Who: No. 12 Missouri Tigers (8-2, 4-2) at Iowa State Cyclones (2-8, 0-6)
Where: Jack Trice Stadium (Capacity 50,674)
When: 5:30 p.m. CST
Line: Missouri by 28.0
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Radio: Tiger Radio Network (Mike "To The House" Kelly, John Kadlec, Chris Gervino)
TV: FSN (Joel Meyers, Gary Reasons, Emily Jones
Weather: Hourly Forecast
Online trackers: CSTV, ESPN
Make Rock M Nation your base of operations tonight and weigh in with your predictions, questions, worries, bold statements and observations by signing up for a free account. Well, it's setting up to be a miserable evening in Ames, but it can be a glorious night in Columbia if the Tigers take care of business. Can Mizzou overcome the negative voodoo of Jack Trice Stadium and supbar RMN Roundtables?
Fight Tigers... Rock, Flag and Eagle!
LIVE BLOG after the jump.
5:41 - Game on! Before I could get an introduction entry written, Jeremy Maclin was almost breaking off a humongous kick return. Instead it was only a big kick return. Mizzou ball on their 41.
5:42 - And we're already to our first third down of the game. After a quick first down on the first play, it's 3rd-and-5 for Mizzou from the ISU 40. Daniel has ALL DAY to find a receiver, and after almost deciding to run, he dumps it to D-Wash, who jukes one guy easily and gets the first down. ISU's gameplan seems to be "Make them dink and dunk". Nobody open deep.
5:44 - First rush of the game, and D-Wash fumbles. I looked away because I assumed he was down...not sure if he was down or not.
5:45 - He was not down, but SOMEHOW Mizzou recovered it. Looked like 3 ISU guys landed on the ball before any Mizzou guy noticed it was out. Bullet dodged.
5:46 - So...they just reviewed that? Even though Mizzou recovered? Seriously? That's two minutes of my life I'll never get back.
5:47 - Nice reverse to Maclin, and it's first-and-goal Mizzou from the 3.
5:48 - Direct snap to Maclin, who mishandles the handoff to Washington...and then almost scores. Second-and-goal.
5:49 - Third-and-goal after ISU has a team meeting in the Mizzou backfield at the expense of Washington. And Washington fumbled AGAIN on the way down, but it bounced back to him. The ball is slick tonight, apparently.
5:49 - EASY TD pass to Tommy Saunders, who had, I think, four catches on that drive. 7-0 Mizzou. Unlike two years ago, let's stomp on the throat immediately.
5:53 - After the deepest "fair caught by the tight end" pooch kickoff I've ever seen, ISU starts at their 20...and immediately has a nice dumpoff to the TE for about 15 yards.
5:54 - Another pass, another 18 yards or so. 'Kay.
5:55 - Swing pass is eaten up by Carl Gettis. Carl Gettis is insulted by the lack of challenge.
5:55 - So they go back to throwing downfield, and it's another first down. Four plays, 50 yards for Iowa State. The zone's gonna need to tighten up just a wee bit.
5:57 - Third-and-2 for ISU from the MU 21...handoff to Robinson, who's met by Brock Christopher. Fourth-and-1. They'll go for it.
5:58 - Robinson is CRUSHED by Castine Bridges and Christopher! Awesome play by Castine. They're measuring, but he looked well short of the first down...
5:59 - ...Mizzou ball!
6:03 - Hello, Andrew Jones! A double play-fake leaves Jones wide-open, and Mizzou's out to their 45. Chase is 8-for-8. He still has a chance at catching Colt McCoy for the best one-year completion % of all-time.
6:04 - 9-for-9. Another catch by Jones. 3rd-and-3 for Mizzou.
6:05 - 10-for-10. First down, Maclin.
6:06 - 11-for-11! Ha! Pass deflected away from Danario Alexander and caught by a diving Maclin. But it's 3rd-and-9 from the ISU 42.
6:07 - 12-for-12. Maclin to the 34. 4th-and-1...I assume Mizzou will go for it. Kicking a long FG would probably break Jeff Wolfert's foot.
6:07 - 13-for-13. Daniel to Saunders for a first down.
