Live Thread: Mizzou vs. Kansas

Who: No. 12 Missouri Tigers (9-2, 5-2) at Kansas Jayhawks (6-5, 3-4)
Where: Arrowhead Stadium (Capacity 77,038)
When: 11:40 a.m. CST
Line: Missouri by 16.0

VS.

Radio: Tiger Radio Network (Mike "To The House" Kelly, John Kadlec, Chris Gervino)
TV: FSN (Bill Land, Dave Lapham, Jim Knox)
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. No hyperbole, no jokes, no rhetorical questions...

M-I-Z, F-k-U.

Party like it's 1863.

Fight Tigers... Rock, Flag and Eagle!

Live Blog after the jump.

Today's motivational video... What more do you need?

11:41 - Game hasn't kicked off yet, and I'm already tired of Dave Lapham, but...IT'S GAME TIME NOW!!

11:42 - Mizzou gets the ball to start the proceedings.  Crazy.  Maclin hemmed in around the 30.

11:43 - My wife: "Well, the gold isn't as bad as I thought it would be."

11:43 - First play is an out route to Perry off target, incomplete.  Second play is a drop by Washington.  Methinks the ball is a hair slick.  Third down.

11:44 - Play #3 = interception by Stuckey, returned to the MU 20.  Not exactly the start I was looking for.  Another pick, and Mizzou better call timeout and take the whole team into the locker room to change into black jerseys.

11:45 - Quickly a third-and-long for KU from the MU 17...and KU drops a pass of their own.  FG time.

11:46 - Branstetter's 34-yarder is good, and KU takes an early 3-0 lead.

11:49 - My wife is pleased to know that I actually <i>don't</i> know the shirtless dude they just showed on camera.  It was 50/50.

11:50 - Decent kickoff return for Maclin, and Mizzou will start their second drive from the 35.  Time to actually play well now.

11:51 - A couple small plays, and it's 3rd-and-6 for Mizzou.  Come on guys...

...Daniel with a bomb on his back foot, dropped by Maclin.  There was a little contact in there, but I'm not surprised there was no pass interference.  Mizzou to punt.  Ggh.

11:52 - Harry half-shanks the punt, but it gets a good roll, and KU will start around its own 35.

11:56 - Short run by Jake Sharp on first down...Mizzou has passed its first couple of tests against the run.

11:57 - After a short pass, it's 3rd-and-3 for KU from their 39...which they convert with another short pass.  Dink and dunk for KU so far.

11:58 - Two more well-defended runs, and it's 3rd-and-9.  PASSING DOWN!

11:59 - Reesing finds Briscoe...looked about a half-yard short, but he got a <i>very</i> generous spot.  First down, KU.  Coverage was decent at first, but there was no pass rush and Reesing found an open guy.

11:59 - Two nice runs by Sharp gives KU another first down.  The grind-it-out style I predicted is working so far...but we'll see if they can keep this up for more than a quarter.

12:01 - Third-and-3 from the MU 27...and yet another by-the-skin-of-their-teeth first down.  This won't last.  Just continue not giving up the deep ball, and the dinky stuff will begin to fail.

12:02 - Timeout, KU.

12:06 - And we're back...KU runs the option for the third or fourth time this game, and it's failed to generate more than about three yards at a time.  Sets up a 3rd-and-4.

12:07 - Six-yard gain on 3rd-and-4.  Dink and dunk, dink and dunk.  First-and-goal.

12:08 - Another short pass to Meier...he has like three catches for 10 yards.  Second-and-goal.

12:09 - Great coverage once again, and Reesing forces a pass into the endzone...and it's picked off by Kenji Jackson!  That's why it's hard to dink-and-dunk all the way down the field.  Eventually you have to make a play, and sometimes you force it.

12:10 - Two attempted passes to Andrew Jones, two incompletions.  Neither were really Jones' fault, but it does beg the question...where's Chase Coffman?

12:11 - Third-and-10 for Mizzou from their 9...Daniel finds a hole and runs for about 50 yards...and then is stripped by Darrell Stuckey.  KU recovers.  That was a really creative way to end up basically punting.

12:12 - Nice intermediate pass to Dexton Fields for a first down.  First pass to travel more than about 7 yards in the air.

12:15 - First down from the Mizzou 34...and KU throws about its 17th sideline pass.  This one goes for about 7.

