In week two of college football, when you consider the upsets teams from the MAC pulled off, the Tigers will take this win. "We’re 2-0." That’s how head coach Gary Pinkel summed up Missouri’s come from behind 27-20 win over Bowling Green. The fact the Tigers had to come back showed a lot of character, but it also showed this team still has more to learn.
The Missouri offense started slowly and never really got going until midway through the fourth quarter. A good Bowling Green pass rush and penalties really slowed the Mizzou offense early on.
After Bowling Green made it 7-0 on a 10 play drive that covered 80 yards, the Falcons had a chance to do some damage when Gabbert fumbled inside his 20 while being chased. BG could only manage three yards and had to settle on a 37 yard field goal from Jerry Phillips late in the first quarter to go up 10-0. (Mizzou postgame, click on image for video.)
Then, early in the second quarter, Carl Gettis fumbled a punt giving Bowling Green great field position again at the MU 18. Once again, the defense came up big holding the Falcons to four yards and a Phillips 32 yard field goal to go up 13-0.
The Falcons did a good job of mixing in some blitzes and dropping eight guys back into coverage. That forced the Tigers to abandon their passing game and turn things over to Derrick Washington.
After the Falcons kickoff went out of bounds, Washington took two straight hand offs for gains of nine and 19 yards to get to the BG 37. Two plays later, Brandon Gerau was called for a hold on what would have been a 32 yard touchdown run by freshmen Kendial Lawrence. Washington came back with a six yard gain for another first down. From the BG 25, Gabbert found Washington for an eight yard pass. Another short run gave Mizzou 1 st and 10 at the 15, but Austin Wuebbels got called for a hold, his second penalty of the night. Wuebbels personal foul killed the Tigers opening drive. On third and 15 from the 21, Gabbert missed Jerrell Jackson who was wide open in the end zone instead trying to squeeze a pass into Wes Kemp. The pass was incomplete and MU settled for Grant Ressel’s field goal.
The Tigers moved down the field with their two minute offense, but again couldn’t get in for six and settled for a 46 yard field goal from Ressel to make the score 13-6 at the half and Mizzou appeared to build up some momentum
Gabbert finished the first half 10 of 21 for just 44 yards. Washington rushed for 54 yards on 11 carries.
Bowling Green took the second half kickoff and marched down the field with ease against a Mizzou defense that really kept the game close with their two stops inside the red zone. The Falcons pounded in a touchdown from one yard out from Willie Geter to give Bowling Green a 20-6 lead.
The spark Missouri was looking for may have come late in the third quarter. After being backed up to a 3 rd and 10 at midfield, after Gabbert fumbled a snap, Washington rushed 18 yards for a first down. Gabbert then lofted a pass down the left sideline hitting Jared Perry for a 27 yards touchdown pass to close the game to 20-13. The drive covered 87 yards. Perry said the ball actually went through the defender’s hands before he hauled it in.
After forcing a BG punt, Mizzou was back on the move as Gabbert had perfect touch down the right side line finding Wes Kemp for a 34 yard touchdown to tie the game at 20-20 with 10:15 to play in the fourth. The crowd of 65,401 were suddenly back in the game. The key to the Tiger comeback was the rushing game.
Washington would gain 70 yards on 12 carries and Lawrence would add another 30 on four carries.
On the Falcons, next possession, redshirt freshmen Aldon Smith dropped BG QB Sheehan for an 18 yard sack, forcing another punt with Mizzou taking over at their own 40. The Tigers continued to pound the ball on the ground with Washington and Kendial Lawrence. Then, Gabbert hit Danario Alexander on a 23 yard gain on a crossing pattern giving Mizzou the ball first and goal from the one and D-Wash ran in it for Mizzou’s first lead of the game with 5:38 to play. The defense would hold off two more attempts from Bowling Green as they never made it past midfield.
The Tigers finished with 188 yards net rushing and Gabbert rebounded to finish 20-33 for 172 yards with two touchdowns.
Click to listen to head coach Gary Pinkel.
Mizzou escapes a big MAC attack
Northwest Missouri State wins Fall Classic
Seventh-ranked Northwest Missouri State led 20-0 after the first quarter and rolled to a 30-10 win against fourth-ranked Pittsburg State Saturday in the Fall Classic at Arrowhead Stadium VIII. It was the 29th straight MIAA win for the Bearcats, who’ve won six straight against the Gorillas.