6:07 - 14-for-14...though that pass to Jared Perry went nowhere. Leonard Johnson is a solid CB.
6:08 - 15-for-15. Michael Egnew is LIT UP on the tackle...but he was lit up head-to-head, and that'll be 15 more yards. Not sure that was a good call, but obviously I'll take it.
6:09 - Correction: no foul. Good call, I guess. I'm just glad Egnew held onto the ball. 3rd-and-2 from the ISU 21.
6:10 - 16-for-16. Back to Jones for another easy first down. Sheesh.
6:10 - The first quarter comes to an end. Chase Daniel is on pace for a 64-for-64 night. Pretty sure that would be, like, a record or something.
6:13 - And we're back. I just did some math. Chase is now up to a 77.1% completion rate for the year. Colt is at 78.0%. Either would be a national record.
6:14 - 16-for-17. Fade pass to Maclin incomplete. Unacceptable.
6:14 - 16-for-18. Crap! Maclin fell down on the route. I take no responsibility for that massive jinx on my part. 3rd-and-10 for Mizzou...
6:15 - ...complete to Maclin to the 2! First-and-goal for Maclin, and Daniel's 17-for-19.
6:15 - TD, Derrick Washington! His 15th of the year, and it's 14-0.
6:20 - Apparently Mizzou has focused on stopping Robinson and the run game...and it's working. ISU's gotten nothing on the ground. Now just stop the pass too, and this game'll get out of hand fast.
6:21 - After another nice play by Castine Bridges, it's 3rd-and-7 for ISU. Quick three-and-out would be lovely. Arnaud escapes Ziggy Hood, but the pass is broken up by Bridges (!), and ISU will punt. Well done, defense.
6:25 - Leonard Johnson with another nice pass breakup...and he's getting a little cocky about it considering his team is down 14. 18-for-20 for Daniel.
6:27 - Third-and-8 for Mizzou from the ISU 45. Daniel with an awful pass, and it is picked by Leonard "I've made every good defensive play" Johnson...
6:28 - ...but there was a roughing the passer. Iffy call, but I guess not a terrible one. Daniel stays at 19-for-22.
6:29 - And I guess karma makes up for the iffy call. Daniel with a nice pass to Egnew, but it glances right off his hands, and it's picked off. Daniel is NOT HAPPY with Egnew.
6:31 - Third-and-4 for ISU from their 16 after the pick...
6:31 - ...and welcome to the 2008 season, William Moore. Moore baited Arnaud perfectly, and it's a pick six. The fourth of his career (one each year, come to think of it). 21-0 Mizzou.
6:35 - Castine Bridges with a nice tackle on the kickoff. Just thought I'd mention that.
6:36 - First nice run of the night for Alexander Robinson, and ISU's got a first down near their 40.
6:37 - This is apropos of nothing, but...I think I have no idea what an offensive hold actually is. Everytime I see one, it's not called.
6:39 - Nice third-down pass to Derrick Catlett to the Mizzou 30. Good defense by Kenji Jackson, but good play. The Mizzou defense has lost a bit of its edge after that pick six, but power to ISU for responding well too.
6:42 - Wow...I don't know where this Catlett kid has been hiding, but Arnaud floats a lovely pass to him while about to get lit up by Justin Garrett, and ISU has a very well-earned first-and-goal from the 2. I can't be too upset about Mizzou's defense on this drive.
6:43 - TD, ISU. Another pass to another TE (which, as a Mizzou fan, I respect). 21-7.
6:47 - Short kickoff to avoid Maclin, and Goldsmith gets a decent return out of it. Mizzou ball on their 40.
6:48 - Derrick Washington gets about 10 yards, then reverses field and goes 52 yards for the TD! 28-7. He had a 3-man convoy of blockers following him to the endzone. That's one way to respond to a nice drive...
6:53 - Third-and-3 for ISU from their 34 following the Mizzou TD. If I'm Arnaud, I'm throwing to a tight end.
6:54 - They do just that. First down, ISU. They might be able to eat up the clock to make sure Mizzou doesn't get the ball back before half.
