hey Tman gophers versus Missouri citrus bowl.

[trappincoyotes39]

hey Tman your golden gophers are playing the Missouri tigers in the citrus bowl.

Want to make a friendly bet

[trappnman]

I listened to every game this year while after coyotes- the Gophers have a good solid team, with some big wins. I have confidence they will beat Missouri, so

yeah, I'll make a friendly wager-

[trappincoyotes39]

How about 4oz of keg creek? You win I send you a check to grab a jar from your stock pile retail price and if I win you send me a 4 oz jar? neither of us out much?

Straight up no points given or taken.

[trappnman]

how about loser has to have either "Go Twins!" or "Go Cardinals!" as their signature line thorughout April?

[trappincoyotes39]

I guess that will work.

[trappnman]

I see MO favored by 5

now they can see how a Big 10 team that crushed NE plays.......

[James]

When is this game? Should be a good one.

Jim

[trappincoyotes39]

Jan 1st 1pm

The gophers haven't seen the pressure defense like Mizzou has all year in the big ten Tman. Mauk can run very well with the ball will keep the gopher defense honest. Mizzou D is very fast and gets to the ball and QB very quick.

[trappnman]

ah..BIG 10? plenty of good defenses

[trappincoyotes39]

Care to raise the friendly wager?

[trappincoyotes39]

SEC is the best conference in college football.

MISSOURI TIGERS (10-3) vs. MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS (8-4)
JAN. 1, 1 P.M. ET, FLORIDA CITRUS BOWL, ORLANDO, FLORIDA (ABC)

MISSOURI BREAKDOWN

Season highlights: Grit, determination, perseverance: Whatever you want to call a team’s instinctive will to win, Missouri clearly has it. Underrated for basically the entire season, the Tigers found a way to win the SEC East. Down the stretch, they won one-possession games against Texas A&M, Tennessee and Arkansas. The key to those wins and the rest throughout the season is the play of the defensive line. If there’s been one overwhelming bright spot for coach Gary Pinkel, it’s been his terrific tandem of defensive ends, Shane Ray and Markus Golden, as the two have combined for 22 sacks.

Season lowlights: That game against Indiana is haunting. There was no way Missouri was supposed to lose at home to a nonconference opponent that couldn’t beat Bowling Green. That loss, along with a blowout loss at home to Georgia, highlighted all that was wrong with the Tigers this season: A porous secondary, inconsistent play at quarterback and an offense that goes three-and-out 33.3 percent of the time, the second-highest rate in the SEC.

Player to watch: It all rests on the arm of quarterback Maty Mauk. The trouble is, he’s an all-or-nothing passer, as his 11 interceptions tied for the worst in the SEC during the regular season. But when he’s on, boy, is he fun to watch. A true gunslinger who can make something out of nothing, he finished the regular season with 30 completions of 20 yards or more. He even ran for 336 yards.

Motivation factor: When isn’t Missouri feeling slighted? The past two seasons, no one thought the Tigers had any business competing for a top spot in the SEC East, but lo and behold, they’ve won the division each year. After getting blown out in the SEC title game last year, Missouri came back in the bowl game and beat Oklahoma State by double digits. Could we see a repeat?
-- Alex Scarborough

vs.
MINNESOTA BREAKDOWN

Season highlights: Carrying the Little Brown Jug back to Minneapolis and knocking off Nebraska on the road were perception-altering wins for Jerry Kill’s program this season. The comeback victory at Nebraska was all the more impressive considering star running back David Cobb missed most of the second half. Watching Cobb set the school’s single-season rushing record was also a big moment for a Gophers program that has had its share of talented backs. He’s currently at 1,548 rushing yards on the season.

Season lowlights: An unexpected loss to Illinois in late October killed a four-game winning streak and cut into the growing school of thought that the Gophers could contend for the Big Ten West crown. The team went on to lose respectably against Big Ten championship contenders Ohio State and Wisconsin. For a program on the rise, those losses still feel like more of a highlight than lowlight this year.

Player to watch: We’ve already hit on Cobb and his big numbers, so keep an eye on defensive back Briean Boddy-Calhoun. The All-Big Ten performer has four interceptions this season and has broken up eight total passes. When Minnesota has needed a big play this season, Boddy-Calhoun has delivered. His forced fumble near the goal line to seal the win at Nebraska was probably the biggest of the year.

Motivation factor: Kill’s staff built a lot of momentum this season while riding Cobb for most of their eight wins. While the Gophers have shown marked improvement, a bowl loss would leave them with the same 8-5 record as a year ago. Winning is a way to validate the steps forward they have taken on paper and keep the positive vibes going into the offseason.
-- Dan Murphy

[trappnman]

I'm looking forward to the game

[trappincoyotes39]

Yes so am I we have above avg wide receivers, good tight ends, Shane ray one of the best pass rushers in college football. Our QB has far above avg speed and if they allow him to run and gun and quit trying to make him a pocket passer he should do well against your defense.

