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Missouri
THE WAVE NOVEMBER 19,2010
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert, right, runs into the end zone past Kansas State linebacker Tre Walker in a 38-28 win on Saturday
Turnovers by defense earn Missouri win
By John Montesantos The Maneater
Missouri improved to 8-2 Saturday with a 38-28 victory against Kansas State in its final home game of the season.
The Tiger defense forced four turnovers and scored a touchdown to lighten the load for the offense. Missouri recovered three fumbles and grabbed an interception as well as posting four sacks.
Each of the fumble takeaways came at key moments in the game. Junior defensive lineman Jacquies Smith came up with a fumble recovery in the third quarter after sophomore defensive end Aldon Smith drilled senior quarterback Carson Coffman to force it loose. Jacquies Smith scooped and scored on a 53-yard fumble return.
After the defense faltered a few times in the first half, Aldon Smith needed to make a play for his team.
Gabbert had 297 all-purpose yards with 89 rushing yards and a season-long 32-yard rushing touchdown. The team leader threw for two more touchdowns with 208 yards on 17-of-25 passing.
Tough losses in the past two weeks put Missouri at 1-2 on the road. But its games played at Faurot Field are a different story, with this win making them undefeated (5-0) at home this year.
Coach Gary Pinkel boasts a handful of perfect home records in his tenure with Missouri, but this is his first since the 2007 season. Saturday's victory also marked the last game inside Memorial Stadium for the class of seniors.
Senior center Tim Barnes is a three-year starter and a member of the 2011 graduating class. The anchor of the offensive line grew very close with the Missouri coaching staff in his time here.
"They're like your parents there for five years," Barnes said. "It's really special. I'm just really happy we got to go out there and get a victory for all the seniors and for the team as well."
Next up for the 8-2 Tigers is a trip to Ames, Iowa to take on Iowa State this Saturday at 6 p.m.
Can
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
foul trouble?
With Jeff Withey healthy, this is less of a concern than it was in the preseason, but when Markieff Morris had to sit with two early fouls against Valparaiso, it made frontcourt depth an issue for the rest of the first half. There aren't enough bodies in the Jayhawk frontcourt to withstand serious foul trouble, and the Mean Green led the nation in free throws made per game last season. If two of the Jayhawks bigs get into foul trouble, Mario Little could be forced to spend some time in the frontcourt, which offers opponents a size mismatch in their favor.
Morris
HEAR YE, HEAR YE
"I never expect to lose here. This is the best home-court advantage in the country. Coming in here and getting those chills before the game, I definitely don't expect to lose here."
Robinson
Markieff Morris, junior center
Markieff has unquestionably established himself as the best rebounder on this Jayhawks team (with an honorable mention to Thomas Robinson off the bench). His 14 boards per game are just one shy of what Marcus and Robinson are averaging combined. Markieff played just five minutes and pulled down three boards in the first half against Valparaiso because of foul trouble, but had 12 points and 10 rebounds in the second half alone.
SIXTH MAN
Thomas Robinson, sophomore forward Robinson is getting almost as many minutes as the starters (or more, in the case of Releford) with 20 per game. It's hard for Self to keep him off the floor, as he has the ability to be a double-double player, even off the bench. Self has taken to playing both Morris twins and Robinson at the same time, creating size mismatches at the three and four against most teams. Robinson gets a fourth star for the first time.
Thomas Robinson, sophomore forward
George Odufuwa, senior forward Odufuwa was named to the Sun Belt's pre-season All First-Team. He is currently averaging 10.5 points and 13 rebounds per game. He is averaging 35 minutes per game as well. A season ago, Odufuwa averaged 11.5 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. He started 32 of North Texas' 33 games.
George Odufuwa, senior forward
Marcus Morris
Tim Dwyer
SIXTH MAN
Jimique Johnson, senior guard Johnson is averaging 16.5 points off the bench this season in 31 minutes. Johnson may crack the starting lineup if his play continues. However, having two 5-foot-10 guards in the lineup makes the Mean Green very small in the frontcourt. Johnson is North Texas' best three-point shooter. He is currently 8-13 on the season. He was one of four players to average double figures (11 ppg) last season.
Mike Lavieri
compared with north texas. the Mean Green caught the attention of the Jayhawks last season when both teams played in Oklahoma City for the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. North Texas lost to Kansas State 82-62. The Mean Green entered the tournament with an 11-game winning streak, but had it snapped by the Wildcats. North Texas hung with Kansas State for the first 10 minutes until Kansas State pulled away. The games against Texas Tech regained Kansas' attention if it was lost during the NCAA Tournament.
HEARYE, HEARYE
"He was truly a pioneer at North Texas because he showed that you could have sucess here. His willingness to share his experiences helped in my transition to North Texas. I have fond memories of him, and he will be sorely missed."
— North Texas coach Johnny Jones on legendary Mean Green coach Bill Blakeley, who passed away on Oct. 26, according to a news release.
FRIDAY BIG 12 SCHEDULE
Teams
Time (CT)
Texas vs. Pittsburgh 6 p.m.
Nebraska vs. Davidson 2:00 p.m.
Stephen F. Austin at Texas Tech 7:00 p.m
Texas A&M-International at Texas A&M 7:00 p.m.
ALLEN FIELDHOUSE WILL ROCK IF...
The team ties the school record for consecutive wins in the building with 62. Marcus Morris said he "can't, can't, CAN'T" lose a game in his home building, so he may have a little extra fire with the streak on the line. If he does, look out North Texas. He could go for 30.
BABY JAY WILL BREAK DOWN AND CRY IF...
Kansas allows Josh White to do what he did to Texas Tech light up the scoreboard in a stunning Mean Green upset. White is excellent against Big 12 competition, but there's a difference between a team picked to finish in the middle of the pack, and a team ranked No.6 in the country.
Prediction Kansas 98, North Texas 64
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent TV Channel Time
Nov. 23 Texas A&M-CC Jayhawk TV 7 p.m.
Nov. 26 Ohio Jayhawk TV 7 p.m.
Nov. 27 Arizona Jayhawk TV 7 p.m.
Dec. 2 UCLA ESPN2 9:30 p.m.
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