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BIG 12 19
Words from the Big 12 Writers from around the conference weigh in on their teams
MISSOURI TIGERS
Tigers battle back for victory
Missouri running back Derrick Washington, left, is tackled by Bowling Green's Carlos Tipton, right, during the second quarter in last weekend's game. Washington had 120 rushing yards on the game. ASSOCIATED PRESS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
By Evan Glantz The Maneater
COLUMBIA, Mo. — It was not the prettiest win for Missouri.
In fact, it was almost a nightmare. But, with a fourth quarter rally, the Tigers came from behind to defeat Bowling Green 27-20.
"I wouldn't want to make a living doing that every Saturday,"coach Gary Pinkel said.
But in the next breath, he gave his opponents their due.
("Bowling Green) battled, and we were fortunate enough to find a way to win," Pinkel said.
Sophomore quarterback Blaine Gabbert struggled in the first half, as the offense repeatedly stalled. But in the second half, he and the offense made adjustments.
("Bowling Green) was just doing some different stuff defensively, taking away some vertical shots, and we didn't execute," Gabbert said. "And that's on me."
By their first possession of the second half, the Tigers found themselves in a 20-6 hole. Then they began their comeback. On third-and-10,junior running back Derrick Washington ran for 18 yards to give Missouri a first down.
The following play, Gabbert connected with senior wide receiver Jared Perry for Missouri's first touchdown. The 27-yard pass cut Bowling Green's lead to 20-13.
"If you had seen me, I kind of juggled (the ball) because it went right through (the defender's) hands," Perry said. "We had a rocky start, so I just thought, 'Somebody's got to make a play, somebody's got to step up.' It ended up being me making the first play, and after that, the train just kept rolling."
The train actually went into second gear. In the fourth quarter, starting at their own 28-yard line, the Tigers marched down the field. Facing a fourth-and-one situation, Missouri handed off to Washington, who gained six yards to give his team a critical first down.
"I think the coaches are trusting me more, and trusting our run game more," Washington said. "We had the opportunity to show we can run the ball tonight, and that's what we did."
His six-yard rush put the Tigers on Bowling Green's 33-yard line. The next play, Gabbert threw a bomb into the end zone, where sophomore wide receiver Wes Kemp laid out to haul in the pass.
Just like that, the score was tied 20-20.
"We faked the run, and then the corner bit down and I just ran by him to catch a great ball by Blaine." Kemp said.
But the comeback was not yet complete.
The Falcons had the ball in their own territory on third-and-four. But redshirt freshman defensive lineman Aldon Smith chased down Bowling Green senior quarterback Tyler Sheehan and sacked him for an 18-yard loss.
It was all the momentum the Tigers needed.
On the ensuing drive, Washington was again the star. He busted off runs of 10 and eight yards, but it was his shortest run that was most effective.
On first and goal, after senior receiver Danario Alexander's 22-yard catch, Washington forced his way into the Falcon's end zone to put the Tigers on top for the first time all night. And they stayed there.
"It was a gutsy win," Gabbert said. "It really checked what we're made of. And in the end, it's going to make our team better in the long run."
Defense picks up in second half
By Sean Leahy
The Maneater
In Missouri's 27-20 comeback victory over Bowling Green, the Tiger defense clamped down to allow no points for the majority of the second half.
COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Tiger defense knew its counterparts on offense would find their way. All it had to do was wait for sophomore quarterback Blaine Gabbert and Co. to get there.
"That's how it goes sometimes," junior cornerback Carl Gettis said. "When the offense struggles, we know as a defense we need to pick them up. We knew sooner or later in the second half, our offense was going to come along and make some big plays."
When Falcons junior running back Willie Geter charged into the end zone from one-yard out with 9:44 left in the third quarter, Missouri found itself in a 20-6 hole.
With the Tiger offense sputtering, coach Gary Pinkel knew it was time for his team to make a stand.
"When it was 20-6 about five minutes into the third quarter, it was a big gut check time for our football team," Pinkel said.
The Tigers answered that call and stopped the bleeding to open a door for a Missouri comeback in the third and fourth quarters.
While Gabbert was busy engineering a charge to take the lead, the Tigers kept Bowling Green off the field and off the scoreboard.
"It just shows the fight this team has," senior nose tackle Jaron Baston said.
After the Geter touchdown, Missouri forced Bowling Green into four straight punts and a failed fourth down pass attempt that sealed the victory.
With Bowling Green at its own 40-yard line and facing a third-and-seven, Falcon senior Tyler Sheehan dropped back to pass
With no open option to which to throw, Sheehan was flushed out of the pocket by a charging Smith and was sacked for a loss of 18 yards.
The Faurot Field crowd erupted, and Bowling Green, facing a fourth-and-25, was forced to punt.
"That pretty much gave us all the momentum at that point," Gettis said. "After that we were rolling."
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE WAVE SEPTEMBER 18,2009