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Happy birthday, Bill C's Mom!
1. Three days to OSU
L'Damian Washington in the Cowboys lockerroom: "This is better than an iPad mini! And you saw my reaction to that!" pic.twitter.com/rLRGErCItp
— Ben Arnet (@BenArnetMU) December 30, 2013
MUtigers.com: Mizzou Meets the Cotton Bowl Media
Head coach Gary Pinkel said he was pleased as Mizzou had its most lively prep session so far in North Texas in preparation for the No. 13 Oklahoma State Cowboys (10-2, 7-2 Big 12 Conference).
"We understand that we’ve got a game in four days," said Pinkel. "The goal at bowl games is to be able to practice, get your focus for practice and get your focus up to play your best game. That’s the goal that we have. Our kids have been good with that all year and, hopefully, they’ll get good at it for this game."
The Tigers (11-2, 7-1 Southeastern Conference) got back on its normal schedule with that it is normally a "Tuesday" practice. Pinkel said he likes the consistency being shown in their practices as his squad narrows its concentration on the task at hand and keeps its focus on one of the keys areas that could be a part of the storylines of this 78th Classic -- turnovers.
The Trib (Behind the Stripes): Missouri Cotton Bowl Notes: The "Would you get a load of that screen?!?!" Edition
The Missourian: Food bank in Dallas invites MU fans to volunteer before Cotton Bowl
The Missourian: Missouri football refocuses with trip to Dallas children's hospital
Post-Dispatch: Jerry World is Cotton Bowl's biggest star
"Man, the first time I walked out here for our first practice, I was like a chicken in the rain looking up the entire time," Missouri offensive guard Max Copeland said. "Coach was like, ‘Max, stop.’ But it’s so pretty."
Before the Tigers arrived in Dallas on Friday, junior receiver Darius White, a Fort Worth native, joked that the video board was as big as Mizzou’s indoor practice facility in Columbia. He wasn’t that far off. The screen is suspended 90 feet above the field and weighs 1.2 million pounds. Upon completion in the summer of 2009, it was the biggest high-definition screen in the world but has since been surpassed by the video board at Charlotte Motor Speedway. […]
"If you just come one time and see it you’ll probably be OK," he said. "But practicing helps. Also seeing (the stadium) full. The way it’s designed, you’ve got these giant sections and it’s almost vertical seating. It’s just a lot different. People are right on top of you."
"You can’t get on the phone and say, ‘Hey, let me tell you what this is like,’" he added. "You’ve got to see it. When you see it, it’s overwhelming. … They put on a show. It’s spectacular. It was kind of fun to be a fan (Sunday) and watch it from the other side. The pageantry is hard to describe. I don’t know if you can ever have a good enough football team to go along with all the pageantry. It’s just an amazing facility."
Post-Dispatch: MU's Brothers expects to crack heads with familiar foe
KC Star: Missouri’s Green-Beckham and Oklahoma State’s Gilbert ready to do battle
Daily Oklahoman: OSU football: Cowboy cornerback Justin Gilbert has a tall task in Cotton Bowl
Oklahoma State's Justin Gilbert vs. Missouri's Dorial Green-Beckham is arguably the best individual matchup of Friday's Cotton Bowl. Physical skill vs. Physical skill.
And for Gilbert, it represents a big-time final task before the dynamic Cowboy cornerback takes his talents to the NFL.
"This is the first time that I get to go against somebody that big this year," Gilbert said, "and maybe, period, since (former Cowboy star Justin) Blackmon. And he wasn't as big as this guy, so it should be a pretty good challenge for me."
In many ways, Gilbert's work is already done. [...] But shutting down one of the biggest, most physical receivers in the nation in Green-Beckham — the No. 1 national recruit in the 2012 class who led the Tigers with 830 yards and 12 touchdowns as a sophomore this season — would certainly provide scouts with a strong final bit of tape to consider.
Mizzou Network: BOWL REPORT: Cotton Bowl Media Day
2. Snap counts
The Trib (Behind the Stripes): STAT SPOTLIGHT, Pt. 2: Missouri Defensive Snap Distribution by Class
3. Just call it the Clarkson Award
MUtigers.com: Mizzou Basketball's Jordan Clarkson Named SEC Player of the Week
Come on down, Cam
Fox Sports MW: Mizzou Monday: Hoops transfer Cameron Biedscheid considering Mizzou
4. Fastest 40 Pingetons in Basketball
MUtigers.com: Tigers Turning Up The Pressure on Opponents
5. Just because it's eerie
The Roosevelts: An Eerie Look Inside Houston’s Abandoned Astrodome