2008 Missouri
Tigers
Dec. 29
2008 Alamo Bowl
Missouri 30 … Northwestern 23 OT
Missouri overcame a sluggish and sloppy performance to win in overtime on a
seven-yard Jeremy Maclin touchdown catch. Northwestern went backwards on its
overtime possession, with a fumble forcing a fourth down Hail Mary into the end
zone, picked off by William Moore. Mizzou got the spark it needed with a minute
left in the first half on a 75-yard Maclin punt return for a score, but the
Wildcats answered right away coming out of the locker room on a 46-yard
touchdown catch from Ross Lane Northwestern got three touchdown passes from C.J.
Bacher including a 35-yarder to Eric Peterman to start the scoring and a 23-yard
to Ross Lane to give the Wildcats a 23-20 lead. Jeff Wolfert made three field
goals for Missouri, including a 37-yarder to tie it up with just under three
minutes to play, but he missed a 44-yarder with no time left on the clock to
force overtime.
Player of the Game:
Missouri LB Sean Weatherspoon made 17 tackles, 2.5
tackles for loss, half a sack, broke up a pass, and made two quarterback
hurries.
Stat Leaders: Northwestern - Passing: C.J. Bacher, 27-43,
304 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Tyrell Sutton, 29-114. Receiving: Rasheed Ward, 7-101, 1
TD
Missouri - Passing: Chase Daniel, 27-44, 200 yds, 2 TD, 3
INT
Rushing: Derrick Washington, 15-44. Receiving: Chase Coffman, 7-67
Inside The Box Score ...
5 Thoughts on the Alamo Bowl …Third down conversions: NU 11-of-21 – Mizzou
7-of-16 … Sacks: Mizzou 5 for 43 yards – NW 1 for 1 … Total offense: NU 376 – MU
311 … Chase Daniel threw three interceptions and was outpassed by C.J. Bacher
304 yards to 200 … 2nd quarter time of possession: NU 12:24 – Mizzou
2:36.
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2008 Missouri Preview
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2007 Missouri Season
2008 Schedule
CFN
Prediction:
11-1
2008 Record: 9-4
Aug. 30
Illinois (St. L.) W
52-42
Sept. 6 SE Missouri State
W 52-3
Sept. 13 Nevada W
69-17
Sept. 20 Buffalo W
42-21
Sept. 27 OPEN DATE
Oct. 4 at Nebraska
W 52-17
Oct. 11 Oklahoma State L
28-23
Oct. 18 at Texas L 56-31
Oct. 25 Colorado W
58-0
Nov. 1 at Baylor W 31-28
Nov. 8 Kansas State W
41-24
Nov. 15 at Iowa State W
52-20
Nov. 22 OPEN DATE
Nov. 29 Kansas (KC) L
40-37
Dec. 6 Big 12 Championship
Oklahoma L 62-21
Alamo Bowl
Dec. 29 Nwestern W 30-23 OT |
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2007 Schedule
CFN
Prediction: 10-2
2007 Record: 12-2
Sept. 1
Illinois
(St.L) W 40-34
Sept. 8
at Ole Miss
W 38-25
Sept. 15
Western Mich
W 52-24
Sept. 22
Illinois State
W 38-17
Oct.
6
Nebraska
W 41-6
Oct.
13 at Oklahoma L 41-31
Oct. 20
Texas Tech
W 41-10
Oct.
27
Iowa State
W 42-28
Nov.
3 at Colorado W 55-10
Nov. 10
Texas A&M
W 40-26
Nov.
17
at Kansas St W 49-32
Nov.
24
Kansas
(in KC) W 36-28
Big 12 Championship
Dec. 1 Oklahoma L 38-17
Cotton Bowl
Jan. 1 Arkansas W 38-7 |
Dec. 6
2008 Big
12 Championship
Oklahoma 62 … Missouri 21
Jeremy Maclin and Missouri answered a Chris Brown four-yard
touchdown run with a 27-yard touchdown to make it 10-7 OU early in
the second quarter. And then it was all Sooners with a 31-point run
helped by two Juaquin Iglesias touchdown catches and short touchdown
runs from Mossis Madu and Brown. The Tigers were never able to make
a game of it after the floodgates opened in the second quarter with
Brown’s six-yard run making it 38-7 OU going into the locker room.
