Columbia, Mo. ? For a change, Chase Daniel was a member of the supporting cast for Missouri. The Tigers’ most well-rounded effort of the season made it possible.
Missouri’s improving defense intercepted Graham Harrell four times, returning one for a score, while throttling the nation’s top offense in a 41-10 victory over No. 22 Texas Tech on Saturday.
Texas Tech forced Missouri, minus the injured Tony Temple, to run the ball, and the Tigers did so with great success. They gained 212 yards on the ground, and Daniel had 210 yards passing on only 19 attempts, both season lows.
“We’ve thrown that many in a quarter before,” Daniel said. “It just really shows we’re multidimensional. We’re not just going to throw it around 50-60 times a game.
“If the running game is going, we’re going to stick with it.”
Backup tailback Jimmy Jackson had 59 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries. Freshman Derrick Washington added 66 yards on nine carries for Missouri (6-1, 2-1 Big 12), which rebounded from a 10-point loss at Oklahoma last week and is 2-1 during a three-game stretch against ranked opponents.
“A game like that against such a good team, and the damage they can do in seconds, I’m very proud of our team,” coach Gary Pinkel said.
Temple missed his second straight game due to an ankle injury, adding a bruise to a sprain in practice Wednesday. Missouri still won for the 13th time in 14 home games.
The scoring total was by far a season low for Texas Tech (6-2, 2-2), which entered the game first in points (50) and yards (582) per game. Missouri scored on its first four possessions of the second half to top its 40-point average, though the game didn’t come close to fulfilling expectations of a points-fest featuring two of the most prolific passers in the country.
“We played like a coalition, a banana republic type of deal,” coach Mike Leach said. “This little group, that little group might play for a period of time. We never really played together.”