GAME NOTES
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Texas tees off on Gabbert
Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert had to be helped off the field after aggravating his ankle injury when Texas defensive end Eddie Jones dragged him down from behind early in the third quarter of last night’s homecoming game on Faurot Field. He spent the remainder of a frustrating night on the MU sideline, watching the third-ranked Longhorns put the finishing touches on a 41-7 victory that dropped the Tigers to 0-3 in Big 12 Conference play.
It wasn’t his decision.
“He was real upset that we took him out,” said Coach Gary Pinkel, who called the decision to pull Gabbert precautionary. “As the third quarter went, we got that turnover and we could have been in position to score to get back in the game a little bit, then we would have played him, but it was also my call — and I said that at halftime — that if it was a point where we were out of the game, then I thought it was wise to get him out.”
Gabbert had already taken a pretty good beating on a night when he completed 8 of 16 passes for a mere 84 yards. He was sacked only twice but absorbed numerous other shots from a Longhorns defense that knocked Heisman Trophy-winner Sam Bradford off the Cotton Bowl field a week earlier in the Red River Rivalry game against Oklahoma.
“Did you watch the Oklahoma game? Those guys, they hit you, so you better set and get rid of the football,” Pinkel said. “Against Texas Tech, it was the same way.”
Gabbert, who had a cast on his right ankle after the game, pledged to be back on the field next week when the Tigers travel to Colorado.
Backup Jimmy Costello played the final quarter and a half in Gabbert’s place in what was the first Big 12 action of his career.
“It comes with being that guy, being the No. 2 guy. You’ve got to be ready every play,” Costello said. “I was ready to go in, a little nervous to start off, but that goes away after one or two plays.”
He wound up completing 3 of 6 passes for 25 yards but tossed a pair of interceptions — one of which came on a deflected pass.
One shining moment
The Missouri offense managed to put together one scoring drive against a stout Texas defense that is among the best in the country. It came in the second quarter after the Longhorns had already opened up a 21-0 lead.
Freshman running back Kendial Lawrence ignited the drive with a 22-yard run on second-and-10 from the Tigers’ 19-yard line.
It was more yardage in one play than Texas had yielded in its first three Big 12 games. Texas Tech, Colorado and Oklahoma managed a combined 20 rushing yards on 74 carries.
Missouri continued to use the running game throughout the drive as Lawrence and Derrick Washington carried it six more times combined and picked up 36 yards before Gabbert hit Jared Perry for an 11-yard touchdown.
“We got the run game going, and that opened it up for Blaine,” Washington said.
But that success was fleeting. Missouri finished with only 74 rushing yards on 29 carries, and 39 of those came in the fourth quarter with the Longhorns comfortably in front.
Special teams cost Tigers before halftime
Missouri had a chance to stay within striking distance heading into halftime as they lined up to receive a kickoff with 1:49 remaining. The kick sailed into Lawrence’s arms a few yards deep in the end zone. The rookie decided to run it out and was stopped in his tracks at the 10-yard line.
“No one questioned me, but I asked Coach, ‘Was it the right thing to do?’ ” Lawrence said. “He said just make sure next time I’m aware of my surroundings and know where I’m at.”
The Tigers started in a hole, and it got deeper when back-to-back running plays lost Missouri 5 yards. Gabbert had to throw it away on third down, bringing on Missouri’s punt team.
Texas sent everyone charging at Jake Harry, and Curtis Brown blocked the punt. It squirted toward the front of the end zone, and Malcolm Williams fell on it to help the Longhorns take a 35-7 lead.
“It was giant,” Harry said. “We were still pretty much in it, and that pretty much set the tone for the rest of the game.”
Reach Steve Walentik at 573-815-1788 or e-mail swalentik@columbiatribune.com.
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