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MSU hires field hockey assistant

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Missouri State University announced the hiring of Gabby Gomez Sosa as assistant field hockey coach.  She is a 2005 Missouri State graduate and returns to her alma mater for her first foray into field hockey coaching.

"We are extremely excited to have Gabby back with the Missouri State University family," said head coach Dawn Callahan.  "She was a tremendous asset as a player and she will make a seamless transition to coaching."

When Gomez Sosa completed her playing career in 2004, she was one of the most highly-decorated field hockey athletes in school history. She was on the NorPac All-Conference team all four seasons, and her five goals and two assists in 13 games as a freshman were good enough to win the conference’s Rookie of the Year Award in 2001. From 2002-04, she was named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-West Region team, and her senior season she became the first Bear honored on the NFHCA All-America team (third team).

Story courtesy of Missouri State Athletics .

Bears softball eliminated in MVC tourney

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Bradley’s Jacqueline Vitale drove in the game-winning run with a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the Braves to a 3-2 win over the Missouri State Bears Thursday in the opening round of the Missouri Valley Conference Softball Championship.

With one out in the decisive eighth inning, Vitale lined a 1-2 pitch from MSU right-hander Lauren McGinley through the right side to bring in Lindsay Watkins with the winning run. Watkins started the inning with her second hit of the day, a single to right field off Natalie Rose. After Janay Mitchell popped-up a bunt attempt for the first out, Rose issued a walk to Alycia Bachkora, and McGinley beaned Miriam Wegmann on a 2-2 count to load the bases and set the stage for Vitale’s second straight game-winning hit against the Bears. The Braves’ junior catcher provided BU’s only offense Sunday with a sixth-inning homer in a 2-0 victory. 

Birdsong (16-10) won for the sixth time in nine days, holding the Bears to two runs on six hits while striking out eight hitters. The senior righty retired 15 straight batters between the third and eighth innings to give Bradley (22-26) a chance for to pick up its sixth consecutive win.

With the loss, the Bears’ fifth straight, Missouri State closed the 2009 season with a 19-25 mark.

Missouri State snaps Tigers seven game win streak

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Mizzou had hits seven-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday night with  Missouri State coming up with a 10-5 win. The Tigers came back from behind twice to tie the score, but could not hold off the Bears in the late innings, who defeated MU for the first time in four meetings.

MSU lead 3-2 after three innings, with each of the first five runs of the game scoring on solo home runs. Mizzou’s homers came from junior Greg Folgia, who hit his team-leading ninth homer in the second inning, and senior Kyle Mach, who connected for his fourth of the year in the bottom of the third.

The Tigers employed a pitcher-by-committee approach, using nine in the game. Scooter Hicks made the start, facing five Bears in the first, and Ryan Clubb, the younger brother of MSU’s Tim Clubb, took the hill in the second.

Chris Playter greeted the younger Clubb by sending his first pitch over the left field wall for a home run, and Daniel Torrente made it back-to-back with his fourth long ball of the year to left center for a 2-0 lead.

The first five runs of the game would come from solo homers. 

Aaron Meade went two innings before giving way to Tim Clubb to begin the third in his first relief appearance since the final game of the 2007 season.

A leadoff double by Ryan Ampleman turned into the tying run with Andrew Thigpen’s one-out single in the fourth, but Drake doubled in Aaron Conway with one out in the fifth to regain the lead at 4-3.

The Bears nearly wasted a leadoff double by Playter in the sixth, but scored when Travis McComack blooped a two-out single on a full count pitch for MSU’s third two-run lead of the game at 5-3. Springfield native Tyler Clark then walked Conway to bring in Brian Carr, who walked Kevin Medrano to load the bases before Drake grounded out.

Pat Doyle opened the sixth by walking Ampleman and Aaron Senne, and a sacrifice moved both runners to scoring position. A wild pitch allowed Ampleman to score and Austin Holt tied the game with a two-out double. Former Tiger Brant Combs relieved Doyle and retired Ryan Lollis to end the sixth.

Combs (1-2) pitched 2.1 hitless frames of relief and escaped a bases loaded jam in the eighth in picking up his first win of the season.

