (10-18-80) |
6-0 vs. #15 Nebraska (10-24-81) |
| 7 |
17-14 (OT) vs. Iowa St. (10-15-05) |
??? |
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MIZZOU LOOKING TO DEFEND 7-GAME HOME WINNING STREAK
Despite losing its 7-game overall winning streak with last Saturday’s loss at Texas A&M, the Mizzou Tigers still have an important streak to defend this Saturday when they host Kansas State.
Mizzou has won its last 7 home games, including its last 3 of the 2005 season, and the first 4 of the 2006 campaign. MU’s last home loss came on Oct. 1, 2005 against then #2-ranked (and eventual national champion) Texas, by a 51-20 score.
Mizzou’s current 7-game home winning streak ranks tied for the 5th-longest in school history, per the chart below. An 8th-straight win this Saturday against Kansas State would make it the 4th-longest in school history.
At right is a quick look at MU’s longest home winning streaks:
TIGERS LOOK TO KEEP UNDEFEATED HOME SEASON STRING ALIVE SATURDAY
Mizzou enters the Kansas State game this Saturday looking to stay undefeated at home for the season, as the Tigers enter the ballgame a perfect 4-0 this year at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium.
The last perfect home season for MU came back in 2003 when Gary Pinkel’s squad went a record 6-0 at Faurot Field on the way to an 8-5 season mark.
Only 12 times in the history of Memorial Stadium (which opened in 1926), has MU had perfect records at home.
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| DATE |
MU |
KSU |
MU |
SCORE |
SITE |
| 11/21/1998 |
19 |
2 |
L |
25-31 |
at Columbia |
| 10/10/1981 |
13 |
|
W |
58-13 |
at Columbia |
| 10/25/1980 |
16 |
|
W |
13-3 |
at Manhattan |
| 10/21/1978 |
13 |
|
W |
56-14 |
at Manhattan |
| 10/9/1976 |
9 |
|
W |
28-21 |
at Manhattan |
| 10/25/1975 |
15 |
|
W |
35-3 |
at Columbia |
| 11/3/1973 |
12 |
|
W |
31-7 |
at Columbia |
| 11/4/1972 |
16 |
|
W |
31-14 |
at Manhattan |
| 10/31/1970 |
17 |
|
L |
13-17 |
at Manhattan |
| 11/1/1969 |
14 |
|
W |
41-38 |
at Columbia |
| 10/26/1968 |
14 |
|
W |
56-20 |
at Manhattan |
| 10/15/1960 |
6 |
|
W |
45-0 |
at Manhattan |
| 10/30/1948 |
8 |
|
W |
49-7 |
at Manhattan |
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TIGERS STAY IN A.P. POLL AT #24, DEBUT AT THE SAME SPOT IN INITIAL BCS RANKINGS
When Mizzou takes the field this Saturday against Kansas State, it will do so carrying the nation’s No. 24 ranking into the game, as the Tigers stayed in the poll after falling as the #19 team last week at Texas A&M (25-19).
Additionally, on Sunday, when the initial set of Bowl Championship Series rankings were released, Mizzou debuted at #24 there, as well.
In other polls, Mizzou weighed in at #25 in this week’s Harris Interactive poll, and fell to #27 in the USA Today poll, after ranking #17 and #21, respectively, last week.
This marks the 4th straight week that the A.P. poll has included Mizzou. After defeating Ohio, 31-6, on Sept. 23rd, the Tigers moved into the AP poll – at No. 25 – for the first time since 2004, when the Tigers were ranked 19th prior to the second game of the year, at Troy. MU began that season ranked 18th in the AP poll.
Mizzou has played only 2 games previously as the AP’s No. 24 team, and MU stands 1-1 in the previous 2 occasions, including a 34-31 win in the 1998 Insight.com Bowl against West Virginia, and a 34-13 loss at #1-ranked Oklahoma in 2003.
Saturday will mark the 148th time overall that Mizzou has entered a game as a ranked team. In its previous 147 such encounters, MU holds an alltime record of 88-58-1 (.602).