We have a decent defense against the run. If you can run on us your will have a chance, if not your QB is in for a long day I predict.

Our team speed is far above avg at many positions.

[trappnman]

Gophers have been known to run a running play or two....

[trappincoyotes39]

The D coach for Mizzou this will be his last game he received a head coaching position and I know he will put it on the defense to have him leave as a winner. they should be jacked up and looking to send him out on a high note.

[trappnman]

175+ Mn rushing yards

[trappincoyotes39]

Means little really. Here is the latest on the match up

1. Questions abound in Minnesota's passing game
Over the weekend, Gophers wide receiver Donovahn Jones was dismissed from the team for violating a team policy. Minnesota hoped Jones would emerge after a solid freshman year, but he had just 11 catches for 253 yards and two touchdowns during the regular season. Without Jones, the Gophers' receiving corps is even thinner. Sophomore Drew Wolitarsky should return to action after missing several games with an injury, but it remains to be seen what type of impact he'll have. Tight end Maxx Williams will once again be a focal point in the passing game for the Gophers, and it could be his last game. The redshirt sophomore, who won numerous individual accolades this year, could possibly turn pro and leave early for the NFL Draft after the Citrus Bowl. Meanwhile, quarterback Mitch Leidner will have to tune out all of these distractions against a rather stingy Missouri defense. The Tigers have allowed just 208.5 passing yards per game, which is well above Leidner's average (140.0).
2. All eyes on Shane Ray

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The Gophers have faced some tough defenses with good players this season, but the best player they'll see all year might be on Jan. 1. Ray, a junior defensive end for Missouri, was named the SEC's Defensive Player of the Year. He finished the season with 14 sacks, which was tied for third-most among all FBS players. Ray's 21 tackles for loss also were the third-most in college football. Missouri has another pretty good player at the other defensive end spot in Markus Golden (8.5 sacks, 16 tackles for loss), but Ray is the most likely to create havoc. He was ejected in the SEC championship game against Alabama for a targeting penalty, so his production was limited in that game. But Ray has had two or more sacks in five of the Tigers' 13 games this year. Minnesota was one of the better teams in the Big Ten in limiting sacks against, but the Gophers have yet to try to protect against a pass rusher of Ray's caliber.
3. Containing Maty Mauk
Missouri's passing game took a hit when it was announced that wide receiver Jimmie Hunt will miss the Citrus Bowl due to an injury. Hunt was the Tigers' second-leading receiver with 698 yards and seven touchdown catches. Still, Minnesota will have to worry about the scrambling ability of Mauk, Missouri's quarterback. Mauk isn't the most accurate passer, having completed just 52.9 percent of his attempts this year. But the Gophers have noted his ability to scramble in the pocket to not only gain yards on the ground but also extend plays and give himself a chance to find receivers downfield. Mauk has rushed for 335 yards on 97 carries, so he'll bring the threat of a run. Minnesota's front seven will also need to contain him within the pocket and make sure he doesn't get enough room to scramble around and buy time for his receivers to get open.
4. Can David Cobb replicate Alabama's and Indiana's success on the ground?

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The SEC championship game was rather one-sided, with Alabama dispensing of Missouri by a 42-13 final. In that game, the Crimson Tide rushed for 242 total yards -- including 141 yards and two touchdowns by Derrick Henry. The 242 yards were the most Missouri has surrendered on the ground this year, but only by one yard. In fact, it was the Indiana Hoosiers who gashed the Tigers' defense for 241 rushing yards back in late September en route to an upset of Missouri. Hoosiers running back Tevin Coleman had a nice game that day, rushing for 132 yards on just 19 carries. The recipe to beat the Tigers seems to start with a strong running game; Missouri's other loss came when Georgia ran for 210 yards and three touchdowns. If Cobb and Co. can move the chains by running the ball, Missouri may be susceptible on defense. The Tigers are 0-3 when allowing 200 or more rushing yards this season, while Minnesota is 6-1 when tallying 200 or more yards on the ground.
5. Getting that elusive bowl victory
Plenty of players on this year's Gophers team have talked about the fact that they have lost their last two bowl games -- the Meineke Car Care Bowl in 2012 and the Texas Bowl last season. You have to go back to the 2004 Music City Bowl to find the last time Minnesota has won a bowl game; the Gophers beat Alabama 20-16 in that game in December of 2004. Minnesota's program has made great strides under head coach Jerry Kill in his four seasons in charge, jimbut winning a bowl game would certainly go a long way in helping the Gophers take the next step. Minnesota has shown progress just by getting to the Citrus Bowl and playing in a Jan. 1 bowl game for the first time since 1962. The Gophers seniors have already done plenty to leave their mark on this program, but beating Missouri would be icing on the cake.

