MY GAME AS A FAN!!

WAS AN AWESOME SHUTOUT!! My friend on the team gave me 2 tickets so I could sit by my friend who was visiting... It was awesome to see the game at the 50 yard line. I met a few parents right from Blair Oaks! (Wardsville)

Before the game, my parents and friends tailgated in Reactor, and it was amazing. My parents are definitely the best cooks ever. 

After a little tailgating, my friend Mallory, my mom and I hiked up the hill to the Tiger Walk to see a few of the players before the game. It was so funny to see some of the players' reactions when they realized I wasn't on the sideline! My mom and friend are probably the biggest football fans I'll ever know, so it was probably the highlight of the day...

Oh until the game, of course! Walking in, we saw a black dog who had a Tiger stripe down his back! CRAZY!!... 

Like I said, I sat at the 50 yard line above Tiger's Lair, but then I HAD to move to the endzone where the M is. I saw Reed Erickson and Ashley Farrell on the sideline, and it was great. Reed even put me up on the jumbotron for awhile! 

A shutout, more records and an overall great homecoming weekend. I couldn't ask for a better game to be a fan at during my last year at Mizzou.

Bouncing Back with a Shutout

58-0. I think the score speaks for itself. The Tigers were obviously on fire Saturday as they scored touchdown after touchdown, eventually sending the Buffaloes home without allowing a single point. With another sold-out game the team was definitely able to impress all of the alumni who were in town for Homecoming.

Mizzou's passing game was right on target. Chase Daniel had a great game, passing for a total of 302 yards. Each of Colorado's quarterbacks threw for less than 100 yards each. Well done, Daniel.

Chase Coffman definitely deserves a big congratulations for breaking that NCAA record. Daniel pointed out the fact that Coffman still has several more games left in the season to increase the record. Congrats to you, Coffman!

And take a look at Jeff Wolfert, who also had a good game: 3 field goals and 7 extra points. I don't think Colorado's kicker even stepped on the field.

So, faith in the Tigers has been restored (not that it was ever lost in the first place... or at least not by me). Baylor probably won't pose much of a challenge next week, although I'm not going to speak too soon just in case. The chance for a good bowl game isn't completely lost. As long as Mizzou plays to their full potential throughout the rest of the season, things just might work in MU's favor. But I guess the future remains to be seen, and we as fans have to remain hopeful.

Licking Our Wounds

Well... another rough weekend of football. I don't think very many people expected the Tigers to be slapped in the face so badly. Needless to say, it was a tough loss. The pain might last longer than last week's, but then again every team wins some and loses some. We will all recover from it (eventually) and the Tigers will pick up their feet and keep going. The battle wounds will heal. As long as we still beat KU, I think the season can still be considered successful. Texas is a hard team to beat, and as much as it kills me to say it, they might have earned their #1 ranking. The Longhorns proved their strength, and Mizzou just happened to be the team in the spotlight while they did so. Let's not be fair weather fans. I have faith in the rest of the season. Pick up the pieces and move on... at this point, a bowl game is the light at the end of the tunnel and Mizzou needs to do whatever they have to to get there.

Texas is another world...

And I love it! Last night we went to a high school football game in Denton, Texas. They had a $22 million stadium, and it was unbelievable. It was great meeting football fans just like we have in Missouri. Brian Smith and Earl Goldsmith both went to school there and everyone knew who they were and that they played for Mizzou! The halftime performance (more like a production show) was based off of the Wizard of Oz and of course it reminded me of Kansas and those Jayhawks.

Anyway... We're in Dallas now working on sending our high school football story back to KOMU to air tonight. After it's done, we're heading to Austin!! Tomorrow is ESPN College GameDay and lots of tailgating... I can't wait to meet some diehard Missouri fans who traveled 13 hours just to cheer on their Tigers.

