Tulsa World: Tigers aim to play spoiler

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Tigers aim to play spoiler

By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer
Published: 12/1/2008 2:24 AM
Last Modified: 12/1/2008 3:13 AM

NORMAN — Quarterback Chase Daniel justified Missouri's bitter loss to archrival Kansas on Saturday by saying, "We're in the (Big 12) championship game. Not Kansas, not Kansas State, not Baylor, no one else. We're in the championship game."

You can't blame the Tigers for spinning the 40-37 setback. They've had some practice in the art, in fact, since Oct. 11, the night they lost to Oklahoma State as the No. 3 team in the nation. They've lost twice more since then, and Daniel has faded from the Heisman Trophy picture as far as his team has faded from national title view.

Missouri has been reduced to national title spoiler, a role the Tigers will play Saturday.

Still, despite the disappointment within their season, it is a role the Tigers are capable of pulling off.

Daniel is fifth nationally in total offense, and fourth in passing yardage with 3,880. His targets include Jeremy Maclin and tight end Chase Coffman, who is a Mackey Award finalist.

Missouri's downfall, which has kept Gary Pinkel's teams from stepping deeper into national prominence, has been defense.

OSU's Kendall Hunter gashed Mizzou for 154 yards in OSU's 28-23 upset. The following week the Tigers surrendered 56 points at Texas.

"I really don't know what was going on," Tiger linebacker Sean Weatherspoon said. "We've just got to get more pressure on the quarterback, and we've got to be able to capitalize once we do get it."

Until that happens, the Tigers' 91st-ranked defense will

continue to take a pounding. And now they're supposed to stop Sam Bradford and the point-a-minute Sooners?

"We already know everyone is going to doubt us," Weatherspoon said. "We'll use that as motivation and just try to bounce back. We know the whole world is going to be out there questioning us."

Guerin Emig 581-8355
guerin.emig@tulsaworld.com By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer

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