12:15 - Poor tackling.  Reesing was hemmed in in the backfield, but escapes for a first down.  I'm going to keep preaching the "dink and dunk eventually won't work" thing, but this is definitely annoying.

12:16 - End of 1st quarter.  I guess it could be a lot worse than 3-0 right now, so that's...something.

Second Quarter

12:20 - And we're back...first down from the Mizzou 21...pass to Briscoe for the first down.  The deep routes were covered, but Briscoe was underneath with room to run.

12:21 - TD, Briscoe on a bubble screen.  Dink, dunk, dink, dunk, TD.  10-0.

12:24 - Kickoff time...the bounceback starts here, right?  Pooch kick is fielded by Jimmy Jackson, and Mizzou will start near its 40.

12:25 - First down to Tommy Saunders!

12:26 - Bubble screen to Jeremy Maclin who shoots downfield as if out of a cannon...first down Mizzou at the KU 22!

12:27 - Man oh man, Derrick Washington is so patient.  It looked like he was pinned in in the backfield, but he put on the brakes, everybody went running by, and he got up field.  First-and-goal from the 8.

12:28 - False start.  First-and-goal from the 13.  Lapham: "You do not want to take redzone penalties."  True, but you don't want to take ANY penalties, do you?

12:29 - Washington makes up the penalty yardage and a couple more.  Second-and-goal from the 7.

12:29 - Daniel does a FANTASTIC job of avoiding a pass rusher and gets into the open field...and then slips and falls at the 5.  Stupid turf.

12:30 - Third-and-goal...Coffman in the game...and it goes to Coffman for the TD!  Nunchuks all around!  10-7!

12:33 - That was a nice drive.  Washington got his bearings and looked great, and we figured out how to get Maclin open in space.

12:34 - The announcer just pronounced Andrew Gachkar "Gacker".  GACK!  KU starts the series at the 31...I thought I saw a flag on the kick return, but I guess not.

12:35 - MU gets impatient and blitzes...and Reesing finds Briscoe deep.  KU inside Mizzou's 35.

12:36 - Another blitz causes a bad pass, but Briscoe leaps up and snags it for an 8-yard gain.  Third-and-4.

12:37 - Sulak gets to Reesing (while being held)!  W00t!  Forces a 4th-and-15, and KU will punt.

12:38 - Nice punt.  Mizzou will start at the 1.

12:42 - Wow...Daniel play-faked in the endzone and nobody bit...intentional grounding.  Safety.  12-7.  That's a special teams safety right there.

12:45 - Free kick by Mizzou.  Briscoe slides between blockers, and KU will start at about their 45.  Hate that guy.

12:46 - Third-and-8 after another screen to Briscoe.  Reesing avoids Ziggy Hood and fires one to Meier for a nice gain.  KU inside Mizzou's 45.

12:48 - Quickly, it's another third down...this time 3rd-and-3.  Dink, dunk, dink, dunk.

12:49 - Complete to Meier for 2 yards.  Reesing got sooooooo lucky.  He was pressured and fluttered one up there, but Meier came down with it.

12:50 - Fourth-and-1, and Reesing sneaks for just enough.  Dink, dunk, dink, dunk.

12:50 - Dave Lapham: "Reesing should wear a capital C for 'competitive' on his chest.  He does whatever it takes.  Yes he does.  He just threw a stupid pass and almost paid for it, then got a 1-yard gain on a QB sneak.  COMPETITIVE.

12:52 - Third-and-2 from the Mizzou 27.  MASSIVE coverage breakdown by Mizzou, and Dexton Fields is wide open in the endzone.  Not sure how that happened, but whatever.  19-7.  1:54 left in the first half.

12:54 - Kickoff out of bounds, and Mizzou will start at the 40.  Whatchu got, Chase Daniel?

12:55 - Deep out to Maclin, and Stuckey almost picked another one off...sheesh.  Second down.

12:55 - Daniel finds the Flying Nunchuk for a first down.  Coffman is limping big-time.

12:56 - Third-and-7 from the KU 45.  Coffman is back in, but he's majorly hobbled.  Daniel scrambles for a first down at the 32.  Dude's almost got 100 yards rushing today.

12:57 - Saunders for 8 yards, out of bounds.  0:42 left.

