Season 1, Week 10: Calling It A Comeback Again: Mizzou Comes Back From 16, Beats Tennessee

Missouri kicker Andrew Baggett kicks the game-winning 26-yard field goal with no time left of the Tigers' thrilling 20-19 win over Tennessee. Photo by Danny Webster - Playstation 3.

FINAL
Missouri (5-4, 3-3) 20
Tennessee (4-5, 1-5) 19

TOP PERFORMERS
Franklin (Mizz) - 17-of-23, 134 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Worley (Tenn) - 21-of-30, 262 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Josey (Mizz) - 28 carries, 139 yards, 1 TD

Green-Beckham (Mizz) - 11 catches, 91 yards, 1 TD
Howard (Tenn) - 3 catches, 89 yards

Ealy (Mizz) - 7 tackles, 2 sacks
Johnson (Mizz) - 4 tackles, INT
Randolph (Tenn) - 11 tackles


RECAP
Down by 16 points in the third quarter, Missouri's season and postseason hopes were on the line.

Then, the Cardiac Cats struck again. The Tigers have found life.

Thanks to two second half touchdowns to bring the lead to within two points, followed by a David Johnson interception with three minutes remaining, Andrew Baggett's 26-yard field goal with no time left capped off another incredible comeback by Mizzou as it defeated Tennessee, 20-19, on a snowy Faurot Field.

"Remember those snow angels I did in Gainesville? They were real this time," said head coach Calvin Smith. "This team is as resilient as any team I've ever coached. I've never seen anything like it."

The Tigers' comeback would've been much more sweeter had South Carolina and Georgia lost on Saturday. Both teams won, and Missou's chances at gaining ground in the SEC East were grounded for another day. But the Tigers (5-4, 3-3) are now one win away from becoming bowl eligible, thanks to another improbable comeback that saw Mizzou down by double digits at halftime.

The Vols jumped out to a 13-3 lead late in the first half, but a James Franklin interception gave the ball right back to Tennessee. That was converted into the third field goal of the half for the Volunteers to push the lead to 13.

"That was a bad read on my part," Franklin said, who had his worst passing output of the year with 134 yards. "The conditions made it even worse, but you can't use that as an excuse. I didn't have enough going for me today."

A slow-paced second half saw the Tigers do what they've struggled to do all season: control the clock and get stops on defense, primarily the latter. After the fourth Tennessee field goal, running back Henry Josey saw a lot of touches on the ensuing drive, which concluded in Mizzou's leading rusher scoring on a 6-yard touchdown to bring the lead to nine points.

Josey was quiet for the last few weeks, but has lately found his groove. He gained a game-high 139 yards and that touchdown, as the senior inches closer to 1,000 yards on the season.

"I'd like to think I do better in snow," Josey said. "That's the kind of game I needed to get my confidence going."

Neither team could pull away, nor get closer for almost an entire quarter's length of football. The Tigers tried a fourth down late in the third quarter, and while Dorial Green-Beckham looked like he had the first down, a rare fumble halted the drive and gave the ball back to Tennessee.

Green-Beckham later made up for that shocking blunder by bringing the Tigers back to within two points on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Franklin to make it a 19-17 game with 3:41 to go.

And it wouldn't take long before Mizzou had the chance to win the game. On the first play of the ensuing Vols drive, quarterback Justin Worley threw an interception to Johnson and gave the ball to Mizzou at the 34-yard line. A heavy dose of Josey got the ball to the 9-yard line in all 3:41, and Baggett's kick gave the Tigers an early Christmas present.

"I was hoping so bad to make up for that fumble," Green-Beckham said. "I wouldn't be talking to y'all right now if that were the case."

Despite the slow production in the passing game, Franklin kept his spot as the nation's leading passer, as he nears closer to 3,000 yards. Meanwhile, Green-Beckham inches closer to the school record in receiving yards set by Jeremy Maclin in 2009. He leads the nation with 1,303 yards, and tied for the lead with 84 catches.

Somehow, Smith said, no matter how bad one or the other plays, they find a way to make an imapct.

"One could be having a bad day, but the other could be ready to roll," he said. "They feed off each other so well. I'm excited for the prospect of what's to come for both of these guys after this year."

Josey only needs 104 yards before reaching 1,000, which hasn't been done by a Mizzou running back since Johnny Roland set the school record in 1998. He has three more games to get to that point, and so do his offensive counterparts.

But that's not important. What's important is Mizzou going to Lexington, Ky. next week to take on a Kentucky team that came within a few plays of knocking off No. 6 Texas A&M in Lexington. Both teams are fighting for a bowl berth at this point. A win will almost certainly get Mizzou in, but a loss would mean the Tigers have to beat either Alabama or the Aggies in the final two games of the year.

As for the thoughts of a conference title spot, still a long shot. South Carolina needs to lose to both Florida and Ole Miss, Georgia needs to lose one more game, and the Tigers somehow need to win out. If the Gamecocks beat the Gators or Rebels, then they'll represent the East in the title game.

Like Smith said last week, though, they're not focusing on that.

"We need to let the chips fall as they may," Smith said. "If we somehow get lucky, let's be lucky. If not, let's fight our tails off and end this year on a good note."


RECRUITING NEWS
Four more recruits have come aboard to Mizzou, and it's the ones they've been scouting for awhile.

Nick Larson, the athlete named at the top of Mizzou's recruiting class, has come on board to join the Tigers. the 6-foot, 180-pound Hawaiian prospect can play either side of the ball and depending on where he plays, he could start from day one.

"We've liked Nick for awhile," said Calvin Smith. "We've preached versatility, and he does it all. He'll be great wherever we put him."

Also coming on board is quarterback Damon Mitchell, a three-star prospect from Denison, Texas. There was a small chance that he could've declined the offer beacuse he wanted to be close to home. But Smith sees Mitchell at 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds as a possible Cam Newton-type quarterback.

