It was a fitting end to Brad Smith’s career at Missouri. The senior quarterback accounted for 431 yards and four touchdowns as the Tigers rallied for a 38-31 win over South Carolina in the Independence Bowl.South Carolina jumped out to a 21-0 lead midway through the first quarter. Quarterback Blake Mitchell threw a pair of first-quarter touchdowns.Marcus King finally put Missouri on the board in the second quarter with a 99-yard interception return for a touchdown.After another South Carolina touchdown, Smith tossed a 5-yard touchdown pass to Chase Coffman, making the score 28-14 at halftime.The Tigers pulled to within seven on Smith’s 31-yard score late in the third quarter, then tied the game on a 4-yard TD run by Smith early in the fourth.Adam Crossett gave Missouri its first lead on a 50-yard field goal with 10:14 remaining. Six minutes later, Josh Brown tied the game at 31-31 with a 30 yarder.Smith put Mizzou ahead for good on a 1-yard touchdown run with 2:13 left in the game. Darnell Terrell sealed the win seconds later with an interception.Smith completed 21 of 37 passes for 282 yards. He also ran for 150 yards as Missouri won its first bowl game since beating West Virginia in the 1998 Insight.com Bowl. The Tigers and Gamecocks each finish the season at 7-5.
Governor Endorses Recommendations of Eminent Domain Panel
Governor Matt Blunt is endorsing the recommendations of the Missouri Task Force on Eminent Domain, which was set up in response to anger over a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in a Connecticut eminent domain case. Task Force recommendations include a call for legislation defining terms such as just compensation, blight, public use, and good faith negotiations. There is also a desire for laws prohibiting eminent domain use to take farm land for economic development purposes. The panel’s report will become legislation in the upcoming session of the General Assembly.
Related web sites:
Report of Task Force on Eminent Domain
MU Faces South Carolina In Independence Bowl
The Missouri Tigers will make their fourth bowl appearance since 1983 on Friday as they take on South Carolina in the Independence Bowl. The Tigers will face South Carolina (7-4) for the second time ever. The only other game against the Gamecocks came in the 1979 Hall of Fame Bowl. MU won that game 24-14 despite 136 yards from Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers. South Carolina is coached by Steve Spurrier who is in his first season at South Carolina. In the 1966, MU beat Florida 20-18 in the Sugar Bowl—Spurrier was Florida’s quarterback in that game.
Below, Brad Smith comments on facing Spurrier and getting ready for the bowl game. Gary Pinkel also comments on the game.
MU Women Win Ninth Straight
The Missouri women’s basketball team won its ninth straight game with an 84-65 victory over Western Michigan on Thursday. Tiger senior LaToya Bond scored a Mizzou Arena record 34 points to lead MU to the win. 24 of those points came in the second half.
Things started slowly for the Tigers, who trailed the entire first half. Midway through the first half, WMU led 17-6. At the half, they trailed 34-28.
In the second half, MU slowly chipped away at the lead before turning on the after-burners. With 13:34 to go Christelle N’Garsanet hit a jumper that gave the Tigers a 42-41 advantage. They never trailed again. MU outscored WMU 56-31 over the last 20 minutes.
The Tigers are now 10-2, which is the third-best start in school history.
Blues Blanked By Stars
The St. Louis Blues lost to the Dallas Stars 3-0 on Thursday in Dallas. Bill Guerin got the Stars on the board in the first period with a goal at the 10:12 mark. The end of the first period proved to be the most exciting, but not for anything that happened while the clock was running. Four fights broke out over the last 4:29 of the period, which resulted in 40 minutes worth of penalties.
In the second period, Dallas scored power play goals in a 41 second span when Sergei Zubov and Jere Lehtinen beat Blues rookie goaltender Jason Bacashihua.
The Blues put just 17 shots on goal on Thursday.
