Printer-Friendly Format     E-mail this article     Lsat year in Columbia, Tony Temple had a touchdown against the Cyclones.

 
Stakes High in Big 12 Race as Tigers Hit Stretch Run

Tigers can become fifth team to win nine games

Nov. 10, 2008

 

#12/11 Missouri Tigers (8-2, 4-2)
at Iowa State Cyclones (2-8, 0-6)
Nov. 15, 2008 – Jack Trice Stadium – Ames, Iowa

STAKES HIGH IN BIG 12 RACE AS TIGERS HIT STRETCH RUN
   The 12th-ranked Missouri Tigers (8-2 overall, 4-2 in Big 12 Conference play) travel to Ames, Iowa where they’ll face off against the Iowa State Cyclones (2-8, 0-6) Saturday night at Jack Trice Stadium. The game is being televised by Fox Sports Net, with kickoff for the game set for 5:30 p.m. (central time).
   Saturday presents a big opportunity for the Tigers, who are coming off a solid 41-24 win over Kansas State in what was the home finale for 2008. After the dust settled last weekend, Mizzou found itself in sole possession of 1st place in the Big 12 North Division standings, at 4-2, with both Kansas and Nebraska tied for 2nd, at 3-3. The game in Ames boils down to the fact that a Tiger win assures MU of no worse than a tie for the North Division title. Mizzou won the Big 12 North title for the first time ever in 2007, going 7-1. It was MU’s first conference or division title of any kind in the sport of football since the Tigers shared the Big 8 title in 1969.
   Mizzou enters Saturday’s contest riding a three-game winning streak, with consecutive wins over Colorado (58-0 in Columbia), at Baylor (31-28) and over Kansas State (41-24 in Columbia).
   Iowa State is coming off a heart-breaking 28-24 loss at Colorado last week, in a game that saw the Cyclones mount a final-minute drive that got all the way down to the Buffalo 1-yardline before being stopped short as time ran out. The Cyclones are looking for their first Big 12 win in 2008, and they’d like nothing better than getting that against the Tigers. Iowa State faced a similar situation in 2006, as MU came to Ames, Iowa as favorites over the Cyclones who were winless in league play at 0-7. But ISU survived an early MU surge in the game, as well as a last-minute charge by the Tigers, and held on for a 21-16 upset win to send outgoing coach Dan McCarney out a winner in his final game as ISU’s skipper.

TIGERS CAN BECOME 5TH MU TEAM IN HISTORY TO WIN 9 GAMES
   The 2008 Tigers have already turned in a big achievement, as they are already only the 12th team in school history to amass 8 regular-season wins. The Tigers are obviously gunning for a win this Saturday night in Ames, Iowa against Iowa State, and a win would make this group only the 5th team in MU history to claim 9 wins in a regular season.
   Mizzou has now won 8 regular-season games in 3 straight years for the first time in school history. The only other time Missouri has recorded consecutive 8-win regular seasons was way back in 1941 and 1942, when MU won 8 games in both years.
   Head Coach Gary Pinkel joins MU legends Don Faurot and Dan Devine as the only Mizzou coaches to achieve multiple 8-win regular seasons. Faurot won 8 regular season games 4 times, while Devine did it twice. Pinkel’s teams have now done it 4 times as well (2003, 2006, 2007, 2008). Here’s a look at the 8-win seasons for MU…

NOVEMBER WINNERS ARE REMEMBERED
   Tiger Coach Gary Pinkel has a mantra that he’s passed onto his team that says, “Those who win in November are remembered.” His troops have taken that to heart lately, as MU enters this weekend’s game at Iowa State having won 7 consecutive games in the month of November, dating back to 2006. Mizzou closed the 2006 regular-season with a November win over Kansas, and went a perfect 4-0 in the 11th month in 2007, and they’ve won both outings so far in 2008 this month.
   Research of the Tiger record book shows that MU’s current string of 7 straight November wins is just one shy of the school record of 8, set way back by Don Faurot teams of 1938-40, when MU closed the ‘38 season with two straight, went 4-0 in 1939 and won its first 2 in November in 1940 before the streak was broken.
   Of course, that means the current Tigers take the field Saturday night in Ames, Iowa, knowing that they can tie the MU record for most consecutive wins in the month of November.
   Here’s a look at the November win streaks…
   The improvement in November results has been big for Pinkel’s Tigers. In his first 6 seasons at the helm for MU, Pinkel’s teams went a combined 7-13 in the month of November (2001-06). The 4-0 record in 2007 was Mizzou’s first perfect November since 1969, and it marked only the 6th time in school history that MU went 4-0 in the month.