We'll keep you posted! :)

Nervous Anticipation

People don't have to know me well to know that I'm obsessed with my home state. Like most Texans, I am prideful almost to the point of arrogance of where I'm from. I proudly show off my 3 x 5 foot Texas flag in my room, and my "y'all" and occasional Texas drawl are constant reminders to friends and strangers alike that I am as Texan as they come. Yes, my family owns a ranch, rides horses and drives SUVs. And one would think that I also grew up bleeding orange with Longhorns all over the house... that's where they're wrong. I was lucky enough to be born into a family of Horned Frogs who bled purple instead. And growing up 10 minutes from the TCU campus, I much preferred watching legendary players like LT (LaDainian Tomlinson for those who don't know of him) break records in good ol' Fort Worth rather than people like Vince Young down in Austin. Longhorn fans bugged me, in fact. They always have and they probably always will. There's just something about that burnt orange and white. What's so great about it? Sure, you have some national titles under your belt and your school is named The University of Texas, but does that really make you that much better than everyone else? Despite my annoyance for all things UT, I learned to keep my mouth shut. Some of my closest friends now call themselves Longhorns, so I just sit back and let them bask in their glory. And that's exactly what they do.

"Hook 'em Horns"..."Texas is number 1!"..."Number 1 feels good"... All are common thoughts this week of my Longhorn friends (according to their Facebook statuses).

So... that brings me to this weekend. The Tigers have the potential to make it an incredible game. Both teams are very talented, and I think this is Chase's opportunity to show UT what they missed out on (but lucky for us they did). I would like more than anything to watch all of my friends down in Austin have to put their foot in their mouth after there's been so much hype about their #1 position. 

Unfortunately, I won't be going home to watch the big game; I'll be cheering on the Tigers from St. Louis (an opportunity to see America's Team up close and personal prevents me from going back to the Lone Star state). But the anticipation just keeps building as we get closer to gameday. I have full faith that the Tigers are capable, but the real question is will they prove their capabilities? My fingers are crossed, and I'm sure those of every other Mizzou fan are crossed, too. Tigers, take the game by the horns and get what you deserve: a win.

We're Heading to Austin!

Tomorrow Mike Rosenhouse and I will be heading to Austin.! We are staying in Dallas on Thursday and hoping to get a little Texas high school football action stories for Friday night at 6... Right before Friday Night Fever! I will keep you posted during our trip, and of course during our 13 hour drive! Should be an exciting weekend for Missouri....

Heartbreak!

I decided to compromise with the family during Saturday's big game. My in-laws came into town so I left the almost-three year old at home while taking my six-year-old son to the game. He was very, very excited:



That was until things started getting ugly. I started convincing my son to cheer louder by telling him we wouldn't get another snack until after the team scored again. That was a heck of a motivator. He's never really had to watch a game like Saturday, so it was a learning experience about heartbreak. He seemed to be okay with it, probably because he was high on sugar from tailgate cookies and Sprite.

The emotions on the hill were incredible. For one thing, I don't think I've ever seen so many people crowd onto the grass like they did for Saturday's game. My husband and I were lucky to have my father in-law in town so he could take our son out to the hill long before we wrapped up our tailgating fun. My father-in-law also built little wooden seats that make it MUCH more comfortable to sit on the hill. It also gave me a little more leverage when I stood and cheered for the Tigers during the game. My husband spray painted the seats yellow to keep in the theme of Black and Gold. The kids' wooden seats even have "M" painted on them. We only do things classy up in the grassy "cheap seats."

Hunt for Heisman gone, but...

the Championship is still possible! I think Chase's chance for the Heisman is gone, though. It's ok... It's Missouri. You'll see us seniors and alumni talking about the times when Missouri wasn't even mentioned. I remember being excited when a game was going to be televised at all, let alone ESPN! And GAMEDAY? Wow. That was not even close to a thought in my mind freshman year.

Missouri fans are used to disappointment, and I'm just happy it happened now and not later. Texas is going to be unbelievable... I've been looking forward to that game since my freshman year when they were here. (That was the 2005 National Championship team with Vince Young.) Anyway... get though this week (which is going to be the longest week of my life), watch GameDay in Austin Saturday morning, cheer on the Tigers at 7, and look forward to an easy 3 weeks of Big 12 play.

