Analysis: Moe, Egnew lead struggling offense to victory
The game-winning touchdown came with less than a minute to play.
Published Sept. 21, 2010
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Freshman running back Henry Josey strides into the end zone for his second of three touchdowns against McNeese State University on Saturday at Faurot Field. The Tigers defeated the Cowboys in their home opener winning by a score of 50-6.
With less than a minute to play in Saturday’s game, the outstretched arms of sophomore wide receiver T.J. Moe made a miracle happen.
Seconds away from defeat, the most consistent offensive threat all year bailed the Tigers out of an improbable loss to the San Diego State Aztecs.
“This team doesn’t give up,” Moe said. “We believe, and that’s the bottom line. With a minute and a half left, it’s time to be great.”
Junior quarterback Blaine Gabbert threw it down the left side to Moe, who juked one defender, and junior wide out Jerell Jackon did the rest. Jackson blocked out two defenders, giving Moe a clear path to the end zone.
“I ran a protection route, and he made a good move on the first defender,” Jackson said. “I had the opportunity to pin the cornerback and the safety in and get a two for one.”
Moe finished with seven receptions for 119 yards in the victory. The sophomore now has 30 receptions for 299 yards and two touchdowns through three games. His reception numbers are good for third in the nation at 10 per game.
Junior linebacker Will Ebner said he was happy with the success Moe had in the victory.
“I’ve been one of T.J.’s mentors since he got on campus,” Ebner said. “I was running down the sidelines next to him and thinking, 'plays like this aren’t supposed to happen until you’re a senior.’ It was incredible. I’m just so happy for him to experience the feeling of a game-winning touchdown, and I think it was a real maturing play for him.”
Coach Gary Pinkel said the win was a test of the team’s character.
“I’ve been doing this for 34 years, so I’ve had a lot of come-from-behind wins,” Pinkel said. “It’s a test of the character of the football team. Big time players make big time plays in big time situations, and that was huge.”
Despite the victory, the play of the Tigers left much to be desired. Gabbert was 28-51 with one touchdown and two costly interceptions. The defense allowed two huge rushing touchdowns of 75 and 93 yards. The wide receivers had several key drops that could have blown the game open in the first half. But Pinkel said there was a lot to be learned from the victory.
“When you don’t play well and you win a game, there are lessons to learn,” Pinkel said. “It’s my job to make sure that we get that done. But certainly it’s a lot more fun fixing the problems when you win. You also grow from victories like that.”
Despite the problems, one bright spot was the play of tight end Michael Egnew. The junior finished the game with 13 receptions for 145 yards, both single-game records for Missouri tight ends. Egnew has 29 catches for 257 yards and one touchdown on the year, leading the nation in receptions for tight ends.
Pinkel said Egnew is showing the same poise he had throughout training camp.
“(Egnew’s) the same guy who has been doing it all through two-a-days,” Pinkel said. “His confidence level is growing, and he's running the ball better after the catch. He knows he's good now, and he's just made a lot of plays.”
The No. 24 Tigers look to stay undefeated as the Miami (Ohio) Redhawks come Saturday to Faurot Field.