Madu and Brown each ran for three touchdowns.
Player of the game:
Oklahoma RBs Chris Brown and Mossis Madu
combined for 42 carries for 236 yards and six touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Missouri - Passing: Chase Daniel,
27-43, 255 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Derrick Washington, 10-29. Receiving: Tommy
Saunders, 8-72, 1 TD
Oklahoma - Passing: Sam Bradford, 34-49, 384
yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Chris Brown, 27-122, 3 TD. Receiving: Juaquin
Iglesias, 9-125, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Missouri ran into a buzzsaw. It’s not that the Tigers could’ve done
anything differently against Oklahoma; they’re just not nearly as
good. The Sooners are ripping up everyone, so to have a chance,
Mizzou had to be perfect. It wasn’t. It’s a shame for Chase Daniel
to close out his great career with a dud like this, especially
coming off the loss to Kansas. The team needs to find a new wrinkle
or two on defense before the bowl game, but more importantly for
this team, getting the offense cranked up again, and getting Daniel
hot, will be a must. He’s been too good to let his legacy take a hit
with a third big loss.
Nov. 29
Kansas 40
… Missouri 37
In a fantastic game played in lousy weather conditions, Todd Reesing
scrambled to keep a final play alive and found Kerry Meier behind
the Tiger defense for a 26-yard touchdown with 27 seconds to play.
Missouri’s Jeff Wolfert attempted a 54-yard field goal at the
buzzer, but it was partially blocked. Meier finished the day with 14
catches and two touchdowns, with the first also coming in the fourth
quarter on an eight-yard play to give KU the lead, but Missouri came
back and got a six-yard Derrick Washington scoring run with 1:50 to
play. In the see-saw battle, Chase Daniel threw four touchdown
passes including two short ones to Chase Coffman with the final
throw, a six yarder, as part of a 20-point second half run before
Meier’s first touchdown catch. Kansas held on to the ball for 36
minutes including 12:49 in the first quarter.
Player of the game:
Kansas QB Todd Reesing completed 37-of-51
passes for 375 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions, and
he ran for 17 yards on 11 carries.
Stat Leaders: Missouri - Passing: Chase Daniel,
25-41, 288 yds, 4 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Chase Daniel, 9-103. Receiving: Jeremy Maclin,
9-123, 1 TD
Kansas - Passing: Todd Reesing, 37-51, 375 yds,
4 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Jake Sharp, 20-48, 1 TD. Receiving: Kerry
Meier, 14-106, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... So? As
tough as the loss was to Kansas, with the defense failing time and
again to come up with a big play against Todd Reesing, it doesn’t
matter. The Tigers have bigger fish to fry in the Big 12 title game,
but the loss did show just how many problems there are on a defense
that can’t play like this to keep next week’s game from being a
blowout. Offensively, it continues to be the case, even this late in
his career: when Chase Daniel is running, the team loses, or has
problems. He led the team in rushing, and when the offense is
working, he’s getting the ball out of his hands and to his
playmakers.
Nov. 15
Missouri
52 … Iowa State 20
Missouri earned a spot in the Big 12 title game with a 24-point
second quarter blowing open the win over Iowa State. The Tigers held
a 31-7 halftime lead as Williams Moore returned an interception 17
yards for a score and Derrick Washington ran for a two-yard score
and took off on a 52-yard dash late in the half. Jeremy Maclin took
a Chase Daniel pass 42 yards for a third quarter touchdown to keep
the Tigers comfortable ahead, but Iowa State kept fighting as Austen
Arnaud threw two touchdown passes including a 25 yarder to Collin
Franklin to pull within 18 early in the fourth. But the Tigers
wouldn’t have a problem as Jimmy Jackson scored on two short runs to
make it a blowout.