OH and 11 is my lucky number. So being 11th isn't so bad after all.

Maybe not as bad as it seems...

Well... a disappointing loss to say the least. I might have been a little too confident and underestimated OSU's abilities. But here's something to think about:

Although Missouri may not be #1 in the country or even in the top 5 after all of this, the loss doesn't really hurt that much. Sure, we'll drop in the rankings, but at the end of the day that's not what really matters. MU will still win the Big 12 North, possibly play Texas in the Big 12 Championship, and then who knows what could happen from there.

Today's loss could actually turn out to be a good thing. The Tigers can get their heads out of the clouds, realize that if they don't play well a loss is possible, and start focusing on next week's game. Plus, Missouri won't have a #1 standing to live up to, which means less pressure.

Texas is not by any means going to be an easy game. Playing in Austin is an incredible feat and Longhorn fans aren't easy to deal with. Not to mention Colt McCoy and his team look pretty good this year. I was actually excited Texas won the Red River game today, but don't expect me to be cheering for the Longhorns again any time soon... (I've always been partial to TCU).

The Tigers need to take this week to prepare for the challenge. Forget about tonight's loss. It's not as bad as it seems.

Low Scoring Half

With two teams ranked among the top three offenses in the country facing off, a score of 10-7 at half isn't what you'd expect. After 30 minutes of play, the third-ranked Missouri Tigers lead the 17th-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys by three. While Missouri's defense has made huge strides in the first half, Missouri's offense struggled. Senior quarterback and Heisman hopeful, Chase Daniel (who's wearing No. 25 in honor of Aaron O'Neal) has thrown 12 of 21 for 122 yards and no touchdowns. He's carried the ball four times for a total of 54 yards.

A True Test for the Tigers?

If you ask the experts, they'll tell you the third-ranked Missouri Tigers haven't been tested yet this season. Even a historical 52-17 win in Lincoln--it took 30 years for the Tigers to get a win--isn't proof that the Tigers might be true contenders for the national title. Tomorrow the Tigers host the 17th-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys, a team very similar to their own. The offense of the two teams rank among the top three in the nation. The winner of Saturday night's game could very well be the offense with the last possession.

A lingering question for the Missouri Tigers: is the defense good enough to stop Oklahoma State's powerful offense?

If Missouri wins, the Tigers will boast a 6-0 record and will face the Texas Longhorns in Austin next Saturday--a historical game in the making, the Missouri Tigers haven't won there since 1896.

Mike Gundy's Manhood at Stake?

"Come after me! I'm a man! I'm 40! I'm not a kid, write something about me!"

Well Mike Gundy, you might get your wish after this weekend's game. I can almost guarantee someone will write something about you. The upcoming game seems to be bringing OSU's head coach Mike Gundy to the top of MU's recently viewed YouTube videos list. For those who aren't familiar with it, an article published in The Oklahoman last September stirred Gundy's rant at a postgame press conference after they beat Texas Tech. The article dogged on former OSU quarterback Bobby Reid, much to Gundy's dismay. So, here's this year's question... will Saturday's game prove Gundy's manhood? Will the Cowboys be able to survive over the #3 team in the nation?

 

My guess is no to both questions. Quoted in The Oklahoman, OSU's linebacker Andre Sexton says "Missouri has some dudes that are explosive." I think he's right. When you look at Maclin and Coffman you see some incredible talent that is definitely unique to MU football, a challenge that OSU has not yet had to face. Like the Tigers, the Cowboys are known for their high scores. They've scored more than 50 points in 4 of their 5 games this year. And I will give them some credit for beating Texas A&M last week in College Station. As a native Texan, I know Aggies are never too happy when they get beat at home. But the Cowboys will definitely go home defeated this weekend.