This is the 10th week that Mizzou has been ranked in the AP poll under Gary Pinkel, as the Tigers were ranked for 4 weeks (peaking at #22) in 2003, in addition to the aforementioned 2-week stay in the polls in 2004, and the current 4-week span.
Mizzou has played 13 times previously in its history as a ranked team against Kansas State, and the Tigers are 11-2 in those instances, including 11-1 in games against unranked KSU teams.
Breaking it down even further, MU is 4-1 at home as a ranked team against Kansas State, including 4-0 playing against unranked K-State teams at Faurot Field.
MIZZOU-KANSAS STATE SERIES HISTORY
Mizzou and Kansas State will square off for the 92nd time when they meet Saturday in Columbia, with MU holding a 55-31-5 edge in the previous 91 contests.
However, it has been all Kansas State for the past 13 seasons, as the Wildcats have won every way imaginable, claiming 13 straight games over the Tigers, from 1993-2005. Included in KSU’s current 13-game streak was a 66-0 whitewashing of MU in Manhattan in 1999 – the largest margin of victory for KSU in the series. Mizzou’s last win in the series was a 27-14 win in Columbia in 1992.
K-State has won 6 straight games in Columbia, dating back to that 1992 Tiger win. Prior to the current streak, MU held a commanding 55-18-5 edge in the overall series, including a 27-11-3 in Columbia.
In the last game of the series played in Columbia, Mizzou appeared headed toward breaking K-State’s stranglehold on the series, as the Tigers held a 21-0 lead midway through the 2nd quarter in 2004. But the Wildcats scored 21 straight points of their own to tie the game early in the 4th quarter, and after an MU field goal gave the Tigers a 24-21 lead, KSU scored two more times, with the last on a Brandon Archer interception return with 8:52 left in the game, to post a 35-24 comeback win.
THE LAST TIME THEY MET: KANSAS STATE 36, MIZZOU 28 (2005)
Bill Snyder closed out his 17-year coaching career at Kansas State with a victory, and the Wildcats came back from a two-touchdown deficit in the second half to beat Missouri 36-28, in the regular-season finale for both teams.
Kansas State (5-6, 2-6 Big 12), which scored touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams, broke a five-game losing streak. It was K-State’s 13th consecutive win over Mizzou. Thomas Clayton ran for 102 yards for the Wildcats, and Allen Webb came off the bench to run for 91 yards and throw for 93 yards and a go-ahead touchdown to Jordy Nelson midway through the fourth quarter.
Missouri (6-5, 4-4) saw its chance to win the Big 12 North slip away at the newly renamed Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The name was changed on Wednesday of game week, a day after Snyder announced his retirement.
Brad Smith threw for three touchdowns and ran for another for the Tigers, but negated his big game with a costly mistake that helped Kansas State clinch the victory.
With just over 1 1/2 minutes to go, and the Wildcats clinging to a 29-28 lead, Smith threw directly to Kansas State linebacker Brandon Archer, who returned the ball 45 yards for a touchdown.
Smith finished with 248 yards passing and 71 yards rushing.
Kansas State trailed 28-14 early in the third quarter before mounting its comeback behind Webb, who lost his starting job in early October but replaced an ineffective Allan Evridge in the second half.
Victor Mann ran for a 23-yard score midway through the third to get the Wildcats within 28-21, and they appeared ready to tie the game when Webb’s 19-yard gain gave them first-and-goal on the 1 early in the fourth quarter.
Kansas State couldn’t punch the ball in, though, and Webb’s third-down fumble was recovered by Missouri’s Dedrick Herrington at the 3. But on the Tigers’ first snap, defensive tackle Steven Kline tackled Tony Temple in the end zone for a safety that made it 28-23.
After the ensuing free kick, Kansas State drove downfield but faced fourth-and-5 at the Missouri 10. Nelson, running a crossing pattern, snagged Webb’s pass at the 2 and cut in for a 29-28 lead.
Mann’s 2-point conversion run failed, and Missouri was still within one when the Tigers took over at their own 19 with 2:08 left. Three plays later, under heavy defensive pressure, Smith flipped the ball straight to Kansas State’s Archer in the left flat.