Player of the game:
Missouri QB Chase Daniel completed
32-of-40 passes for 328 yards and two touchdowns with an
interception
Stat Leaders: Iowa State - Passing: Austin
Arnaud, 36-54, 326 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Alexander Robinson, 11-59. Receiving: Darius
Darks, 8-59
Missouri - Passing: Chase Daniel, 32-40, 328
yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Derrick Washington, 11-128, 2 TD. Receiving:
Jeremy Maclin, 8-103, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Missouri is in the Big 12 title game for the second straight year,
but to have any hope of winning, the coaching staff needs to come up
with a new wrinkle for the secondary in a big hurry. As good as the
defensive backs have been playing against the run, they’re getting
burned way too often on the short to midrange passes. If Iowa State
can move the ball through the air, there’s a problem. The offense
can only do so much carrying of the team’s weight. It’ll be
interesting to see how the team plays Kansas. The game doesn’t mean
anything to Mizzou, so will the starters get a little bit of rest,
or will there be more experimenting to get ready for the big game?
This is a luxury most coaching staff could only dream of.
Nov. 8
Missouri
41 … Kansas State 24
On Missouri’s Senior Day. Chase Daniel threw touchdown passes from
42 and 16 yards out to Jeremy Maclin in the second quarter, and
Maclin ran for a 56-yard touchdown early in the fourth to put the
game well out of reach. Kansas State got down 24-0 before Brooks
Rossman hit a 43-yard field goal, but was down 41-10 before scoring
twice in the final 1:11 on a 93-yard Brandon Banks run and a
four-yard Banks catch. Sean Weatherspoon made 13 tackles for the
Tigers.
Player of the game:
Missouri WR Jeremy Maclin caught eight
passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns, and ran four times for 84
yards and a score.
Stat Leaders: Kansas State - Passing: Josh
Freeman, 18-36, 121 yds
Rushing: Brandon Banks, 2-95, 1 TD. Receiving: Brandon
Banks, 9-34, 1 TD
Missouri - Passing: Chase Daniel, 24-36, 271
yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Jeremy Maclin, 4-84, 1 TD. Receiving: Jeremy
Maclin, 8-118, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Missouri, after a sluggish win over Baylor, stepped up and took care
of business by putting away a reeling Kansas State team right away.
Jeremy Maclin showed once again that he deserves to be in the
discussion with Michael Crabtree and Dez Bryant as one of the Big
12’s, and nation’s, best receivers. The defense had one of its
better games as Sean Weatherspoon and company swarmed all over the
Wildcat ground game. The race is all but over, Missouri will be
almost certain to win the North for a second straight season, so the
hope has to be to beat Iowa State with ease so everyone can rest up
during the off week. And then the Kansas game can be played like a
preseason game. At this point, it’s all about winning the Big 12;
beating Kansas might not actually matter.
Nov. 1
Missouri 31 … Baylor
28
Missouri wasn’t having much of a problem early on as Chase Daniel threw a
three-yard touchdown pass to Chase Coffman and a 19-yarder to Tommy Saunders,
but the offense took its foot off the gas, lost three turnovers, including two
interceptions, and Baylor almost pulled off the shocker. The Bears got a
four-yard Robert Griffin touchdown run in the second quarter and a 16-yard
touchdown pass to Brad Taylor and a 36-yarder to Jay Finley to tie it at 28 with
less than 10 minutes to play. But Daniel would bounce back leading the Tigers to
a late scoring drive with Jeff Wolfert hitting a 34-yard field goal. Baylor
would have one last shot, but Griffin, who had established the NCAA D-I record
with 209 straight passes to start his career without an interception, threw a
pick on his final pass attempt. Missouri finished with 490 yards of total
offense while Baylor ended up with 438.
Player of the game:
Missouri QB Chase Daniel completed 30-of-38 passes for
318 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions
Stat Leaders: Baylor - Passing: Robert Griffin, 26-35, 283
yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jay Finley, 14-73. Receiving: Thomas White, 7-58
Missouri - Passing: Chase Daniel, 30-38, 318 yds, 3 TD, 2
INT
Rushing: Derrick Washington, 14-97. Receiving: Chase Coffman,
10-75, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Missouri needed to
get kicked around a little, and to show it could come through. The Baylor game
should’ve been a walk in the park, and it was for about a half, but the defense
struggled in the third quarter and Chase Daniel and the offense couldn’t rev the
engine back up until late. This was a scare, and it showed just how the team
will need to keep focused for a full 60 minutes against Kansas State, who has a
dangerous offense when it gets hot, and with Kansas to finish up. The North
title is there for the taking as long as the team plays up to its capability.