6:55 - Third-and-9 for ISU after a nice play by Jaron Baston (who looks HUMONGOUS in all-white) on a short pass.
6:56 - Arnaud scrambles, but it looks like he'll be just short of the first down. Fourth-and-1 from the ISU 48. I'd go for it if I were ISU, but I'm not a coach.
6:57 - Okay, Gene Chizik IS a coach, and ISU's going for it. And they shouldn't have. Terrible pass, and Mizzou's got the ball at midfield with 0:21 left and three timeouts. Warm up your leg, Wolfert!
6:58 - Nine yards to Andrew Jones, who is NOT as fast as Chase Coffman. 0:14 left.
6:58 - Nine more yards to Jones to the 32. 0:07 left.
6:59 - Nice! A long out to Perry, who gets out with 0:02 left. Wolfert comes on to try a 30-yarder at the buzzer.
6:59 - Good! Mizzou pulls a Mizzou Special at the end of the half and gets another 3 points. 31-7. It's halftime...time for me to eat some peach cobbler!
7:21 - And we're back! Leonard Johnson with a kickoff return to the 27 to start off Q3. One more stop, one more TD, and the North celebration is on...
7:24 - ISU has other ideas. Two first downs, and they're to the Mizzou 47.
7:26 - Third-and-2 from the Mizzou 39, but first Willy Mo's down. He's moving, so it's nothing too bad...or at least, Fox Sports assumes so, as they're taking a TV timeout...
7:29 - We're back. Willy Mo seems to be okay, and Arnaud runs for the first down to the Mizzou 36...
7:29 - And now ARNAUD's down. Good god...it's getting ugly. Let's end this and get the starters out of there!
7:31 - So apparently ISU has a decision to make. They have no other scholarship QBs who aren't redshirting freshmen, and it's Game #11. So I guess they're going to do a direct snap to a RB.
7:32 - Of course, we know what is going to happen when Robinson takes a direct snap, and Robinson gets blown up in the backfield. Then Terrell Resonno gets a personal foul penalty. First down, ISU. Boo.
7:33 - Three penalties and a dropped pass in the last four plays. Oy. Can we just call the game?
7:34 - Brock Christopher ALMOST gets a pick, and it's 3rd-and-15 from the Mizzou 30. Don't let them get this.
7:35 - Nice pass over the middle, but Christopher lights the receiver up, and it's incomplete. It's going to be reviewed, but I don't think Houston Jones had complete control of the ball. It's close, though.
7:36 - Call is confirmed. Incomplete. 4th-and-15. ISU to kick a 47-yard FG.
7:37 - It's good. Nice kick. 31-10, 10:34 left in Q3. 16 minutes since the start of the half, 4 minutes have gone off the clock. Ouch.
7:41 - Maclin returns to the 32. He has to have set the career record for most times tripping over his blocker on a kickoff return.
7:41 - Oy...big DT Nate Frere almost picked off a short screen. Not the start I was looking for.
7:42 - Quickly, it's 3rd-and-10 for Mizzou. Come on, guys. I realize we're up 21, but let's not even let them PRETEND like they're in this game.
7:43 - Nice. Lob to Perry for 25 yards.
7:43 - Jeremy Maclin is tripped by the 35-yard line, and it's 3rd-and-1 for Mizzou.
7:44 - Easy pass to Maclin for 20 yards, but it's doinked out of his hands, and Mizzou has its second turnover inside the ISU redzone. That's 6-14 points taken off the scoreboard.
7:45 - Alexander Robinson breaks a couple tackles and busts a 40-yard run to midfield. Ugh. Maclin had the dagger in his hands and dropped it.
7:46 - Oy...a pass interference call on Tru Vaughns, who had 99% perfect coverage but put his hands on the WR for a split second. ISU already to the Mizzou 37.
7:47 - Another first down. ISU to the 23.
7:49 - Argh...Vaughns almost made up for the PI call with a pick in the endzone, but the WR got a hand on the ball.
7:50 - Third-and-8. Mizzou comes on an all-out blitz, and Arnaud throws a bad pass on a screen...but there's a flag down. Again. I think it's ineligible man downfield. Yup. Fourth down. ISU to kick another FG, this one from 38.