Missouri could have tied the game with a touchdown and a 2-point conversion, but Smith’s fourth-down pass from near midfield to William Franklin fell incomplete with 52 seconds left.
LAST TIME OUT: TEXAS A&M 25, #19 MIZZOU 19
Mizzou was dropped from the ranks of the undefeated, thanks in large part to three costly turnovers and an inability to get a methodical Texas A&M offense off the field, as the homestanding Aggies claimed a 25-19 win over the 19th-ranked Tigers. The loss dropped the Tigers to 6-1 overall, and 2-1 in the Big 12.
The Tigers lost three fumbles on the day – all in the first half – and Texas A&M turned those into 10 points as the Aggies forged a 17-17 tie at halftime.
All 10 of those Aggie points off turnovers had an involvement with instant replay, as both plays that led to points were reviewed, and both ultimately went against Mizzou.
The first was potentially the most crucial play of the game, and it came just three plays into the game. Tiger QB Chase Daniel threw a perfectly-lofted pass deep downfield to a wide-open WR Will Franklin, who caught the ball in stride and raced toward the goalline for an apparent 65-yard TD. However, Franklin was caught from behind by A&M’s Jordan Peterson inside the 5-yardline, and Peterson punched the ball out of Franklin’s arms as he crossed the goalline, with the ball rolling out of the back of the endzone. The play was originally ruled a TD for MU, but replay showed that the ball came out before Franklin crossed the goalline, and it was overturned for a touchback.
So, instead of leading 7-0, Mizzou saw the Aggies drive 74 yards on 15 plays for a 23-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead, which represented MU’s first deficit of the entire season.
The Tigers responded quickly, however, driving 73 yards in just 7 plays to take a 7-3 lead as TB Tony Temple scored on a 5-yard run.
Texas A&M used a reverse pass that went for 67 yards on its next possession to key a drive that saw them regain the lead at 10-7, but Mizzou again responded with a TD drive of its own, with Daniel and Franklin hooking up for a TD pass that covered 38 yards this time.
The next big replay that hurt MU came midway through the 2nd quarter, as Temple ran into traffic in the middle of the field, and was ruled to have fumbled the ball, which was recovered by A&M on the Tiger 23 yardline. Replay showed that Temple’s knee appeared to be down, but the call was not overturned by replay officials due to inconclusive camera angles, giving the Aggies field position that they cashed in for a subsequent TD to take a 17-14 lead.
MU’s Jeff Wolfert tied the game just before half with a 39-yard field goal, and things looked to be going the Tigers’ way when A&M QB Stephen McGee had to fall on an errant snap in his own endzone on the opening possession of the 3rd quarter for a safety, giving MU a 19-17 lead.
However, the Tiger offense – despite owning great field position at its own 45-yardline – couldn’t seize the momentum, and went three-and-out.
A&M responded with a 13-play, 80-yard drive that was aided by a McGee 12-yard pass to himself that was deflected at the line of scrimmage by MU’s Brock Christopher. McGee caught the deflection and raced for 12 yards on a 2nd-and-10 situation to the A&M 43-yardline. Instead of facing a 3rd-and-10, the Aggies were near midfield and on their way to what would ultimately prove to be the winning score. That came 10 plays later, when TB Mike Goodson scored from 2 yards out with 6:38 left in the 3rd quarter, and after McGee rushed for the 2-point conversion, A&M held a 25-19 lead.
The Tigers certainly had plenty of opportunities to regain the lead, but couldn’t score in any of their last four possessions. Its best chance came early in the 4th quarter, as Daniel directed a sharp drive that went from MU’s 20-yardline to the A&M 4. Daniel hit his first 7 passes on the drive, before his 3rd-and-goal attempt to TE Chase Coffman in the endzone was batted away. After taking a delay of game penalty back to the 9-yardline, Mizzou went for the jugular, as it tried a fake field goal, but holder Brad Ekwerekwu’s rush attempt was stopped after gaining only 3 yards.
