To say that the Missouri Tiger football team in need of a win against Ball St. on Saturday is an understatement of massive proportions. Mizzou was dropped 24-14 by Troy University last week after being ranked in the Top 25 of both major polls. After taking a 14-0 lead on their first two possessions of the game, the Tigers managed just 217 yards of total offense the rest of the way. Brad Smith was 25-of-46 passing for 228 yards a touchdown and two interceptions. Some fans and media questioned whether or not Smith should have spent less time in the pocket and more time running the ball, even suggesting that the coaching staff wanted him to pass more and run less. Yesterday, head coach Gary Pinkel voiced his opposition to that opinion, “I never, ever look to the media for evaluation, and if that was an evaluation out there then I would suggest those people don’t know what they’re talking about. I don’t think, in any way, that (Smith) changed what he did in that football game.” Pinkel added, “That’s ridiculous. That’s absolutely ridiculous. You know why I don’t read the newspapers? That’s why.” Mizzou fell out of the AP and Coaches’ Poll this week and will now try to rebound against a Ball St. team that lost 19-11 at home against Boston College in week one and was throttled 59-7 at Purdue last week.
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