Another athlete coming from Texas is Rich Johnson. At 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds, Johnson played mostly defense in high school, and he could play any position. His strong suit, at outside linebacker, could play well for Johnson if Smith decides to switch to a 3-4 defense next year.

Finally, the second defensive back to come to Mizzou is Frank Hickman, a two-star JUCO prospect from Illinois who's very fast, and could possibly see a lot of time at safety with his zone coverage prowess.

Also, according to sources, a new four-star prospect has given indication that Mizzou could be his choice of school. Jon Johnson, from Stoors, Conn., has told people within his inner circle that he likes the thought of Smith changing his scheme next year, and that he could see himself being the featured back in the next two years.

Season 1, Week 9: Cardiac Cats Crumble, Mizzou Blocked by Gamecocks

South Carolina defensive lineman Chaz Sutton picks up a fumble on a botched option play by Missouri and returns it 70 yards for a Gamecocks touchdown in the second quarter. Photo by Danny Webster - Playstation 3.

FINAL 
No. 15 South Carolina (5-2, 4-2) 38
Missouri (4-4, 2-3) 31

TOP PERFORMERS

Franklin (Mizz) - 22-of-30, 355 yards, 2 TD
Thompson (SC) - 18-of-25, 240 yards, 3 TD

Josey (Mizz) - 16 carries, 67 yards, 1 TD
Wilds (SC) - 18 carries, 107 yards, 1 TD

Green-Beckham (Mizz) - 9 catches, 220 yards, 1 TD
Washington (Mizz) - 5 catches, 90 yards
Jones (SC) - 5 catches, 62 yards, 1 TD

Sutton (SC) - 1 Fumble Recovery, 70-yard touchdown
Clowney (SC) - 5 tackles, 3 for loss, 1 sack

Baggett (Mizz) - 3-of-3 FGM


RECAP
Down by 22 points mid-way through the third quarter, James Franklin and Dorial Green-Beckham went to work.

Big play after big play got Missouri back in the game, down seven points, within a four-minute span. It looked like another astounding comeback that was going to put Mizzou atop the SEC East with four games to go.

But that was the closest the 'Cardiac Cats' got. And now, they need some help in a big way to close the season.

Franklin had another terrific day throwing the ball with 355 yards and two touchdowns, while his counterpart Green-Beckham reeling in 220 of those yards. But the 38-31 loss that the Tigers (4-4, 2-3) suffered to No. 15 South Carolina (5-2, 4-2) was due to a plethora of things.

Head coach Calvin Smith just had to reassure that his top quarterback and wide receiver weren't the blunt of any blame.

"I swear, those two kids make my job a hell of a lot easier," he said. "Not that losing by seven makes it any better, but they got us back in this game. We just couldn't get stops when needed. Story of our season."

All in all, the Tigers played rather well by looking at the stats across the board. They outgained South Carolina 445-403, did another terrific job of converting on 3rd down opportunities going 6-of-12 and converted all four red zone opportunities.

The major difference? South Carolina made good use of its possessions, while Mizzou settled for three first half field goals by Andrew Baggett, all inside the 20-yard line. Meanwhile, Gamecocks quarterback Dylan Thompson threw three touchdown passes, who has been playing in place of Connor Shaw due to season-ending injuries.

Yet no play was bigger in the first half than with 5:29 left in the second quarter. The Tigers ran an option play with running back Henry Josey in the slot. The play was designed to pitch the ball to Josey with Franklin rolling to his right.

But Franklin was hit when he pitched the ball, and it went backwards about 10 yards before South Carolina defensive lineman Chaz Sutton picked up the ball and ran 70 yards for a backbreaking touchdown.

"That hurt," Franklin said. "That hurt me physically and emotionally. "That was an all-around bad play on my part. To think this could be a much closer game had that not happened."

With the Tigers down 22 in the third quarter, the thought of a close game wasn't relevant. Rain was coming down on the field and on the Tigers' hope to get back to contention for a spot in the conference championship game.

That's when momentum picked up. Josey took a stretch handoff to the right side and went untouched for a 27-yard touchdown. Followed by a 2-point conversion, it was a 14-point game.

After Mizzou desperately got the stop they needed, it took only two plays on the Tigers' next drive before the lead was cut to seven, when DGB beat the defensive back off the line of scrimmage on a streak route and went 71 yards for a touchdown. 31-24 Gamecocks, and the Tigers were playing the part yet again.

"There's a point in time where you know you have something special," Smith said. "We have that with Dorial. His size is astounding and it makes life tough on defense."

Mizzou had numerous chances to tie the game in the fourth quarter. Even when Brandon Wilds scored a 3-yard touchdown with 5:24 left in the game, Franklin responded with his second touchdown pass to Bud Sasser with 2:55 to go.

But the Tigers' defense couldn't get the Gamecocks off the field, running the rest of the clock for a victory that Smith said he should've had over his coaching idol, Steve Spurrier.

"We had a real chance to make a statement, and yet again, we couldn't do it," he said. "Now, forget about conference championships right now. We're fighting for a bowl game. And we have to climb real high for this one."

The good news for Mizzou is that "Hell Month" may have ended a week early. Mizzou returns home to take on a struggling Tennessee squad who is no longer ranked in the top-25, which was the premise of why the month of October was tough.

The Volunteers made headlines for starting the year 3-0 with wins against No. 7 Oregon on the road, and No. 19 Florida. Since then, they've lost four of their last five games and fell out of the polls as a result.

So, that's one good thing Smith has going for his team. But if they want to reach the conference title game, they need to win out (easier said than done), and need a lot of help.

"Right now, the goal is to finish the season strong," Smith said. "Hell Month is over. It's time to look at the big picture and see if we can finish big."


RECRUITING NEWS
Chalk up three more recruits coming to Mizzou next year.

