Week 3, 2015 Season: No. 14 Missouri at No. 3 Notre Dame

My first play-by-play of what went down between Mizzou and Notre Dame in South Bend.

Overall, I'd say it went rather well. Definitely some things I can improve on, but I liked it. Quality sounded well, and this is the beginning, I think.

Enjoy!

http://dannyj215.podomatic.com/entry/2013-08-23T16_49_18-07_00

Where do we go from here? New idea in Mizzou Dynasty

So I've been thinking of ways I can make the Mizzou Dynasty more exciting. What did I come up with?

Listen here.

http://dannyw21.podbean.com/wp-content/plugins/podpress/podpress_backend.php?podPressPlayerAutoPlay=yes&standalone=yes&action=showplayer&pbid=0&b=629770&id=4897467&filename=http://dannyw21.podbean.com/mf/play/8kxpw/Update.mp3

Yes, you can listen to this one.

Season 2: What did we miss? 2014 SEC Champs?

There came a point where I just got tired of  the constant blogs. I wanted to so bad, because there's a lot of stuff that went on since the last post that should be noted.

A 7-0 start. A quarterback change. Numerous down-to-the-wire finishes.

And an SEC Championship.

Yes, in just two seasons at Missouri, the Tigers have climbed to the top of the SEC, in perhaps one of the more thrilling comebacks and finishes in the history of conference championship games.

More on that in just a minute.

But this year's Missouri team was on a roll. The Tigers jumped out to a 7-0 start and were sitting atop the SEC East halfway through the year.

Well, it should've been 6-1. The Tigers traveled to the Carrier Dome to take on Syracuse for the most ridiculous game of all time.

The Orange led 41-14 near the end of the third quarter when head coach Calvin Smith had enough of sophomore quarterback Maty Mauk's terrible throwing ability. The defense couldn't stop quarterback John Kinder, who threw for 512 yards (yes, you read that right) and five touchdowns.

Smith put in junior quarterback Corbin Berkstresser to light a spark. Back-to-back touchdowns cut the lead to 41-28 early in the fourth quarter, but Syracuse answered immediately with a touchdown of their own. Then the Tigers responded, and held the Orange to a field goal to make it 51-35 with 3:43 to go.

Berkstresser hit Sean Culkin for a 19-yard touchdown to cut the lead to eight after the two-point conversion. After getting a rare stop on defense, Berkstresser found Bud Sasser for an 8-yard touchdown to cut the lead to two, but the 2-point conversion was no good.

Then came the onside kick, which bounced much further than it should've. But Mizzou recovered it, drove down to field goal range and stole a victory, 52-51.

Smith named Berkstresser the starting quarterback. Even though the Tigers lost to South Carolina the following week, the offense was more in rhythm than with Mauk and his 11-touchdown, 15-interception half season.

Berkstresser was named the Tigers' new captain and threw 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions the rest of the way.

Week 13 was the biggest game in Missouri's three years in the SEC. A matchup with No. 17 Florida with the winner going to the SEC Championship against Texas A&M.

Down 26-20 with 2:51 left, Mizzou marched down with ease, as Henry Josey scored the eventual game-winning touchdown with 1:20 to go.

Mizzou won 27-26, and before they could stamp its ticket to Atlanta to play Texas A&M, they had to play on Senior Day ... against Texas A&M. Johnny Manziel dominated, as the now-senior went on to win his second Heisman Trophy with the Aggies. Again, this is a videogame.

The Aggies won 55-45 at Faurot Field, and the rematch was set in Atlanta. Texas A&M went into the game ranked No. 1 in the country, and the only way Mizzou was getting a BCS berth was it had to beat these same Aggies.

Now, for the recap of the greatest SEC Championship Game of all time.

2014 SEC Championship

FINAL

No. 9 Missouri - 49
No. 1 Texas A&M - 48



TOP PERFORMERS
Berkstresser (Mizz): 28-of-40, 480 yards, 6 TD, 5 INT
Manziel (A&M): 22-of-34, 202 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT

Josey (Mizz):  21 carries, 127 yards
Williams (A&M): 14 carries, 105 yards, 1 TD

Green-Beckham (Mizz): 9 catches, 203 yards, 2 TD
Larson (Mizz): 8 catches, 119 yards, 2 TD
Reese (Mizz): 6 catches, 113 yards
Sasser (Mizz): 3 catches, 35 yards, 2 TD


RECAP

In two years, head coach Calvin Smith has done the impossible. Missouri is the king of the SEC.

