Missouri Tigers Football

The final climb MU poised for its first top-five finish since 1960 (01/03/08)
DALLAS -- Missouri finished its season by routing Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl. The Tigers will soon learn whether the victory in their first Jan. 1 bowl appearance since 1970 helps as much as their lopsided loss in the Big 12 championship game hurt...

MU, Temple run Hog wild in Cotton Bowl (01/02/08)
DALLAS -- Colorful confetti flip-flopping around him, fans in black and gold chanting his name, Tony Temple and his Missouri teammates were basking in a terrific ending to a magical season. Only one thing was wrong -- the setting. See, this was the Cotton Bowl, not the national championship game they were a win away from reaching, and it wasn't the Orange, Fiesta or Sugar Bowl like they thought they deserved...

Temple enjoys another big bowl game (01/02/08)
DALLAS -- Just like last year, Tony Temple saved his best for last. This time, the running back's record-setting day was more than enough for Missouri. Temple broke a pair of ancient Cotton Bowl records, rushing for 281 yards and four touchdowns in the seventh-ranked Tigers' dominant 38-7 victory over No. ...

MU preps for Cotton Bowl at Cowboys' Texas Stadium (12/28/07)
DALLAS -- At least Missouri's practice facility for the Cotton Bowl has a big-time feel. Snubbed by the Bowl Championship Series, the No. 7 Tigers get to work out this week at Texas Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, in preparation for their Jan. 1 game against No. 25 Arkansas. Players pass a bronze likeness of longtime Cowboys coach Tom Landry on their way into the stadium, and get an up-close view of the distinctive hole in the stadium's roof and the ring of fame most have seen only on TV...

Tigers preserve memories of O'Neal (12/26/07)
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- They shout his name after each practice. His game-day locker, never used, remains intact. Aaron O'Neal didn't play a single down for Missouri, but the former reserve linebacker's picture is seemingly everywhere at the school's athletic training complex, from the main hallway in a public area to the coaches' private sanctuaries...

Coffman expects to return next season for Missouri (12/19/07)
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri tight end Chase Coffman expects to return for his senior season rather than enter the NFL draft, but isn't quite ready to make that decision final. Around the time No. 7 Missouri (11-2) plays No. 25 Arkansas (8-4) in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. ...

Rivalry traces its roots to Civil War (11/23/07)
LAWRENCE, Kan. -- William Quantrill crossed into Kansas from Missouri and attacked at first light. With orders to kill every male old enough to carry a gun, his raiders dragged men as old as 90 and boys as young as 14 out of their homes and stood them up and shot them while horrified mothers and wives looked on. They slaughtered, pillaged, looted and burned...

Kansas, Missouri both play nearly mistake-free (11/23/07)
LAWRENCE, Kan. -- How sadly ironic it will be if turnovers or penalties decide the Missouri-Kansas showdown Saturday night. All year long, these two have managed to play remarkably error-free football. Avoiding foolish mistakes and costly turnovers is a major reason the old rivals are 21-1 between them heading into the biggest, grandest game in the colorful history of a 116-year-old rivalry...

Missouri's coach stopped worrying about minor details (11/23/07)
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Earlier in his career, an unexpected windfall like third-ranked Missouri's sudden rise to the top of the college football heap simply would have ratcheted up the pressure for Gary Pinkel. The Tigers' coach is a lot warmer and fuzzier these days, even with the biggest game of his life looming and perhaps more biggest games of his life ahead. ...

Oregon State gambles, wins with conversion (12/30/06)
EL PASO, Texas -- Oregon State coach Mike Riley was set to take his chances in overtime at the Sun Bowl. Then Missouri called timeout to have Joe Newton's 14-yard touchdown catch with 22.1 seconds remaining reviewed, believing he may have bobbled the ball...

Tiger players fight illness just three days before game with Oregon State (12/27/06)
EL PASO, Texas -- The cold and flu season is something Missouri probably thought it was escaping when the team left for the Sun Bowl just before Christmas. Instead, the bug might have followed them, with more than 20 players held out of practice on Tuesday and only three days to go before game day. No starters appeared to be affected on a warm day, although coach Gary Pinkel said some of his assistant coaches were hurting...

Missouri will face Oregon St. in Sun Bowl (12/04/06)
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri accepted an invitation Sunday to play Oregon State in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 29. The Tigers (8-4), who finished second in the Big 12's North division, will be making back-to-back bowl appearances for the first time since 1997-98. Last season, Missouri beat South Carolina in the Independence Bowl...

Win enhances Tigers' bowl standing (11/28/06)
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The bowl picture turned considerably brighter at Missouri after a victory over rival Kansas that reduced the Jayhawks to wishful thinking. Both schools were bowl-eligible entering Saturday's game. Missouri (8-4, 4-4 in the Big 12) exited with enhanced prospects after pulling away for a 42-17 victory, while Kansas (6-6, 3-5) may get left out...

Tigers' defense unable to corral opposing runners (11/22/06)
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri defensive tackle Lorenzo Williams takes the Tigers' struggles with stopping the run personally. Missouri (7-4, 3-4 Big 12) gave up just 43.8 yards rushing in its four non-conference games, among the best showings in the nation. Big 12 games have been another story -- conference opponents are averaging more than 160 yards rushing per game...

Big 12 head of officials apologizes to Mizzou's Pinkel for blown call (11/21/06)
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The timing couldn't have been worse. One day after Missouri inked football coach Gary Pinkel to a three-year contract extension and boosted his annual salary by $255,000, the Tigers lost 21-16 to a last-place Iowa State team on a bizarre, game-ending holding call that is already rivaling the infamous "fifth down" against Colorado and the end-zone kick and catch versus Nebraska in long-suffering fans' hall of misery...