Defendive back Jason Anderson, guard Tyrone Simmons and offensive tackle Chris Goins become the next batch of Tigers to join the den for the 2014 season. Last week, Joseph Pitts and Jerod Wiley became the first recruits for Calvin Smith.

Mizzou has decided early on to keep local with its recruiting, and Anderson is the highest-rated local prospect to sign with the Tigers. A three-star prospect from Maryland Heights, Anderson brings great speed to a secondary that needs it.

"Not only is he fast, but he can play man and zone," Smith said. "He's versatile, and that's what we need. I feel like I say that a lot, but it's true."

Simmons is another guy who Smith feels can be a gem. He's a bit undersized for the guard position at 6-foot-4 and 265 pounds, but he has good strength and is a decent pass blocker.

The one problem he needs to address is run blocking, where the Ballwin native struggled at during high school, but the fact that he can protect the quarterback is something worth noting.

Finally, Goins is a tackle who can play either side of the line and also brings a balance to his game with pass and run blocking. He also brings a lot of size: All 6-foot-4 and 325 pounds worth. If needed, he could switch to guard in a couple of years.

"Chris is one of those guys who I feel can contribute in a year or so," Smith said. "That mass he brings to the line is much needed, and whomever the quarterback is, will be safe knowing he's got him backing him up."

Five prospects will attend Saturday's game against Tennessee.

1) Nick Larson, ATH. Top prospect on Mizzou's board.
2) Damon Mitchell, QB. Scrambling quarterback prospect.
3) Tony Cross, WR. Four-star receiver with great athleticism.
4) Rich Johnson, ATH. Another one of Smith's gems with great speed.
5) Ron Jones, HB. Has become Mizzou's top choice at running back.

Season 1, Week 8: UPSET: Mizzou Beats No. 12 Florida in Triple Overtime

Mizzou running back Henry Josey scores the game-winning touchdown for the Tigers in the third overtime of their 51-48 upset victory over previously-ranked No. 12 Florida. Photo by Danny Webster - Playstation 3.

FINAL (3 OTs) -
Missouri (4-3, 2-2) 51
No. 12 Florida (3-3, 2-3) 48

TOP PERFORMERS
Franklin (Mizz): 28-of-39, 399 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
Murphy (Fla): 23-of-29, 216 yards, 3 TD

Jones (Fla): 18 carries, 103 yards
Josey (Mizz): 27 carries, 82 yards, 2 TD

Washington (Mizz): 12 catches, 192 yards, 1 TD
Green-Beckham (Mizz): 11 catches, 163 yards, 2 TD
Dunbar (Fla): 7 catches, 52 yards, 1 TD
Burton (Fla): 4 catches, 52 yards, 1 TD

Roberson (Fla): 7 tackles, 2 INT
Watkins (Fla): 12 tackles
Gaines (Mizz): 12 tackles
Webb (Mizz): 9 tackles

RECAP
When Missouri lost to LSU earlier this year, head coach Calvin Smith looked up at the sky in disbelief.

This time, he could look up at the sky and fall on his back, doing snow angels on the sideline of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

In a game where the Tigers were once down by 18 points in the third quarter, James Franklin's 399-yard performance and L'Damian Washington's almost-200-yard performance rallied Mizzou back, and Henry Josey's 2-yard touchdown run in the third overtime capped off the unthinkable upset with Missouri defeating Florida, 51-48.

"That was the best snow angel I've ever made in 100-degree heat," Smith said. "Hell felt like paradise after that one. That was one of the best college football games I've ever been apart of."

A packed house of almost 90,000 Florida fans saw their Gators storm to an 18-point lead midway through the third quarter, and it quickly looked like the Tigers were to be dealt another humiliating conference loss. But after two first-quarter interceptions, Franklin settled into a groove behind his two favorite targets: Dorial Green-Beckham and Washington.

On 4th and goal at the 2-yard line late in the third quarter with Mizzou down 28-10, Franklin threw a fade route to DGB, and he used all of his 6-foot-5 frame to come down with the touchdown to cut the lead to 12 points after a missed 2-point conversion.

The Tigers were able to stop Florida on its next possession, and with 5:43 left, Franklin connected with Washington on a perfectly-thrown 41-yard touchdown to cut the Florida lead to 28-23.

"Those guys bail me out, week in and week out," Franklin said. "L'Damian was all over the place today catching everything I threw, and DGB is as reliable as they come. I knew if I got them the ball in the right spots, they'd deliver."

It wouldn't be long before Franklin called DGB's number again. After Florida extended the lead to eight points and Marcus Murphy returned the ensuing kickoff to the Gators' 30-yard line with less than 1:30 to go.

Two plays later, Franklin found Green-Beckham in the endzone for the second time of the second half on a 17-yard touchdown. The senior quarterback hit Washington on the 2-point conversion to tie the game at 31-31, and eventually sent it into overtime.

"Marcus hasn't been getting those lanes to make dangerous plays in the kicking game," Smith said. "He picked a great time to make something happen."

Both teams exchanged touchdowns in the first two overtimes. Tyler Murphy, who's currently the starter due to Jeff Driskel's injury, threw two touchdowns, while Franklin ran for two touchdowns to send the game to a third overtime, tied at 45-45.

The next five minutes during Florida's possession were described as the most tense moments of Smith's coaching career. With teams required to go for two in the third overtime, the Tigers needed a stop, and got it on a deflected pass by EJ Gaines in the endzone.

"That's something I never want to go through again," Smith said. "I almost puked five times during that drive."

Florida settled for the field goal, and Mizzou wasted no time marching down the field and eventually won the game with Josey's 2-yard touchdown on 2nd and goal.

Somehow, to Smith's delight, the Tigers found a way to win a road game during hell month, but they'll have to do it all again in Week 9 when they travel to take on No. 15 South Carolina. For now, Smith is happy the Tigers are sitting at 4-3 with two more wins from getting back to a bowl game.