And just like the Tigers have done the last two seasons, they didn't make it easy on themselves.

Down by 17 points with 4:39 remaining in what head coach Calvin Smith called the greatest conference championship game of all time, junior Corbin Berkstresser threw three touchdowns, including the game winner to receiver Bud Sasser with one second remaining as the Tigers won their first ever SEC Championship, 49-48 over Texas A&M.

"Am I allowed to cry?" Smith said. "If I can, I'm about to ball like a little baby. That was awesome."

The Tigers were able to do what no one predicted they'd do at the beginning of the year, or let alone this season. They got a fair shot at the SEC title against the same Texas A&M team that ran them out of Faurot Field two weeks before.

It was deja vu for about three and a half quarters.

The Aggies took a 45-28 lead with 4:39 to go on Johnny Manziel's second touchdown pass of the game. Berkstresser, who threw five interceptions on Saturday, was still in the game at quarterback for the Tigers.

"I told him after the first two picks that he needed to stay calm," Smith said. "Then after the next three, I just said, 'F*** it. Let's wing it.' Boy, did Corbin wing it."

An Aggies field goal gave Texas A&M some insurance, but Berkstresser threw two touchdown passes in two minutes to cut the lead to 48-42. After a failed onside kick, the Aggies recovered and decided to put the game away on a 56-yard field goal with less than a minute to go.

But the kick was far off to the right, and Missouri took over at the 39-yard line with no timeouts and less than a minute to go.

"I almost damn near had a heart attack when they brought out the kicking team," Berkstresser said. "I was praying for another chance, and I was going to give it to my guys."

With no timeouts, Berkstresser led the Tigers down the field in a fury, and with one second to go, hit Sasser on a slant route in the end zone to cap off the improbable comeback.

Berkstresser finished the day with seven total touchdowns (six passing and one rushing) to go along with those seven interceptions. But the junior quarterback who was given the job for this very reason said he could care less about the picks.

"It doesn't matter," he said. "We're SEC Champs, and we knocked off the best team in college football. I'm happy with that alone."

The Tigers jumped to No. 3 in the latest BCS rankings. It's a tale of 'What could've been' if the outcome was the same on Senior Day. Nevertheless, the win also knocked the Aggies from No. 1 to No. 4.

Which means, for the second year in a row, the Tigers played spoilers in the Aggies' quest for a big-time game. Last year it was a BCS bowl, Now, the National Championship.

And for the first time in program history, the Tigers will represent their conference as an automatic qualifier in a BCS game. Mizzou's reward is a date in the Allstate Sugar Bowl against No. 7 Arizona.

The Aggies, meanwhile, will play in the Fiesta Bowl against the Mountain West's champions, San Diego State.

"It's rare to play spoiler so much, no matter where you're at," Smith said. "Our biggest rivals have been shafted the last two years. I almost feel sorry for them."

The Wildcats are 10-2 heading into the Sugar Bowl, but the strength of schedule they possess is nowhere near good enough for BCS consideration. They did beat six bowl-eligible teams, but the only ranked team Arizona played was a 46-42 loss to Pac-12 champion USC.

Rich Rodriguez will lead his squad into New Orleans with sophomore quarterback Anu Solomon at the helm and his group of senior wide receivers, and senior running back Ka'Deem Carey.

"I'm just proud of what we've all done here in two years," Smith said. "Our goal when we came here was to make this program as successful as can be, and make players want to come here. I think we've done that. Now it's time to finish the job."


Notable Bowl Games

As I looked through the bowl schedule, my first word was ... "Huh???"

Yours will be, too.


MAACO Bowl Las Vegas
Stanford vs. Fresno State

GoDaddy.com Bowl
Ohio vs. No. 13 Notre Dame

Chick-fil-A Bowl
No. 18 South Carolina vs. No. 22 Clemson
(Rematch of final game of regular season. Gamecocks took down No. 4 Tigers, knocked them out of BCS contention. Clemson lost ACC Title game.)