MIZZOU-IOWA STATE SERIES
   Mizzou and Iowa State have met 100 times previously, with the Tigers holding a 57-34-9 edge in the series history that dates back to the first meeting in 1896.
   The Tigers have held the upper hand of late between the two longtime rivals, winning four of the last five matchups, including a 42-28 win in Columbia in 2007. The only loss in that stretch for Mizzou was a 21-16 setback in Ames in 2006 that saw the Tigers denied a comeback win as a potential game-winning TD was wiped out by a penalty in the final moments.
   Mizzou holds a 27-18-2 lead in games played in Ames, Iowa, but the series has been more competitive since ISU’s Jack Trice Stadium opened in 1975, as it stands dead even at 8-8. Since the formation of the Big 12 Conference in 1996, the Tigers and Cyclones are deadlocked at 6 wins apiece, with ISU holding a 4-2 edge in Ames.
   The last three visits to Ames have resulted in nailbiters for the Tigers, with the aforementioned 21-16 loss in 2006 the latest thriller. Prior to that, in 2004, Mizzou won a 17-14 overtime game on an Adam Crossett field goal and an A.J. Kincade interception on ISU’s ensuing overtime possession. That win denied Iowa State an outright North Division title, and forced them into a tie (at 4-4 in league play) with Colorado for the division lead, as the Buffaloes advanced to the Big 12 title game due to a head-to-head win over ISU earlier in they year.
   In 2002, the underdog Tigers gave 22nd-ranked Iowa State all they could handle in Ames, before falling by a 42-35 score as the Cyclones scored on a 1-yard TD run with just :32 seconds left to avoid the upset loss. ISU’s QB Seneca Wallace had a huge day, as he threw for 425 yards against the Tigers, while MU’s Brad Smith had a big day of his own, throwing for 241 yards and rushing for 77 more.
   Mizzou Head Coach Gary Pinkel stands 4-3 overall against Iowa State. Five of the seven contests since Pinkel took over in 2001 have been decided by seven points or fewer.

LAST YEAR IN COLUMBIA: #13 MIZZOU 42, IOWA STATE 28
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - Lorenzo Williams recovered a fumble in the end zone at the start of the second half, giving No. 13 Missouri breathing room and momentum in a 42-28 victory over the Cyclones. The Tigers, who entered the game seventh in the nation in total offense at 518 yards per game, won despite being held to a season-low 366 yards.
   Jimmy Jackson, Tony Temple, Martin Rucker and Jeremy Maclin each scored for Missouri (7-1, 3-1 Big 12), as it avoided the upset bug against the Cyclones (1-8, 0-5). The Tigers had been punishing teams at Faurot Field, beating then-No. 22 Texas Tech 41-10 last week and then-No. 25 Nebraska 41-6 three weeks ago.
   Missouri lost safety Cornelius “Pig” Brown for the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon in the fourth quarter. Brown, twice named Big 12 defensive player of the week, has been a big factor in the Tigers’ improving defense.
   Backup Alexander Robinson had 149 yards on 21 carries with a 37-yard scoring run for Iowa State, his first career 100-yard game, and Devin McDowell had a 25-yard interception return. The Cyclones had 389 yards total offense and played their second straight Top 25 opponent tough after holding down No. 4 Oklahoma in a 17-7 loss last week.
   Daniel was 28-of-37 for 250 yards with one touchdown and the interception on a high throw that Martin Rucker tipped.
   Missouri’s play at the end of the half and right after the break was instrumental in winning for the 14th time in the last 15 home games. Iowa State’s Bret Meyer scored on a 1-yard run with 24 seconds left in the half to cut the deficit to 17-14, and Missouri got downfield fast enough for Jeff Wolfert’s 48-yard field goal on the final play.
   Stryker Sulak stripped Meyer on a sack inside the 5 on the third play of the second half. Williams fell on the ball in the end zone and Missouri added a 2-point conversion for a 28-14 cushion.
   Iowa State scored on its next drive on a 1-yard pass from Meyer to Marquis Hamilton before Missouri put the game away on Rucker’s 10-yard reception and Maclin’s 17-yard run on a reverse, the latter coming early in the fourth quarter to make it 42-21.
   Meyer became the second quarterback in Big 12 history to pass for 9,000 yards, also setting a school record with 33 completions in 48 attempts. Todd Blythe caught six passes for 54 yards to become the school’s career reception leader with 168, four more than Lane Danielson from 2000-03.
   Daniel was 11-of-11 for 103 yards on Missouri’s first two drives, which ended on touchdown runs by Jackson and Temple, for a 14-0 lead with 6:52 to go in the first quarter. Missouri didn’t face a third down until its 18th play, and Daniel also tied a school record with 15 straight completions set by Kent Kiefer in 1990 before throwing the ball away on the next-to-last play of the first quarter.
   Missouri had dominated before McDowell’s 25-yard interception return on a ball off Rucker’s hands midway through the second quarter.