And with the win, Mizzou is 2-2 in conference play, and have leapfrogged Florida to third in East. The Gamecocks come into this game at 3-2 in conference, and a win along with a Georgia loss to these same Gators could put Mizzou atop the East with four games to go by the end of next week.

"Never in my wildest dreams could we have imagined to be in this position," Smith said. "We control our own destiny right now in the SEC. Of course, Georgia is the only team standing in our way. But this game gave us so much confidence. We're right back in the thick of things."

RECRUITING NEWS:
The Tigers have locked up their first two recruits under head coach Calvin Smith, both JUCO players.

Outside linebacker Joseph Pitts (1-star) and offensive tackle Jerod Wiley (1-star) have committed to play for the Tigers for the 2014-15 season.

Pitts has the tools to be a successful gem for Smith's defense, which could switch to a 3-4 next year. The 6-foot-4, 239-pound linebacker from Jennings, Mo. has quality speed to chase down the ballcarrier, and was known as someone to have a good sense for how the play develops.

"He's a smart kid," Smith said. "We like his size, but especially his speed. The way he can move around like that comes naturally to him."

Wiley seems to be another gem that Smith thinks is a good project. At 6-foot-4 and 287 pounds, Wiley was one of the top-200 tackles rated in the country from Spanish Lake, Mo. He's a balanced lineman who does well in the pass and run, which is why Smith values him.

"In this conference you need to play both the run and pass," Smith said. "We're changing things up next year, and we feel he's a quality guy to bring along and groom."

Season 1, Week 7: Gurley, Bulldogs Dominate Tigers

"Hell Month" has begun, and Missouri feels like its in hell right now.

Head coach Calvin Smith has tried to motivate his guys to be ready for the start of this period of four straight ranked opponents through the month of October.

"Welcome to hell," he said. "Population: Missouri Tigers."

It was a field day for No. 14 Georgia (4-2, 3-2) on Saturday, led by Todd Gurley's 220-yard, two-touchdown performance with the Bulldogs cruising to a 38-24 victory over the Tigers (3-3, 1-2).

Add that with James Franklin throwing five interceptions during the worst game of the season thus far for Mizzou, and it was an all-around bad day on both sides of the ball. The Tigers gained more yardage than their opponent once again (456-394), but every interception by Franklin resulted in points for Georgia.

"I'm disgusted with myself," Franklin said. "To have the season like I've had and to throw it all away with a game like that is absolutely pitiful. We had the chance to hang tough with a good team, and I screwed it up. Simple as that."

Franklin completed 20-of-36 passes for 299 yards, but the majority of those yards came late in the game with the Tigers attempting a furious comeback down 21 points. Dorial Green-Beckham had another solid outing with nine catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns, but he was quiet for the majority of the first half with only three catches.

The 105 yards is the lowest output of the season for DGB, who continues to climb the nation's leaderboard in each receiving category and make a case for the Biletnikoff Award.

Despite a rough day for Franklin, Mizzou found its groove in the running game with Henry Josey rushing for 137 yards on 25 carries. The Tigers have struggled over the last few games running the ball with Josey, but Mizzou's offensive line did well in making running lanes.

"He's not the fastest, but he's one of the smartest," Smith said about his running back. "He knows when things are coming to him and how effective he can be when he's patient. When he's on, we're just as good of a football team."

Meanwhile, in terms of the Bulldogs' dominant running game, the hype surrounding Aaron Murray quickly shifted over to Gurley with his breakaway speed and prowess to find the endzone. The SEC's fourth leading rusher is up to 638 yards on 36 carries less than the conference's leader, Jeff Scott of Ole Miss.

Murray played well, going 15-of-20 for 188 yards, but the sophomore Gurley stole the show with the highest output from an SEC running back this season.

"That kid has wheels," Franklin said. "Just watching him from the sidelines, it was insane to realize he's a sophomore. He may be 6-1 and weighs 232, but he's got speed on him."

And now, it's time to hit the road for "Hell Month" when the Tigers travel to Gainesville, Fla. to take on No. 12 Florida. The good news for Mizzou? The Gators are banged up, and in an important way.

Florida will be without quarterback Jeff Driskel for the next two weeks with an abdominal tear, left guard Max Garcia with a broken wrist and sophomore defensive end Jonathan Bullard is out with a dislocated ankle.

Driskel suffered that abdominal tear on Nov. 28 in a 31-28 win over Kentucky. Junior quarterback Tyler Murphy started the last two games for the Gators in a 34-6 win over Arkansas, and a 31-26 loss to LSU.

"No matter who's at quarterback, we need to come out ready to roll," Smith said. "We need to somehow win. That's all.

Season 1, Week 6: Franklin struggles, but Tigers come back from 13 down in second half to beat Vandy

Missouri safety Braylon Webb forces a crucial fumble late in the fourth quarter to put the Tigers in position to increase their lead. Photo by Danny Webster - Playstation 3.

FINAL - Missouri 28 (3-2, 1-1), Vanderbilt 20 (2-4, 1-3)

TOP PERFORMERS

QB Franklin (Mizz): 20-of-30, 298 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
QB Carta-Samuels (Vandy): 22-of-35, 294 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

WR Green-Beckham (Mizz): 7 catches, 147 yards, 1 TD
WR Washington (Mizz): 5 catches, 59 yards, 1 TD
WR Lucas (Mizz): 3 catches, 57 yards

S Webb (Mizz): 5 tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF

RECAP
Defense has been the laughingstock at Missouri this year. Braylon Webb made sure that changed.

The junior safety has been quiet in every defensive category other than tackling, but Webb forced  an Austyn Carta-Samuels fumble with just over a minute to seal a 13-point Tigers comeback by defeating Vanderbilt (2-4, 1-3), 28-20.