Outback Bowl
No. 10 Ole Miss vs. No. 14 Michigan

Capital One Bowl
No. 15 Florida vs. No. 20 Wisconsin

Rose Bowl
No. 5 Oklahoma (At-Large) vs. No. 12 USC (AQ)
(Classic-style bowl rematch)

Fiesta Bowl
No. 4 Texas A&M (At-Large) vs. No. 19 San Diego State (AQ)

Orange Bowl
No. 11 Georgia Tech (AQ) vs. No. 6 Louisiana Lafayette (At-Large)
(Yes, you read that right. The Rajun' Cajuns are in a BCS game.)

BCS National Championship
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 2 Ohio State

Season 2, Weeks 1-3: Tigers in the top-15 at 3-0

Mizzou quarterback Maty Mauk. Photo by Danny Webster - Playstation 3.

This is no fluke. The headline you see is actually real. Missouri is 3-0.

But perhaps more shocking to the fact that the Tigers are among the nation's unbeaten is that they're ranked in the top-15 for the first time since the Bush administration.

After three games against three quality opponents, Mizzou is sitting at No. 13 in the country. First at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, taking down No. 12 Kansas State, 24-6. As you can tell from the picture, Maty Mauk got the start at quarterback for the Tigers, and he played well in his first collegiate start with two touchdown passes.

More importantly, this new-look defense in the 3-4 scheme has been impressive up to this point. It's a defense that has a new attitude, forcing turnovers at a much faster rate than a year ago. Thanks to the play of Mauk and this defense, in particular, Mizzou is No. 13 in the country after three games.

Here's a rundown.

WEEK 1 - Missouri 24, No. 12 Kansas State 6

This was the beginning of it all. Head coach Calvin Smith knew the minute this game ended that he had a great team together.

Plus, it answered some needed-to-know questions.

Mauk's first start consisted of 248 yards and two touchdowns, and the redshirt sophomore didn't turn the ball over in his first start. Whether the decision to start him over Corbin Berkstresser is a good one will remain to be seen.

"This was a good first test for him," Smith said. "I liked how he was poised throughout the game and didn't lose his confidence. To be young and to do things like that is awesome."

Running back Henry Josey continued his late-season dominance from last year, running for 132 yards and a touchdown for the Tigers. He may be the one who's adapted the best to this pro-style offense, using his quickness and power to run in-between the tackles.

This was the first chance to get a look at the new-look defense as well, and David Johnson made a great interception late in the second quarter, tip-toeing down the sideline for a 36-yard return. Mauk hit tight end Sean Culkin for a 32-yard touchdown to give Mizzou a two-possession lead.

"Points off turnovers, or just turnovers in general, were a problem last year," Smith said. "That was a big-time play from a guy who can make big-time plays."

WEEK 2 - No. 24 Missouri 30, LSU 27

Last year, Missouri lost to LSU because of not forcing a crucial turnover late in the game.

This time, the Tigers did just that. Duron Singleton forced a fumble on LSU receiver Odell Beckman at the 3-yard line with the ball going into the back of the endzone. The ruling was a touchback, and despite Mauk's rough day throwing the ball, Mizzou avenged last year's loss to LSU.

Mauk threw an interception on the first play of the game after not committing a turnover in Week 1, and threw three on the day.

After the Tigers took a 30-27 lead with 1:15 to go, LSU drove down the field behind the arm of quarterback Stephen Rivers. With 40 seconds left, Rivers found Beckham wide open down the left sideline and made the catch at the Missouri 3-yard line, but Singleton jarred the ball loose and went into the back of the endzone to give the Tigers an improbable win.

"Karma is funny, isn't it?" Smith said. "That was an awesome game."

Mauk threw for 229 yards and a touchdown despite those three interceptions, and Josey had another terrific day on the ground, running for 142 yards and a touchdown.

WEEK 3 - No. 20 Missouri 30, No. 21 Auburn 20

It was, officially, the first home game of the year for Missouri as they took on an Auburn team that beat two teams in the top-15 to begin the year.

The Tigers went up 20-0 at halftime despite another struggling performance by Mauk, throwing another three interceptions on the day. Dorial Green-Beckham finally broke through the century mark despite his quarterback's struggles, catching six passes for 119 yards with a long reception of 43 yards.

But it was the Tigers' defense that was dominant. Mizzou got to Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall three times and picked him off twice by Johnson and Singleton.

That's all you need to know from this one. It was never that close.

Now it's on to the next four games. Mizzou gets one more at home against Toledo, then plays the next three on the road. The Tigers play at Vanderbilt, at No. 17 Georgia and at Syracuse before returning home to face a struggling South Carolina team that is winless on the year.