Playter lined a sac fly to deep left for the 6-5 advantage in the seventh, and Missouri State loaded the bases again in the eighth, this time doing so after the bases were empty with no outs. Hord came through with a two-run single to push the lead to 8-5 with six outs to get for the win.

Trevor Rogers scored on a wild pitch in the ninth and Drake drove in McComack with his fourth hit in the game for a pair of insurance runs.

Missouri’s seven-game home stand continues this weekend, as Kansas visits Taylor Stadium for the Tigers’ final Big 12 series of the season. The three-game set will get underway at 6:30 p.m. on Friday.

The Bears travel to Creighton (28-18, 14-3 Missouri Valley Conference) this weekend for a three-game series. Friday’s first pitch is set for 4 p.m.

Bears beat at the buzzer

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Wichita State’s Toure Murry hit a three pointer with 3.5 seconds to play to beat Missouri State 62-61.  Spencer Laurie missed a layup the other way as time expired giving the Shockers the win.

The Bears best shooting effort of the season was wasted after nailing 58% from the field and 69% from three, but it was poor free throw shooting (10 of 19) including four missed free throws in the final 3:25 that allowed Wichita State to come back.

The Bears, who led 31-29 at halftime, blew their second halftime lead in as many games and were outrebounded 30-20 with 16 turnovers.  The Bears were up by seven, 58-51 with just over four minutes to play, but MSU would not hit another field goal the rest of the night. 

The Bears return home Saturday at 7:05 p.m. against Indiana State (5-19, 3-10) on Great Southern Bank panoramic poster night.

[game stats]

MSU’s Laurie calls it quits

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2-9 Laurie.jpg Missouri State University announced Monday that men’s basketball player Shane Laurie will miss the remainder of his senior season after suffering a concussion in Saturday’s home game against Southern Illinois.

The 6’2, 193-pound guard missed the team’s first 11 games after sustaining a concussion in a scooter crash near campus on October 3.  He also suffered a pair of concussions earlier in his career, which led to the decision to end his basketball career after Saturday’s injury.

"Due to future health concerns, it’s wise for Shane to forego future participation in competitive athletics and prevent the possibility of future trauma," said Ivan Milton, Missouri State’s director of athletic training services.

Laurie played in 12 games for Missouri State this season and averaged 3.5 points and 2.0 rebounds.

Missouri State signs 16 for 2009 football

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Missouri State has announced the receipt of National Letters of Intent from 16 high school students who have committed to play football at Missouri State this fall. In addition, the Bears have received commitments from five transfer students, including four already enrolled and attending classes this semester.

 

"The players who have committed to our program are a perfect fit for our needs," said head coach Terry Allen. "The 2009 class has the potential to rival our class from two years ago that brought so many impact players to our program."

 

Missouri State’s high school signees are: 

 

Justin Aumen (6-5, 285, OL, Junction City, Kan.) helped Coach Randall Zimmerman’s Junction City (Kan.) High School squad to a Kansas Class 6A state title and perfect 13-0 season this fall. He was recognized by four organizations as a first-team all-state performer in 2008 as well as earning first-team All-Centennial League honors his junior and senior seasons. The Kansas Shrine Bowl selection also garnered second-team all-state honors in 2007 and guided his teams to a collective 22-2 record the past two seasons. He was a three-time letterman in football and track as a standout shot putter.

 

Antonio Brown (5-10, 170, DB, Midwest City, Okla.) was a second-team All-State defensive back the past two seasons at Midwest City (Okla.) High for Coach Steve Huff’s Bombers. He earned first-team all-conference honors in 2008 after helping his squad to back-to-back 12-1 seasons, both of which culminated in the Class 6A semifinals. On the defensive side, he tallied 41 tackles in 2008, but was also a versatile offensive player. He rushed for 279 yards on 46 carries and collected 12 receptions for 205 yards (17.1 yards per reception) with five touchdowns, earning him the team’s Both Sides Award. He is also a two-time all-state track performer.

 

Raymondrick Brown (6-1, 215, LB, Texarkana, Texas) posted 86 tackles, 10 sacks, 15 tackles for loss and five interceptions this season for Coach Barry Norton’s Texas (Texas) High school team. Brown was an all-Northeast Texas, all-district, and all-conference pick for the Tigers in 2008, helping his team to a 9-2 record and Class 4A playoff trip. A three-sport standout, Brown has sensational 4.5 speed in the 40-yard dash, and is also a standout basketball and track performer.

