Tigers get back on track with big win over Colorado

Mizzou dominates Buffs with 58-0 win in Columbia

After back-to-back losses, and a freefall from the No. 3 ranked in the country, the Missouri Tigers answered the call for better football and moped the floor with the Colorado Buffalos on Homecoming weekend in Columbia.

After losing 28-23 to Oklahoma State and 56-31 to Texas, questions rose through college football regarding the effectiveness of the Tiger defense. Mizzou rose to the challenge, blanking Colorado 58-0.

Admittedly, the Buffs’ offense did not hold up to comparison with those of Oklahoma State and Texas—they scored only 14 points in each of their last three games, but the Tigers saw the zero under Colorado’s name on the scoreboard at Faurot Field as an exclamation point for the season. The Buffaloes had not been shut out in 243 games, the third longest streak in college football.

Colorado racked up only 199 yards of total offense on Saturday night—never a good sign when playing against Chase Daniel. Daniel threw for 302 yards and a career high of five touchdowns. His first touchdown pass, a 3-yarder to tight end Chase Coffman, netted Coffman the national record for receptions in a career by a tight end. Perhaps more impressive than the record was the style Coffman used to haul the football in: a leaping one-handed grab where he extended his body like an Olympic diver over the head of good coverage by a Colorado defender in the back of the end zone.

The first possession for each team set the tone of the entire game. After slow starts in losses against Oklahoma State and Texas, the Tigers started off with a bang: driving down the field on their first possession with Derrick Washington running for the score. Colorado quarterback Tyler Hansen responded by fumbling a shotgun snap on the Buffalos’ first play from scrimmage. On their first possession, the Buffaloes netted minus-17 yards, culminating in a fumbled punt by punter Tom Sauzo who was tackled at the five-yard line.

The Tigers went on to roll up a 34-0 lead at halftime and never looked back. Colorado had a field goal opportunity in the third quarter, but head coach Dan Hawkins insisted on playing for the touchdown instead of playing to “not be shut out.” The Buffs failed to convert on fourth down. Colorado moved the ball to the Missouri 9-yard line before time ran out. Near the end of the fourth quarter, Mizzou coach Gary Pinkel put his defensive starters back in to preserve the shut out.

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Jeremy Maclin scored twice from 3 and 30 yards, hauled in 11 catches and racked up 134 yards. Derrick Washington’s first quarter score continues his streak of scoring a touchdown in each game this season.

After running for 86 yards against Kansas State last week, Colorado quarterback Cody Hawkins was held to only 30 yards on 16 carries.

The Tigers go to Baylor next week. The Buffs are at Texas A&M.

By Cory Spicer
Big 12 Fans Missouri Tigers Correspondent

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