TIGERS REACH “ELITE EIGHT” WITH 41-24 WIN OVER KANSAS STATE
   Mizzou improved to 8-2 on the year overall and 4-2 in Big 12 Conference play thanks to a 41-24 win over Kansas State last Saturday in Columbia in what served as MU’s 2008 home finale. The game wasn’t as close as the final 17-point margin might indicate, as the Tigers jumped to a 24-0 lead in the first half, and held a 41-10 advantage until late in the 4th quarter before the Wildcats mounted a pair of TDs against MU’s reserve defensive unit to close the gap. Here are some recap notes from the game…

• Mizzou overcame a sluggish start offensively, as it held only a 7-0 lead after one quarter. The Tigers hit their stride in the 2nd quarter, scoring 17 points in a rapid string of just 4 offensive plays to bolt to a 24-0 lead, before the Wildcats broke the shutout with a field goal at the halftime gun to make it 24-3. The scoring barrage started with a Jeff Wolfert 32-yard field goal with 6:13 left to make it 10-0 Tigers. Mizzou’s defense stiffened and forced a KSU punt, which was blocked by freshman LB Will Ebner and that gave MU the ball on the K-State 42-yardline. On the 1st play, QB Chase Daniel hit WR Jeremy Maclin on a screen and Maclin darted his way to paydirt as just 9 second ticked off the clock (3:16 remained in the half). Kansas State’s ensuing possession went nowhere and after a short punt and a Maclin 15-yard return to the KSU 31-yardline, Daniel hit WR Tommy Saunders for 15 yards and then connected with Maclin in the endzone for a 16-yard score to cap a drive that lasted just :25 seconds to make it 24-0…
• Mizzou held a 27-10 lead after 3 quarters, and put the game away on the 1st play of the 4th quarter as Maclin took a direct snap and raced his way to a 56-yard TD run that made it 34-10. After the starters were pulled, the lead was extended to 41-10 as senior QB Chase Patton threw his 1st career TD pass (a 13-yarder to WR Jared Perry). The Wildcats made the score look much closer by getting a 93-yard TD run with 1:11 left in the game against MU’s reserve defenders, and adding a 4-yard TD pass with :22 seconds left after they recovered an onside kick…
• The Tiger defense held Kansas State to 363 yards of total offense, including just 169 passing yards, well below the Wildcats’ averages of 418.22 (total offense, ranked 27th in the NCAA) and 288.78 ypg (passing, ranked 13th in the NCAA) coming into the game. Mizzou’s #1 defense actually held KSU to just 213 yards on the night, before the reserves gave up 150 in two drives to end the game…
• Mizzou’s offense racked up 511 yards on the night, including 221 rushing yards – the most since a season-high 256-yard outing in game #2 against SEMO on Sept. 6th. The ability to run the ball effectively helped MU win the time of possession battle for the first time all year, as MU held the ball for 32:45, to K-State’s 27:15. The previous season best for MU in terms of holding the ball was in the opener against Illinois, when MU held the ball for 29:17, compared to Illinois’ 30:43 in a game that MU won, 52-42…
• Maclin stole the show on senior night, as the sophomore racked up a season-high 278 all-purpose yards while scoring 3 times. Included in his output was 8 catches for 118 yards and 2 TDs, while he ran for 84 yards and 1 score. His performance was the 7th-highest single-game all-purpose outing in MU history and gave him 638 all-purpose yards in 2 career games against K-State (he had an MU single-game record 360 yards in 2007 at KSU)…
• QB Chase Daniel completed 24-of-36 passes for 271 yards and 2 TDs (with 2 INTs) to help the cause, and sophomore TB Derrick Washington aided and abetted by gaining 73 yards rushing with his team-best 14th rushing TD of the season. Junior LB Sean Weatherspoon was the defensive star once again, as he registered a game-best 13 tackles, including 2 TFLs (20 yards in losses) and 1 QB sack (17 yds.), while also breaking up 2 passes on the night…