"Defense has been a joke this year," Webb said. "We had to change that. Luckily, I made a few plays for us to win and that's all that mattered."

Missouri's offense has claimed the role of 'tone setter' through the first four games of this season. Yet even the hottest quarterbacks have to cool off at some point, which is what happened to Tigers quarterback James Franklin.

One week after dazzling the Arkansas State defense, Franklin got off to a rocky start by throwing two first-half interceptions. Add that with the running game getting off to a difficult start, and the Tigers were down 17-7 at halftime.

Then, Webb stepped up in the locker room.

"I told them that I was done having that pompous ass Carta-Samuels play like he's good," he said. "He's been talking smack all week and he was walking around like he was the Heisman winner. He was making bad throws, we just couldn't make up for those mistakes. We had to."

Carta-Samuels had made headlines this week saying that he was going to "dominate that Missouri Baby Tiger defense." He had almost 200 yards passing in the first half, but was bound to make a mistake at some point. Four passes were dropped by Missouri defensive backs, two by EJ Gaines.

The opportunities were there for the Tigers to realize they could get back in the game. Once the second half started and the Commodores took a 20-7 lead with just over five minutes to play, Webb made his play on 3rd and 11 to intercept a terribly-thrown pass.

Four plays later, Franklin found his favorite target, Dorial Green-Beckham, for a 5-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 20-14. Green-Beckham had another stellar game, catching seven passes for 147 yards and a touchdown, as he continues to climb the top of the NCAA leaderboards.

"That was the turning point," said head coach Calvin Smith on the interception. "After we realized we could capitalize on a turnover, we had all the momentum in the world. I was a man who felt younger than 40 ... 3."

The Tigers defense got into a groove and didn't allow a single point the rest of the way. It took almost the entire fourth quarter for Mizzou to finally capitalize on chances when Franklin hit L'Damian Washington for a 19-yard touchdown with 3:06 remaining to give the Tigers the lead.

Vandy's final chance to win the game was thwarted when Carta-Samuels was hit by Webb and the ball jarred loose, recovered by linebacker Andrew Wilson to the 11-yard line. Running back Henry Josey scored from 5 yards out  with 1:10 left to ice the game.

"That was a message to him," Webb said about the hit on Vanderbilt's quarterback. "Come into our house and see what happens."

Time to celebrate in the Missouri locker room will be short lived, because Hell Month has arrived. The Tigers could play four ranked teams throughout the entire month of October, two at home and two on the road.

The first of four will be at home when No. 16 Georgia comes to town. But the Bulldogs have managed to get by without the services of quarterback Aaron Murray due to injury. Murray will be in uniform and ready to go next week.

The senior quarterback and projected No. 1 overall pick in next April's NFL Draft saw his Bulldogs go 2-1 in his absence with an overtime loss to Arkansas on Sept. 21. He was injured during the opening week loss to No. 21 South Carolina, and junior Hutson Mason played well.

Murray returned to the lineup in Saturday's 45-28 beatdown of No. 25 Tennessee, going 24-of-36 for 322 yards and four touchdowns.

"We've got the projected No. 1 overall pick coming in," Smith said. "We know the challenge. I called this Hell Month for a reason. And he's healthy now, too. We've got to be ready. It's time."

Season 1, Week 5: Tigers Claw Wolves, Franklin Plays Superb

Missouri quarterback James Franklin runs in a seven-yard touchdown in the third quarter for his fourth touchdown of the day. Photo by Danny Webster - Playstation 3.

FINAL - Missouri 34 (2-2, 0-1) , Arkansas State 20 (3-2, 1-0)

TOP PERFORMERS

QB Franklin (Mizz): 27-of-33, 347 yards, 3 TDs, 1 rush TD
QB Kennedy (Ark. St.): 20-of-25, 214 yards, 1 TD

HB Oku: 12 carries, 110 yards
HB Josey: 25 carries, 80 yards

WR Green-Beckham (Mizz): 10 catches, 163 yards, 1 TD
WR Washington (Mizz): 5 catches, 75 yards
WR McCants (Ark. St.): 7 catches, 90 yards


Head coach Calvin Smith channeled his inner Dennis Green after Missouri lost last week, saying the Tigers wouldn't let Arkansas State off the hook.

From the opening drive, the Tigers didn't, thanks to James Franklin.

Being the most prolific quarterback in the SEC up until this point, Franklin completed 27-of-33 passes for a season-high 347 yards and accounted for all four touchdowns as Missouri (2-2, 0-1) finished off its non-conference schedule by defeating Arkansas State (3-2, 1-0) 34-20.

"This has been the most efficient this offense has been since I've gotten here," Franklin said. "I don't know what it is, but it's been about as easy throwing the ball this year as it's ever been."

Franklin isn't getting any Heisman consideration, at least not yet, for his play on a 2-2 football team. Yet, he's playing well enough to get that consideration. He's now 12th in the country in passing yards with 1,118 while completing a staggering 80 percent of his passes on 97 attempts.

His passer rating is still the best in the conference at 211.9, and fourth in the SEC with 12 touchdown passes to only three interceptions. It's an understatement for Franklin to say that passing has become so easy to this Tigers offense, knowing this team is a few plays away from being 4-0.

So why is it that way?

"I think the playmakers we have make my job so much easier," Franklin said. "When you've got guys like DGB leading the nation in receiving and Wash making plays, and even other guys who can start with any other team, my job is easy."

Dorial Green-Beckham has indeed been the main reason why Franklin has gotten so much attention. He's third in the nation with 37 catches and trails only Craig Wernick for the nation's lead in receiving yards and yards per game, but has produced in one less game.

DGB caught his fifth touchdown of the year in the first quarter on a 33-yard comeback route where he went untouched to give Mizzou a 14-3 lead.

"It's been a great year," he said. "I just use my size and know that I can use it to my advantage. I know James is putting the ball where he needs to, and I just do what I can after."