That would prove to be MU’s best chance to score the rest of the way, as the Tiger defense twice more got the ball back for the offense. But the Mizzou offense couldn’t convert a 3rd-and-2 from its own 42-yardline on its first chance, and also came up short on a 4th-and-2 rush by Temple from its own 46 on its last possession. Replays showed that Temple might have gotten a bad spot, as he came up a football length short, but the the play was not reviewed.
A&M held the ball for a commanding 41 minutes and 30 seconds, and converted 9-of-15 third down situations, as the Tiger defense couldn’t muster any turnovers, one week after forcing 5 Texas Tech turnovers that turned into 28 MU points.
MORE NOTES FROM THE A&M GAME
- QB Chase Daniel completed 21-of-29 passes for 295 yards and 1 TD (a 38-yarder to WR Will Franklin in the 2nd quarter) in what amounted to his first collegiate loss as a starter, and he also ran 10 times for 33 yards.
- Franklin led all receivers on the day with 119 yards on 4 receptions, marking his 2nd 100-yard outing of the season. He previously had a 4-catch, 138-yard, 2-TD night in the season opener against Murray State, will all of those numbers coming in the first half. Similarly, at A&M, Franklin did most of his damage in the 1st half, as he had 3 catches and 114 yards in the 1st half...
- Mizzou was held to a season-low 74 net yards rushing on the day, on 26 attempts. TB Tony Temple led the way with 37 yards on 13 tries, including a 5-yard TD in the 1st quarter that put MU up, 7-3 at the time. It was Temple’s 3rd rushing TD in the last 2 games…
- A&M controlled the ever-important 3rd down battle most of the day, which certainly contributed to their owning time of possession. A&M converted on 9-of-15 3rd down attempts Saturday, while they held MU to just 1-of-8. Mizzou came into the game ranking 1st in the Big 12 with a 3rd-down conversion rate of 52.7%...
- P Adam Crossett had a big day in limited action, as he averaged a career-best 55.7 yards on 3 punts, including a booming 79-yarder in the 3rd quarter that came up just 3 yards shy of the MU record for longest punt (82 yards by Jeff Brockhaus in 1980 vs. Kansas State)…
- PK Jeff Wolfert was again perfect on placekicks, as he made 2-of-2 PATs and nailed a 39-yard FG just before half to tie the game at 17 apiece. It was Wolfert’s 6th consecutive FG since missing a 36-yarder in the 4th quarter against Ole Miss in game #2. Counting his 2 made PATs Saturday, Wolfert has now made 24 consecutive kicks overall (6 FGs, 18 PATs), dating back to his FG miss. For the season, he is 8-of-10 on FGs and a perfect 28-of-28 on PATs thus far…
- Defensively, Mizzou had 6 players in double digits in tackles (pre-coaches’ film adjustment), with LB Brock Christopher leading the way with a career-high 13 stops. He was joined in double figures by LB Marcus Bacon (12), CB Hardy Ricks (career-high 11), S David Overstreet (11), LB Dedrick Harrington (11) and CB Darnell Terrell (10).
MIZZOU 1 OF 5 SCHOOLS IN TOP-20 NATIONALLY IN BOTH TOTAL OFFENSE & DEFENSE
Mizzou currently can boast being only 1-of-5 schools in the nation to have both its offense and defense ranked in the nation’s top-20 in total yardage.
The Tigers enter Saturday as the nation’s 15th-ranked offense, racking up an average of 417.6 yards per game (3rd in the Big 12), while their defense counterparts aren’t far behind in the national rankings, as they stand 18th currently (2nd in the Big 12), allowing an average of 276.1 yards per game.
The other schools with both offense and defense ranked among the top-20 include: LSU 1st (def)./14th (off).; Clemson 4th (def.)/6th (off.); Boise State 12th (def.)/17th (off.); Tulsa 14th (def.)/18th (off.).
WHO WANTS THE BALL SATURDAY?
If possession is 3/4ths of the law, then Saturday’s game between Mizzou and Kansas State might be difficult to adjudicate. That’s because both teams rank low in the national standings when it comes to time of possession.