Oct. 25
Missouri 58
… Colorado 0
Missouri came out roaring with a touchdown drive in the first 1:09
with Derrick Washington finishing with a three-yard scoring dash.
Chase Daniel was on fire missing on only six passes with five
touchdowns. Jeremy Maclin scored from three and 30 yards out, while
Chase Coffman, Tommy Saunders, and Danario Alexander each caught
short scoring passes. The Tigers outgained the Buffs 491 yards to
199, finishing up with a 55-yard De’Vion Moore touchdown dash.
Player of the game:
Missouri QB Chase Daniel completed
31-of-37 passes for 302 yards and five touchdowns with an
interception and ran five times for 34 yards.
Stat Leaders: Colorado - Passing: Cody Hawkins,
9-17, 86 yds
Rushing: Tyler Hansen, 16-30. Receiving: Scotty
McKnight, 4-44
Missouri - Passing: Chase Daniel, 31-37, 302
yds, 5 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Derrick Washington, 17-83, 1 TD. Receiving:
Jeremy Maclin, 11-134, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... After
the last two weeks, Missouri needed an easy win, and it got it with
a brilliant day from Chase Daniel and an unstoppable performance
from Jeremy Maclin. Even with the losses,
the Tigers control their own Big 12 destiny, and this game showed
that everything is fine. There’s a chance that Baylor, Kansas State
and Iowa State all don’t go to bowl games; Mizzou should win all
three in a walk before the Kansas showdown.
Oct. 18
Texas 56 …
Missouri 31
Texas came out roaring jumping out to a 35-0 first half lead on a
Colt McCoy six-yard touchdown run, a 32-yard Malcolm Williams
touchdown catch, a 13-yard Jordan Shipley touchdown catch, and two
Chris Ogbonnaya scoring runs from nine and 10 yards out. Missouri
chipped away a little bit with Derrick Washington running for a
two-yard score and Chase Coffman catching a 13-yard scoring pass,
but Texas kept on rolling as McCoy ran for a second touchdown and
the Longhorn backups kept on scoring. In all, Texas outgained
Missouri 591 yards to 348.
Player of the game:
Texas QB Colt McCoy completed 29-of-32
passes for 337 yards and two touchdowns and ran 11 times for 23
yards and two scores
Stat Leaders: Missouri - Passing: Chase Daniel,
31-41, 318 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jimmy Jackson, 4-17 & Derrick Washington, 7-17, 1
TD. Receiving: Chase Coffman, 12-140, 1 TD
Texas - Passing: Colt McCoy, 29-32, 337 yds, 2
TD
Rushing: Chris Ogbonnaya, 13-65, 2 TD. Receiving:
Jordan Shipley, 8-89, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... How does
Missouri recover from the last two weeks? After the painful loss to
Oklahoma State and the blasting from Texas, the Tigers have to try
to pick their chins off the floor in a hurry; the prize is still out
there. Colorado, at Baylor, Kansas State, at Iowa State, and Kansas
are all winnable, and the Tigers can still win the North and go on
to face (most likely) Texas again. First, the offensive line has to
solve the problems of the last two weeks and give Daniel more time
to work. There’s time to work the kinks out, but the team has to
keep winning.
Oct. 11
Oklahoma
State 28 … Missouri 23
Oklahoma State got two Zac Robinson to Damian Davis touchdown passes
from 40 and 31 yards out, and the defense held with three
interceptions of Chase Daniel including a diving pick from Patrick
Levine on the Cowboy 37 to snuff out a final chance. Daniel hit
Danario Alexander for a seven-yard score in the final five minutes,
but the two point conversion was broken up. Jimmy Jackson and
Derrick Washington each ran for short scores, but the Cowboys kept
up the pace with a six-yard Robinson run for a score and on the
second play of the second half, a 68-yard Kendall Hunter touchdown
dash. OSU’s Andre Sexton and Orie Lemon combined for 25 tackles.
