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Saturday, October 18, 1997

Missouri vs. Texas a matchup of inconsistent teams

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -- A season that so far has been win-one, lose-one hasn't discouraged Missouri coach Larry Smith.

Entering Saturday's Big 12 game against Texas, Smith continues to hope that this is the year the Tigers (3-3 overall, 1-2 Big 12) end a run of 13 consecutive losing seasons. He's still hopeful of playing in a bowl game.

"Certainly," Smith said. "As long as you're alive and kicking and you've got a chance, you've got to take them one at a time."

Missouri has dominated the weaker opponents on its schedule, Eastern Michigan, Tulsa and Iowa State. On the other hand, the Tigers lost to Kansas in a toss-up game, and were routed by ranked teams Ohio State and Kansas State.

"They kicked our butts in about every way possible," Smith said of Saturday's 41-11 loss to Kansas State. "We've just got to get back to focusing on hard work, blocking and tackling."

Missouri has lost 19 in a row to ranked teams. And coming up are No. 16 and unbeaten Oklahoma State Oct. 25 and No. 2 Nebraska Nov. 8. Also among the finishing stretch is Colorado, which dropped out of the rankings after losing to Oklahoma State last week.

"We've got a team that has not played its best football yet," Smith said. "It's not a matter of waiting for it to happen, it's a matter of making it happen."

Texas coach John Mackovic is having the same problems with the team that won last year's Big 12 championship game. The Longhorns (3-2, 1-1) were No. 11 before losing 66-3 to UCLA in the second week of the season, then after a week they barely beat Rice while allowing 452 yards rushing. Two weeks ago, Texas lost 42-16 to Oklahoma State.

Texas is among the worst in the nation against the rush, Missouri's strength, allowing 277 yards per game.

Mackovic said this team reminds him of his first team at Texas, in 1993, because it's so short in depth. The defense is filled with youngsters.

"I know Missouri is a team that has had some really strong quarters," Mackovic said. "They haven't always strung four of them together and that's something we're going through as well."

The Longhorns' strength is their running game. Ricky Williams has two 200-yard games in the last three weeks, rushing for 249 yards two weeks ago against Rice and 223 on a school-record 40 carries last week against Oklahoma.

Williams had 112 yards rushing and two touchdowns in last year's season-opening 40-10 victory over Missouri.

As quarterback Corby Jones goes, so goes Missouri, which is averaging 263 yards on the ground.

Jones had 84 yards on 23 carries against Kansas State, including a 22-yard score, and has become the main weapon in an experienced backfield that last year produced four 500-yard rushers for the first time in school history. The other three backs combined for 52 yards on 20 carries against Kansas State.

"Corby Jones is the key guy for them," Mackovic said. "We have to spend a lot of time on the options."

Missouri's career leading rusher, tailback Brock Olivo, got only six carries for 20 yards against Kansas State. His workload has been decreasing lately, but Smith said it's not be design.

"I think it's just the way things happen in a game," Smith said. "This week, none of the running backs got the amount of carries we'd like them to get."

Texas has one of the nation's top field-goal kickers in Phil Dawson, who is 6-for-6 and has made three from beyond the 50-yard line.

Texas has won nine straight in the series and is 11-4 overall, but this will be the Longhorns' first appearance in Columbia, Mo., since 1986. Missouri last beat Texas in 1916.