The Tigers went up against another no-huddle offense one week after the Hoosiers ran them out of the building in the rain. Red Wolves quarterback Alex Kennedy picked apart the struggling Mizzou defense by completing 75 percent of his passes.

Mizzou made a few goal line stands to hold Arkansas State to field goals in the first and third quarters, but it's essential that the Tigers' defense is the weak link of the chain a quarter of the way through the season.

"It's been agonizing," Smith said. "Luckily, we've found ways to get stops when needed, but in reality, we haven't found ways to remain consistent up front. How we only gave up 20 points the last two weeks is shocking."

The Tigers outgained the Red Wolves 445-338 although Mizzou ran 21 more plays than Arkansas State. The recurring theme has been teams finding ways to get their yards in bulks, and running the no-huddle against Mizzou has been effective.

SEC play begins full-time next Saturday when the Tigers play Vanderbilt before the beginning of the aforementioned "hell week" that Smith has dubbed. He's been saying that the defense has only a few weeks to get the kinks out before steam picks up.

"It's almost here," Smith said. "I've let the players know that this was coming, and it's going to hit them right in the face. We have to come out against Vandy and do damage."

The Commodores may not be ranked heading into Faurot Field, but they have something Mizzou doesn't: A win against a ranked opponent. Vanderbilt defeated No. 13 South Caroling back on Sept. 14 38-28, on the road.

Mizzou will get a chance against senior quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels, who has thrown for 246 yards per game, but Vandy's leading rusher and passer has completed only 49 percent of his passes. The Tigers need to be ready for another dual-threat quarterback if they hope for their first conference win of the year."

"The good news: Carta-Samuels can't throw," Smith said. "The bad news, he can run well. We need to be tested against these dual threats. Only way to do that? Beat them."

Season 1, Week 4: Mizzou Stuck In Rain Again, Lose to Hoosiers

Indiana wide receiver Shane Wynn catches the go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter to give the Hoosiers the lead for good over Missouri. Photo taken by Danny Webster - Playstation 3.

FINAL - Indiana 20, Missouri 17

TOP PERFORMERS

QB Franklin (Mizz): 19-of-24, 284 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
QB Roberson (IU) 16-of-19, 191 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

HB Houston (IU): 20 carries, 128 yards, 1 TD
HB Josey (Mizz): 27 carries, 93 yards

WR Green-Beckham (Mizz): 11 catches, 162 yards, TD
WR Wynn (IU): 5 catches, 67 yards, TD


Whether staged or not, head coach Calvin Smith admired a giant shoe that was placed at the podium after the game.

Without hesitation, he stepped in the shoe, and complained about the odor that overtook it.

"I don't know how this got here," Smith said. "But I guess this is what they mean by the agony of defeat."

Smith was thinking of another version of defeat when he stepped inside the randomly-placed shoe for his 15-minute press conference, but the defeat he saw his Missouri (1-2, 0-1) squad take in its 20-17 loss to Indiana (4-0) was even worse, despite another strong performance on offense.

Tigers quarterback James Franklin had another efficient game throwing the football, going 19-of-24 for 284 yards and a touchdown, but his two turnovers late at the end of both halves were the eventual backbreakers for Mizzou, who lost its second straight rainy road game by three points.

Late in the first half, he misread a route ran by Dorial Green-Beckham that was picked off by an Indiana defensive back, which dashed all hopes of taking the lead into halftime. In the fourth quarter, after Hoosiers quarterback Tre Roberson hit Shane Wynn for a 29-yard touchdown, Franklin led the Tigers to midfield with just under three minutes left, and he was sacked for the fourth time and fumbled the ball.

Indiana made a field goal on the ensuing drive with 1:06 left to put the game out of reach.

"Franklin played well for us today," Smith said. "Didn't get much help from the offensive line, though. We've just got to learn how to protect the ball better in crucial situations."

Mizzou's senior signal caller has been the most efficient quarterback, stats wise, in the SEC despite having lost back-to-back games by a combined six points. He hasn't thrown more than five incompletions in a game this season.

Despite the slippery conditions, Green-Beckham was Franklin's top target once again, catching 11 passes for a season-high 162 yards and his fifth touchdown grab of the season.

DGB's size and speed has been a problem for defenses so far. He's in the conversation as being one of the top receivers in the country as a sophomore, and he's on pace to break every Mizzou wideout record.

"The game has just been coming to me," Green-Beckham said. "It's one of those times where I'm comfortable with myself and am able to make plays."

The defense struggled once again to get off the field in clutch situations. Indiana ran its patented no-huddle offense for the majority of the night, and sophomore quarterback Tre Roberson had a stellar game going 16-of-19.

Roberson's partner-in-crime, running back Stephen Houston, made life tough on the Mizzou defense thanks to his 225-pound frame. Houston propelled Indiana with 128 yards and a touchdown.

"That guy is a tank," said defensive back EJ Gaines, who had an interception in the loss. "You couldn't just take him down with guy. You literally needed a tank to take down the tank."

Bad news: The Tigers are 1-2 rather quickly. Good news: They head back home this week with a chance to split the beginning of this four-game set when they take on Arkansas State next week.

The Red Wolves (3-1, 1-0 Sun Belt) come into Faurot Stadium winning two in a row after losing a heartbreaker to Auburn on Sept. 7. A win over the Tigers will be great celebration for Arkansas State heading into the first of its bye weeks.

For Missouri, it's about trying to regain momentum before beginning SEC play full time. The Tigers know they need a win to even have hope for a successful season.

"The Hoosiers are who we thought they were," Smith said. "I'm a man. I'm 40, and at 40...3, I know we need to get a win. We're not going to crown Arkansas State just because they have a winning record and we don't. We won't let them off the hook."