Player of the game:
Oklahoma State RB Kendall Hunter ran 24
times for 154 yards and a touchdown, and caught four passes for 27
yards
Stat Leaders: Missouri - Passing: Chase Daniel,
39-52, 390 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Chase Daniel 7-46. Receiving: Chase Coffman,
11-104
Oklahoma State - Passing: Zac Robinson, 19-28,
215 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Kendall Hunter, 24 154, 1 TD. Receiving: Dez
Bryant, 7-47
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Three
Chase Daniel interceptions, although one wasn’t his fault, a missed
field goal, a blocked kick, and eight penalties … Mizzou could play
this game against Oklahoma State ten times and it wouldn’t have made
the same mistakes. Give the Cowboys credit for getting to Daniel,
but Daniel also did his part with some major screw ups and misfires.
It was as if the team was waiting for Daniel to pull the game out of
a hat, and he couldn’t do it. As crushing as this loss might be,
things could quickly change around with a win at Texas next week.
Oct. 4
Missouri 52 … Nebraska 17
Missouri started off the scoring with a 58-yard Jeremy Maclin
touchdown catch in the first minute of the game, but Nebraska
answered with a 20-yard Nate Swift scoring grab. And then it was
over. Mizzou went on a 24-point first half run with short touchdown
runs from Derrick Washington and Jimmy Jackson and a 17-yard
interception return for a score from Brock Christopher. Nebraska got
a field goal late in the first half, but the Tigers were on a 45-3
spurt with Washington scoring twice in the third quarter on a
seven-yard catch and a 43-yard run, and Danario Alexander caught a
26-yard touchdown pass to end the fin for the Tigers. Nebraska got a
garbage touchdown with no time left on the clock.
Player of the game: Missouri QB Chase Daniel completed
18-of-23 passes for 253 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Nebraska - Passing: Joe Ganz,
26-38, 290 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Marlon Lucky, 14-46. Receiving: Todd Peterson,
7-81
Missouri - Passing: Chase Daniel, 18-23, 253 yds,
3 TD
Rushing: Derrick Washington, 14-139, 2 TD. Receiving:
Jeremy Maclin, 5-89, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Missouri showed
just how powerful and strong the offense can be both through the air
and on the ground. Nebraska didn’t stand a chance once everything
started moving, while the Tiger defense did a great job of keeping
the Husker attack in check after an early scoring drive. The best
part about the Tiger offense? Chase Daniel isn’t running the ball.
The star of the show isn’t taking any big shots as he’s spreading
the ball around well.
Sept.
20
Missouri
42 ... Buffalo 21
Missouri kept screwing up to keep Buffalo in the game, giving the
ball away three times in Bull territory and having a few problems on
special teams, but the offense made sure there wouldn't be any
problems. Chase Daniel completed a Big 12-record 20 straight passes
on his way to a career-high 439 yards with a 27-yard touchdown pass
to Danario Alexander and a four-yarder to Chase Coffman, but it was
Jeremy Maclin who kept things moving with 14 catches for 168 yards
and a 16-yard touchdown dash. But Buffalo stayed alive on a kickoff
return for a touchdown from Ernest Jackson, who also caught a
32-yard touchdown pass and ran for a three-yard score. Up just six
late in the third quarter, Daniel went to work on two quick
touchdown drives to pull away. Mizzou LB Sean Weatherspoon made 20
tackles and Brock Christopher came up with 12.
Player of the game:
Missouri QB Chase Daniel completed 36-of-43 passes for 439 yards and
two touchdowns, and WR Jeremy Maclin caught 14 passes for 168 yards
and rushed twice for 25 yards and a touchdown.
Stat Leaders: Buffalo - Passing: Drew Willy,
22-40, 237 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Mario Henry, 16-60. Receiving: Naaman
Roosevelt, 9-87
Missouri - Passing: Chase Daniel, 36-43, 439 yds,
2 TDs
Rushing: Derrick Washington, 18-89, 2 TDs. Receiving:
Jeremy Maclin, 14-168
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... How amazing are
Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin? Fine, so it was only against
Buffalo, but Daniel and Maclin were playing pitch-and-catch like
there wasn't anyone else on the field. However, style points count
at the moment and the sloppy play with the turnovers and missed
plays on special teams might cause some to wonder just how strong
the Tigers are compared to the stars of the SEC, USC and Oklahoma.
