18 BIG 12
MISSOURI TIGERS
Missouri looks to keep North title in Columbia
By Sean Leahy
The Maneater
COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Missouri Tigers blazed to a 4-0 start this season, but after three weeks of conference play, they suddenly have some catching up to do.
Losses to Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Texas on Saturday night mean for the first time in seven seasons Missouri has started 0-3 in the Big 12. The Tigers also find themselves only a game above .500 overall.
There is little margin for error the rest of the season if the two-time defending Big 12 North champions look to keep the crown in Columbia.
"It's a pivotal point in the season, obviously," coach Gary Pinkel said. "Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. The sense of urgency has got to be here."
The last time the Tigers dropped their first three conference games was when they fell to then-No. 3 Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas Tech in 2002.
That team went on to finish the season with a 5-7 overall record and a 2-6 conference mark.
As for the 2009 team, Pinkel said the time
is now for the Tigers to pick things up.
"If we don't start playing better, you're never going to win a game," Pinkel said. "You've got to play well."
After Saturday's games, Missouri remains at the bottom of the Big 12 North. Although it is only 5-3 overall, the Kansas State Wildcats stand at the head of the standings with a 3-1 conference record.
The rest of the North Division is hovering around the .500 mark in Big 12 play. Iowa State stands at 2-2 and is followed by Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado at 1-2.
The good news for Missouri is, except for Nebraska, it plays each of those teams before the season ends.
"We got to come out and win these next Big 12 games that we have because, other than that, we have no choice," junior tailback Derrick Washington said. "We want to get to the Big 12 Championship. It's hard to bounce back from three losses, but I think we're capable of doing it."
Missouri looks to get back in the win column against Colorado this Saturday in Boulder, Colo.
The Tigers have won the last two games against Colorado by a combined 103 points.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert, is sacked for an 11-yard loss by Texas cornerback Dean Beasley, right, during the first quarter of their game last Saturday in Columbia, Mo. The Tigers fell to the longhorns, 41-7.
COLORADO BUFFALOES
Buffaloes fall to Wildcats in 10th straight road loss
By John Marshall Associated Press
MANHATTAN — Anger filled Bill Snyder's eyes. He chopped his hand down on the lectern, rattled off the litany of offensive mistakes, the inopportune penalties, the missed assignments.
"I'm proud of the fact that collectively, as a team, we won a ball game. I'm proud of wherever they are in the conference," said Snyder, 4-0 this season in the stadium that bears his name.
Colorado coach Dan Hawkins has lost 10-straight road games and is 2-17 away from Boulder in three-plus seasons.
Snyder wasn't the only irritable coach.
The Buffalofoes were decent defensively against Kansas State, holding multi-threat quarterback Grant Gregory in check, giving the offense a chance despite good field position for Kansas State most of the day.
Offensively, Colorado (2-5, 1-2) looked nothing like the team that traded big plays
with Kansas last week. The Buffaloes scored on their first drive and did little else until their last drive, which ended in a turnover. The result was a disappointing loss on the heels of an invigorating win over then-No. 16 Kansas.
"We just weren't making a lot of plays" Hawkins said. "It was a combination of a lot of little things."
Colorado's offense clicked early, moving 71 yards in 13 plays for Rodney Stewart's 2-yard touchdown run.
The Buffaloes floundered after that, managing just 59 more yards and turning it over three times before halftime.
The first turnover, a fumbled snap by Hansen, led to Josh Cherry's second field goal, from 27 yards. Jason Espinoza then muffed a punt, setting up a 5-yard touchdown run by Gregory that put Kansas State up 20-6 at the half.
Hawkins replaced Hansen again in the fourth quarter and had another pass picked off by Lamur in the closing minutes, a fitting end to the way the Buffaloes played most of the day.
IOWA STATE CYCLONES
Freshman quarterback guides offense to victory
By Nate Sandell Iowa State Daily
LINCOLN, Neb. — As time expired, Austen Arnaud sprinted toward midfield until he found the person he was looking for.
"I'm proud of you; I'm proud of you," Arnaud screamed as he jumped into freshman quarterback Jerome Tiller's arms.
All Tiller could do was stand there with a smile, soaking in the aftermath of his first career start, the Cyclones'eight forced turnovers and his team's 9-7 win against Nebraska in Memorial Stadium — the program's first since 1977.
"You come into a stadium like this, and you play without the Big 12's leading rusher [Alexander Robinson], you play without your starting quarterback [Arnaud] — not to mention a lengthy list of individual players who were sick," said coach Paul Rhoads, who was visibly emotional after the game, "and to extend that kind of effort is just a fabulous, phenomenal effort, and I couldn't be
prouder of our football team."
The Cyclones relied on an opportunistic defense, which, with the help of the eight turnovers, held Nebraska to seven points the Huskers' lowest total against Iowa State since 1959.
"We came into this game supremely confident with our defense," said defensive tackle Nate Frere. "We really showed up when we needed to. There was a few times when they were knocking on the door and a guy ripped the ball out. That's the kind of things you need to win these big games."
With Arnaud nursing a bruised throwing hand and Robinson still feeling the lingering effects of a groin injury, Iowa State turned to Tiller and backup running back Jeremiah Schwartz to help guide the offense.
"If you picked the perfect place for your backup quarterback to start a game, I promise you it wouldn't be Memorial Stadium," Rhoads said after the game.
Despite the hostile environment, Tiller remained poised under center.
THE WAVE OCTOBER 30,2009
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN