Dave Riggert – Page 857 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Mizzou’s Brothers named SEC Defensive Player of the Week

Posted on October 14, 2013

Mizzou Football sophomore linebacker Kentrell Brothers (Guthrie, Okla.) has been named the Southeastern Conference’s Defensive Player of the Week, the league office announced on Monday. Brothers helped close out Mizzou’s 41-26 win at then-No. 7 Georgia last Saturday by intercepting Bulldog quarterback Aaron Murray inside the final minute of play for his third pick of the season. The Tiger made a career-high 10 tackles in the contest, including 1.0 tackle-for-loss.

The weekly honor is the first of Brothers’ career at Mizzou and also marks the first time a Mizzou player has earned SEC Defensive Player of the Week since Kenronte Walker brought home the award after the 24-20 win vs. Arizona State last season (Sept. 15, 2012). The interception tied Brothers for the team lead in picks.

Brothers’ recognition is the fifth weekly SEC honor earned by a Mizzou player this season. Senior DL Michael Sam (Hitchcock, Texas), junior DL Markus Golden (St. Louis, Mo.) and junior DL Kony Ealy (New Madrid, Mo.) combined for four Defensive Line Player of the Week honors (Sept. 7, Sept. 21, Sept. 28, Oct. 5).

No. 14 Mizzou (6-0) returns to Faurot Field to face No. 22 Florida on Saturday, Oct. 19, with an 11:21 a.m. kickoff on ESPN 1550 AM.

— MU Sports Information —

MIAA announces weekly football awards

Posted on October 14, 2013

Pittsburg State’s Nate Dreiling was named the MIAA Football Defensive Athlete of the Week and his teammate John Brown the Offensive Athlete of the Week. Fort Hays State’s Cameron Owens was named the MIAA Specialist Teams Athlete of the Week.

MIAA Offensive Athlete of the Week
John Brown, WR, Pittsburg State

Brown posted a game-high 12 catches for 199 yards and two touchdowns to help propel No. 10 Pittsburg State to a 31-21 road win over Central Missouri Saturday (Oct. 12). He hauled in a five-yard scoring catch from quarterback Tony Abenoja with 1:00 remaining in the second quarter to help the Gorillas draw even at 14-14. He then had a key 38-yard catch 40 seconds later that set up PSUs go-ahead score with 6 ticks remaining in the first half. Brown added a 30-yard scoring catch to open the second half as the Gorillas built a 28-14 cushion, and his eight-yard grab in the games final minute allowed Pitt State run out the clock and claim a hard fought win. The 5-11 senior return specialist is a native of Homstead, Fla. where he competed at Homestead High School prior to playing at Coffeyville Community College.

MIAA Defensive Athlete of the Week
Nate Dreiling, LB, Pittsburg State

Dreiling made a team-leading eight tackles and an interception that led to a score to help No. 10 Pittsburg State to a 31-21 road win over Central Missouri Saturday (Oct. 12). He snared an interception on the games first offensive play, allowing the Gorillas to capitalize on a short field and grab an early 7-0 lead. He made eight tackles with two stops behind the line of scrimmage as Pitt State limited UCM to 57 net rushing yards in the contest. Dreiling currently sits in ninth place on the MIAA all-time tackle chart with 437 career stops. The 6-4 senior linebacker is a native of Hutchison/Victoria, Kan. where he competed at Hutchison High School.

MIAA Special Teams Athlete of the Week
Cameron Owens, P, Fort Hays State

Owens averaged 51.2 yards on his four punts against Lindenwood. Three of the four resulted in drives starting inside the Lindenwood 20-yard line. His longest punt of the day was 65 yards, which resulted in the ball being downed at the Lindenwood 19. The average field start for Lindenwood on Owens punts was the 17-yard line. All four of his punts were at least 43 yards. Lindenwood scored on only one drive that started after a punt by Owens. Owens also averaged 56.8 yards on six kickoffs in the game. The 5-10 senior punter is a native of Topeka, Kan. where he competed at Washburn Rural High School prior to playing for Highland Community College.

— MIAA Press Release —

Huskers change dates of Tennessee series; agree to home-and-home with Oregon

Posted on October 14, 2013October 14, 2013

Nebraska and Tennessee officials announced on Monday that the dates of the future games between the schools have been changed to accommodate a requested schedule change from Tennessee.

The games originally scheduled between the Huskers and Tennessee in 2016 and 2017 have been pushed back a decade. Nebraska and the Vols will now meet in the 2026 and 2027 seasons.

The Huskers will play host to Tennessee on Sept. 12, 2026, and travel to Knoxville and Neyland Stadium on Sept. 11, 2027. The games will be the first-ever regular-season matchups between the schools. Nebraska won the only two previous matchups in the series, defeating Tennessee in the 1998 Orange Bowl and the 2000 Fiesta Bowl.

With the change in dates of the future matchups with Tennessee, Nebraska announced on Monday it has agreed to a home-and-home series in 2016 and 2017 with the University of Oregon. The date of a 2016 matchup with Wyoming has also been moved to accommodate the changes.

“This is a win-win scenario,” Nebraska Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst said. “The University of Tennessee asked for scheduling relief, and we were able to add the University of Oregon, a perennial top-25 program, to our non-conference schedule as we roll into the College Football Playoff era. This should be a great series, not only for our football programs, but for the tremendous fans of both schools.”

The Huskers and Ducks will square off in Lincoln on Sept. 17, 2016. Nebraska will travel to Oregon’s Autzen Stadium for the second game in the series on Sept. 9, 2017.

The matchups will be the first between the schools since Oregon traveled to Lincoln in 1985 and 1986, with Nebraska winning both of those contests. The two schools have met six times overall, with Nebraska holding a 5-1 advantage in the series.

Oregon has been one of the nation’s top programs over the past decade. The Ducks have won at least 10 games each of the past five seasons, including 12 wins each season from 2010 to 2012. Oregon currently sits at 6-0 this season and is ranked No. 2 in both polls. The Ducks will be looking for a fifth straight BCS bowl appearance in 2013.

The final adjustment to the Huskers’ future schedule is moving the date of a 2016 matchup with Wyoming. Nebraska and Wyoming will meet on Sept. 10, 2016, at Memorial Stadium, after originally being scheduled to play on Sept. 17, 2016. The matchup with Wyoming completes a three-game series with the Cowboys. NU defeated Wyoming in the season opener in Lincoln this fall, and traveled to Laramie, Wyo., in 2011.

The matchups with Wyoming and Oregon in 2016 complete a non-conference schedule that opens with Fresno State visiting Memorial Stadium. The 2016 season is also the first year that Nebraska will play a nine-game Big Ten Conference schedule. NU’s trip to Oregon in 2017 is the second game on the Huskers’ 2017 non-league schedule, with Northern Illinois visiting Lincoln on Sept. 2.

Nebraska’s two-game series with Oregon will continue the Huskers’ recent trend of frequent matchups with Pac-12 foes. Nebraska has recently played home-and-home series with USC (2006, 2007), Washington (2010, 2011) and UCLA (2012, 2013), while matching up in bowl games with Arizona (2009) and Washington (2010). In addition to games in 2016 and 2017 with Oregon, Nebraska is also slated to face off against Pac-12 foe Colorado in four games between 2018 and 2024.

The Huskers are scheduled to match up with a power conference opponent in non-conference play each season from 2014 to 2027, beginning with a home-and-home series with Miami in 2014 and 2015. In addition to Oregon and Tennessee, Nebraska will also face Colorado (2018, 2019, 2023, 2024), Cincinnati (2020, 2025) and Oklahoma (2021, 2022).

— NU Sports Information —

Big 12 Conference announces football players of the week

Posted on October 14, 2013October 14, 2013

Davis Webb (Texas Tech), Chris Whaley (Texas) and Jarvis West (Iowa State) were named Big 12 Football Players of the Week by a panel of media that cover the Conference. All three were honored for the first time.

Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week
Davis Webb, Texas Tech, QB, Fr, Lake Travis, Texas

In his starting debut, true freshman Davis Webb threw for 415 yards and three touchdowns in Texas Tech’s 42-35 win over Iowa State. His 415 passing yards are the most by a Big 12 quarterback this season. Webb helped Tech become the first bowl eligible team in the Conference this season.

Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week
Chris Whaley, Texas, DT, Sr, Madisonville, Texas

Chris Whaley had four tackles and dropped into coverage on a zone blitz to intercept a pass and return it 31 yards for a touchdown in Texas’ 36-20 win over Oklahoma. His first quarter score put UT up 10-3, a lead it never relinquished. Whaley and the Longhorn defense held OU to 130 rushing yards, 133 passing yards, 263 total yards and just one offensive TD- numbers significantly lower than the Sooners’ averages.

Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week
Jarvis West, Iowa State, ISU, KR/PR, Jr, St. Petersburg, Fla.

Jarvis West returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown in Iowa State’s first score of the game at Texas Tech. It was the first time ISU returned a non-onside kickoff for a touchdown since Troy Davis did it in 1994. The 95-yarder was the third-longest kickoff return in school history. West also had four punt returns for 46 yards, including a 38-yarder in the third quarter.

— Big 12 Press Release —

Chiefs stay unbeaten as defense dominates Oakland

Posted on October 13, 2013

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Andy Reid swore he could feel the ground shake.

Alex Smith couldn’t hear himself talking to his teammates. Dwayne Bowe said the deafening din inside Arrowhead Stadium reminded him of college.

Just imagine what it must have been like for the Oakland Raiders.

Buoyed by the loudest crowd to attend an outdoor sporting event, the unbeaten Chiefs took advantage of three second-half interceptions thrown by Terrelle Pryor to pull away for a 24-7 victory Sunday.

It was the first time in seven meetings at Arrowhead Stadium that the Chiefs (6-0) had beaten the Raiders (2-4), and it allowed them to press on with the second-best start in franchise history.

The Chiefs won their first nine games during the 2003 season.

”Every win is a great win, and when you can win with a crowd like this, it makes it even better,” Reid said. ”That was loud, real loud. The ground was shaking.”

According to an official from Guinness World Records, the volume reached 137.5 decibels in the closing minutes of the game, breaking the record of 136.6 set by Seahawks fans earlier this year.

”I was sitting there on the sideline and I could tell, it’s a hard environment to execute in,” said Smith, who threw for just 128 yards but didn’t make any big mistakes. ”It was pretty special.”

It wouldn’t have been nearly as special without a win.

Jamaal Charles ran for two touchdowns, and the Chiefs had 10 sacks while ending a three-game skid to the Raiders (2-4). They also held Darren McFadden, a thorn in their side, to 52 yards rushing.

”We were right there in the game, and we were punching back and forth,” said Pryor, who threw for 216 yards and a touchdown. ”I lost the game for us.”

That’s because the Chiefs turned his three interceptions into 17 points. The first led to Charles’ go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter, the second resulted in Ryan Succop’s 33-yard field in the fourth quarter and Husain Abdullah returned the final one 44 yards for a score with 1:35 left.

Part of the problem, Pryor said, was the combination of crowd noise and a patchwork offensive line.

On one possession, Pryor was twice whistled for delay of game penalties because third-string center Mike Brisiel couldn’t hear him. Oakland also had a false start on the same drive, which ended in a punt.

The Raiders finished with 11 penalties for 68 yards.

”It’s a tough environment, but we’ve got to be mentally strong as a team,” Pryor said. ”I know sometimes I let it get away from me with the delay of game. Like I said, it’s experience.”

Oakland actually struck first in the second quarter when Denarius Moore beat Chiefs defensive back Marcus Cooper, starting in place of the injured Brandon Flowers, on a quick slant over the middle. Moore caught the pass from Pryor in stride and went 39 yards for the touchdown.

It remained 7-0 until the waning minutes of the first half, when the Chiefs took over at the Oakland 45. Pass interference on the Raiders’ D.J. Hayden on third-and-10 kept the drive alive, and Charles squirmed the 7 yards for the tying score with 1:06 left.

The Chiefs were poised to take the lead early in the third quarter, but Hayden stripped Donnie Avery of the ball inside the Oakland 10 and Charles Woodson recovered it. But the Raiders gave it right back when Kansas City brought a blitz and Pryor lobbed a pass that Quintin Demps picked off.

Five plays later, Charles plunged into the end zone to give the Chiefs a 14-7 lead.

The way their defense was playing, that proved to be enough. Kansas City kept up the heat on Pryor the rest of the way – on one drive, two penalties and two sacks left the Raiders facing fourth-and-48 at their 12. Not even their punt made it to the first down marker.

Cooper’s interception set up Succop’s field goal with 2 minutes left to put the game out of reach, and Abdullah’s pick-6 left the crowd packed inside Arrowhead Stadium rocking at the end.

”Opportunistic team,” Woodson said. ”They’ve been doing it all year long, late in games coming up with turnovers and things like that to give them a chance to win. That’s what happened today.”

— Associated Press —

Western soccer loses at home to Emporia State, 1-0

Posted on October 13, 2013October 13, 2013

The Missouri Western soccer team had their offensive struggles continue Sunday as they fell to Emporia State 1-0 at Spratt Stadium.

The Hornets broke a scoreless game early on in the 11th minute. Bridget Wages moved across the goal line and positioned herself for an unassisted goal in the right corner of the net. It was her first goal of the season.

That’s how the game would end as neither team scored in the second half.

The Griffons had 11 total shots against Emporia’s 19. Goalkeeper Sarah Lyle finished with eight saves compared to Hornets’ keeper Melaine Nuessen who had three.

Missouri Western is 2-9-1 and 0-5 in the MIAA. They play again Wednesday night against Washburn in their make-up game from Friday night.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Bearcat women’s soccer gets shutout at Washburn

Posted on October 13, 2013October 13, 2013

The Northwest Missouri State women’s soccer team could not find the back of the net Sunday as they were shutout by Washburn 3-0.

The Ichabods got on the board in the first half scoring a goal in the 26th minute to go up 1-0.

The Bearcats managed seven shots in the first half and five in the second half but were unable to capitalize on them.

Washburn added two more goals in the second half on their way to the 3-0 victory.

Northwest moves to 4-7-1, 2-4 on the season. The Bearcats will return to home Friday as they play host to Nebraska-Kearney (5-7-1, 2-4-1) for an MIAA matchup with kickoff scheduled for 3 p.m.

— Northwest Sports Information —

No. 6 Griffons move to 6-0 with convincing win against Northeastern State

Posted on October 12, 2013October 12, 2013

Missouri Western racks up 547 yards of offense improving to 6-0 overall and 5-0 in MIAA play. The Griffons scored 31 first quarter points and four different Griffons scored touchdowns in the game. MWSU forced four NSU turnovers and controlled the time of possession having the ball for over 31 minutes.

The Griffons opened up the contest on fire on both sides of the ball scoring 31 first quarter points on their way to a 41-7 halftime lead. The Griffons took the opening drive 75 yards on four plays which was sparked by a 53 yard scamper on the opening play of the game by Raphael Spencer. The drive was capped by a 22 yard run by Travis Partridge.

The RiverHawks responded nicely going 82 yards on seven plays which was helped by a personal foul on MWSU and missed tackles. They tied the score at seven on a 25 yard run by Terrance Dixon. The rest of the quarter was all Griffons. Partridge scored his second touchdown of the game on a two yard run with 8:55 to play in the quarter.

On the ensuing kickoff the Griffons forced a fumble by Vernon Jones which was recovered by Brock Kimball. MWSU went 22 yards on five plays which was capped by a John Schmiemeier 24 yard field goal giving MWSU the 17-7 advantage. The Griffon defense forced a punt by NSU which they then took 91 yards on nine plays. Partridge hit Derek Libby for a 40 yard bomb helping prolong the drive. Partridge connected with Alek Ferbet from 10 yards out giving MWSU the 24-7 lead with 2:39 to playin the quarter. The catch and touchdown was Ferbet’s second of his career.

MWSU then got a sack fumble from Nick Williams which set up a 23 yard touchdown run from Spencer capping the first quarter scoring at 31-7 in favor of Missouri Western.

In the second quarter the Griffons used a career long 54 yard field goal from John Schmiemeier and a 23 yard run from Dominic Thomas taking the 41-7 lead into the locker room.

The Griffons racked up 413 yards of total offense in the half with 223 coming through the air as Partridge completed 17-of-26 passes with one touchdown. Libby and Reggie Jordan each had four receptions. Spencer led the way on the ground with 94 yards on five carries and one touchdown.

The RiverHawks had 151 yards of offense with 87 coming through the air. Thor Long completed just 6-of-16 passes with one interception. On the ground Terrance Dixon rushed for 47 yards on seven carries with a touchdown.

Defensively Austin Baska led the Griffons with five tackles while Kyler Harris led NSU with eight.

Missouri Western opened up the second half scoring when Spencer ran in from nine yards out giving MWSU the 48-7 lead with 9:18 to play in the third. NSU got a 29 yard field goal from Drew Patton cutting the lead to 48-10 after three.

The fourth Griffon player scored a rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter when Tra Brown went in from 12 yards out with 2:16 to play in the game giving MWSU the 54-10 victory. This marks the second consecutive season that the Griffons opened 6-0.

The Griffons forced four turnovers in the victory holding NSU to just 306 total yards. The Griffons had 311 rushing yards with Spencer going for 115 while Brown finished with 74. Partridge finished with 219 passing yards with Libby leading the way with 77 receiving yards.

NSU had 196 yards passing with 53 coming on the last drive of the game when Cory Meaders completed 3-of-6 passes for 53 yards. Long finished with 143 yards and two interceptions. Dixon led the way with 61 rushing yards while Steven hopper had 42 on eight carries.

Kalan Booker and Wallace Carter each got interceptions for the Griffons as Stephen Juergens led the charge with seven total tackles.

NSU falls to 0-6 overall and in the MIAA. Langston Jones and Kyler Harris both had 12 tackles.

The Griffons return to action on Saturday, October 19 when they travel to Joplin, Mo. to take on the Missouri Southern Lions. Game time is set for 6:00 pm from Fred G. Hughes Stadium.

— MWSU Sports Information —

No. 3 Northwest dominates Central Oklahoma to remain unbeaten

Posted on October 12, 2013October 12, 2013

Earlier in the week, Northwest Missouri State football coach Adam Dorrel expressed that he wanted the Bearcats to play 60 minutes of football. He was after four quarters of focus. In reality, Northwest only needed 14 minutes to take care of Central Oklahoma Saturday at Bearcat Stadium on Military Appreciation Day.

Playing in front of 6,359 fans, No. 3 Northwest stayed perfect with an impressive 72-10 victory over the Bronchos and ran its record to 6-0 overall and 5-0 in the MIAA. It was the third highest point total in school history.

In addition, Northwest held Central Oklahoma to its lowest point total of the season. The Bronchos previous low was 19 to Washburn. They scored 24 against Pittsburg State and 30 against Missouri Western.

“It’s nice knowing how well we can play on offense and defense,” said junior defensive end Matt Longacre, who finished with two sacks. “We are so ready to get into these next few games and really find out how good we are as a team and what we can do in the future.”

From the start, the Bearcats were all business, as if they were facing one of the conference elite teams, like Pittsburg State.

It was clear Northwest was not looking ahead to next week’s Fall Classic at Arrowhead XII against the undefeated Gorillas.

The Bearcats forced a three and out in Central Oklahoma’s first drive. It took Northwest six plays to go 51 yards to score the game’s opening touchdown on an eight-yard run by Robert Burton.

Central Oklahoma played its most competitive football of the game over the next five minutes. Northwest didn’t score during that time.

The rout began in earnest when quarterback Trevor Adams hit Clint Utter for a 37-yard, scoring strike that put the Bearcats up 14-0 with 4:47 left in the first quarter.

A few minutes later, Adams struck gold with an 89-yard bomb to Bryce Young for a touchdown. A minute after the score, Burton scored his second touchdown on a 24-yard run.

“It’s a testament to the running game,” said Young, who finished with 104 yards on three receptions. “It really sets up our play-action pass. All the deep balls you see, near the line of scrimmage, we have some kind of play action.

“If we can get the secondary to bite on those moves, it makes it easier for us not to do double moves. We can run straight. It is pretty nice.”

Northwest held a commanding 28-0 lead with 1:06 remaining in the first quarter.

At this point, the Bearcats faced Dorrel’s test. It was important to keep playing as close to error-free football as possible.

Northwest succeeded. Although the Bearcats gave up 10 points, they added 21 more and went into halftime ahead 49-10.

The Bronchos simply couldn’t defend the offense the Bearcats were throwing at them.

With 10 seconds left in the second quarter, Northwest got the ball at its 39. Instead of taking a knee and going into halftime with a 32-point lead, the Bearcats struck one more time through the air. Back-up quarterback Brady Bolles connected with Reuben Thomas for a 61-yard touchdown.

The first half was complete domination by the Bearcats. Adams completed 18 of 21 passes for 246 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. Bolles chipped in 85 yards and a touchdown on two completions in three attempts.

“It goes to show how hard our offense works,” Adams said. “It can’t happen without the offensive line doing their job. They work their butts off every week. The receivers made catches. All those balls aren’t exactly where they should be and those guys have made great catches all year long.”

Despite all those scores in the first half, Dorrel probably was proud of his team in the third quarter. The Bearcats stayed focused. The back-ups played like starters. They outscored the Bronchos 16-0 in the third quarter.

“I was very proud of them. It was something we talked about at halftime,” Dorrel said. “It was something we challenged them on Sunday and Monday. It was great to see our seniors and our leaders really talk about that all week in practice.

“I know we went a little bit on a stretch on offensive on Wednesday when we had back-to-back false starts and back-to-back drops. I didn’t say anything. Practice stopped and our older guys took care of it.”

By the time the fourth quarter rolled in, the Bearcats were playing their third string and they were still rolling.

“When you have a big lead like that and you can get the back-ups some experience, it helps us out in the long run, especially in the weeks to come when it gets real tough. If we lose somebody, we know we have people to step up and play just as well,” said Longacre.

The Bearcats increased their lead to 72-10 with 7:53 left on a eight-yard touchdown run by freshman Justin Fulks. It was his second touchdown of the game.

“We put a lot of work in practice,” said Fulks, who finished with 54 yards in seven carries. “Our coaches preach to us every week about be the starter and practice really hard.

“When you get a chance to get in the game and compete and show what you have been doing all week, it feels really good.”

Northwest football team made it a feel-good Saturday afternoon for Bearcat Nation.

— Northwest Sports Information —

Mizzou stays perfect with upset at No. 7 Georgia

Posted on October 12, 2013October 12, 2013

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Gary Pinkel said No. 25 Missouri won more than a second straight SEC road game when it upset No. 7 Georgia.

”I just think we earned a little more respect,” Pinkel said. ”The respect level just went up a couple notches.”

Receiver Bud Sasser threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to L’Damian Washington in the fourth quarter after quarterback James Franklin left with a shoulder injury and Missouri held off Georgia’s comeback attempt to beat the short-handed Bulldogs 41-26 on Saturday.

Pinkel said Franklin separated his right shoulder and expects the quarterback to miss at least one week.

Freshman Maty Mauk, who replaced Franklin in the fourth quarter, could start when Missouri (6-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) plays No. 17 Florida next week.