However, lost in the win was how terrific the defense was
throughout. After a week off, the real tests will come at Nebraska,
at home against Oklahoma State, and at Texas.
Sept.
13
Missouri
69 ... Nevada 17
Missouri cranked out 651 yards of total offense with Chase Daniel
throwing four touchdown passes and Jeremy Maclin scoring three times
highlighted by an 80-yard play three minutes into the game for a
14-0 Tiger lead. The offensive show didn't stop as Maclin scored on
the fourth play of the third quarter on a 49-yard pass, and then
game got out of hand as WR Tommy Saunders connected with Chase
Coffman on a 32-yard touchdown pass. The bench emptied from there as
Missouri scored the final 31 points of the game ad shut out Nevada's
offense in the second half. Nevada got a one-yard Colin Kaepernick
touchdown run and a 42-yard interception return for a score from
Marko Mitchell.
Player of the game:
Missouri QB Chase Daniel went 23-of-28 for 405 yards and four
touchdown passes, and ran once for 12 yards.
Stat Leaders: Nevada - Passing: Colin Kaepernick,
17-31, 152 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Colin Kaepernick, 8-71, 1 TD. Receiving:
Mike McCoy, 6-29
Missouri - Passing: Chase Daniel, 23-28, 405 yds,
4 TDs
Rushing: Derrick Washington, 8-75, 2 TDs. Receiving:
Jeremy Maclin, 6-172, 3 TDs
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Nevada is a good
team that could end up challenging for the WAC title, and Missouri
ripped through the Pack defense like it wasn't even there. Chase
Daniel is in a zone. He's not making mistakes, he's hitting his
playmakers in places where they can do something with the passes,
and he's moving well. The defense didn't let Nevada get in the game,
while the offense did a great job of dropping the hammer in the
second quarter to pull away. There's one more tune-up, coming next
week against Buffalo, before dealing with Nebraska.
Sept. 6
Missouri 52 ...
SE Missouri State
3
Missouri put up 592 yards of total offense playing in a wild
showcase for the attack with Chase Daniel throwing three touchdown
passes and Derrick Washington scoring three times on the way to a
42-0 halftime lead. The defense got into the act as well with Sean
Weatherspoon taking a pick 65 yards for a touchdown. SEMO didn't get
on the board until the fourth quarter with a 31-yard Doug Spada
field goal.
Player of the game:
Missouri QB Chase Daniel completed 16 of
17 passes for 245 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Missouri - Passing: Chase Daniel, 16-17, 345
yds, 3 TD
Rushing: De'Vion Moore, 9-75. Receiving: Jerrel Jackson, 6-70
SE Missouri State - Passing: H. Lillard, 20-38,
197 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Mike Jones, 12-56. Receiving: Walter Peoples, 8-80
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
It's never a bad
thing to have a tune-up for the offense, and that's exactly what
Missouri got against SE Missouri State. Even more important than the
perfect statistical day from the first teamers was the time given to
the backups to see some good work. Backup QB Chase Patton completed
7-of-8 passes and several reserve backs. Jeremy Maclin played
despite suffering an ankle injury last week; he caught a touchdown
pass.
Now the momentum has to continue in a tougher-than-it-looks game
against Nevada.
Aug. 30
Missouri 52 ... Illinois 42
Missouri cranked out 549 yards of total offense, but had a hard time
putting Juice Williams and the Illini away. Williams threw for 451
yards with five touchdown passes, but the Illinois defense didn't
have an answer for the Tiger passing game, either. Chase Daniel
threw three touchdown passes including two in the third quarter to
Tommy Saunders, while the special teams and defense also came
through with Jeremy Maclin answering an Illinois 34-yard
interception return for a touchdown by Derek Walker with a kickoff
return for a score. Sean Weatherspoon killed the Illinois fourth
quarter comeback with a 35-yard interception return for a score with
3:18 to play.
Player of the game:
In a losing cause, Illinois QB Juice Williams completed
26 of 42 passes for 451 yards and five
touchdowns with two interceptions, and he netted 10 yards rushing.
