Despite Slow Start, Tigers Emerge Victorious

After all the hype leading up to the Border War was finally in the past and the game was played, it was the Tigers who proved to be the better team, winning 24-10 over Kansas.

But as everyone familiar with the Mizzou-KU rivalry knows, this was more than just a game. And when factoring in the facts that this was possibly the final game ever played of the second longest rivalry in all of FBS, as well as the 55-55-9 series record, it was clear that the winner would have permanent bragging rights.

While this game did not come close to resembling the tight, high-scoring thrillers from the 2007-09 seasons, the Tigers were forced to make key halftime adjustments in order to make a comeback for the second straight contest.

In the opening half of play, the biggest shock was how dominant the Jayhawk defense looked- Or how terribly bad the Tigers offense sputtered. Quarterback James Franklin looked uncomfortable and tentative against a defense ranked dead last in the FBS, and the absence of injured running back Henry Josey kept the offense in neutral.

At one point, Franklin was just 4 of 11 through the air for 41 yards and three interceptions, one of which was returned 64 yards by Kansas corner Bradley McDougald for the game’s first touchdown. The biggest problem facing Franklin was the wind- This was really the first game with bad weather all season long, and it took the Tigers’ QB longer than expected to adjust to the surroundings.

But what kept the Tigers in the game, and what allowed them to build momentum in the second half, was the defense. Quarterback Jordan Webb had nowhere to go for much of the afternoon, and head coach Turner Gill even incorporated some wildcat sets in the second half in a desperate attempt to find a solution offensively. When all was said and done, Webb had thrown for a meager 60 yards and two picks, and the entire unit only amassed 137 total yards. This took some pressure off of Franklin and the offense, and allowed them to eventually find a rhythm as the game wore on.

This defensive performance allowed Tiger fans to exhale after the worst start to a game all season. It seemed obvious that despite the importance of the game, the Tigers were surprised and taken aback by the defensive aggressiveness employed by the Jayhawks. Of course, the first half performance continued a season-long trend of starting slow for Mizzou. Luckily for the Tigers, Kansas doesn’t have many weapons, and their youth showed as the game wore on, as several bad mistakes were made in helping the momentum shift in favor of their opponent.

But in looking ahead, the Tigers will need all the preparation they can get in order to improve enough to win whatever bowl game they compete in. Obviously, a win is a win, and records are usually thrown out in intense rivalry games. But only scoring 24 points against a Kansas defense that had allowed at least 43 points in eight of their 12 contests is simply unacceptable. The Tigers can’t afford to start slow again in a bowl game, and while their defense is playing well, it is unfair to solely rely on them to take over the game.