Northwest intercepted Pittsburg State quarterback John McCoy twice in the first quarter and three times in the game. Aldwin Foster-Rettig had two interceptions. His first set up a 33-yard touchdown drive for the game’s first score.
Bearcat safety Marcus Martin had a pick and a 38-yard touchdown return that put Northwest in front 20-0 in the final minute of the second quarter. It was the second interception in as many games for Martin and his first collegiate score.
The Bearcats (2-1, 1-0 MIAA) tacked on a 32-yard field goal midway through the second quarter that moved the lead to 23. Pittsburg State got on the board right before halftime. McCoy accounted for 67 yards during a 13-play, 79-yard drive he capped with an 11-yard touchdown run.
McCoy finished 7-of-18 for 142 yards and carried 17 times for 64. Terrance Isaac led the Gorillas with 76 yards rushing.
Pittsburg State (2-1, 0-1 MIAA) opted for a 20-yard field goal with 11 minutes remaining that cut the lead to 23-10. Northwest answered with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Blake Bolles to Brian Shannon on 4th-and-9 for the game’s final score.
Bolles passed for 193 yards and two touchdowns. He was intercepted twice in the second half. Both occurred on Pittsburg State’s side of the field and only the second resulted in three points for the Gorillas.
LaRon Council carried 19 times and finished with 99 yards rushing for the second straight game. He ran in from 1-yard out for the game’s first score. He also caught three passes for 32 yards.
Northwest sophomore linebacker Chad Kilgore earned his first collegiate start and recorded a career-best 13 tackles. Myles Burnsides added nine for the Bearcats. Sean Paddock got his 23rd career sack, moving him one behind Ryan Waters for the most in program history.
The game lasted less than two-and-a-half hours and had just one penalty – a five-yard procedure call against Pittsburg State in the first half.
Story courtesy of Bearcats athletics .
Edwards Wins Nationwide Race At Richmond
A broken right foot did not keep Carl Edwards from winning the Nationwide Series race last night at Richmond. Edwards continues his rehabilitation after breaking hit foot while playing frisbee last Wednesday night in Columbia.
A great final pit stop under caution put him in the lead, and he did the rest driving away from Kevin Harvick over the last 20 laps.
For the third time this season, Edwards won a race after staring from the back. The win was his fourth this season in the Nationwide series.
He will start from the 10 th spot in the last race before the Chase tonight at Richmond. After tonight, the 12 drivers will be set for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chase for the Championship.
Carl Edwards sits in fifth place before tonight’s race, the Chevy Rock and Roll 400, at the Richmond International Speedway in Virginia. He will be trying to forget last Sunday’s race at Atlanta where he finished 37th.
The 10 race Chase for the Championship will begin next weekend in Loudon, New Hampshire.
The green flag on tonight’s race will drop just after 6:00.
Blues Open Training Camp
The St. Louis Blues are officially reporting back to work for the 2009 – 2010 season.
This morning, players will be divided into three teams and will begin on-ice testing 11:00 at the St. Louis Mills Training Complex.
Training camp will move to the Scottrade Center on Sunday, Monday, and Thursday, with practices at 9:30 and 10:30 in the morning and 12:45 in the afternoon each day. All three days will also feature scrimmages at 11:30 in the morning.
All training camp events are free and open to the public.
The Blues will play their first of seven preseason games Tuesday night at the Scottrade Center against the Minnesota Wild.
Rams Start Season Against NFC West Foe
The St. Louis Rams and first year head coach Steve Spagnuolo will open the 2009 regular season tomorrow afternoon on the road against NFC west foe Seattle and their new head coach Jim Mora.
The Rams will be looking to build on their 3 and 1 preseason record, which was their first winning preseason record since 2005.
The big question for St. Louis will be quarterback Marc Bulger and the broken pinkie on his throwing hand. The Rams defense will also be out to prove that they are much different than the group last season that ranked near the bottom of the NFL.
In their two meetings last season, the Seahawks pounded the Rams 37 to 13 in Seattle in September. In December, the game was closer as Seattle won 23 to 20 at the Edward Jones Dome.
Kick off is set for 3:15.