Stat Leaders: Missouri - Passing: Chase Daniel, 26-45, 323
yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Derrick Washington, 19-130, 2 TD. Receiving: Chase
Coffman, 9-120, 1 TD
Illinois - Passing: Juice Williams, 26-42, 451
yds, 5 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Daniel Dufrene, 13-75. Receiving: Arrelious Benn, 7-92
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The offense was in
midseason form against Illinois and the defense did a great job of
hitting Juice Williams, but the secondary had way too many
breakdowns and gave up way too many big plays. That's not a plus
with all the great Big 12 quarterbacks on the slate. It's not time
to worry just yet, Illinois was bombing away in a comeback mode, but
the pass defense can't make errors if Mizzou has any dreams of
winning at Texas.
2008
Recruiting Class
Star of the Class
Blaine Gabbert
QB, 6-5, 225, Ballwin, Mo.
(Parkway West High School)
One of the most highly sought-after quarterback prospects in
the nation who chose to go with his in-state school ... Is a
five-star blue-chip All-American who is hailed as the nation's top
pro-style quarterback prospect ...Is also the consensus No. 1 player
in the state of Missouri ... ESPN.com calls him one of the best
quarterbacks they have seen in the last three classes combined ...
Ranked as the nation's No. 5 quarterback, and as the country's No.
38 overall prospect at any position by ESPN.com, and comes in at No.
47 nationwide by PrepStar Magazine ... Was invited to participate in
the prestigious Elite 11 quarterback camp last summer (winning camp
MVP honors), and in January of 2008, was impressive playing in the
U.S. Army All-American Game ... Gained all those accolades, and many
more, despite playing in only 5 games as a senior, as he began the
year hobbled with an injured foot, and once past that setback, was
lost for the season with a shoulder injury soon after ... Injuries
limited his statistics to 623 passing yards and 5 TDs as a senior in
4 games, after he posted impressive figures of 1,523 yards and 20
TDs (on 119-of-231 passing) as a junior, as he also added another
458 yards rushing and 8 TDs ... Threw for approximately 1,100 yards
and 11 TDs as a first-year starter during his sophomore season of
2005 ... Has the height, arm and field presence to make all the
throws, and is a very impressive pocket passer with excellent
accuracy ... Is also deceptively fast when getting outside of the
pocket ... After his commitment to Mizzou during the fall, he became
an additional recruiter for the Tigers, and along with fellow signee
Andrew Jones, did a lot of work to champion Mizzou's cause to his
friends ... Also a standout in the sport of baseball who has earned
all-conference recognition there ... Lists sports, hanging out with
friends and fishing as his primary hobbies ... Cites his strong
relationship with Mizzou's players and coaches, for a primary reason
why he chose Mizzou, as well as the school's proximity to his
hometown ... High school coach - Mike Roth ... Parents - Chuck &
Beverly Gabbert ... Chose Mizzou over virtually any school in the
nation, but primarily over Nebraska, Oregon, Tennesse, Alabama,
Iowa, Kansas, Kansas State and Minnesota
Potential Instant Impact Players
| Andrew Jones
|
TE/DL |
6-5 |
230 |
Smithville, Mo. (Smithville) |
Jones finished his junior year with 50
catches for 612 yards and six touchdowns. On defense, he racked up
45 tackles, eight sacks, one interception, forced two fumbles and
recovered two fumbles. Jones has good size and a great frame. Jones
could easily add a ton of weight (muscle) to his frame. He runs well
and shows good athleticism. Jones has soft hands and is tough to
bring down in the open field because he runs with power and has
deceptive speed for a big man. He can also flex out wide and be an
effective receiver.
| Wes Kemp |
WR/DL |
6-4 |
225 |
St. Louis, Mo. (DeSmet) |
Kemp is a big framed wide receiver who
has great control of his body while going up to get the tough
catches. In addition, he has great leaping ability and is a threat
to get open down the field for a big play. Kemp is definitely a go
to player in the red zone on the next level.
Kemp had 42 receptions for
780 yards and eight touchdowns. His numbers were down from his
sophomore year because of injury, but Kemp still hauled in All-State
and All-Metro honors; He benches 335 pounds, squats 425 and has a
37-inch vertical jump.
