Ross Taylor of Rock M Nation has a primer of what you need to know before Missouri and Colorado kickoff on Saturday. Your ability to count to five is presumed.
Narrative Radio Announcers Will Make You Sick of Hearing: The Fifth Down Game
Are you a sportswriter in need of content for the week prior to the Missouri-Colorado game? Boy, have we got a storyline for you! You see, in 1990, Colorado beat Missouri thanks in part to receiving five downs on the final drive of the game. That statement effectively concludes all of the recent developments in this story, but don't let that stop you!
Now that it's the 20-year anniversary of that game, this content is TOTALLY NEW AND FRESH, so make sure to really hammer the point home. And when you're done, watch as Missouri and Colorado fans take to your comment sections to troll bait one another with "Not only did he get five downs, he didn't actually get in!" and "Missourians can't count to five and the OmniTurf sucked anyway!" comments.
Colorado's move to the Pac-12 is pretty much the only thing that could have derailed this endless cycle of monotony, so big ups to you, Larry Scott.
Narrative You Really Should Be Hearing More About: Big 12 Insanity
How in the world do you explain the Big 12 this season? Kansas loses to North Dakota State and beats Georgia Tech. Blue blood power Texas gets annihilated by UCLA, a team run into the ground by Kansas State's Daniel Thomas. Oklahoma destroys Florida State, but struggles with Utah State, Air Force and Cincinnati. Iowa State runs it up on Texas Tech. Nebraska blasts Washington and Kansas State on the road and then struggles with an FCS payday at home. It's been a weird year for sure, and Colorado continued the trend last week by beating the Georgia Bulldogs.
At 1-4, Georgia may be a shell of itself, but the Bulldogs' brand name still carries weight, especially on Colorado's recently thin résumé. Though Big 12 fans may be quick to dismiss the Colorado win based on Georgia's play, there's one group of people who flat out refused to dismiss it this week: Missouri players and coaches.
At media day on Monday, several Missouri upperclassmen told reporters that they were actually thrilled Colorado beat Georgia. They intimated that the ease with which Missouri has beaten Colorado during the last four seasons could have created an environment in which the younger players would simply take a win for granted. If the Colorado win didn't open eyes nationwide, it certainly opened eyes in the Missouri film room.
In a "Show Me" State This Week: Defensive tackle Dominique Hamilton
Hamilton was arguably Missouri's most improved player as the 2009 season progressed, and in 2010, Hamilton has been... good. Through four games, he's totaled 14 tackles (seven solo), though he has yet to register any stops behind the line of scrimmage. In past seasons, Colorado hasn't had much success running the ball on the Tigers, but Colorado's running game has shown signs of life in 2010. Rodney Stewart and Brian Lockridge have stabilized the Buffs' rushing attack, and it would serve Missouri well for Hamilton to show up in the "Tackles for loss" column this week.
For Your Mizzou-Themed iPod Playlist: "Why Can't This Be Love" by Van Halen
"All I know,
You've got to run to win,
And I'll be damned if I'll get hung up on the line."
Missouri has pasted Colorado in the last several seasons, at one point scoring 139 consecutive points on Colorado from the first quarter of the 2007 game to the second quarter of the 2009 game. Missouri's been at its most efficient on offense against the Buffs, and the passing numbers draw immediate attention:
Chase Daniel (2007): 26-of-44, 421 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT, 172.41 Rating
Chase Daniel (2008): 31-of-37, 302 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT, 191.53 Rating
Blaine Gabbert (2009): 17-of-29, 192 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 123.21 Rating (Two TDs led MU to 33-0 first half lead)
But the Tigers have gotten it done on the ground as well. Rather than describing it myself, I'll leave the task to the continuously-excellent Colorado media relations staff:
The Buffs played their best run defense against the Tigers in 2006, limiting them to 100 rushing yards and no TDs. But in the three succeeding seasons, to go along with their prodigious passing output, the Tigers ran for 169 yards and two TDs ('07), 189 yards and two TDs ('08) and 184 yards and one TD ('09). Four-game average: 160.5 rushing yards, 1.25 TDs.
Jim Knox might not be able to run with Ralphie, but Missouri sure can.
For Your Colorado-Themed Playlist: "Should Have Been A Cowboy" by Toby Keith
"Go west, young man.
Haven't you been told?
California's full of whiskey, women and gold."
Hard to imagine anyone in the "Boulder demographic" (see also: "Hippies") would want to be a cowboy, but the Buffs will get their shot at riches out west starting next season. Missouri would love nothing more than to give them a nice swift kick in the rear on their way out on Saturday.
For more Missouri coverage, make sure to bookmark Rock M Nation.
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