Missouri 45, Texas A&M 22: Postgame Notes and Quotes
Nov 15, 2003 | Football
November 15, 2003
Postgame notes and quotes from Texas A&M's 45-22 loss at Missouri on Saturday...
Texas A&M Postgame Notes
MURPHY'S BIG DAY BOOSTS HIM IN RECORD BOOK: Junior Terrence Murphy (Tyler, Texas / Chapel Hill HS) grabbed eight catches for a career-high 156 yards against the Tigers. Both the catches and yards tied for 11th-best in school history. Murphy's previous career-high for game receiving yards was 146 on 10 catches against Colorado in 2001. Murphy's strong day boosted him over Rod Bernstine and Jamaar Taylor to No. 3 on A&M's career receptions list and over Albert Connell, Tony Harrison and Taylor to No. 2 on the career receiving yards list.
A&M's Career Receptions List 1. Bethel Johnson, 1999-2002 117 2. Keith Woodside, 1983-87 110 3. Terrence Murphy, 2001 109 4. Jamaar Taylor, 2001-03 108 5. Rod Bernstine, 1983-86 105 A&M's Career Receiving Yards List 1. Bethel Johnson, 1999-2002 1,740 3. Terrence Murphy, 2001- 1,729 2. Jamaar Taylor, 2001-2003 1,705 4. Tony Harrison, 1989-93 1,576 5. Albert Connell, 1995-96 1,525
Murphy, the Big 12 leader in kickoff return average all season, gained 57 yards on three kickoff returns. For the season, he has 581 yards on 20 returns and needs 10 yards to break Leeland McElroy's season school record of 590 yards (15 returns).
A&M's Season Kickoff Return Yards List 1. Leeland McElroy, 1993 590 (15) 2. Terrence Murphy, 2003 581 (20) 3. Dave Elmendorf, 1970 457 (23) 4. Hugh McElroy, 1971 439 (17) 5. Carl Roaches, 1973 426 (15)
LONG SHINES OFF THE BENCH: Junior Dustin Long replaced starter Reggie McNeal at quarterback to open the second half. Off the bench, Long completed 23-of-29 passes for 252 yards and a touchdown, and led the Aggies on three scoring drives, including a pair of touchdown marches. Long's 252 yards were a season-high and his best passing output since last year's Missouri game when he passed for 270 yards, also off the bench.
LEWIS CONTINUES MARCH TO 1,000: Redshirt freshman Courtney Lewis rushed for 56 yards on 17 carries, raising his season rushing total to 940 yards. He needs 60 yards against Texas in two weeks to become the first Aggie to reach 1,000 rushing yards since 1998 when Dante Hall had 1,024 yards.
FOR THE RECORD: Game captains for the Aggies were: senior Linnis Smith, junior Geoff Hangartner, senior Sean Weston and senior Oschlor Flemming...The 12th Man Kickoff Team representative was junior Blake Kendrick, a linebacker from Willis, Texas (Willis HS)...Aggie passers completed aerials to nine different receivers...The Aggies outgained the Tigers, 484-451, and held the ball more than six minutes longer than Missouri...With a 4-7 record, the Aggies are guaranteed of their first losing season since 1982, which was Jackie Sherrill's first season in Aggieland. It breaks a streak of 20 straight non-losing (.500 or better) seasons...A&M also went winless on the road for the first time since 1982.
Texas A&M Postgame Quotes
HEAD COACH DENNIS FRANCHIONE: On being down 16-0 in the first quarter... "As a coach you say this is not what we need to happen, but our players weren't fazed by it and that is some mental toughness right there. They kept battling and played every play."
"A lot of times a team will let a tough start like that bother them, but they didn't do that. They kept battling and fighting."
On the halftime talk... "I was just disgusted with the mistakes we made offensively... We were our own worst enemy as much as anything. I just told them that they were hurting themselves far more than Missouri was hurting them."
On A&M's play... "We needed to turn our field goals into touchdowns. We moved the ball fairly well. They came out and played hard and they battled. We protected better as the game wore on."
JUNIOR QUARTERBACK DUSTIN LONG: On confidence at the start of the game... "You always have to have confidence. We knew in the first half that we were making mental mistakes, little things here and there that stopped us. But we knew after halftime that we would get the ball first, that we would have to drive down there and get something going."
On coming in the second half... "I felt pretty good out there today. I was just trying to go through my reads and get it to the right guys, try to make something happen. At halftime Reggie [McNeal] got a little dinged up. So coach said they were going to go with me and see what was wrong with Reggie. Hopefully he is alright."
On Texas A&M struggles in the first half... "There wasn't just one thing, everyone was just messing up. We tried to get those tuned up in the second half."
JUNIOR WIDE RECEIVER JASON CARTER: On Making a Comeback... "After last week you just want to come out and play hard. We wanted to set an example and show people what we could do."
On Changing Quarterbacks... "It doesn't matter who's out there, we just want to come out and play hard. Dustin came out and did a good job. We just needed to step it up in the second half, and we did."
On Building on the Second Half... "I think we can build on it. There's always room for improvement, we just have to come out and play hard. We just have to get prepared to play our arch rival Texas next week."
On Throwing the Ball Again... "Yeah, it felt really good. I just wish it could have been a touchdown."
JUNIOR WIDE RECEIVER TERRENCE MURPHY: On Stepping Up From Last Week... "We definitely did step up, but we still need to find a way to win. We played hard today we just need to keep plugging."
On the Offensive Performance... "When we get in the red zone, we need to score. We really need to go out there and help out our defense. They never really stopped us, we stopped ourselves with our miscues."
On Plays Opening in the Second Half... "We really did a good job of making adjustments at half time. Dustin (Long) is one of the best people I know at reading a defense."