[trappincoyotes39]

GAME NOTES: The No. 16 Missouri Tigers and Minnesota Golden Gophers look to finish off their overachieving seasons on a positive note when they square off in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando on Jan. 1.

Missouri won its final six games of the regular season to win the SEC East and earn a date with Alabama in the conference title game. An upset of the top- ranked Crimson Tide was not meant to be, as the Tigers were steamrolled, 42-13, after getting outgained 504-41 in the running game.

Despite the lopsided loss, Missouri still posted 10 wins for the second straight season and reached back-to-back New Year's Day bowl games for the first time since 1960-61.

The Tigers have won their last two bowl games, including last year's Cotton Bowl over Oklahoma State. They have a postseason record of 14-16 and have won five of nine under head coach Gary Pinkel.

"We're building to become great. We're going to work real hard to do that," said Pinkel, who was named the SEC Coach of the Year after the Tigers were predicted to finish in the middle of the SEC East. "I think this is a step in respect for our program."

Pinkel's defensive coordinator, Dave Steckel, will leave the program to become the head coach at Missouri State following the game. Steckel orchestrated a defense that set a school record for sacks (42) and held six of its nine conference opponents to 21 points or less.

Shane Ray was named a First-Team All-American following a campaign that saw him record 14 sacks and 21 tackles for loss. Fellow lineman Markus Golden was not far behind with 8.5 sacks and 16 TFLs, linebackers Kentrell Brothers and Michael Scherer both recorded 100-plus tackles, and Braylon Webb highlighted the secondary with four interceptions.

The Tigers have found success without the luxury of a potent offense, as they put up a modest 27.4 ppg on 361.8 ypg.

Maty Mauk has been an enigma under center. On the positive side of things, he's accounted for 23 touchdowns, but he's completed only 52.9 percent of passes for 196.2 ypg with 11 interceptions. His primary target is Bud Sasser, who has tallied 70 receptions for 935 yards and 10 touchdowns. Jimmie Hunt has also been solid outside with 40 receptions for 698 yards and seven scores.

Marcus Murphy is one of the nation's most talented weapons and is the only player in the FBS this season to have recorded a touchdown in all four all- purpose categories: rushing, receiving, kick return and punt return. He has amassed 1,010 yards from scrimmage and eight total touchdowns. Russell Hansbrough is the team's leading rusher at 1,023 yards and nine scores.

Minnesota had an outside chance at reaching the Big Ten title game coming into November, but losses to Ohio State and Wisconsin ended that pipe dream. Still, the Gophers posted back-to-back eight-win seasons for the first time since 2002-03 and reached their third straight bowl game.

Jerry Kill was named Big Ten Coach of the Year for those efforts and has the program in striking distance of nine victories for just the second time in the last 109 years.

"We've gotten rewarded going to the Citrus Bowl, and none of us could be more excited about this opportunity. We all want to play in January," Kill said. "This is another step forward in the program."

A big reason behind the Gophers' success is senior tailback David Cobb, who broke Laurence Maroney's single-season school rushing record with 1,545 yards. He carried the ball an average of 24.4 times per game and punched in 13 rushing touchdowns.

Quarterback Mitch Leidner totaled 462 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground, but the focus on the running game led to the worst passing attack in the Big Ten. Leidner threw for just 140.0 ypc and 10 touchdowns with eight interceptions.

Tight end Maxx Williams was the leading receiver with just 28 catches for 471 and seven scores. No one else caught more than 15 passes.

As for the Minnesota defense, it has performed admirably in permitting just 23.4 ppg, which was the sixth fewest allowed in the Big Ten. The Gophers are among the league leaders in turnover margin (+11) thanks to Briean Boddy- Calhoun's four interceptions. Damien Wilson is the team's top tackler with 111, which is 34 more than his closest teammate. He also leads the way with four sacks, has forced two fumbles and recovered another.

The postseason has not been kind to the Gophers, who are 5-11 in bowl games and have dropped their last six. Their most recent win came against Alabama in the 2004 Music City Bowl.

These programs have met eight times previously but have not played since 1970. Missouri holds a slight 4-3-1 edge, and if they can hold Cobb in check, they should find enough success on offense and special teams to pull out a win in what is shaping up to be a defensive battle.

Read more here: www.kansascity.com/sports/college/article5075448.html#storylink=cpy

[trappincoyotes39]

Hey tman 31/2 hrs till kick off! Good luck.

GO!!!!!!!!!!!!

[trappnman]

good luck- but hope the gophers kick butt!