Tigers win at Ole Miss
Published Sept. 11, 2007
OXFORD, Miss. — If you didn't know this week's football game was outdoors and in the heart of the deep South — not in St. Louis — you might have thought you were watching a tape of the Missouri Tigers' first game against Illinois, not their second game against the Mississippi Rebels.
Just like last week, the Tigers and their explosive offense took a 20-something point lead midway through the third quarter on Saturday and then watched as its opponent refused to roll over, keeping the game in doubt until the end.
But, also like last week, Missouri (2-0) held its ground late in the fourth quarter and left Vaught-Hemingway Stadium 38-25 winners in front of 50,897 fans in Oxford, after forcing an Ole Miss (1-1) turnover on downs with six minutes left in the game.
MU coach Gary Pinkel said he felt good about getting a win in a Southeastern Conference stadium, although he was not pleased with the defense, which gave up over 500 total yards.
"Coming down here and playing in the SEC, we have to feel good about the win," Pinkel said. "But we didn't make it as easy on ourselves as we could have."
That rush defense allowed the Rebels' senior running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis to do his best Walter Payton impersonation, rushing for 226 yards on 33 carries, including one 34-yard carry where he went virtually untouched all the way into the Missouri secondary.
"On defense it's always 'bend, don't break,'" MU senior defensive end Lorenzo Williams said. "But we let a lot of big plays through."
But the struggles of the defense were matched by the incredible ease with which the Tigers' offense put up points in the second and third quarters. Junior quarterback Chase Daniel threw for five touchdowns and 330 yards on 31-for-43 passing.
On top of that, senior tailback Tony Temple put last week's struggles behind him, gaining 123 yards on 17 carries.
Missouri had 229 yards rushing on Saturday, and Daniel credited Temple with being a major asset to the offense.
"We finally got Tony going," Daniel said. "When you look at the games with our highest output, Tony's out there, getting over 100 yards and nearly 20 touches."
Pinkel praised Daniel's second consecutive game this year with over 300 yards passing.
"He is really special," Pinkel said. "I've never been around a guy like this. And he shined out there."
Leading 21-7 with just over a minute left in the first half, Daniel showed just how potent Missouri's offense can be.
In 57 seconds, he led the Tigers 54 yards, hitting junior tight end Chase Coffman on a seven-yard strike with four seconds remaining. That put MU up 21 and sent many Ole Miss students back to The Grove early, depriving them of seeing the Rebels score 18 of the game's last 21 points.
"Look at the end of the first half," Temple said. "When we're on, you can't stop us on offense."
But with a huge showdown with No. 14 Nebraska in Columbia just three weeks away, the Tigers have to shore up their defense. It wasn't a good sign when Ole Miss senior quarterback Seth Adams, making just his second career start, threw for 305 yards and made the Tigers' cornerbacks Darnell Terrell and Hardy Ricks look foolish on several plays.
"When you play against great receivers, things like that happen," senior safety Pig Brown said. "We have things to work on, but we also made plays."
Brown said the Tigers have to learn how to stay on top of an opponent when they get a big lead.
"We just need to crush 'em next time," he said. "At Mizzou we have to be not just about finishing in the fourth quarter, but finishing in the third, too."