12:58 - Sack by James Holt.  Timeout.  0:35 left.

12:59 - 3rd-and-8 from the 30...nobody open, and Daniel has to throw it away.  Almost superhuman coverage by KU so far in this game.

1:00 - Wolfert to try a 47-yarder...perfect.  Of course it is.  19-10.

1:02 - Short kick, and KU will start at their 36.  0:18 left.  They can get a couple plays off.

1:02 - Or not.  Reesing kneels the ball.  Halftime.

1:03 - I'll say this much: Mizzou can clearly come back and win this game, but KU's defense is playing better than I've seen them play this year, so we'll have to earn it.  They haven't rushed the ball very well, though, so that does open the door for Mizzou if they can find an offensive rhythm.

1:06 - Oh yeah, and nothing would make me happier than if Mizzou came out in all-blacks after halftime.  Shed the gold.

---

1:16 - Man...usually I find something to occupy myself during halftime.  Instead, I'm just sitting here, stewing, and watching Georgia-Georgia Tech.  Soooooooo ready for the second half to start.

Third quarter

1:23 - Alright, we're back (finally).  The gold jerseys are still on.  Boo.

1:24 - Briscoe returns the kickoff to the KU 25.  I'll take that.

1:25 - Play action deep ball (great play call) is inaccurate and incomplete to Briscoe.

1:26 - Third-and-6 after a short pass...GREAT blocking buys Reesing time, and he eventually finds Johnathan Wilson for a first down.  Lapham: "Reesing: Frank Tarkenton Jr."  Ugh.

(Though I will say...that was a helluva play by Reesing.  Just don't tell anybody I said that.)

1:27 - ARGH...William Moore baited Reesing into a pick, but dropped it.  It's obvious to say this, but...he wouldn't have dropped that last year.

1:28 - 3rd-and-12 for KU...you HAVE to stop them here.  Have to have to have to have to.

1:28 - Timeout, Reesing.

1:30 - Alright, here we go...3rd-and-12...Reesing finds Briscoe wide-open for a big gain.  Burned Carl Gettis.  Ugh.  They've been a step ahead of us all game.  I haven't seen Reesing play this well since the first half against OU.

1:32 - 3rd-and-2 after a decent pass to Fields.  They never get a first down in a play or two...but they always get it on the third play.

1:33 - ...reverse jinx doesn't work.  Reesing with the first down on a keeper.  First down at the Mizzou 18.

1:34 - TD, Jake Sharp.  Defense wore out, and Sharp went in untouched.  Trouble brewing.  26-10.  This must be how KU fans felt when we played way over our heads every year at Hearnes in the '90s.

1:37 - On an entirely unrelated note, here in OKC I just saw a commercial for an Oklahoma City Blazers vs New Mexico Scorpions minor league hockey game.  Minor league hockey in New Mexico.  It's a strange world we live in.

1:38 - Maclin upended by the kicker after a decent return.  Mizzou will start at their 44.  Dave Lapham is almost unbearable right now.

1:39 - Nice designed run by Chase Daniel, and Mizzou's inside the KU 40.  Good.  I was worried they'd abandon the run, but establishing the running game is EXACTLY what they want to do right now.

1:39 - Hmm...oopty-oop formation by Mizzou results in a very predictable backwards pass to Chase Patton...who fumbles.  Elvis Fisher recovers after a 10-yard loss.  That is exactly the opposite of establishing the running game.

1:41 - Third-and-12 after the disastrous oopty-oop...Daniel scrambles and finds Coffman at the first down marker.  Love that guy.

1:42 - Underneath pass to Maclin, and he jogs untouched for a TD!  Whew.  26-16, PAT pending.

1:42 - KU calls timeout as Mizzou is about to attempt an ill-advised 2-point conversion.

1:46 - We're back, and the ill-advised 2-point conversion is incomplete.  26-16.  Hate that call.

1:47 - Jake Sharp is lit up on first down.  If I'm KU, I abandon the run.  Short passing works waaaaaay better for them.

1:48 - Jaron Baston with a HUGE deflection and interception!  MOMENTUM!  Let's go...

1:50 - TD, Tommy Saunders!!!  MOMENTUM!  26-23!!

1:52 - And Dezmon Briscoe is the dagger man for KU.  Huge return out past midfield...