 

Ryan Callender (6-1, 210, LB, Dallas, Texas) is a two-time all-district linebacker at Hillcrest (Texas) High who also played wide receiver as a standout prep performer. He was team captain as a senior and helped Coach Andy Todd’s Panthers to a 7-4 record in 2008 and berth in the Texas Class 4A playoffs.

 

Mikael Cooper-Falls (5-11, 195, TB, Springfield, Mo.) averaged 9.4 yards per carry and scored 14 touchdowns as a tailback for Coach John Beckham’s Hillcrest High School Hornets in 2008. The second-team Class 5 All-State standout rushed for 1,200 yards, earning all-Ozarks Conference, all-region and second-team all-area honors this season, while guiding Hillcrest to the Class 5 state playoffs. He was also a first-team All-Ozarks Conference pick as a junior and qualified for the Class 4 state track meet in the long jump and 100-meter dash.

 

Cadarrius Dotson (5-9, 165, WR/PR, Memphis, Tenn.) averaged 20.4 yards per punt return as a senior at Kirby High School in Memphis, Tenn., earning him all-region and All-Memphis Metro laurels. He was also a prolific wide receiver, gathering in 37 passes for 709 yards (19.2 yards per reception) for Coach Chester Flowers, Jr.’s Cougars. He accounted for seven receiving touchdowns, three rushing touchdowns and a punt return score this season.

 

Anthony Grady (6-6, 270, DT, Texarkana, Ark.) helped Arkansas (Ark.) High to back-to-back Class 6A state championships in 2006 and 2007. In 2008, the Razorbacks were 5-7, but made the state playoffs behind a solid defensive effort. Grady recorded 58 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, nine sacks and broke up 14 passes his senior season. He will play in the Arkansas All-Star Game on June 26 in Fayetteville and was named to the Arkansas Class 6A All-State squad as well as claiming All-Southwest Arkansas and All-6A South Conference honors for Coach Bill Keopple.

 

Kyle Hahn (6-7, 300, OL, O’Fallon, Mo.) was an All-AAA Conference pick in 2008 for Coach Bob Leonard’s Crusaders at St. Dominic High School in O’Fallon, Mo. The sizeable standout also helped his team to a 6-4 record in 2008 while earning East Central All-District laurels by the Missouri Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.

 

Curtis King (6-2, 265, DT, Memphis, Tenn.) was an All-Memphis Metro defensive tackle in 2008 who was also named to the All-Tennessee Defensive team. He helped guide Coach Teli White’s Bears to the Class 3A playoffs and a 6-5 record this season while recording 86 total tackles, including 54 solos, with 16 sacks. He was also named to the all-Mid South team in 2008.

 

Kurt Kutter (6-3, 275, OL, Wentzville, Mo.) was named to the Post-Dispatch Top 20 players list after helping Wentzville Timberland High School to a 10-1 record and Class 5 district title this season. He was an all-Gateway Conference performer in 2008, in addition to earning Class 5 All-State laurels and second-team St. Louis All-Metro distinction for Coach Craig Collins’ Wolves.

 

Joey Mendel (6-1, 200, RB, Springfield, Mo.) will join the Bears this fall as a walk-on after proving to be a versatile standout for Coach Joel Heman at Glendale High School. In 2007, he was an All-Ozarks Conference punter and running back, while claiming Southwest Missouri Football Coaches Association second-team honors at both positions. He is also a distinguished discus thrower for the Falcons’ track team.

 

Howard Scarborough (5-9, 175, DB, Tulsa, Okla.) captained Tulsa (Okla.) Union High School to the 2008 Class 6A state championship after registering 96 tackles, four interceptions and a fumble recovery this season. He will play in the Oklahoma All-State Game on July 31 in Tulsa and was named to four different all-state squads his senior season. The Redskins had back-to-back 13-1 seasons with Scarborough guiding Coach Kirk Fridrich’s defense, including a state runner-up showing in 2007.