SENIOR CLASS LOOKS TO EXTEND RECORD WIN TOTAL
   Mizzou’s class of 23 seniors has a lot left to play for in the 2008 season, but they’ve already established themselves as arguably the most successful class in MU history.
   This class has been a very key group of players and leaders who have helped lead Mizzou to new heights. They have helped MU to 35 wins over the course of the 2005 season through now, and that represents a record for any four-year period of time (see chart below). This class is on pace to join the 1981 senior class as the only other in Tiger history to play in four bowl games in a four-year span (Mizzou played in bowls each year from 1978-81, and has done so each of the last three years, as well).
   Here’s a look at the most prolific senior classes at Mizzou, in terms of wins…

QUICK HITTERS

• QB Chase Daniel has been named a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete (and is a winner of an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship). He is now one of 16 finalists for the Draddy Award, which is known as the “Academic Heisman.” Daniel is also an O’Brien Award semi-finalist, a Maxwell Award semi-finalist and a Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award finalist. Additionally, on Monday, he was named one of five finalists for the Manning Award…
• PK Jeff Wolfert has been named a semi-finalist for the Lou Groza Award, which goes annually to the nation’s top kicker, while LB Sean Weatherspoon has been named a semi-finalist for the Bednarik Award and quarterfinalist for the Lott Trophy, both awards which go to the nation’s top defensive player. Senior FS William Moore was also recently named as a semi-finalist for the Thorpe Award, which goes to the nation’s top defensive back…
• QB Chase Daniel had 271 passing yards last week against Kansas State to pass the 3,000-yard mark for the season (he’s got 3,264 entering the ISU game), giving him 3,000 yards each of the last 3 seasons for MU (no Tiger QB had ever reached 3,000 passing yards prior to Daniel). His 28 TD passes in 2008 stand just 5 shy of his MU season record of 33 achieved in 2007, and his season completion percentage of 76.1% and QB rating of 172.38 are far and away ahead of the MU season records of 68.2% (his own in 2007) and 154.3 (Phil Johnson in 1990), respectively…
• Daniel has accounted for 100 TDs in his Tiger career (90 passing, 10 rushing), and stands just 3 shy of breaking the MU career record of 102 set by former great Brad Smith (56 passing, 46 rushing)…
• Daniel’s passing total upped his MU career-record yardage to 11,434. He now stands 15th on the NCAA Div. I-A (FBS) career passing yardage list, and he passed former standouts Peyton Manning (Tennessee), Chris Leak (Florida) and Carson Palmer (USC) last game. Daniel is averaging 326.4 passing yards per game in 2008, and if he hits that mark in MU’s last 2 regular-season games, plus a bowl game, he’d end with 12,413 yards which would put him in 11th place. Should the Tigers get an extra game (Big 12 title game), and if he hit that average yardage mark, he’d end with 12,739 yards, which would vault him to 8th place alltime…
• All-American and Mackey Award front-runner TE Chase Coffman was not able to play last Saturday against Kansas State due to a sprained toe he suffered the previous week against Baylor. He’s hoping to be able to play this week against the Cyclones. If he does, he’ll bring a streak with him of having caught a pass in 40 consecutive games, which is an MU record, breaking the previous mark of 34 by WR Justin Gage (2000-02). Coffman, with 73 receptions so far in 2008, is approaching the MU single-season receptions mark of 84, set just last season by TE Martin Rucker. The NCAA FBS single-season receptions record for a TE is within view, too (90 by James Whelan of Kentucky in 1999)…
• Coffman, with 819 receiving yards in 2008 entering the ISU game, needs just 16 yards to break the MU single-season yardage record for a TE. The mark was set in 2007 by All-American Martin Rucker, who had 834 receiving yards on 84 catches…
• WR Jeremy Maclin, coming off an 8-catch, 118-yard, 2-TD receiving game against Kansas State, pushed his season receiving TD total to 9. That puts Maclin within reach of the MU single-season record of 10, held by WR Sean Coffey in 2004…
• Maclin’s 2008 10-game all-purpose yardage total of 1,985 entering the K-State game is already the 2nd-most in MU single-season history, trailing only his own record of 2,776 set last year as a freshman…
• LB Brock Christopher has 299 career tackles entering the K-State game, and he stands 14th on the MU career tackles list. Next up on the chart is Lynn Evans, who had 316 tackles from 1972-74 and ranks 13th…
• As a team, Mizzou ranks 1st in the Big 12 and 3rd in the NCAA through 10 games in tackles for loss, averaging 8.40 per game. #1 on the list is Troy (8.89), followed by #2 Central Florida (8.56) then Mizzou in 3rd…
• Mizzou is also 4th in the NCAA in fewest punts, with 25 (averaging 41.6 per kick). Tulsa and Texas Tech are tied for the fewest punts in the land, with just 18 apiece, followed by #3 Ball State at 24 and MU at #4…

