Missouri Game Notes
Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium
Columbia, Mo.
Oct. 22, 2005 - 11:30 a.m.
- The Mizzou win marks the 100th victory in Gary Pinkel's head coaching career.
- Today's matchup was the 99th meeting between Missouri and Nebraska. The Huskers still own a 62-34-3 edge in the series, but Mizzou has won two of the last three meetings.
- The Tigers have won the last two meetings between these two schools in Columbia - both by a score of 41-24.
- For the second consecutive season, the Tigers' opponent the week following the Homecoming game has been Nebraska. The Huskers won 24-3 last season in Lincoln.
- The Nebraska game marked the debut of Mizzou's gold pants.
- The Tigers held Nebraska to just two yards rushing on the day - the fewest the Huskers have accumulated since being held to -17 yards in a 1951 game.
- Mizzou improved its record to 2-1 on the year in games that started before noon CST, defeating Arkansas State in the season opener and losing to Texas on Oct. 1 before today's victory.
- This win snaps a three-game Mizzou losing streak in the week after Homecoming over the last three seasons.
- The Tigers earned their third consecutive win by defeating Nebraska, a feat they hadn't accomplished since running off a string of wins against Ball State, Colorado and Baylor early last season. The streak is also the third three-game winning streak in the Gary Pinkel era.
- The Tigers led the game 21-10 at the end of the first quarter, and improved their record to 5-0 on the year when they lead at the end of the first frame. The 21 points were also the largest output by Mizzou in the opening quarter of a game this season.
- Sophomore Tommy Saunders became the sixth Tiger player to catch a touchdown pass this season - only five players recorded a touchdown catch for Mizzou in 2004.
- With 480 yards of total offense, senior quarterback Brad Smith set a new school record in that category, passing Jeff Handy's 13-year old record (471 vs. Oklahoma State in 1992).
- Smith finished the game with 246 yards rushing and 234 yards passing, joining a group of only five quarterbacks to rush and pass for over 200 yards in the same game. The last player to do so was Indiana's Antwaan Randle El (210 rushing, 263 passing vs. Minnesota in 2000).
- With 246 rushing yards on the day, Smith moved into second place on the all-time NCAA quarterback rushing ledger, trailing only former Indiana quarterback Antwaan Randle El (3,895).
- Smith amassed 480 total yards against Nebraska, vaulting him into 10th place in the NCAA's all-time total offense record book.
- Smith finished the game with 246 all-purpose yards, moving ahead of former Mizzou star Devin West (3,824) on the school's all-time all-purpose yards list with 3,983.
- Smith's third rushing touchdown of the afternoon gave him 39 career touchdowns, second on the all-time school list.
- Smith's second touchdown run of the day - a 79-yard jaunt late in the first quarter - was an historic one. It moved him into second place in all-time NCAA history for quarterback rushing, tied him for second in school history in touchdowns scored and was the longest run of Smith's career.
- Smith's first-quarter touchdown run moved him into second place on the all-time Mizzou scoring list with 230 points. Former Tiger running back Zack Abron sits atop the record books in that department with 252 points.
- Seventy-eight of sophomore wide receiver William Franklin's 94 receiving yards against Nebraska came in the second half.
- With a sack in the fourth quarter, junior defensive end Brian Smith pulled to within one of the Mizzou career sack record with 21.5.
- Sophomore wide receiver Tommy Saunders' touchdown reception from senior quarterback Brad Smith was the first scoring catch of Saunders' career and Smith's 51st career touchdown pass.
- Sophomore wide receiver Tommy Saunders set a career high for receiving yards in a game with 23 against Nebraska.
- Junior defensive end Brian Smith pulled down his first career interception in the third quarter.
- Junior wide receiver Brad Edwerekwu's 50-yard reception on the Tigers' first offensive possession is the longest pass play of the season, besting the previous long of 46 yards by freshman running back Jimmy Jackson.
- Senior wide receiver Sean Coffey hauled in a 37-yard reception on a fourth-down play late in the first quarter, marking his longest catch of the 2005 season.
- Junior linebacker Marcus Bacon's second-quarter sack gave him 2.5 on the season, a new career high.
- The 61-yard punt by sophomore Adam Crossett in the second quarter was the longest of the season and his career.
- When he returned the game's opening kickoff, Mizzou sophomore wide receiver Jerrill Humphrey became the eighth Tiger to do so this season.