1:53 - Reesing on the keeper...he's taken a LOT of hard hits tonight.

1:53 - No room for Sharp, and it's 3rd-and-11 for KU.  This could shift the momentum right back to KU with a conversion here...

1:54 - Incomplete pass to Dexton Fields, but there was a hold anyway.  KU to punt!

1:55 - Another rugby kick with a nice roll, and Mizzou will start at their 13.  Six minutes left in Q3.

1:56 - Nice defense by KU, and it's 3rd-and-10.

1:57 - Pass to Maclin for 13 yards.  First down Mizzou!

1:58 - More good defense, and it's 3rd-and-10 again.  Really hard to keep converting these.

1:59 - My reverse jinx failed again...pass to Maclin, but he's shy of the first down.  Mizzou to punt.

2:00 - ARGH!!!  Mizzou faked the punt, and Jake Sharp had the first down on the ground...only Mizzou didn't get the snap off in time.  Delay of game.  Mizzou to REALLY punt this time...and it rolls to the KU 26.

2:02 - Good lord, no commercial breaks!  I didn't even have time to pee!  Holding penalty on KU.  1st-and-20.

2:03 - GREAT play call and blocking on a shovel pass...Sulak was left unabated to Reesing, who flipped to Sharp for 18 yards.

2:04 - 3rd-and-2 from the KU 33...slant pass incomplete to Briscoe!  KU to punt...but first, Castine Bridges is hurt.

2:05 - Good god...Rojas punts it over Maclin's head, and it's downed near the Mizzou 10.  Kansas MVP: Alonso Rojas.

2:06 - Maclin falls down in his route, and it's incomplete.  I HATE the Arrowhead turf.

2:07 - After 5 yards by Derrick Washington, it'll be 3rd-and-5 as Q4 begins.

Fourth Quarter

2:11 - Here we go, 3rd-and-5...KU blitzes, and Chase dumps it to Maclin for the first down.  Eighty yards to go.

2:12 - Reverse to Maclin, who is ALMOST eaten up in the backfield...but he escapes and busts loose...first down at the MU 47.

2:13 - ARGH!  Deep ball to an open Saunders, but he drops it as he's hit.  Saunders!  Drops it!  Has NOT been our day to this point...

2:14 - Ugh...Stuckey picks off another one.  Don't know when this guy turned into Ed Reed, but...yeah.

2:15 - Quickly, it's 3rd-and-3 for KU.  Reesing scrambles for 4 yards and gets ROCKED by Brock Christopher.  Once again, they get a first down by the skin of their teeth.

2:16 - Reesing gets rocked again by Sulak as he throws, and it's 3rd-and-10.  Care to make another stop, guys?

2:18 - Incomplete to Meier!  KU to punt again...but the punt has been KU's biggest weapon today.  I'm sure we'll get pinned deep again.

2:18 - Actually, this rugby kick wasn't all that great.  Mizzou will start outside of their own redzone, which is a nice change.

2:21 - Two touches for Washington, and Mizzou's to the 35.

2:23 - Two touches for Maclin, and Mizzou's to the 48.

2:24 - First down, Maclin!  Mizzou to the KU 39, and GOD I WISH DAVE LAPHAM WOULD JUST SHUT UP.  HE JUST KEEPS TALKING.

2:25 - Washington bulls forward to the 25!

2:26 - Coffman with a drop...he and Saunders have both dropped balls in this quarter.

2:26 - Third-and-10...it would be a 44-yarder right now...and Chase calls timeout with 7:47 left.  Have I mentioned just how thrilled I am that Mizzou has already clinched the North?

2:30 - WOW, WHAT A CATCH BY MACLIN!  First down, Mizzou, but both Maclin AND the guy who hit him are still down.  They both landed awkwardly.  Maclin either hurt his hip or got the wind knocked out of him.  Looks like he's limping, so...hip.  First down from the 15...no Maclin, no Coffman.  Hand to Washington then!

2:32 - Or bring back Coffman for a 9-yard gain!  Mizzou to the 6.

2:33 - Screen to The Flying Limping Nunchuk for a BALLSY touchdown!!  30-26, with 6:52 left!  Hoo boy...buckle up...

2:35 - And the sleet has picked up...

2:36 - Kick to Briscoe, who once again busts a nice return.  Dude is all balls.  KU will start at the 50, but Briscoe is at least shaken up...so that's something...

