Missouri beats Nevada in 2009 Football Matchup
Gabbert, Alexander Star in Tigers' 31-21 Non-Conference Victory
Sep 26, 2009
Gabbert completed 25 of 40 passes for 414 yards and three touchdowns, and Alexander had nine catches for 170 yards and two TDs to help Missouri improve to 4-0.
Both Gabbert and Alexander reached career highs for single-game yardage, and Gabbert has now passed for 1,261 yards and 11 TDs in 2009. The sophomore first-year starter has thrown 131 passes without being intercepted.
Alexander, who caught TD passes of 31 and 74 yards on Friday night, has 29 catches for 417 yards just four games into the season. He made just 26 receptions in all of 2008.
But coach Gary PInkel's struggled offensively in the first half and trailed early in the third quarter before its offense kicked into gear. The Tigers took control by scoring 20 unanswered points during a span of the third and fourth quarters.
Quarterback Colin Kaepernick passed for a touchdown and ran for another for Nevada in its home opener, but the Wolf Pack fell to 0-3.
Coach Chris Ault's team entered the contest averaging four turnovers per game. Nevada committed just two on Friday, but they led to 10 Missouri points.
Fumble Sets Stage for Crucial Missouri Touchdown Drive
The second turnover came early in the fourth quarter with the Wolf Pack trailing 21-13. Nevada faced a third-and-one situation on the Missouri 4-yard line when running back Luke Lippincott was stripped of the ball by Aldon Smith while running for a first down.
Brian Coulter recovered on the 3, and the Tigers proceeded to march 97 yards for a TD. The Tigers converted three third downs on the drive, which ended with a 4-yard TD pass from Gabbert to Jared Perry. It lasted 11 plays and took 4:22 off the clock. When it ended, the Tigers held a 28-13 lead with 10 minutes, 7 seconds to play.
On the next Missouri drive, a 48-yard pass from Gabbert to Wes Kent set up a clinching 26-yard field goal by Grant Ressel, giving a Missouri a 31-13 advantage with five minutes remaining.
Nevada's first turnover was a fumbled punt by Vai Taua in the first quarter. Andrew Gachkar recovered and Missouri drove 46 yards to go ahead 3-0 on a 22-yard Ressel field goal.
Missouri was more fortunate after committing its only turnover of the game. Jonathan Amaya recovered a fumble by Derrick Washington on the Tigers' 23 with 23 seconds left in the half. But the Wolf Pack was pushed back 15 yards by a personal foul penalty. And since Nevada had used all three of its timeouts on a first-quarter scoring drive, it had no time to get into position for a field goal.
Long Pass Play Gives Tigers Lead for Good
Nevada grabbed a 7-3 lead on a 2-yard run by Courtney Randall, but Ressel made it 7-6 with a 31-yard field goal with 1:00 left in the period. The Tigers went ahead on Gabbert's 31-yard TD pass to Alexander with 2:09 remaining in the first half, although an attempted 2-point conversion run by Washington failed.
The Wolfpack jumped on top in the third quarter when Kaepernick rolled left to avoid a trio of tacklers, then raced down the sideline for a 16-yard touchdown. Randall was stopped on a 2-point conversion attempt, leaving Nevada up 13-12 with 11:07 left in the period.
The lead lasted only 37 seconds. On the second play after the kickoff, Gabbert found Alexander over the middle and the 6-foot-2, 215-pound senior found clear sailing to the end zone for a 74-yard TD. A 2-point conversion pass by Gabbert failed, and Missouri led 18-13.
Missouri's defense held on the ensuing possession, and the Tigers drove 71 yards to set up a 27-yard field goal by Ressel. That made it 21-13 with 4:17 remaining in the third.
Missouri Offense Gains 495 Yards
The Tigers rolled up 495 yards of total offense. Washington ran 16 times for 75 yards, Perry had eight catches for 72 yards, and Kemp had three receptions for 99 yards. Linebackers Sean Weatherspoon and Will Ebner led the defense with nine tackles apiece.
For Nevada, Lippincott ran 23 times for 114 yards, and Kaepernick completed 17 of 28 passes for 146 yards. Kaepernick, who was sacked three times, rushed for 59 yards on 13 attempts.
The 6-foof-6 junior hit Brandon Wimberly with a 6-yard TD pass with 2:32 left in the game, and ran in a 2-point conversion for the final points of the game. The Wolf Pack finished with 364 yards of offense.
Nevada's defense got eight tackles, including three for losses, from linebacker Brandon Marshall. Defensive end Dontay Moch had six tackles, including a sack and 3.5 tackles for losses. Moch also forced a fumble.
Tigers Keep Non-Conference Streak Alive
Missouri, which won its 14th consecutive non-conference game, will have a bye week before playing its Big 12 Conference opener Oct. 8 at home vs. Nebraska.
The Tigers haven’t lost a non-conference game since falling to Oregon State 39-38 in the 2006 Sun Bowl. They also improved to 2-0 vs. Nevada. Missouri won the only previous meeting between the teams, 69-17, last season in Columbia, Mo.
Nevada will face state rival UNLV on Oct. 3 at home.
