Seniors say farewell to Faurot Field
William Moore wore No. 25, honoring Aaron O'Neal.
Published Nov. 10, 2008
Senior tailback Jimmy Jackson has never been the star player at MU. He's never been the starting running back. And he's never had a game in which he rushed for 100 yards.
But to him, none of that matters.
"Jimmy has never come in and said, 'Why can't I get the ball more? Why can't I start?'" coach Gary Pinkel said. "It's always about the team with him. Everything is always about the team and helping the team. He has his role with short yardage situations."
On Saturday, Jackson stepped onto Faurot Field for the final game of his college career in front of a home crowd. It was a night to remember. Not only did he get to celebrate a 41-24 win over Kansas State, but he also joined his fellow seniors in adding to a win total that is already the most of any class in MU football history.
Bombarded with the emotion of senior night, MU looked sluggish at the beginning of the game. On the team's third drive, with the score still knotted up at zero, Jackson delivered a statement. He had the longest rush of his career, which was for 37 yards. On the next play, sophomore tailback Derrick Washington ran for MU's first score of the night.
Safety William Moore is another in the group of 23 seniors recognized this weekend who stepped onto Faurot Field for the final time. Last season, Moore led the nation with eight interceptions but hasn't snagged one interception this year. Even though he isn't picking off quarterbacks and getting touchdowns, he is still a leader for the defense.
"It can be frustrating at times but, at the same time, I'm sticking to my game plan," Moore said. "I play hard every game, so it ain't me and the way I work."
Moore represented teammate Aaron O'Neal on senior night by wearing the No. 25 uniform. O'Neal, who wore that number, died during a voluntary summer workout in 2005 and was remembered and honored at the game against Kansas State on Saturday.
"I requested that I wanted to wear No. 25 for senior night," Moore said. "I enjoyed it. It was emotional. I know A.O. would've loved to be here, so I started crying at first when I saw it, but I did it for him. It means a lot, especially with a win and the way we dominated as a defense. I feel like I went out there and wore the jersey with pride. I tried my best to."
Despite the rough start, MU turned the game around quickly with the help of sophomore wide receiver Jeremy Maclin. While Maclin still has two more years left of eligibility, the question remains unclear whether Saturday's game was his last at Faurot.
Maclin gained 278 all-purpose yards and scored three touchdowns. The dynamic wide receiver said that he would only enter the NFL draft this year if he is a first-round draft pick.
But, for now, Maclin is only thinking about next week.
"If we beat Iowa State, that's great, but we don't go in there thinking that we can just sit there and play and win the game," Maclin said. "We want to win out, that's our goal. We control our own destiny, and we're not worried about everyone else. We're just worried about getting our job done."