Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009
MU-Colorado game report
Print
E-Mail
AIM
Reprint
FIRST QUARTER
Key play: Danario Alexander’s 73-yard catch over the middle and run for a touchdown that gave Missouri a 13-0 lead.
Key stat: 1. Derrick Washington’s 1-yard touchdown run that capped an 11-play, 80-yard scoring drive marked the first time Missouri has scored a touchdown on its opening drive of a game this season.
SECOND QUARTER
Key play: Jarrell Harrison — with the help of a couple of teammates — sacked Colorado quarterback Tyler Hansen in the end zone. The safety boosted Missouri’s lead to 26-0.
Key stat: 2. The number of touchdowns MU defensive end Jacquies Smith has scored this season. His first came on an interception against Furman. His second came Saturday on a fake field goal play as he took a shovel pass from holder Forrest Shock and ran 24 yards to the end zone.
THIRD QUARTER
Key play: Colorado’s Benjamin Burney stepped in front of Blaine Gabbert’s sideline pass and ran 78 yards for a touchdown, cutting the Missouri lead to 33-17.
Key stat: 6. The number of sacks Missouri had by the end of the third quarter.
FOURTH QUARTER
Key play: On fourth and less than a yard at the Missouri 13, Tigers linebacker Sean Weatherspoon blitzed through a gap and threw Rodney Stewart for a 2-yard loss.
Key stat: 28. The number of sacks Colorado quarterbacks have now suffered this season.
Player of the game: Weatherspoon, for the stop of the game on fourth and 1 at the Missouri 13, and for a 12-tackle day that led the MU defense.
Reason to hope: Missouri’s coaches would be fools to go away from the running game now. Look for the offensive playbook to have more balance.
Reason to mope: Missouri is done with games against the most embattled coach in the Big Ten (Ron Zook of Illinois) and the Big 12 (Colorado’s Dan Hawkins).
Looking ahead: Baylor comes to Columbia for a 1 p.m. game next Saturday. No TV, but general admission tickets go on sale on Monday for a game that could approach a sellout.
| B | Offense | An A+ for the first half, a C for the second. But kudos for using the run and the pass. What took you so long? |
| A | Defense | OK, Colorado isn’t Texas. But the defense kept the pressure on all day and came up with big play after big play in the second half to assure the victory. |
| A | Special teams | Grant Ressel was two for two on field goals, Jake Harry IV was back in booming punt form and, of course, there was the fake field goal. A shovel pass from holder Forrest Shock to defensive end Jacquies Smith and a 24-yard TD. |
| A- | Coaching | MU coach Gary Pinkel and offensive coordinator Dave Yost get the minus for opening up the game with an empty backfield. They get the A for emptying the playbook and running a lot of two-back sets. |