Through four weeks of the 2014 season, every team in the SEC East has lost, except for one. Yeah, you guessed it. Missouri. The Tigers are in first place in the division a quarter into the season. Mark that down in your calendars.

Meanwhile, keep an eye on the SEC West. Alabama, Texas A&M, Mississippi State and (holy crap) Ole Miss is ranked in the top-25. Only the Crimson Tide and Aggies are undefeated thus far. Mizzou doesn't face Alabama this year, but they do get Johnny Football for another year.

This has been your update. Let's see how far Mizzou goes with this.

Season 2: What's next for Mizzou? The NCAA?

Breaking away from the recaps/previews, etc. for a brief moment, time to loosen up with this.

Season 1 finished up rather quickly. So quick, in fact, that I realized how much time I have on my hands this summer. Which is a good thing. I dished out a recap for each game of Season 1 of the Calvin Smith Era in Missouri, and the Tigers went 7-6 and lost in the Gator Bowl.

Many, many questions heading into Season 2. The Tigers are switching to a pro-style offense, and a 3-4 base defense. A total of 14 seniors graduated, four were drafted in the NFL. There are plenty of holes heading into 2014, where the Tigers are projected to finish fourth in the SEC East.

The playmaking core from a year ago is back. Dorial Green-Beckham is back after his record-breaking sophomore season as a preseason All-American, and Henry Josey is back for his senior season along with backup Marcus Murphy. The offensive line has an average weight of 310 pounds who will protect the quarterback.

But, who will be the Missouri quarterback in 2014?

James Franklin was the nation's leader in passing a year ago, and now with the Tigers switching to a new offense, every factor needs to be taken into consideration. The top two on the depth chart are junior Corbin Berkstresser and redshirt sophomore Maty Mauk.

Both excelled in spring practices throwing the ball, which is what Smith wants. Both guys, though, are about even. Mauk has the running ability in his game, but Berkstresser has the better arm. Smith told me that he doesn't want to split time, so whatever decision he makes, it'll be a season-long decision, unless mentioned otherwise.

As for the defense, more questions than the offense. Andrew Wilson is gone. EJ Gaines is gone. Randy Ponder is gone. The senior leadership is gone, and this defense is projected to struggle as much as it did last year, if not more.

Moving to a 3-4 defense called for some decisions that players wouldn't normally feel comfortable with. One of them was figuring out what to do with All-American selection and Nagurski Award winner Kony Ealy, whether to leave him as a defensive end or a pass-rushing linebacker. For now, Ealy will stay up front.

Defensive tackles Lucas Vincent and Matt Hoch have fought for playing time as the lone DT, and Smith likes the progression Vincent has made, and he'll get the start. As for linebackers, sophomore Torey Boozer is the left outside rusher. All-American selection Darvin Ruise has moved to middle linebacker and will team with sophomore Donavin Newsom. Junior Kentrell Brothers will be on the opposite side of Boozer.

The secondary is weak, but it has a capable leader: All-American safety Braylon Webb, who had a terrific season for Mizzou last year.

Did you catch all that? Good. Now to the fun stuff.


NEW CONFERENCE REACHES AQ STATUS
The NCAA decided to give only five conferences (Big 12, Big Ten, ACC, SEC and Pac-12) automatic qualifying status for a BCS game. Sadly, the playoff isn't in this game. Can next year get here soon enough?

Nevertheless, for the 2014 season, the NCAA has decided to make a bold move in regards to AQ status. For the first time, after a stellar season from multiple teams a year ago, the Mountain West Conference will be the sixth team who will qualify for a BCS game.

Which means, whomever wins the conference championship game, that team will be qualified for either one of the five bowl games. No pre-determined bowl has been set for now. Boise State reached the Sugar Bowl as an at-large bid last year, but was blown out by South Carolina. With the emergence of Fresno State and Utah State, the Mountain West is projected to be much stronger.


MIZZOU's 2014 SCHEDULE
Ready for this? How about a schedule with an A+ rating and a neutral site game for the first of the year?