7:51 - It's good again. 31-13, 6:08 left in Q3.
7:55 - Mizzou starts its next drive with yet another pass to Jones. Busy night for him. Now he only needs to learn how to thrust nunchuk upward. You've got 10 months, Andrew.
7:56 - Wow. ISU's defensive coordinator has gone from 520 pounds to 208 pounds in two years. Even with gastric bypass, I don't see how that's possible.
7:57 - Oy...Saunders drops a pass, and it's almost picked. That ball must be all sorts of slick.
7:58 - Third-and-3 from the ISU 43...quick slant to Maclin, who breaks one arm tackle and jogs untouched for a TD! No idea where the safety was on that play. 38-13 Mizzou, 4:05 left in the endless third quarter.
8:02 - Okay, I must have zoned out or something, because Mizzou has already kicked off, and ISU has already gotten a couple first downs. My brain went on TV timeout, only Fox didn't.
8:05 - Deep ball to Darius Darks...Castine Bridges crushes him to break up the pass, and they're both shaken up. This has been a rough third quarter.
8:06 - Thankfully, after 45 minutes the third quarter is finally coming to an end.
8:07 - Stealing an idea from rptgwb, it's time for...THE MISSOURI WALTZ!
8:10 - TD ISU on the first play of the fourth quarter. Sigh. 38-20. Can't take the starters out yet.
8:14 - Maclin with another return to the 40. I want to see him take one more return to the house before his career is over. Or, you know, three more.
8:15 - Daniel completes a short pass to Egnew...impressed that Chase was willing to throw another one to him.
8:15 - Jared Perry finds another soft spot deep in the ISU zone. It's a 30-yard gain, and Mizzou's already to the ISU 25.
8:16 - Andrew Jones to the 2...
8:17 - ...and Jimmy Jackson to the house. Just like that, it's 45-20. Another sub-2:00 drive.
8:22 - Sheesh...I post a couple comments and pour a cup of coffee for the wife, and ISU's already to the MU 40.
8:23 - Third-and-7 for ISU from the MU 37...Arnaud eludes Stryker Sulak and gets to the chains. He's not very fast, but he's very elusive.
8:24 - This game's over enough that they're talking about the sideline reporter's mittens and boots. Ugh.
8:25 - Third-and-5 from the MU 25. Pass complete for exactly 5 yards. At least it's keeping the clock moving. Under 9:30 left...
8:27 - Houston Jones with another catch...this one to the Mizzou 3. Mizzou's defense was almost perfect when it needed to be, but obviously the second half effort has left something to be desired...
8:27 - ARGH! Pass deflected in the endzone, and Willy Mo ALMOST makes a diving INT.
8:28 - After a nice play by Jaron Baston, it's 3rd-and-goal from the 5.
8:29 - FANTASTIC play by the entire Mizzou defense...they ate up the initial reads, they chased Arnaud out of the pocket and forced a bad throw, and then Carl Gettis picked off the pass and came within one guy of returning it 105 yards. Way to stiffen up, defense.
8:34 - Nice...Derrick Washington takes the direct snap and squirts through a nonexistent hole for a nice gain. Mizzou to the ISU 41. Washington has 100 yards on just 9 carries.
8:35 - Washington with three straight carries for about 40 yards total...11 carries, 128 yards, 2 TDs. Such a smooth runner.
8:37 - TD #2 for Jimmy "THE KID FROM CARUTHERSVILLE!!" Jackson. 52-20 Mizzou. North champions, baby.
8:40 - In three games against South teams, Mizzou has averaged 28.3 points. In four games against North teams, Mizzou has averaged 50.8.
8:44 - Ugh...1:24 left, and they're reviewing an incomplete pass call. Just end the game.
8:45 - Review says: complete pass. Glad we got that cleared up.
8:47 - Under a minute left...ISU has driven to the Mizzou 25...would very much prefer if we didn't give up yet another junk TD this year, but...North Champions, baby.
8:48 - ISU turns it over on downs.
8:49 - Chase Patton in Victory Formation, wearing #25. Awesome.