Rough October comes to an end for MU football

Missouri lost three games in a row to start the month but salvaged the final game.

By Sean Leahy

Published Oct. 31, 2009

BOULDER, Colo — On this Halloween weekend, the Tigers ended October with a treat after a month full of tricks.

By coming out with a 33-17 victory over Colorado, the Tigers ended a month that was at times wet and wild but almost always frustrating.

After sprinting to a 4-0 start, Missouri dropped three of its first four Big 12 tests and suffered from an anemic offense at times.

Aside from the 36 points they put up against the Buffaloes, Missouri is averaging 12 points a game in the Big 12 and has been shut out in the second half twice.

“When you have three losses, the psychology of trying to win again, there’s a lot of things weigh on you,” coach Gary Pinkel said.

Missouri took its bumps and bruises through the past month since its victory over Nevada on Sept. 25, but senior linebacker Sean Weatherspoon said the team has begun anew.

“We got through October with the win in the end and that’s big for us," Weatherspoon said. "We need to carry it over into November because those who win in November are those who are remembered.”

After a strong performance against Colorado that included three sacks, redshirt freshman defensive end Aldon Smith said Missouri has put the losses behind them.

“We’re looking at this as a whole new season,” Smith said. “All those games are in the past.”

Sophomore tailback De’Vion Moore put up 58 yards on the ground against the Buffaloes and was relieved to get off the losing streak.

“It’s a good feeling,” Moore said. “As a team, I feel like we know we have a lot more ahead of us. This was just start for us. We came off a tough few weeks and it was painful. You got to take those losses and you got to use it for the rest of the season.”

Moore emphasized the learning aspect of playing.

“We have to learn from every game we play,” Moore said. “It’s always something that we can learn as a team. And I feel like that’s the biggest thing about our team this season. Period.”

The Tigers’ record was not the only thing to get banged up in the past month. Against Nebraska on Oct. 8, sophomore quarterback Blaine Gabbert injured his ankle after getting sacked.

Gabbert hasn’t missed a start but was pulled in the second half of the Oct. 24 game against Texas.

Losses to Nebraska and Oklahoma State preceded a loss to the Longhorns, when the Tigers were knocked out early in the Homecoming game.

How does all that adversity change a team?

“It changes a lot,” Weatherspoon said. “There’s so much of a sense of urgency around here now. We don’t have room for mistakes and taking games off against team in the (Big 12) North. Previously we’ve dominated the North but we know right now everybody is gunning for us so that gives us that sense of urgency that we know we have to do.”