Season 1, Week 3: LSU Edges Mizzou On Late Field Goal

LSU running back Jeremy Hill ran for two touchdowns in the Tigers' 34-31 victory over Missouri.
Photo by Danny Webster - Playstation 3.

FINAL - LSU 34, Missouri 31

TOP PERFORMERS
QB: Mettenberger (LSU) - 15-of-21, 248 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
QB: Franklin (Mizzou) - 15-of-20, 249 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT

HB: Hill (LSU) - 20 carries, 91 yards, 2 TD
HB: Josey (Mizzou) - 18 carries, 73 yards, 1 TD

WR: Green-Beckham (Mizzou) - 6 catches, 99 yards, 1 TD
HB: Hill (LSU) - 4 catches, 74 yards

S: Webb (Mizzou) 11 tackles, 1 TFL
S: Loston (LSU) 11 tackles, 1 TFL



With the rain pouring in Baton Rouge, head coach Calvin Smith saw the ball fly through the uprights, and all he could do was stare up at the sky.

Missouri had it. But the defense gave it away.

James Hairston's 42-yard field goal with 7 seconds left was the difference maker in a back-and-forth affair that ended in a 34-31 victory for No. 9 LSU (2-0, 1-0) over Mizzou (1-1, 0-1), in a final drive that lasted 46 seconds after the visiting Tigers tied up the game.

"We felt comfortable with where we were after that field goal," Smith said. "It just wasn't meant to be. We fought hard, but we can't give up chances like that."

Both teams exchanged points for the majority of the afternoon, and the lead wasn't larger than six points. After Mizzou tied the game at 31-31 with 53 seconds remaining, LSU stormed down the muddy field of Tiger Stadium and got to within field goal range.

Despite the great drive that started on the LSU 24-yard line, Missouri's prayers were almost answered on 3rd and 11 at the Mizzou 25-yard line: LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger decided to throw the ball towards the endzone, right at Mizzou defensive back Randy Ponder.

In perfect position to make an interception, and an even better chance to run it out of the endzone for a good return, the senior dropped what he described as a "play that I should've made."

"I cost us that game," he said. "If I make that play, not only do we get the ball back, but I had nothing but green in front of me. That could've gone for six points, and we'd be talking a different outcome."

Ponder's right. Between him and the nearest defender was about 20-25 yards of nothing but open field. He could've taken it out of the endzone to either return it for a touchdown, or get Mizzou into field goal range for its own shot to win.

Instead, Hairston was given the chance to win the game and, despite Smith icing him in the cold rain, LSU's junior kicker booted the ball right down the middle for the game-winning points.

"Randy's going to beat himself up about this one, for sure," Smith said. "Yeah, he dropped that pick, but our defense couldn't make a play until they got deep on our side of the field. You can't do that and waste chances against a good team like LSU."

For the second straight game, Mizzou had trouble defending against a mobile quarterback who can also throw. Mettenberger rebounded after his average performance against TCU by going 15-of-21 for 248 yards, and added 66 yards on the ground. LSU running back Jeremy Hill scored two of the Tigers' three rushing touchdowns, as well.

One week after going 5-for-5 on field goals against the Horned Frogs, Hairston went 4-for-5 against Mizzou, with his lone miss coming on a 55-yard attempt at the end of the half. Smith had to take the chance on icing him, even though he was on fire all day.

"Anything could have happened, but that kid has ice water in his veins," he said. "When he made that kick, I just looked up and said, 'Of course.' I wasn't surprised. You make five last week and four this week in this conference, you're pretty good."

Yet the one bright spot that Smith and the Tigers can take away from this meeting in Baton Rouge is the play of senior quarterback James Franklin, who stats wise is the most efficient quarterback in the SEC through two games.

His quarterback rating of 230 leads the conference, and his seven touchdown passes tie him for third in the conference behind fellow seniors Tyler Russell (Mississippi State), Austyn Carta-Samuels (Vanderbilt) and Connor Shaw (South Carolina), and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M).

Aiding him get to that point is the conference's third leading receiver, Dorial Green-Beckham, reeling in six catches for 99 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

"Our offense, despite everything, has been stellar," Smith said. "James and Dorial have created an awesome connection through the air, and it's fun to watch. We're only two games in. They can get better, especially Dorial being so young."

The road doesn't get easier for Mizzou, especially with them having to stay on the road for another week when the Tigers travel to Hoosier Land to take on Indiana, who comes into this game on an impressive 3-0 start, albeit with wins against Navy and Bowling Green and an FCS squad.

And once again, the Tigers will be up against a quarterback who's not great at throwing the football, but the veteran defense will need to stop sophomore quarterback Tre Roberson from making an impact on the ground.

Mizzou will have two more non-conference games before it gets into the bulk of the schedule of SEC play against numerous top-15 teams, and Smith expects his players to use these next two weeks to prepare for what he calls "the hell period."

"It's coming," he said. "Before we know it, it'll be here, and there won't be anymore hiding. If we want to be a great team, we need to win these ballgames. It doesn't get easier."

Season 1, Week 1: Tigers Shred FCS East 49-20

Missouri defensive back EJ Gaines picks off a pass off the deflection before the ball hits the ground in the first half of the Tigers' 49-20 opening week victory over FCS East. Photo by Danny Webster - Playstation 3.

The first game of head coach Calvin Smith's collegiate career didn't kick off well.

Once the second half started, though, he saw what he had preached to his Tigers all summer: Using that fast-paced offense to score points and watching his defense be patient against the run.

Senior quarterback James Franklin completed 85 percent of his passes, going 17-of-20 for 238 yards with four touchdown passes, and Dorial Green-Beckham reeled in 153 yards and two touchdowns as Missouri cruised in the second half to defeat Murray State (FCS East) 49-20 on opening day.

"It's all about patience with this team," Smith said. "We're not the best team out there, but when we put our minds to it, we can compete at a high level, and we did that in the second half."