 

Chris Scott-Cline (6-4, 245, DE, Little Rock, Ark.) was a Class 7A Central all-conference pick for the Tigers of Little Rock (Ark.) Central High School. He has 4.68 speed off the edge and is also a standout performer in basketball and track. He claimed Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Player of the Week honors once in 2008 for Coach Bernie Cox.

 

Matt Swan (6-3, 215, WR/TE, Springfield, Mo.) is an all-around athlete who was a three-sport letterman last year at Glendale High School. In 2007, the large-framed receiver and tight end garnered All-Ozarks Conference honors in 2008 for Coach Joel Heman’s Falcons and was also named to the Southwest Missouri Football Coaches Association team. He is also a standout in basketball and track.

 

Adrian Williams (5-11, 175, WR, Jacksonville, Fla.) possesses a great blend of speed and toughness, collecting 500 receiving yards on 28 catches and eight touchdowns this season at First Coast High School. He clocked a 4.47 40-yard dash at the Scout.com combine in March 2008, earning first-team all-combine honors at receiver. He helped Coach Marty Lee’s Buccaneers to a 6-5 season that culminated in the Florida Class 4A playoffs, earning him second-team All-Gateway Conference and all-district honors.

 

Trevor Wooden (6-2, 215, QB, Gainesville, Fla.) was a Florida Class 5A second-team All-State quarterback in 2008 after throwing for 1,899 yards with 16 touchdowns while compiling more than 2,300 yards total offense and accounting for 24 touchdowns. He threw for 333 yards and four touchdowns in a game on 9/4/08 against Eagle View (Fla.) Academy. He helped Coach Ryan Smith’s Hurricanes to a 5-5 finish this season and earned all-district honors by the Gainesville Sun and FACA.

 

Newly-announced junior college transfers who will attend Missouri State this fall: 

 

Antoine Wilkinson (6-2, 220, LB, Magnolia, Miss.) will transfer to Missouri State from Southwest Mississippi Community College in Summit, Miss., where he tallied 50 total tackles and 6.5 sacks for Coach Charles Anthony’s Bears this season. He played in the Mississippi Juco All-Star Game in December and is noted as a great pass rusher and tackler. He attended Amite County High School where he was an all-district tight end and linebacker in 2006 in addition to helping two sprint relay teams qualify for the state meet in track.

 

Previously-announced transfers already enrolled and attending classes at Missouri State are: 

 

Michael Keck (6-4, 215, So., DE, Harrisonville, Mo.) will join the Bears this spring after departing Gary Pinkel’s Missouri team one game into the 2008 season. Keck was redshirted in 2007 at Missouri and was No. 2 on the Tigers’ depth chart in the 2008 preseason. He played in the Missouri’s 2008 season opener against Illinois and then departed the team. He was rated the state’s No. 2 player from the 2007 recruiting class by Rivals.com, just behind Columbia Rock Bridge tight end Aron White, who now plays at Georgia. He was a four-year starter at Harrisonville High School and helped coach Fred Bouchard’s teams to a collective 53-3 record in four seasons, including three Missouri Class 3 titles and one runner-up finish.

 

Erik Dahl (6-3, 275, Jr., OL, Shawnee, Kan.) was a two-time NJCAA All-American at Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kan., which won back-to-back national juco championships in 2007 and 2008. He was also a two-time all-Jayhawk Conference and all-Region VI selection, while helping the Grizzlies to a 23-1 record in his two seasons. Butler’s ball carriers averaged 4.3 yards per carry and scored 26 touchdowns this season behind its talented offensive line, while accounting for 2,332 passing yards and 23 aerial touchdowns. Dahl (DOLL) attended Shawnee Mission Northwest High School where he was team captain and a second-team all-conference performer for coach Aaron Barnett.

 

Robert Shapel (6-4, 300, Jr., OL, Iola, Kan.) was also a member of the Butler Community College program the past two seasons and helped Dahl anchor the team’s highly-touted offensive line. He was an all-Jayhawk League offensive tackle in 2008 and was instrumental in the team’s 16-0 run through the league the past two seasons, in addition to the pair of Region VI and NJCAA national titles. Shapel (SHAY-pull) was a four-year starter at Iola (Kan.) High School for coach Dean Taylor and was an all-conference lineman, also earning first-team all-area defensive honors as well as Kansas 4A all-state honorable mention distinction.