2:37 - First down, Dexton Fields.  KU to MU's 40.

2:38 - Good god, Jim Knox has had so much work done on his face.

2:39 - Reesing is stripped by Sulak...KU recovers, but that was HORRIBLE officiating.  They were all just looking at each other.  Nobody knew if it was a fumble or forward pass, nobody blew a whistle, nothing.  Turns out it was indeed a fumble, and KU did indeed recover, but...make a call!

2:40 - Third-and-11 for KU...Reesing finds Marcus Herford inside the 10.  Oy.  Horrible zone defense by Carl Gettis.

2:40 - TD, Meier.  But at least they scored fast.  4:26 left.  33-30.

2:44 - I shouldn't share this, but I do not at ALL feel good about this drive.

2:45 - Tremane Vaughns with a decent little return...but that verifies that Maclin is unavailable.  Mizzou to start at their 27.

2:45 - First down, Danario.  First catch of the game for him.  Mizzou to the MU 40.

2:45 - Maclin back on the field...Washington slips, and the pass bounces off his helmet incomplete.  I hate this turf so much.

2:46 - Pass to Coffman for 8 yards.  Third-and-2.  Shoot me.

2:46 - Daniel on the keeper...breaks into the open field.  Just as I start to scream "HOLD ONTO THE DAMN BALL", he puts two hands on the ball and gets to the KU 31.

2:47 - Maclin breaks a tackle and breaks free to the 17!  FG range!  2:30 left AND PLEASE GOD MAKE DAVE LAPHAM SHUT THE HELL UP!

2:48 - Pass is deflected, but caught by Perry at the 6!  First-and-goal...2:00 left...

2:49 - TD, Derrick Washington!  Two guys got their hands on him, and it didn't matter.  34-30!  1:50 left, and at least KU has to score a touchdown.

2:50 - Briscoe's back to return the kick.  You almost have to kick to him because you don't want to pooch it and hand them the ball at the 40.  Kick is short, but Briscoe is wrapped up at the 30.  Here we go...

2:51 - Pass complete for 10 yards to Sharp, who is crushed by Carl Gettis.  KU to their 45.

2:52 - Shovel pass is eaten up and dropped by Sharp.  1:30 left.  That actually might have been complete and fumbled by Sharp...he would have recovered it, but it would have taken 20 seconds off the clock.

2:52 - Pass to Meier for 10, out of bounds.  1:24 left.

2:53 - Underneath pass to Meier for 7...clock ticking...

2:53 - Reesing fakes out two pass rushers and gets them up in the air, then finds Meier for another first down to the MU 28.  They're going to review this, but he caught it.  0:51 left.  Clock is really not a factor now...it's just a matter of holding KU to a FG.

2:55 - Review says: complete.  Have I mentioned that I'm glad we've already clinched the North?

2:55 - Five yards to Meier out of bounds.  0:44 left.  Timeout, Mizzou, and I've finally had to hit mute on Dave Lapham.  Good god this guy won't stop talking.

2:57 - A ha!  Mizzou was actually challenging the call...Meier's knee was down when he caught the ball, meaning he didn't get out of bounds.  So...what happens now?  Meier was definitively down, and another 15 seconds would have run off the clock (unless KU called timeout).  But...we're going to be screwed here because KU will just line up and run another play now.

2:59 - Back to the game...2nd-and-7 from the MU 27...deep ball to Briscoe, and Gettis ALMOST picked it off.   

3:00 - 3rd-and-7...incomplete to Briscoe.  Timeout.

3:01 - Here we go.  Oy.  Reesing scrambles...and finds Meier deep for the TD.  Oy...we blitzed and didn't get there.  I wouldn't have blitzed...especially since it ended up Meier-on-Justin Garrett one-on-one.  40-37 KU.

3:04 - Maclin with a nice return to the MU 40.  0:19 left.  Mizzou needs to get at least 25 yards for Wolfert.

2:04 - Complete to Perry for a big gain!  Daniel spikes the ball with 0:10 left...Mizzou at the KU 37.

3:05 - Out route dropped by Alexander.  0:05 left.

3:06 - Wolfert out to try a game-tying 55-yarder in the snow.  Partially blocked by KU.  Ballgame.  They earned it.