Regardless, the game will be exciting. It's a night game, nationally broadcasted, and a Big 12 conference game. The Tigers will without a doubt prove their abilities once again. Like many, I'm ecstatic to watch our Tigers continue their winning streak.

So, Mike Gundy, you told the world that you're a man, a man strong enough to take criticism and defeat... will your claim hold true? Are you really the man you said you are? Only time will tell...

Click here to see the infamous Mike Gundy rant: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoMmbUmKN0E

Fans Have a Say...

This year the O’Brien has developed several ways for fans to show their Tiger pride. The O’Brien has created a new Facebook application so fans can challenge their friends to show their support. The new application can be found by searching O’Brien Fan Vote and clicking the Applications tab or at http://apps.new.facebook.com/daveyobrien/. Fans can also download widgets that will link any Web site to www.VoteOBrien.org, or www.daveyobrien.org/FAN/fan_widgets.asp

And Daniel and Maclin are top candidates.... Read this article in Sporting News Today...

http://today.sportingnews.com/sportingnewstoday/20081008/?sub_id=Vj40laKyRNnn&folio=CGI

The Family Season Ticket Challenge

I have two kids. They LOVE going to the Tigers football games. Each game we pile them into the car, park in our super secret parking spot (not that secret but we don't want anyone else going there) and we sit on the hill with the kids on a blanket. We bought the cheapest possible season tickets since we planned to hill sit the whole time -- A two year old and a six year old aren't that great at sitting in the stand without kicking the people sitting in front and wanting to get up and down and up and down.

We love the hill. The view is great. The freedom to move is so much better. But there are challenges:
1. My daughter has almost tumbled down a number of times. I have to use all of my super mommy strength to snag her before she rolls into another group of people - or worse - into someone's food.
2. Bad weather isn't as pleasant on the hill. We lucked out during the last rainy day when someone gave us better seats than our cheap seats that day -- but that won't always work out as well. We'll have to decide if we want to just mud up life or try out the cheap seats.

But I'm facing a real challenge with next weekend's game. It's a night game and I'm pondering over whether I should take the kids or not to the game. The six year old could handle it... but it's the little one I worry about. She loves to tough things out when it comes to football. She LOVED attending the rainy football game last month. But she is two going on three and when she misses too many hours past bedtime, things get kind of ugly. I have a great example from last Friday when we stayed at the Roots 'N Blues BBQ fest too long. But it's so hard for me to hunt for a babysitter when our whole family can be there together. I'd love some thoughts. It's not like my kids will be able to say they got to go to all the home games from the 2008 season again!!

ARCH RIVAL CHAMPS!

Hey Everyone!...

With Mizzou's win over the Illini last night, I think it's definitely time to get this blog started again. I watched the game on the sideline, and it was amazing to be so close in a huge football stadium with over 66,000 people watching.

Illini's quarterback Juice Williams was way better than I expected. I read earlier that he was working on his throwing game, and he proved it last night.

But I think the true story is Mizzou's runningback Derrick Washington. He's pretty much the next Tony Temple. But as he is only a sophomore, he might be even better than Temple. Anyway, he had 130 yards and two touchdowns... not too bad for a first collegiate start, huh?

And then there's Jeremy Maclin. I really think people are starting to talk about this guy more than Chase Daniel. I was in the Illini endzone when Maclin ran that kickoff return. It was unbelievable. I'll post my video so you can watch just how fast he is. He came out of nowhere!! When I noticed he was hurt in the 4th quarter,  I was a little worried... but Pinkel and the other players said he's always one to jump right back in the game. So, no worries... he'll be running a few more 99 yard kickoff returns in no time.

Well get ready for the game against SEMO next week... Should be a blowout, so maybe you'll get to see a few younger guys get some major playing time.