 

Adam Beauchamp (6-0, 235, Jr., LB, Prescott Valley, Ariz.) comes to the Bears from Glendale (Ariz.) Community College where he was a first-team all-Western States Football League and all-Arizona Community College Athletics Conference pick as a senior as well as NJCAA all-region. Coach Mickey Bell’s Gauchos finished the season with an 8-2 record and No. 9 nationally ranking in 2008 after a 6-4 campaign in 2007. Beauchamp (BEE-chum) was a standout running back at Bradshaw Mountain High School in Prescott Valley, Ariz., rushing for a school record 2,220 yards and earning Arizona running back of the year honors after leading the state in rushing. He also was a three-time all-region selection and was named Arizona’s Old Spice Red Zone Player of the Year in 2006 for coach Chuck Apap’s Bears.

 

Missouri State finished the 2008 season with a 4-7 record and 3-5 mark in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Bears were 3-3 on the road this season and claimed their most conference victories since 2004. Coach Terry Allen’s squad opens the 2009 season in Little Rock, Ark., on September 5 against the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Courtesy:  Missouri State athletics

Mizzou advances to Big 12 soccer final, MSU, SLU lose

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The Missouri Tiger women’s soccer team will advance to the Big 12 tournament final after a win over their rival Friday night.  Missouri State and St. Louis lose to top seeded foes in their conference seminfinals.

Missouri just beat Kansas 6-0 on Halloween, but got a much tougher challenge from the Jayhawks as the game went into a penalty kick shoot out after a 1-1 regulation tie.

Missouri State lost to top seeded Evansville 3-1 up in Omaha as the Bears finish their season with an 11-7-1 record.

The St. Louis Billikens also dropped a game to top seeded Charlotte as the host Billikens lost 2-0 in the Atlantic 10 semifinal.

Missouri match recap
 Missouri State match recap
 St. Louis match recap

Bears shoot for third straight conference win

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Having won three of their last four games overall and two straight Missouri Valley Football Conference contests, Missouri State returns home this Saturday to take on league rival Southern Illinois.  

The Bears defeated Illinois State, 34-28, on the road last week, claiming their second straight league win for the first time since 2001 and their first road win in the conference since 2004. Trailing 26-14 at the start of the fourth quarter, Cody Kirby brought the Bears back, engineering three consecutive touchdown drives in the fourth quarter to ensure a 34-28 win by the Bears. Kirby tallied 313 yards total offense and accounted for four touchdowns, including matching a career high with three rushing touchdowns and surpassing his career best in rushing yards with a 59-yard effort. His 254 passing yards marked the third 200-yard game of the season and sixth of his career. Kingjack Washington led the Bears’ rushing attack with 17 carries for 85 yards, while Clay Harbor made the most of his return trip to his home state with six catches for 66 yards, extending his consecutive games with at least one reception to 17 in a row. Justin Fuselier had the game-winning touchdown, a 77-yard catch and run from Kirby that resulted in the team’s longest play of the season, and gave the Bears and eight point lead with 4:50 remaining. 

Southern Illinois (4-2, 3-1) defeated Youngstown State, 33-0, last Saturday to claim its first-ever road shutout in MVFC play. Larry Warner led the Salukis with 147 rushing yards on 22 carries as SIU picked up its fourth win of the season.

Missouri State leads the all-time series, 16-14, with the Salukis winning the last five meetings, including a 45-10 decision last season in Carbondale. The Bears are 9-6 at home against SIU.
 
Story courtesy of missouristatebears.com

Kirby’s big day leads Bears comeback

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Cody Kirby passed for 254 yards and rushed for 59 yards to help lead Missouri State to a 34-28 come-from-behind win at Illinois State on Saturday, improving the Bears to 3-3 overall and 2-1 in the MVFC.

It was the second straight road victory for Missouri State and second straight league win.

Kirby accounted for 313 yards of total offense and four touchdowns, including a season-long 77-yard touchdown pass to Justin Fuselier with 4:50 remaining to secure the win. MSU scored 20 points in the fourth quarter.

