Missouri comes back to sink Bowling Green

Sophomore quarterback Blaine Gabbert overcame a shaky start to help with the comeback.

By Evan Glantz

Published Sept. 12, 2009

It was not the prettiest win for Missouri.

In fact, it was almost a nightmare. But, with a fourth quarter rally, the Tigers came from behind to beat Bowling Green 27-20.

“I wouldn’t want to make a living doing that every Saturday,” coach Gary Pinkel said.

But in the next breath, he gave his opponents their due.

“(Bowling Green) battled, and we were fortunate enough to find a way to win,” Pinkel said.

Sophomore quarterback Blaine Gabbert struggled in the first half, as the offense repeatedly stalled. But in the second half, he and the offense made adjustments.

“(Bowling Green) was just doing some different stuff defensively, taking away some vertical shots, and we didn’t execute,” Gabbert said. “And that’s on me.”

By their first possession of the second half, the Tigers found themselves in a 20-6 hole. Then, they began their comeback. On third-and-10, junior running back Derrick Washington ran for 18 yards to give Missouri a first down.

The following play, Gabbert connected with senior wide receiver Jared Perry for Missouri’s first touchdown. The 27-yard pass cut Bowling Green’s lead to 20-13.

“If you had seen me, I kind of juggled (the ball) because it went right through (the defender’s) hands,” Perry said. “We had a rocky start, so I just thought, ‘Somebody’s got to make a play, somebody’s got to step up.’ It ended up being me making the first play, and after that, the train just kept rolling.”

The train actually went into second gear. In the fourth quarter, starting at their own 28-yard line, the Tigers marched down the field. Facing a fourth-and-one situation, Missouri handed off to Washington, who gained six yards to give his team a critical first down.

“I think the coaches are trusting me more, and trusting our run game more,” Washington said. “We had the opportunity to show we can run the ball tonight, and that’s what we did.”

His six-yard rush put the Tigers on Bowling Green’s 33-yard line. The next play, Gabbert threw a bomb into the end zone, where sophomore wide receiver Wes Kemp laid out to haul in the pass.

Just like that, the score was tied 20-20.

“We faked the run, and then the corner bit down and I just ran by him to catch a great ball by Blaine,” Kemp said.

But the comeback was not yet complete.

The Falcons had the ball in their own territory on third-and-four. But redshirt freshman defensive lineman Aldon Smith chased down Bowling Green senior quarterback Tyler Sheehan and sacked him for an 18-yard loss.

It was all the momentum the Tigers needed.

On the ensuing drive, Washington was again the star. He busted off runs of 10 and eight yards, but it was his shortest run that was most effective.

On first and goal, after senior receiver Danario Alexander’s 22-yard catch, Washington forced his way into the Falcon’s end zone to put the Tigers on top for the first time all night. And they stayed there.

“It was a gutsy win,” Gabbert said. “It really checked what we’re made of. And in the end, it’s going to make our team better in the long run.”