The Missouri Tigers haven't beaten the Texas Longhorns since 1997. Since 1997, the Longhorns have won six match ups in a row and this could possibly be the final time Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel can defeat a Mack Brown coached Longhorns team, given the fact that in 2012 the Tigers will be playing in the SEC and the only chance to play Texas would be out of conference or in a bowl game.
Bill at Rock M Nation points out, this is potentially Missouri's last chance to beat Texas for quite a while:
Gary Pinkel has yet to actually defeat Mack Brown, partially because he has never actually gotten to face any of the more 'down' Texas teams -- the five teams Pinkel has faced have gone a combined 60-5; the five he missed went 46-18; that's a nice tidbit, but as Mizzou gets ready to change conferences, this is Pinkel's last, and best, opportunity.
Sophomore quarterback James Franklin is having a very good season in his first year as a starter that's been swept under the rug a bit because of the fact the Tigers are currently under .500 and have blown some winnable games. Franklin and running back Henry Josey will be looking to exploit a Longhorns defense that has given up some big plays this season.
The Longhorns on the other hand have bounced back after losing back to back Big 12 games to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Since those two games, the Longhorns have rattled off two dominant victories against Big 12 opponents and will be looking to make it three in a row. The Longhorns offense will look to keep it rolling against a Tigers defense that has given up at least 500 yards of offense in their last three games.
Peter Bean at Burnt Orange Nation thinks one of the big keys for the Longhorns to beat the Tigers is to limit their big plays on offense:
The Tigers offense has struggled to convert third downs but has thrived making big plays. Quarterback James Franklin is a solid quarterback with the ability to run a bit and steadily improving passing, and sophomore tailback Henry Josey is the most explosive tailback in the conference. Josey's racked up 1,149 rushing yards on just 134 carries, tops in the country among backs with at least 100 carries. Though against Oklahoma State the Longhorns turned in an impressive defensive effort overall, the two big runs for touchdowns were the difference in the game. Josey will similarly make us pay for any mistakes, while the Tigers may struggle to get in the end zone if they have to sustain drives all the way through.
Game date, time: Saturday, Nov. 12, 12:00 pm ET
Location: Memorial Stadium, Columbia, Mo.
TV channel: FX
Spread: Texas favored by 2 points
Series history: Texas leads, 15-3
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