The Bears trailed 17-14 at the half, and on its first drive of the second half, Illinois State changed kickers to convert a 43-yard field goal by Zach Kutch and extend its lead to 20-14. The Bears went three-and-out on their opening possession, and then ISU’s Walter Mendenhall accounted for 58 of his team’s 63 yards on the next drive, capping the nine-play march with a three-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion attempt failed, but Illinois State held a 26-14 lead with 3:24 left in the third.

However, Kirby marched the Bears back 79 yards on 11 plays and capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown of his own – his third of the game – to bring the Bears back within 26-21. Kirby rushed for 16 yards on the drive and passed for 28.

Byron Hightower came up with a critical third-down interception in Bears’ territory to give the ball back to Missouri State with 12:01 to play, killing a long drive by the Redbirds at the MSU 22.

That turnover proved to be costly for the Redbirds as Missouri State took the lead with 8:32 remaining in the game. Stephen Johnston ran 26 yards for a touchdown to cap an eight-play, 78-yard drive that consumed 3:29 after two critical third-down plays on the drive from Kirby to Clay Harbor. 

A holding penalty on ISU on its next drive wiped out a 40-yard run by Mendenhall.  It proved costly and ultimately led to the Redbirds’ first punt of the game, giving the ball back to the Bears with 6:25 left on their own 17.

On third-and-four at their own 23, Kirby then hit Justin Fuselier with a 77-yard TD strike under pressure, giving MSU its longest play of the year and a 34-26 lead with 4:50 remaining. The touchdown pass was Kirby’s 10th of the season and gave him a touchdown pass in seven straight games.

Terian Washington sacked Kevin Brockway on fourth down on ISU’s final possession. The Bears took over downs and surrendered a safety in an attempt to run out the clock and secure the 34-28 win.

Kingjack Washington led MSU on the ground with 17 carries for 85 yards, and Clay Harbor led the receivers with 6 catches for 66 yards, extending his streak to 17 games with at least one reception. 

The game started with Illinois State getting on the board first, capitalizing on MSU’s third opening-possession fumble of the season and converting it into a 27-yard field by Steven Fetzer 11 plays later after taking over at the Bears’ 47.

MSU drove to the Redbirds’ 11 yard line on the ensuing drive, but a 29-yard field goal attempt by Matt Hottelman went wide right. It was just Hottelman’s second miss in seven attempts on the season.

The Bears got the ball back late in the opening period on an interception by Tony Randolph, the first of his career.  A 20-yard completion on third down from Cody Kirby to Chase Mejia extended the drive to the Illinois State 20 yard line. Cody Kirby then scrambled right on an option and found pay dirt from five yards out for the touchdown.  Kirby’s score, his fourth rushing touchdown of the season, capped an 8-play 55 yard drive that gave the Bears a 7-3 lead.

Illinois State responded with a 53-yard touchdown run by Geno Blow to retake the lead, 10-7, just four plays later.

The Bears had a 36-yard completion from Kirby to Chris Geisz and a 8-yard run by Kirby, both of which would have resulted in first downs, negated on holding penalties on their next possession of the second quarter.  The Bears had four penalties for 35 yards on the drive which ultimately stalled.

Parrish Fisher extended Illinois State’s lead to 17-7 with a four-yard touchdown run with 5:29 left in the first half. His run and Fetzer’s PAT capped an eight-play, 79-yard Redbirds’ scoring drive.

Kirby drove the Bears back on their final play of the half, dancing into the endzone from two yards out. Hottelman added the PAT with 1:22 left to play, and the Bears’ 11-play, 79-yard touchdown drive pulled them within 17-14.

Blow’s first carry of the next possession went for 50 yards, putting him over the century mark in the first half.  A 29-yard field goal by Fetzer on the final play of the half was blocked by Jeremy Dawson.

Hurricane Ike affects Mizzou on TV and MSU game time

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Tomorrow morning’s Mizzou-Nevada game at 11:30 was being shown on pay per view, but Baylor’s football game is being played tonight because of Hurricane Ike, so it opened up a slot for the Tigers on Fox Sports Net, so the game on TV is free.  The athletic department suggests you call your cable or satellite provider if you’ve already paid for the game.

The Missouri State Bears play at Oklahoma State on Saturday.  With Ike bearing down on the coast, the Cowboys want to move up their kickoff from 6pm to noon.