Rest of the Class
| Jimmy Burge |
OL/DL |
6-2 |
280 |
Houston Texas (Stratford) |
| Taylor Davis |
OL/DL |
6-5 |
270 |
Plano, Texas (Prestonwood
Christian Academy) |
| Will Ebner |
RB/LB |
6-1 |
225 |
Friendswood, Texas
(Friendswood) |
| Kip Edwards |
WR/DB |
6-1 |
185 |
Arlington, Texas (Bowie) |
| Michael Egnew |
TE/DB |
6-5 |
210 |
Plainview, Texas (Plainview) |
| Blaine Gabbert |
QB |
6-5 |
225 |
Ballwin, Mo. (Parkway West) |
| Zaviar Gooden |
RB/DB |
6-2 |
210 |
Pflugerville, Texas
(Pflugerville) |
| Dan Hoch |
OL/DL |
6-6 |
295 |
Harlan, Iowa (Harlan) |
| Jerrell Jackson |
WR/DB |
6-2 |
180 |
Houston, Texas (Jefferson
Davis) |
| Kenji Jackson |
RB/DB |
5-10 |
200 |
Mansfield, Texas (Mansfield) |
| Daniel Jenkins |
OL/DL |
6-4 |
290 |
Gilmer, Texas (Gilmer) |
| Brad Madison |
OL/DL |
6-5 |
255 |
Beaumont, Texas (Westbrook) |
| Gahn McGaffie |
WR/DB |
5-11 |
180 |
Galena Park, Texas (Galena
Park) |
| Travis Ruth |
OL/DL |
6-3 |
300 |
Jefferson City, Mo.
(Jefferson City) |
| Aldon Smith |
TE/DL |
6-5 |
235 |
Raytown, Mo. (Raytown) |
| Jacquiest Smith |
TE/DL |
6-4 |
225 |
Dallas, Texas (South Oak
Cliff) |
| Robert Steeples |
WR/DB |
6-1 |
190 |
St. Louis Mo. (DeSmet) |
| Drew Temple |
RB/DB |
5-10 |
190 |
Kansas City, Mo. (Rockhurst) |
| George White |
LB |
6-2 |
250 |
Flint, Mich.
(Carman-Ainsworth/Cincinnati Harmony Prep) |
| Rolandis Woodland
|
WR |
6-5 |
185 |
St. Louis, Mo. (Rockwood
Summit/ Cincinnati Harmony Prep) |
2007 Recap
Recap:
A fashionable preseason choice to take the Big 12 North, Missouri
went a step further, winning 12 games for the first time in school
history, routing Arkansas on New Year’s Day, and boasting Heisman
finalist Chase Daniel. The Tigers’ only two losses came against
Oklahoma, the second one in San Antonio denying them a spot in the
BCS championship game, or any BCS bowl game, for that matter. Led
by Daniel’s accurate passing and the all-purpose exploits of
freshman Jeremy Maclin, the Mizzou offense was almost unstoppable,
scoring less than 30 points just once, and finishing No. 5
nationally in total offense.
Offensive Player of the Year: QB Chase Daniel
Defensive Player of the Year: S William Moore
Biggest Surprise: Maclin. Although a lot was expected of
him, few thought he’d be this good, this fast. Maclin emerged into
a versatile force in his debut season, catching 80 balls for 1,055
yards and nine touchdowns, rushing for 375 yards and four scores,
and scoring three special teams touchdowns. Without much warning,
the freshman blossomed into one of the nation’s most dynamic
all-around weapons.
Biggest Disappointment: Taking the collar against Oklahoma.
Unbeaten versus the rest of the schedule, the Tigers were 0-2
against the Sooners, failing to successfully navigate their superior
speed. When the two met on Dec. 1 for the Big 12 Championship,
Oklahoma rolled to a 38-17 win, knocking Mizzou from No. 1 in the
country to the Cotton Bowl.
Looking Ahead: If you thought Missouri was trendy a year ago,
just wait until August. With Daniel and a bunch of other key
starters returning, the Tigers will be expected to take the next
step, and win a conference championship for the first time since
1969.