QUICK-STRIKE OFFENSE
   If you like following the Tiger offense, you’re best advised not to blink when they’re on the field, because Mizzou strikes quickly when it’s out there. MU is quickly disproving that winning the time of possession battle is the key to winning football – while Missouri is 6th the nation in total offense (513.80 ypg), they’re doing it despite ranking 115th nationally in time of possession (26:34 average through 10 games).
   In fact, in a survey of Div. I (FBS) SIDs, Mizzou is 3rd in the country in most TD drives of under two minutes in length, with 28 (see accompanying chart).
   Last week against Kansas State was an amazing sight, as all 5 of MU’s TD drives were consummated in 1:07 or less!! Granted, 3 of the drives were short fields thanks to Tiger special teams and defense, but the other two drives went 84 yards in just 1:07 and 65 yards in 28 seconds. Here’s a quick look at the TD drives against K-State…
   Earlier in the 2008 season, Mizzou had 6 TD drives in this category against Nevada, while turning in 4 against Colorado, and adding 3 each against Nebraska, Buffalo and SEMO, 2 against Illinois and 1 each vs. Oklahoma State, Texas and Baylor.

TIGERS LEAD NATION IN FEWEST FUMBLES
   While all coaches preach ball security until the cows come home, Mizzou has taken that mantra to heart in 2008. The Tigers have fumbled just 5 times total in 2008, and they’ve run 703 plays from scrimmage – meaning they’ve fumbled just once every 141 plays on average. The fumbles (all being recovered by the opponents) have come in 3 games, with one in the opener against Illinois, and one at Baylor, with the other three coming in game #4 against Buffalo.
   All five fumbles happened in opponent territory, with four coming from Tiger receivers.
   No other team has put the ball on the ground fewer times than Mizzou, as MU has the fewest total fumbles in the nation heading into the Iowa State game, with 5. Here’s a quick look at the nation’s team leaders…

TIGERS NET BEST HOME ATTENDANCE SINCE 1980
   Mizzou’s great fans came out in record numbers in 2008 to Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium, where the Tigers played before sellout crowds of 68,349 for each of the last three games (against Oklahoma State, Colorado and Kansas State). That was the first time in recorded history that MU has had three consecutive sellouts.
   The six-game home attendance average of 64,520 was the 5th-highest in MU history, and the most since 1980, when the Tigers averaged 67,602 in 6 games. Here’s a quick rundown of the biggest average attendance for Mizzou home seasons…

WOLFERT BOOTS GAME-WINNER AT BAYLOR, REMAINS ON PACE FOR NCAA ACCURACY RECORD
   Mizzou PK Jeff Wolfert has put up incredible numbers over three seasons of booting the ball, as he’s made 222-of-232 (95.7%) combined kicks in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Those numbers break out to 54-of-64 (84.4%) on FGs and a perfect 168-of-168 on PATs (that’s 100.0% for any non-math types out there).
   In fact, Wolfert is on pace to break an NCAA career record for best accuracy for combined field goals and PATs. Wolfert’s combined career mark of 95.7% is currently ahead of the record of 93.3% set by UCLA’s John Lee from 1982-85 (116-of-117 PATs, 79-of-92 FGs). The minimum standard to qualify for this record is 50 career field goals.
   His accuracy helped play a huge role two weeks ago at Baylor, as he was crucial to MU’s 31-28 win in Waco, Texas. Wolfert was perfect on all 4 PAT tries, but was called on for a 34-yard FG try with the game tied at 28-apiece with just over two minutes left. He drilled it, of course, accounting for the final score, as the Tiger defense forced a turnover on the ensuing Baylor possession to end the game.
   Wolfert’s kick was the first 4th-quarter game-winning FG for a Tiger kicker since 2005, when Adam Crossett booted a 26-yarder in OT to beat Iowa State in Columbia, 27-24.
   Much more on Wolfert’s considerable exploits can be found elsewhere in the PDF edition of the game notes. 