SOPHOMORE DEFENSIVE BACK JAXSON APPEL: On Improving After Playing Oklahoma... "We played better, but a loss is still a loss. It's always disappointing to lose, but we have some things we can improve on, and we definitely can move on from here."
On Brad Smith... "He's a really good football player. My hat is off to him. I just wish him the best of luck with his career."
Missouri Postgame Notes
- Missouri's win against Texas A&M kept the Tigers' undefeated streak at home alive with a perfect 5-0 mark this season at Memorial Stadium. The Tigers will host Iowa State on Nov. 29, looking to go undefeated at home for the first time since 1974.
- In the eighth meeting between the two teams, Missouri improved to 2-6 in the all-time series with the win. It was Missouri's first win over Texas A&M in Columbia, following its 33-27 overtime win in College Station last season.
- Brad Smith's seven-yard touchdown run at 12:51 in the first quarter marked the first time this season the Tigers scored a touchdown on their first possession of a game.
- Zack Abron finally put himself alone at the top of MU's career touchdowns and points scored list with a two-yard burst in the first quarter. The score gave him 234 points and 39 touchdowns in his career. He previously had been tied for first in both categories with former Tiger Corby Jones (1995-98).
- Abron also ran for 141 yards in the game, giving him 2,944 in his career - 10 yards shy of Devin West (1995-98). He needs 82 yards rushing in the Tigers final two games to top Brock Olivo (1994-97) as Missouri's all-time leading rusher.
- Smith's 136 rushing yards put him over the 1000-yard rushing mark for the second time in his career, making him the first in Missouri history to rush for 1,000 yards in two separate seasons. Last season, as a freshman, he rushed for 1,029 yards. His 2,118 career-rushing yards puts him in eighth place in Missouri history.
- Smith continued his rise up Missouri's career total offense list as well with 225 total yards against the Aggies. He already has accounted for 6,010 yards in his career, ranking him fourth all-time at Mizzou.
- C.J. Mosley got two sacks in the game giving him six on the season. Mosley, only a sophomore, had three sacks all last season.
- Missouri picked up its first safety of the season in the first quarter, when Texas A&M punter, Jacob Young, was ruled down in the end zone on a punt attempt. It was the Tigers first safety since Keith Wright got a sack in the end zone last season against Kansas.
- Michael Matheny's 44-yard field goal in the third quarter was his longest of the season. It tied his career-long when he hit a 44-yarder last season against Nebraska. His previous long this season came against Texas Tech when he connected twice for 33 yards. Matheny is now 8-of-9 on field goal attempts this season.
- Missouri came into the game ranked No. 1 in the nation in fewest turnovers since the 2001 season, and continued that trend with no turnovers against the Texas A&M. It was the sixth time this season, and 12th time overall, in which the Tigers have committed no turnovers under Pinkel.
- The Tigers have now had six games this season, and 12 over all, under Pinkel in which they have committed no turnovers.
- J.D. McCoy set a career high for receptions in the game with five, and his 39 yards receiving in the game tied his career best set earlier this season against Ball State.
- The Tigers came into the game averaging 31.2 points per game this season giving them 281 on the year. After scoring 45 against Texas A&M they remain only 42 behind the Missouri single-season point record of 368 set in 1997.
- Smith's 89 yards passing marked only the second time this season he has failed to throw for more than 100 yards. He threw for only 62 yards against Kansas.
- Damien Nash had a career-high two touchdown runs against the Aggies. He now has three on the season.
- Santino Riccio's 12-yard run late in the fourth quarter was the longest run of his career.
Missouri Postgame Quotes
HEAD COACH GARY PINKEL: "It certainly felt good to win again. A goal of our program is not to lose two games in a row. My football team does not handle success well. Texas A&M fought hard till the end. It feels good to be 7-3."
On the switch from McNeal to Long... "They run the quarterback a little less with Long. Long just throws the ball a little more, but they still run the option. In the end they went into the two minute offense and we chose to lay back."
On the team intensity... "The defense was not crisp without intensity our team is an average football team. If we have our intensity we can beat anybody. I am very excited to be 7-3. This program is starting to work, but still a work in progress."
On turnovers... "We kept the football today. I think we were plus one in turnover margin, but we want to be better. Last week was an uncharacteristic performance. We have problems where we need to back off. We are a work in progress."
Jumping Out... "It was good to jump out to an early lead. After we went up 16-0 we had other chances, but we ended up making mistakes and moving backward. We have mistakes to fix, but it is better to fix them after a win."
SOPHOMORE TAILBACK DAMIEN NASH: On offensive line... "When they're on point, nobody can stop us. It's unbelievable with Brad, myself and Zack, I don't think a defense can stop us. With a receiving core and offensive line like we have it's hard to be able to keep up with all those players."
SOPHOMORE QUARTERBACK BRAD SMITH: On offensive line... "They were big time at the end of the game. We were willing to put the ball in their hands with Zack and Damien and run the ball and they did a good job."
On playing Kansas State and possibility of playing for the Big 12 title... "It's big. It means a lot to us now from what we've experienced and so its going to be fun for us."
On difference between this year and last year against Kansas State... "This is a different attitude. I don't think we had the right attitude coming into that game last year. It's a whole new attitude (this year) and why we are excited about where we are and looking forward to (next week)."
SENIOR RUNNING BACK ZACK ABRON: On blocking... "The offensive line did a heck of a job with blocks. Our receivers did a good job blocking downfield enabling me to break a few for a few yards."
On rushing record... "I think it's pretty close. But right now I'm pretty much focused on next game against Kansas State."
On scoring record... "It means a lot. It hasn't sunk in yet. It probably won't kick in until later on tonight, but right now I am just happy with the win."
