MU to face off with K-State

Claws will be out when the Tigers take on the Wildcats on Saturday.

By Ryan Huber

Published Oct. 20, 2006

The No. 24 MU football team will play the Kansas State Wildcats (4-3, 2-1 Big 12) at 1 p.m. Saturday in an effort to improve its record to 7-1.

Despite the 25-19 loss last week to the now-No. 25 Texas A&M Aggies, sophomore quarterback Chase Daniel, along with the rest of the MU squad, is focused on not letting the defeat affect the rest of the season.

"What would we have done if we won? The 24-hour rule: We would have forgotten about it," Daniel said. "Same as a loss, it's a 24-hour rule. You forget about it and don't let it affect what your are doing in preparation for next week."

In their preparations, the Tigers will work on controlling the time of possession.

The offense held the ball for a little more than 18 minutes of the game against the Aggies and went three-and-out twice in the third quarter.

"We [the defense] were on the field a long time last week," coach Gary Pinkel said. "As a team, the offense has to stay on the field more, and that will certainly help our run defense, when you're not out there all those plays. We work every week on it, and we will work to get better."

Kansas State is coming off a 21-3 loss to No. 21 Nebraska, but it is poised to keep its recent winning history against Missouri alive.

The Tigers hold a 55-31-5 all-time record against the Wildcats, but K-State has won 13 straight against MU since 1992.

Six of those MU losses came in Columbia.

"I think that this is, if I recall, 2006," Pinkel said. "I can't do anything about the past, none of us can. Hopefully we are disciplined enough to focus on what we have control over, and we certainly have control over 2006."

The Tigers will be facing a different Wildcats team than in years past.

Kansas State freshman quarterback Josh Freeman leads a young offensive unit that has struggled without top receiver Jordy Nelson, who had a career game against MU last year.

Nelson is questionable for Saturday's game with a knee injury.

Freeman is the first true freshman quarterback to start for the Wildcats since 1976 and is coming off the Nebraska loss where he completed 23 of 47 passes for 272 yards.

"It's going to be tough stopping him," junior defensive tackle Lorenzo Williams said on Monday. "He runs pretty well and has a real good arm, so we're going to have to pick it up this week at practice to get ready for him."

The Wildcats defense has been strong this season at forcing turnovers, with 14 on the season.

"They are very good at what they do," Daniel said. "They go cover two (and) cover three and blitz about 20 to 25 percent of the time."

The Tigers have been known to let one loss lead to a landslide, but Daniel has a different idea in mind.

"I got with some of the senior leaders and said, 'Hey, we can't have this,'" he said. "We can't have a lull like in recent past. We have to work harder and prepare harder."