Week 1 - BYE
9/6 - vs. No. 13 Kansas State (at AT&T Stadium)
9/13 - at No. 11 LSU
9/20 - vs. Auburn
9/27 - vs. Toledo
10/4 - at Vanderbilt
10/11 - at No. 12 Georgia
10/18 - at Syracuse
10/25 - vs. No. 10 South Carolina
11/1 - vs. Kentucky
11/8 - at Tennessee
11/15 - BYE
11/22 - vs. No. 22 Florida
11/29 vs. No. 9 Texas A&M

Yeah. This schedule is not for the weak.

Season 2 is coming soon. Recaps won't be as frequent, but it's all good. This should be fun.

Season 1, Gator Bowl: Turnovers Trip Tigers Against Michigan State

Mizzou quarterback James Franklin throws his fifth interception of the game in the fourth quarter of the Tigers' loss in the Gator Bowl. Photo by Danny Webster - Playstation 3.

FINAL
No. 9 Michigan State (10-3) 31
No. 25 Missouri (7-6) 21

TOP PERFORMERS
Franklin (Mizz): 21-of-29, 351 yards, 3 TD, 5 INT
Maxwell (MSU): 16-of-22, 238 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

Langford (MSU): 24 carries, 131 yards, 1 TD
Josey (Mizz): 13 carries, 70 yards

Green-Beckham (Mizz): 12 catches, 244 yards, 3 TD
Fowler (MSU): 4 catches, 70 yards, 1 TD

Drummond (MSU): 6 tackles, 2 INT
Webb (Mizz): 7 tackles, 1 FF
Gaines (Mizz): 4 tackles, 1 INT


RECAP
James Franklin went out swinging. He just struck out two times more than need be.

The senior quarterback threw five interceptions in his final game as Missouri quarterback with Missouri losing 31-21 to Michigan State in the Gator Bowl. And usually for someone who is always willing to talk to the media after the game, Franklin was at a loss for words, towel over his head and everything.

"I did terrible," he said. "That's all I can say."

Every question was answered that same way, with that same answer. Franklin threw for over 300 yards for the first time in over a month, but he hurt his team the most by throwing three interceptions in the first half. The Spartans took a 21-7 lead into halftime, in a game that Mizzou had control of from the opening snap.

Franklin hit Dorial Green-Beckham for the first touchdown of the day halfway through the first quarter to give Mizzou a 7-0 lead. Michigan State answered right back when Andrew Maxwell took the option to the left side and ran in for a 16-yard touchdown to tie the game.

After that, Franklin came unraveled.

The nation's leading passer was throwing passes that he knew he shouldn't have tried to make. On back-to-back Missouri plays in the second quarter, he threw two interceptions, both to Spartans defensive back Kurtis Drummond.

"I didn't see the field the way I thought I did," he said.

It wasn't until the fourth quarter before Michigan State finally took advantage of Missouri's shocking six-turnover day. Franklin with his five picks, and Green-Beckham fumbling just as he was about to cross the goal line for a touchdown to cut into the 21-14 Spartans lead.

Despite that fumble, DGB broke the single-season school record with 16 touchdown receptions, and also set the single-game record of 244 receiving yards in the losing effort.

This year's Biletnikoff Award winner will have a tough decision to make at the end of this season on whether he feels he should go pro now, or wait one more year. Head coach Calvin Smith has tried to preach Green-Beckham the idea of dominating in a new offense next year.

"Whatever he decides to do, he will be successful," Smith said. "After today, I wish he could stay at Mizzou for life. But he can go be dominant now in the NFL if that's what he wants. We'll talk about that in a few weeks."

There's a lot of uncertainty heading into next year for the Tigers. But they far exceeded expectations this year by winning three games against teams ranked in the top-15 and finished the regular season ranked in the top-25.

Changes are also brewing in terms of coaching philosophy for Smith. He's stated multiple times that he'll be switching to a pro-style offense and a 3-4 defense next year. What that means for the new batch of recruits remains to be seen, but him deciding to keep the same philosophy for one more year paid off.

The next task is to actually implement what he really wants to do next year, and hope it pans out better than a 7-6 season.

"I'm already thinking big next year," Smith said. "We did a lot of great things this year. But people are moving on. It'll be a new Missouri team next year, a lot younger. It's a challenge. We'll be ready."


