Missouri – Trivia
– Missouri went 10-4 in 2008, winning ten games or more in back-to-back seasons for the first time in school history (and only the fifth time ever). The highlight of the season was a 52-17 stomping of Nebraska in Lincoln, the first win for Missouri on the road in the series since 1976.
– Even with the Tigers’ stellar 2008 record, bear this in mind – Last season, Missouri beat only two FBS teams with winning records, Nebraska and Northwestern (a 30-23 win in the Alamo Bowl).
– In 2008, Missouri had eight players on defense who received all-conference honors, yet against the Big 12 South powers (Texas, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State), the Tigers went 0-3, and gave up 146 points.
– After defeating Kansas, 36-28, on November 24, 2007, Missouri claimed into the #1 ranking in the Associated Press poll for only the second time in school history. Just like the first trip to the summit, the stay was short-lived. The following week the Tigers fell to Oklahoma, 38-17, in the Big 12 championship game, to fall out of the top spot. A 38-7 win over Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl secured for Missouri a 12-2 record and a #4 final ranking. Missouri last finished in the top ten in the Associated Press poll in 1969. Only Iowa State, which has never finished in the top ten in the AP poll, had a longer drought amongst the Big 12 North teams.
– Missouri is the only school besides Colorado and Nebraska to have been ranked #1 amongst North Division teams. The Tigers were ranked #1 for one week in 1960 before falling to Kansas, 23-7. The twist to the story – it was later determined that Kansas used an ineligible player in the game against Missouri, and the game was forfeited to the Tigers. Despite the “win”, the result on the field cost Missouri a chance at the national title. Undefeated in name only, the Tigers finished the season with a 10-1 record and a #5 finish in the polls.
– Legend has it that the tradition of Homecoming began at Missouri. In 1911, the director of athletics Chester L. Brewer reportedly asked alumni and former players to “come home” for the season-ending game against Kansas. (The game ended in a 3-3 tie, and Missouri finished its season with a 2-4-2 record).
– Faurot Field is named after long-time coach Don Faurot, who coached the Tigers from 1935-42 and 1946-56. Faurot won 100 games, and is credited with creating the split-T formation, precursor of the wishbone and veer offenses.
– While the infamous “Fifth down” game against CU still rankles the Missouri faithful, most of their venom is saved for Kansas. The bitter feelings over the 1960 game, above, only added fuel to the fire. The “Border War” as it was long known, is now known as the “Border Showdown”, a nod to the post 9/11 era.
– Missouri leads the all-time series against Colorado, 40-31-3. The series was much more lopsided in the Tigers’ favor, though, until recently. Prior to the 1985 season, Missouri had a dominating 31-13-3 lead. The Buffs then ran off a 12 game win streak, and have won 18 of the last 27 in the series.
– Missouri ties to Boulder include head coaches Bill McCartney, a 1962 MU graduate who played on that 1960 team, and Gary Barnett, a 1969 MU alumnus.
– famous alumni – football – Dan Devine (coach), Kellen Winslow, Henry Marshall, Phil Bradley, Tony Galbreath, Roger Wehrli, Andy Russell, Mel Gray (and now Jeremy Maclin, Chase Daniel, and Chase Coffman from the class of 2008).
– famous alumni – other – George C. Scott (actor), Sheryl Crow (singer), Mort Walker (cartoonist).