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| 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."
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