For Mizzou, it hasn’t been a problem, as the Tigers have gotten out to a 6-1 mark so far. MU ranks 103rd nationally in time of possession, holding the ball for an average of 28:03 per game. Last Saturday at Texas A&M, however, the Tigers faced a massive disparity in TOP, as the Aggies plodded their way to a 25-19 victory thanks in large part to an advantage in TOP of 41:30-to-18:30.
Part of the issue for Mizzou was the quick-strike nature of its offense. MU’s three scoring drives in the first half took just 2:09, 1:31, and 3:23. However, in the 2nd half, the Tiger offense managed only one drive of more than 5 plays or more, and took only 6 offensive snaps in the 3rd quarter, as the Tiger defense couldn’t get A&M out of drives. The Aggies converted on 9-of-15 3rd down tries on the day, while MU was just 1-of-8 overall.
For Kansas State, the time of possession difference has been even more pronounced, as the Wildcats currently rank last in Division I-A, at 119th, with an average of 26:23. Last Saturday in its 21-3 home loss to Nebraska, the Wildcats were at a 34:51-to-25:09 disadvantage in time of possesson.
Much like Mizzou, KSU struggled converting 3rd downs to keep drives alive, as they went just 1-of-13 on the day, while Nebraska converted on 7-of-17 3rd down tries.
TIGER OFFENSE FACING A TOUGH K-STATE DEFENSE
Mizzou’s offensive attack is looking to bounce back from a day that saw them net season-low total in points (19) and offensive snaps (57). Its previous lows were 27 points at New Mexico and 62 snaps at Texas Tech. MU had 380 yards of offense despite the low number of snaps, and even though that was below its pre-game average of 423.83 coming into the A&M game, it was the highest output in 3 games, since putting up 428 in game #4 against Ohio.
The Tiger offense will have a big challenge this Saturday against Kansas State, which has a defense that ranks 36th nationally, allowing just 298.29 yards per contest. The Wildcats have held each of their last 2 opponents – Oklahoma State and Nebraska – to more than 100 yards under their offensive averages. Two weeks agao, KSU held Oklahoma State to 331 yards of offense, and last week, limited Nebraska to just 356. The Cowboys currently rank 10th nationally in total offense (432.17 ypg), while Nebraska is even better statistically, ranking 8th nationally (448.43 ypg).
PINKEL HAS WON 14 OF LAST 19 GAMES AT MIZZOU
Mizzou Head Coach Gary Pinkel is in his sixth season at MU and touts a career record of 108-68-3 (61.2%). His career winning percentage of 60.2% to begin the season ranked him 23rd in the nation among active Division I-A coaches with a minimum of seven years coached.
Pinkel, who has led MU to a combined record of 26-17 over the past four seasons (including 14 wins in his last 20 games dating back to the 2004 season finale), and to bowl games in 2003 and 2005, has a six-year record in Columbia of 35-31 (53.0%).
With a team picked to finish 4th in the Big 12 North in 2005, Pinkel’s Tigers tied for 2nd place (winning all tiebreakers), and were playing for a chance to share for the division title heading into the regular-season finale. Pinkel has now led MU to two bowl games, and that puts him in select company, as he joins Don Faurot, Dan Devine, Al Onofrio, Warren Powers and Larry Smith as the only coaches to guide MU to multiple bowl games. After beating Nebraska (41-24 in 2005) for the second time in three years, Pinkel became the first MU coach since Onofrio to defeat NU twice.
Mizzou’s 34-7 win over Ole Miss drew him above the .500 mark at Mizzou. Pinkel is the first Tiger coach since Warren Powers to have an MU record of above .500 after at least one full season of coaching (Powers left after the 1984 season with an MU record of 46-33-3).
Pinkel has driven Mizzou to a pair of winning seasons (8-5 in 2003 and 7-5 in 2005) in his five previous years at the wheel, with those representing two of MU’s four winning campaigns dating back to the 1983 season. With a winning season in 2006, he would become the first MU coach since Powers to have three winning years.
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