The Long Road Home

Fourteen hours is a long drive, especially when your stomach is still in knots after Mizzou's loss. We just passed through Norman, Oklahoma and the blogging crew and I have been reflecting on our epic journey. Kudos to Tiger fans who made the trip down to San Antonio. You were outnumbered, but certainly made your voices heard. You have a lot to be proud of. Kudos also to the football team. I don't think anyone could have imagined this dream season. You may not be the champs, but I wouldn't trade this Tiger team for any other in the country.

On the KOMU side, big high five to our news crew. Jim, Megan, Lauren, Eric, Chris, Randy, Scott, Mark, Rog, Jason, Stacey, Stan, Kindle, Chaz, Joe, LT and all the KOMU alums that helped out. A special shout out to our web editor Jen Reeves. This is the gal that made it all happen on this blog. You have no idea how much the blogging team appreciates your hard work. Tiger fans have been AIM messaging us throughout the trip thanking us when they should really be thanking you. And finally, my blogging crew. Charlie, my partner in crime, Vanessa for all her witty one-liners and Caroline for making us look good in our photos. This will be my final post on the blog. Thanks again to everyone. See you back in Columbia!

WE WERE ROBBED!

I'm not much of a sports statistician but I'm pretty sure Mizzou was robbed.

I'm in St. Louis watching the BCS show at a Fox affiliate and well let me just say that the MU Alumni erupted when they saw that KU and the Illini were in BCS games....
Didn't we beat both of them?
Don't they have just as good of a record as we do? This is absolutely crazy.
The Cotton Bowl are you kidding me??????
I know I shouldn't complain but that is not right. We were robbed.

The Chase is Over

After Oklahoma's 38-17 victory against Mizzou in the Big 12 Championship game, the Tiger's chase for the national championship is over. No Big 12 Championship, no BCS National Championship, no more chants of "We're number one!" While a likely bid in the Cotton Bowl would signify MU's leap to the next level of college football, the loss isn't any easier to swallow. Tiger fans, let's not mope about what could have been. Yes, a BCS bid would be nice but if I were to guarantee a Big 12 North Championship and a Cotton Bowl appearance at the beginning of the season, I'm sure most Tiger fans would've jumped on it. But this season isn't over yet as Mizzou still has one game left. In the grand scheme of college football, a Tiger win in their first January bowl game since 1969 would mean little, but it would mean a lot to the program. Beating a team from the mighty SEC could determine Missouri's preseason ranking next season, give Gary Pinkel something else to sell in the final month of recruiting, give the Tigers confidence heading into the offseason and, most importantly, send off the senior class with a victory. Let's not kid ourselves, the preseason rankings mean a lot (just ask the 2004 Auburn Tigers), and the higher Mizzou is ranked in August, the better their chances of playing in the BCS title game.

Let's start talking about the 2008 Missouri football team. Offensively, the Tigers will lose WRs William Franklin, Tommy Saunders, and Jason Ray, TE Martin Rucker, OL Tyler Luellen, Adam Spieker, and Monte Wyrick, and maybe RB Tony Temple (he may be granted a 5th year). Lot's of big losses, especially on the offensive line, but the Tigers return a lot of playmakers. Defensively, DL Lorenzo Williams and DBs Pig Brown and Darnell Terrell are the headline graduates. Just think of all the young players who shined this season: Maclin, Washington, Gettis, Weatherspoon, and Alexander just to name a few. Sprinkle the young guns with perhaps Pinkel's best recruiting class and the experienced playmakers like Coffman, Daniel and Moore, and you have all the ingredients for a return trip to the Big 12 Championship.

So, Missouri fans, take today to be upset if you must, but get excited because the best is yet to come! Remember, this season is NOT over yet! Support the Tigers in the bowl game and be proud to be a Missouri fan!

--TP

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What an amazing season

A year ago, I wouldn't catch me sitting and watch the Big 12 championship. A year ago, I would have never imagined the kind of football season we've had. So even though we can't say Mizzou is going to New Orleans for the title game, this has been an amazing ride. I'm so proud of the team and I can't wait to find out what bowl we get to attend during the bowl announcements tomorrow.