In his first game as a collegiate head coach after spending the last 25 years coaching high school football in Las Vegas, Smith's philosophy of a fast tempo on offense got off to a slow start by Missouri going 3-and-out on its first two possessions.

The second possession ended on a terribly-thrown ball by Franklin that was intercepted.

"I had a feeling we were overly confident heading into the game," Smith said. "We weren't playing the way we had all spring and summer and something had to give."

That's when the connection of Franklin and Green-Beckham picked up steam, as the star sophomore receiver caught every pass on Missouri's third drive of the first quarter, capping it off with a 5-yard touchdown pass to get the Tigers on the board first.

Even though Mizzou found a rhythm in its offense, the Tigers' defense had a tough time stopping FCS East's read-option offense and Mizzou only lead by 11 at halftime, 21-10.

After FCS East booted a 24-yard field goal to cut the lead to eight halfway through the third quarter, Franklin went to work and picked apart the defense, as the Tigers scored 28 unanswered points to pull away with their first win of the season.

"I didn't play my best in that first quarter," Franklin said. "By the time I threw that first touchdown to Dorial, I finally got into a groove. It was just a matter of putting them away at that point."

Mizzou racked up 418 yards of total offense, including 157 on the ground from Tigers running back Henry Josey, who also added in a late touchdown for the Tigers, who now prepare for an early conference showdown in Baton Rouge when they take on No. 12 LSU.

LSU is coming off a 22-7 win over No. 22 TCU at Cowboys Stadium, where quarterback Zach Mettenberger didn't play an overall good game, completing only 54 percent of his passes for 242 yards. Tigers kicker James Hairston carried the scoring load for LSU with five field goals.

"We're happy we got a win, but now we use this week of rest to get ready for one of many tough tests this year," Smith said. "LSU is ranked 12th for a reason. We have to go out and work hard these next couple of weeks."

Season 1 - Preseason: Welcome To The Jungle

Friends, Romans, Missouri countrymen. Welcome.

Welcome to the beginning of a new experiment, project, whatever you want to call it. With the recent release of NCAA Football 14, I have taken it upon myself to try something I've never done before, and in the process, try something that I feel will be as fun as anything I've ever done regarding video games.

Due to not having much access to advanced technology to record video game footage and upload it on YouTube, I've decided to start this blog as a nice alternative.

With that, welcome to the beginning of the Missouri Tigers in NCAA Football 14's Dynasty Mode.

My goal is to stick with one team  Dynasty Mode and run with them as far as I can. What better team to use than not only a team in the SEC and not only a relatively new SEC team, but a team who struggled heavily last year and is in the same conference as perennial championship powerhouses? These aren't the Tigers of old with Chase Daniel, Jeremy Maclin and company. This is a team with youth, potential star talent and a veteran defense.

But it's nowhere near good enough to become a contender at this current moment. That's my goal. 

The task at hand is to bring the Tigers back to the top of the country with a fast-paced offense led by senior quarterback James Franklin and star sophomore wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham. Those two are my catalysts and will be running this team, especially in hopes of grooming a quarterback of the future once Franklin leaves after this year.

Mizzou has four quality receivers, who are each key to this spread offense. With Green-Beckham as the lead receiver, seniors Marcus Lucas and L'Damian Washington along with junior Darius White all have speed and good hands, which is what Franklin will need, especially with his 75 throw accuracy rating.

On defense, it will be up to the senior linebackers of Andrew Wilson and Donovan Bonner and junior linebacker Darvin Ruise to anchor a front seven that holds a defensive line featuring three juniors and one senior. To top it off, the secondary is led by senior defensive backs EJ Gaines and Randy Ponder.

I originally had a Final Four of teams that I thought about using. It came down to Mizzou, Arizona, Maryland (by way of moving them to the Big Ten a year early) and North Carolina State. The deciding factor I came down with is that Mizzou is a project that will take longer than any of these other teams would have. Picking a team in the strongest conference in the country and trying to catch up to Texas A&M's newly-created SEC success was something worth of a challenge. 

And of course, barring awesome video game skills, this should be a long-term project.

Especially with the schedule that the Tigers have in front of them this year, this will not be an easy second season in the SEC. The schedule has an A+ rating, and that's even including one game against an FCS school (in reality, the Tigers play Murray State in Week 1. The game has it as FCS East).

After a bye in Week 2, things get interesting. Week 3 features Missouri heading to Baton Rouge to take on No. 12 LSU, then a road game against Indiana the following week. 

If there's anything that can give Missouri some hope, the next three games are at home against Arkansas State, No. 25 Vanderbilt and No. 5 Georgia led by quarterback and Heisman hopeful Aaron Murray.

But the schedule's toughness doesn't stop there. Back-to-back road games against No. 10 Florida and No. 8 South Carolina have made this a stretch of possibly four straight ranked opponents throughout the entire month of October. A Nov. 2 home game against a questionable Tennessee squad will then lead to a game on Nov. 9 against Kentucky on the road.

And after the second bye week, the Tigers close out the year with perhaps the worst end to a schedule you could imagine. On Nov. 23, they're at home to take on the two-time defending National Champions, No. 1 Alabama, followed by a pivotal game against Johnny Manziel and No. 4 Texas A&M at College Station.

This won't be easy.

At this moment, Mizzou has the chance to face seven ranked opponents this year. That can change week-to-week depending on how simulations go, of course.

Here's the nitty-gritty you need to know: Each game will be set to 8-minute quarters, with everything on Heisman difficulty, even recruiting. Injuries will be on, of course, and updates around the SEC will be provided each week. There will be a recap for each game, and previews will be focused at the end of each story. 

This is going to be exciting and it'll be a fun project to start. The first game will be against FCS East (Murray State), and I will have that game done sometime tonight. 

Enjoy the ride, and enjoy this era of Missouri football.