BIG 12/CONFERENCE USA: Moore, Gabbert lead Missouri past Kansas

— Missouri has never played better defensively in a Big 12 game - and now the Tigers might never play another Big 12 game.

In a 35-7 victory over Kansas on Saturday, the No. 14 Tigers held their rivals to 141 yards, the fewest they’ve allowed a conference opponent in the Big 12’s 15 seasons.

While Kansas and Missouri will continue the second-longest running rivalry in college football, the Big 12 next year will no longer be what it has been, since Colorado and Nebraska are moving on to other conferences and the league will reduce to 10 members. It could even change names.

“They are a very good defensive football team,” Kansas Coach Turner Gill said. “They have a good D-line, and with their linebackers and their whole secondary is a pretty good football team.”

Setting the tone on the first possession, the Tigers sacked Jordan Webb twice as Kansaslost 19 yards. The Tigers (10-2, 6-2) then scored on their first two possessions en route to their third victory over their rivals since their annual season-ending showdown was moved to Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium four years ago.

“I don’t want to say I knew it then, because it’s way too early, but you do get a feeling that it’s going to be a good day for the defense and a good day for Mizzou as a whole,” Missouri defensive end Kevin Rutland said. “And it kept going from there. The offense was rolling, the defense was rolling and it was a great team victory.”

De’Vion Moore scored two touchdowns for the Tigers, who drew 95 yards in penalties but still dominated their archrivals.

The Jayhawks (3-9, 1-7) ended a miserable season in Gill’s first year as head coach and have lost 16 of 19 after opening 2009 with five consecutivevictories.

“When you have spring practice, you have an idea,” said Gill, who replaced the gruff, volatile Mark Mangino with a softer, player-friendly approach. “But once they play in a game you get an idea of where the team is at. Now they have played in twelve games, and I have been assessing everybody.”

Blaine Gabbert directed scoring drives on Missouri’s first two possessions and later scored on a 1-yard run, sending the Tigers into the bowl season with losses only to Nebraska and Texas Tech.

Missouri rolled up 397 yards of total offense while recording the fourth 10-victory season in its 119-year history and giving Coach Gary Pinkel his 150th career victory.

In other games involving Big 12 teams, Daniel Thomas rushed for a career-high 269 yards and Kansas State (7-5) rallied for a 49-41 victory against North Texas (3-9) in Denton, Texas. Lance Dunbar rushed for 266 yards and three touchdowns for the Mean Green. ... Taylor Potts threw for 373 yards and four touchdowns to lead Texas Tech (7-5) over Houston (5-7)35-20 in Lubbock, Texas.

CONFERENCE USA

Central Florida cruises

MEMPHIS - Jeff Godfrey passed for 252 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another score as Central Florida defeated Memphis 37-17 on Saturday.

The Knights (9-3, 7-1 Conference USA) will host SMU on Dec. 4 in the league’s championship game.

Latavius Murray ran for two Central Florida touchdowns, including a 7-yarder to make it 23-7, four plays after the Tigers (1-11, 0-8) fumbled the second-half kickoff. Murray carried 16 times for 75 yards.

In other games involving Conference USA teams, Jeremy Eddington rushed for 66 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning 22-yard score with 44 seconds remaining, to give Rice (4-8, 3-5) a 28-23 victory over Alabama-Birmingham (4-8, 3-5) in Houston. ... Brian Anderson threw for two touchdowns and Marshall (5-7, 4-4) jumped out to an early lead to beat Tulane (4-8, 2-6) 38-23 in Huntington, W.Va., in the season finale for both teams.

Sports, Pages 38 on 11/28/2010

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