Top-25 Big 12 tussle in Columbia

The 23rd-ranked Missouri Tigers try to stretch their home winning streak to nine games this Saturday, when they welcome the 19th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners to Columbia for a Big 12 showdown. The Tigers enter the contest on a high note, as they posted a 41-21 victory over Kansas State last weekend to extend their home winning streak to eight games. It was a solid rebound for Missouri, which is off to its first 7-1 start since the 1969 season. More importantly, the victory improved the Tigers to 3-1 in conference play and that has them in a tie for the North Division lead with Nebraska. With just four games left in the regular season, Missouri has a legitimate shot to win its first conference title of any kind in football since the 1969 club earned a share of the Big East championship. As for Oklahoma, it was also in action last weekend, when it concluded a two-game homestand with a 24-3 triumph over Colorado. It was the second straight win and the third in three games by the Sooners, who ran their overall mark to 5-2 and their league record to 2-1. The team however, now takes to the road, where it has gone 0-2, including neutral site affairs, this season. Saturday's game will mark the 88th meeting between Oklahoma and Missouri, with the Sooners holding a commanding 61-21-5 advantage in the series. The Sooners have won each of the past three meetings and also own a 30-14 mark at Columbia.,The Sooners haven't had much of a problem putting points on the board this season, as they enter the contest averaging a hardy 31.6 ppg behind 378.6 total ypg. The offense has done a majority of its damage on the ground, where it has rushed for 170.9 ypg and 13 touchdowns. However, with Heisman hopeful Adrian Peterson now sidelined for the remainder of the season with a broken collarbone, Oklahoma may see a significant drop in its ground attack. In last weekend's win over Colorado though, that wasn't the case, as the Sooners rushed for 166 yards and threw for only 105 in their first full game without Peterson. Allen Patrick showed that he could carry the load with Peterson sidelined, as he rushed for 110 yards and a score on 35 carries. It was a solid showing by Patrick, who had rushed for just 72 yards before making his first start of the season last weekend. Quarterback Paul Thompson is another player that will need to step up his play to help compensate for the big loss in the backfield. Last weekend, Thompson connected on 17-of-26 pass attempts for 105 yards and a score. On the year, Thompson has done a solid job converting 61.2 percent of his throws for 1,439 yards with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. His main target is Malcolm Kelly, who leads the club with 30 catches, 524 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Defensively, the Sooners have played really well of late and are now holding their opponents to just 15.9 ppg and only 266.7 total ypg. The unit has done a solid job against both the run (115.1 ypg) and the pass (151.6 ypg), and has also created 15 turnovers. Last weekend, Oklahoma put forth a simply tremendous effort, limiting Colorado to a mere 113 yards of total offense and just one field goal in a winning cause. The unit gave up only five first downs in the game, in addition to forcing a pair of turnovers. Rufus Alexander paced the defense with 11 stops, while Zach Latimer added six tackles and his second interception of the season. Alexander currently leads the club with 59 stops and two forced fumbles, and he also has six TFLs to his name. Missouri possesses many weapons on the offensive side of the ball and it shows in its averages of 33.1 ppg and 419.5 total ypg. The offense has had a good amount of success on the ground (164.9 ypg) and through the air (254.6 ypg), and has also converted an impressive 51.0 percent of its third down attempts. Last weekend, The Tigers made good on 9-of-14 third down attempts, in addition to rolling up 433 yards (171 rushing) of total offense in an easy win over Kansas State. Quarterback Chase Daniel led the way, throwing for 262 yards and four scores on 24-of-31 pass attempts. It was yet another strong showing by Daniel, who has emerged as one of the premier quarterbacks in the Big 12, completing 66.8 percent of this throws for 2,003 yards with 19 touchdowns and only five interceptions. Daniel is also a threat to run the ball, as he ranks second on the team with 247 yards and three touchdowns. William Franklin has provided Daniel with an open target each week, and he leads the team with 38 catches, 690 yards and six scores. Last weekend, Franklin pulled in five balls that went for a team-high 87 yards and a score. As for the ground game, it is paced by Tony Temple, who has rushed for 662 yards behind a solid 5.3 ypc average this season. On the defensive side of the ball, the Tigers have more than held their own this season, limiting their opponents to 14.6 ppg and 282.2 total ypg. The unit, which is allowing just 109.8 ypg on the ground, has thrived in making big plays, recording 19 turnovers and 29 sacks thus far. In the team's last game, however, Missouri was torched for 262 yards on the ground by Kansas State, although the defense gave up just 63 yards through the air. The defense also posted four sacks and the same amount of turnovers, including a 41-yard fumble return for a touchdown by David Overstreet. The hard hitting safety ended up with a team-high nine stops in the win, while Marcus Bacon added eight tackles and two sacks. Bacon leads the club on the year with 75 stops to go along with three sacks and five forced fumbles. This should be one of the more entertaining games this weekend, as both schools are ranked and each is playing at a high level. Missouri however, has more to prove and behind its home crowd support it should be able to outlast an Oklahoma club that will surely miss the presence of Peterson in a big game like this. Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Missouri 31, Oklahoma 21