MACLIN BREAKS MIZZOU CAREER ALL-PURPOSE RECORD
   Mizzou’s Mr. All-Everything WR/KR/PR Jeremy Maclin enters Saturday’s game against Iowa State as the Big 12’s #1 all-purpose player, with a league-best 198.50 average per game (that also ranks 2nd in the NCAA). He’s coming off a huge game against Kansas State, where he amassed a season-best 278 all-purpose yards, including 118 yards receiving (8 catches, 2 TDs) and 84 rushing yards (1 TD). It was the 7th-best single-game total in MU history, and gave him 638 all-purpose yards in 2 games against K-State (he set the MU single-game record with 360 at KSU in 2007).
   Prior to that, Maclin had a 161-yard outing at Baylor where the Bear defense held him in check offensively, as he was held to 5 receptions for 31 yards (his lowest receiving total in 2008 since game #2 against SEMO, when he played just 1 quarter in a Tiger blowout win). But, Maclin contributed with 161 all-purpose yards overall, as he rushed 5 times for 26 yards and returned 5 kickoffs for 104 more yards.
   One of those kickoff returns, his 2nd one in the 3rd quarter against Baylor, was historic in nature, as it pushed him past former Tiger great Brad Smith for the MU career record for most all-purpose yardage.
   Maclin entered the game at Baylor with 4,322 career all-purpose yards, needing only 98 to pass Smith’s mark of 4,419 from 2002-05. He now stands atop the chart with 4,761 entering the Iowa State game.
   A year ago at Kansas State, Maclin erupted for an MU single-game record 360 all-purpose yards and 3 TDs, featuring 143 receiving yards (2 TDs) and 194 yards on kickoff returns, which included a 99-yard kickoff return for a TD (MU’s first since 1982).
   Much more information on Maclin can be found elsewhere in the PDF edition of the game notes. 

DANIEL LEADS THE WAY OFFENSIVELY
   Mizzou senior QB Chase Daniel began the 2008 season on the short list of Heisman Trophy favorites, according to most prognosticators. Even though the Tigers suffered consecutive defeats to Oklahoma State and Texas, Daniel will have a chance to make some proverbial hay in the final stretch of the season, and he started that with a bang against Colorado, as he led MU to a 58-0 win, throwing for 302 yards and an MU-record 5 TDs on 31-of-37 passing. He led the Tigers to scores on 9-of-11 drives in which he took the field.
   He followed with a solid day at Baylor, as he completed 30-of-38 passes for 318 yards and 3 TDs (with 2 interceptions). With the game on the line, tied at 28-28 late in the game, Daniel calmly led the Tigers from their own 10-yardline down the field to set up what proved to be the game-winning field goal, on a 34-yarder by PK Jeff Wolfert with 2:36 left. He led MU to a 41-24 win over Kansas State last Saturday by throwing for 271 yards and 2 TDs.
   Through 10 games, Daniel has directed the Tigers to the nation’s 6th-ranked outfit in total offense (513.80 ypg) and 4th-ranked scoring offense (45.10 ppg), while the Tigers rank 4th in the NCAA in passing (351.50 ypg) and 5th in pass efficiency (168.65 rating). Individually, after his KSU game, he ranks 6th in the NCAA in total offense (340.10 ypg) and is 5th in pass efficiency (172.38 rating).

PINKEL STANDS 3RD ON ALLTIME MU COACHING WINS LIST
   Mizzou Head Coach Gary Pinkel is in his 8th season at MU and touts a career record of 130-76-3 (62.9%). The Illinois game to open the 2008 season was the 200th in Pinkel’s head coaching career.
   Pinkel, who has led MU to a combined record of 48-25 (65.8%) over the past 5+ seasons, and to bowl games in 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007, has an 8-year record in Columbia of 57-39 (59.4%). Dating back to the 2005 Independence Bowl win over Steve Spurrier and South Carolina, Pinkel has won 29 of his last 38 games overall.
   MU’s win in the 2008 opener against Illinois gave Pinkel his 50th MU win, and he now ranks 3rd on the coaching wins list at MU, with 57.
   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.
   For the efforts in 2007, Pinkel was a finalist for several national coach of the year awards, including the Robinson, Bryant and Munger awards. He was also named the National Coach of the Year by FieldTurf in 2007.
   Pinkel has led MU to 4 bowl games, and if his Tigers reach a 5th in 2008, he will join Devine (6 bowls), and Powers (5 bowls) as the only coaches to guide MU to 5 bowl games.
   Pinkel has guided Mizzou to 4 winning seasons (8-5 in 2003, 7-5 in 2005, 8-5 in 2006, 12-2 in 2007), with those representing 4 of MU’s 6 winning campaigns dating back to the 1983 season.

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