Missouri led by 18 points in the first half before Georgia (4-2, 3-1) cut the lead to 28-26 in the fourth quarter.

The Tigers answered the challenge with two late touchdowns, despite losing Franklin.

Missouri’s first road win over a top 10 team since 1981 helped continue the Tigers’ recovery from a 5-7 finish in 2012, their first in season in the SEC. The Tigers have scored 38 or more points in each of their six wins, including last week’s 51-28 win at Vanderbilt.

”There is no question that one of the goals for this team is to get back to Missouri’s winning ways,” Pinkel said. ”It is a big deal to them. … They want to get back to competing for championships.”

The Tigers ended Georgia’s streak of 15 straight home wins.

After Franklin was taken to the locker room, Mauk threw a lateral to Sasser, who stopped and tossed a high, deep pass to the end zone for Washington. Washington, who outfought cornerback Damian Swann for the catch, had 115 yards and two touchdowns.

”I came in and everybody just told me to keep calm,” Mauk said. ”So I came in and got the plays to our guys. We executed well at the end. … We scored when we needed to.”

James Ponder’s interception of Aaron Murray’s pass with 4:25 remaining set up Henry Josey’s 7-yard touchdown run to end Georgia’s hopes.

Murray threw two interceptions and lost one of Georgia’s two fumbles.

Georgia coach Mark Richt said turnovers helped decide the game.

”It was 4-0 on the turnovers,” Richt said. ”They did a really good job of securing the ball, and we didn’t. You hear coaches say it over and over, but you can’t win a game turning it over like that.”

The Bulldogs had won four straight on the strength of a powerful offense, including 44-41 over LSU and 34-31 in overtime over Tennessee the last two weeks. Georgia’s wave of injuries at tailback and wide receiver left Murray with inexperienced backups at the skill positions to keep pace against another high-scoring opponent.

Georgia almost filled a bench on its sideline with injured players who wore their red game jerseys over black warm-up pants. Among them was star tailback Todd Gurley (ankle).

After the game, Missouri players ran to edge of the Sanford Stadium hedges and celebrated their biggest SEC win yet with fans in the corner of an end zone.

Murray threw his second interception in the final minute. He completed 25 of 45 passes for 290 yards with three touchdowns.

”We had plenty of chances to tie it up, but we just didn’t execute,” Murray said.

”We did a pretty good job of getting back in the game. We were within 2 points of tying it up but just couldn’t quite get it done.”

Franklin scored on a 5-yard run in the first quarter and threw a 16-yard scoring pass to Washington in the second quarter.

Franklin completed 18 of 27 passes for 170 yards. Marcus Murphy had a 36-yard touchdown run for the Tigers.

Defensive end Michael Sam returned a fumble recovery 21 yards for a touchdown to give Missouri a 28-10 lead late in the second quarter. Murray fumbled when he was sacked by defensive end Shane Ray.

Georgia rallied as Murray threw touchdown passes of 7 yards to Rantavious Wooten in the third quarter and 10 yards to Chris Conley early in the fourth quarter. Conley couldn’t catch Murray’s pass on the 2-point conversion attempt that would have tied the game, leaving Missouri with a 28-26 lead.

Georgia was also without running back Keith Marshall (right knee) and three of its best receivers. Freshmen J.J. Green and Brendan Douglas filled in at tailback.

Georgia starting safety Tray Matthews, who hurt his hamstring in practice Tuesday, also did not play.

The loss of so many top threats on offense was the big news of the week for Georgia, but season-long problems on defense were just as glaring against Missouri. The Bulldogs began the day 12th in the SEC in pass defense and last in the league with its average of 32.2 points allowed.

Missouri almost matched that total in the first half.

Georgia needed help from three Missouri penalties, including two offside calls, for its only touchdown drive of the first half which ended with Murray’s 7-yard scoring pass to Douglas late in the first quarter.

Missouri outscored Georgia 28-3 the remainder of the half.

— Associated Press —