NOTABLE BOWL GAMES (Rankings based off final polls)

MAACO Bowl Las Vegas
Colorado 24, Utah State 3

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl
USC 19, No. 24 Louisville 14

Chick-fil-A Bowl
No. 16 Georgia 26, North Carolina 21

Outback Bowl
No. 13 Texas A&M 29, No. 20 Wisconsin

Rose Bowl
No. 2 Virginia Tech 28, Arizona 11

Fiesta Bowl
No. 3 Nebraska 37, No. 9 Notre Dame 17

Sugar Bowl
No. 14 South Carolina 49, No. 12 Boise State 13

Orange Bowl
No. 5 TCU 45, Maryland 24

National Championship
No. 1 Ohio State 44, No. 4 Kansas State 10

Season 1, Gator Bowl: No. 25 Missouri vs. No. 9 Michigan State

TaxSlayer Gator Bowl

Jan. 1

No. 25 Missouri vs. No. 9 Michigan State

In the midst of Missouri's upset over Texas A&M, head coach Calvin Smith overlooked one thing he said in his prediction of beating the Aggies a few weeks ago.

"I looked at the bowl schedule, and noticed we did knock A&M out of a BCS game," Smith said. "Mission accomplished, I suppose."

In two straight games, the Tigers played spoiler and knocked Alabama and Texas A&M out of possible berths in BCS games. The Crimson Tide are in the Cotton Bowl against Oklahoma, and the Aggies get the honor of playing Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1.

Where does that put the Tigers? They get a New Year's Day game, as well. But when Smith saw the opponent, his jaw dropped.

"I almost went into shock," he said. "No way did we think we'd play them."

Mizzou accepted a bid to play in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Jan. 1, but had to wait until late Sunday night to find out who the opponent was. It turns out that the Tigers will play the only team to have defeated Ohio State this season: No. 9 Michigan State.

Yes, the same Buckeyes who will be in the National Championship game against Kansas State in a few weeks. The Spartans knocked off No. 2 Ohio State back on Nov. 9 at home, 35-33, and were in prime position to represent the Big Ten in the BCS, as well. But the Spartans lost back-to-back road games against Nebraska and Northwestern and dropped out of the top-10 as quickly as they entered.

"Obviously, they're a tough team because they're the only ones to beat Ohio State," Smith said. "It's not like we're going to take this game lightly. Just like we did these last two. We're coming out and fighting."

The road to the postseason was much tougher for Mizzou, having to need one win against either Alabama or Texas A&M. The Tigers won both, and were awarded with a top-25 spot in the BCS rankings.

James Franklin is also rewarded with one final game as Missouri quarterback, as the senior is expected to do two things by the end of January: Graduate with honors, and bring home a trophy to Faurot Field.

"Obviously, I wish we could be in a better spot, but we're just happy to be here considering where we weren't a few weeks ago," Franklin said. "I'm going to live in the moment for this one."

This is the first time in two years that Mizzou is in a bowl game, its first in the SEC. In 2011, the Tigers beat North Carolina in the Advocare V100 Independence Bowl. The offensive MVP of that game? Franklin.

He accounted for 273 yards and three touchdowns in that game as a sophomore. But now a senior, Franklin will bring that confidence from a few years ago to Florida this time around.

"I always look back at that game as a springboard to what could've been," Franklin said. "Last year, it was a rough patch in the SEC. Now, we have that, plus bowl experience. We're not weaklings coming in."

This will be Michigan State's sixth straight bowl appearance, making a bowl game in each year of head coach Mark Dantonio's tenure. The Spartans have won their last two bowl games, but haven't made a BCS game since 1988.

MSU possesses a veteran team, nonetheless. Senior quarterback Andrew Maxwell is having a stellar season taking care of the ball, throwing 20 touchdowns to only five interceptions. Just like what the Tigers did to Johnny Manziel and Blake Sims, the defense needs to rattle Maxwell early and often.

Maxwell is just as dangerous running the football. He's the team's leader with 11 rushing touchdowns, but Mizzou has faced enough dual-threat quarterbacks this year to know what to expect.

"It seems to be nothing new," Smith said. "We know what we're getting. Their running game is on point, and perhaps more dangerous than ever before."

Changes are brewing for Missouri after this year. When Franklin and others move on, Mizzou will be embracing a new culture by switching offensive and defensive schemes. For the final time, the Tigers will play in a spread offense and a 4-3 defense.

It's a change of the times, as Smith calls it. A new era will usher in at Mizzou starting next year. But the Tigers want to get there first.

"One more game, and we can rest easy," Smith said. "Well, until recruiting and all that. That never gets old."