Kansas @ Missouri preview
Arrowhead Stadium
Last Meeting ( Nov 28, 2009 ) Missouri 41, Kansas 39
When bitter rivals Missouri and Kansas meet for the 119th time on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium, you can throw rankings, records and point spreads out the window.
No. 16 Missouri (9-2, 5-2 Big 12) comes in needing a win and some help to secure its third Big 12 North title in the last four years. However, if Nebraska (9-2, 5-2) beats Colorado on Friday, the Tigers will be left out of the Big 12 Championship game. Missouri lost to Nebraska 31-17 earlier this year.
Even if the Tigers won’t be playing for a spot in the conference title game, don’t expect them to come in any less motivated. A win against Kansas would be Missouri’s fourth 10-win season in school history. It could also put them in position to receive a more prestigious bowl bid.
While Kansas is going for just the fourth win of the season (3-8, 1-6) in Turner Gill’s first as head coach, a win against Missouri can take some off the sting off a disappointing year.
For anyone who knows the history of this rivalry, there is little love between the two schools. Missouri and Kansas can’t even agree on the series record, with both schools claiming to own a 55-54-9 advantage.
The dispute goes back to 1960, when Kansas knocked off No.1 Missouri 23-7. However, the Big 8 Conference ruled ineligible players took part in the game for the Jayhawks and they were forced to forfeit the game. Kansas still counts the game as a win.
Missouri won last year’s contest 41-39 on a 27-yard field goal as time expired. However, in 2008, the Tigers came in with a No. 11 ranking against an unranked Kansas team. The Jayhawks won 40-37, blocking a last-second 54-yard field goal.
The Tigers won the epic 2007 clash, which featured second-ranked Kansas and third-ranked Missouri. The win propelled the Tigers to a No. 1 ranking and a spot in the Big 12 Championship.
On paper, the Tigers shouldn’t have much trouble with the Jayhawks. Missouri’s much-improved defense has been giving up just under 16 points per game on the season, good for seventh best in the country. The Tigers beat Iowa State last week 14-0, their second shutout of the year.
Kansas, on the other hand, has had difficulty both scoring points and keeping opponents off the board. The Jayhawks are giving up 34.4 points per game (103rd nationally) and scoring just 18 points per game (112th nationally).
Freshman Jordan Webb will make his first start in five weeks after missing three games with a shoulder injury. He made an appearance in last week’s 48-14 loss to Oklahoma State. Expect the Jayhawks to balance out their offense with freshman running back James Simms.
The Tigers are led by junior quarterback, Blaine Gabbert, whose numbers are way down this season. However, he has been consistent enough to win games and has thrown just five interceptions.
Gabbert’s main target is junior tight end Michael Egnew, who was announced as a finalist for the 2010 Mackey Award. Egnew is the third Tiger tight end to be named a finalist in the last four years. He leads all tight ends in receptions with 78.