Tigers ready to take on No. 1 Texas
by Kathleen Sprouse, posted Oct. 17, 2008
The MU Tigers’ undefeated record was humbled Saturday at Faurot Field against Oklahoma State, a loss of 28-23. Fans are hoping the loss will be the catalyst the Tigers need to come back stronger and beat the No. 1 ranked Texas Longhorns (6-0) this Saturday, Oct. 18 in Austin, Texas.
“I think we had a lot of pressure wanting to beat Texas so we kind of got side tracked at the Oklahoma State game,” said junior, Jesse Harrison. “So, hopefully we are going to be really angry and want to come back and fight and beat the Longhorns.”
The Longhorns’ home turf, the Austin Darrel K Royal Memorial Stadium, is intimidating. Its rising seats that seem to touch the clouds are covered with screaming fans wearing orange. The hostile environment and skilled players have stopped the Tigers from a victory there since 1896.
“You always want to play against the best of the best,” said Jeremy Maclin, wide receiver. “Luckily, we have the opportunity to play the No. 1 team in the nation. It gives us another chance to go out there and showcase what we can do. We’ve got to bounce back.”
This Saturday is an important game for some players; 28 Tigers are Texas natives. This includes quarterback Chase Daniel from Southlake, linebacker Sean Weatherspoon from Jasper, defensive end Stryker Sulak from Rockdale, defensive tackle Ziggy Hood from Amarillo, defensive end Tommy Chavis from Orange, and wide receiver Jared Perry from La Marque.
“I was a Longhorns fan growing up; it was my favorite team,” Alexander said. “Missouri was my first offer. They were the first school that called me so I stayed loyal to them.”
Whether Texas was looking at MU players in high school or not, it is motivating the Tigers to dominate the Longhorns.
“Any game means just as much. If you sleep on one team, they’ll come and knock you out, like what happened last week,” Maclin said. “Every game means just as much. We can’t lose another game.”
The Longhorns’ quarterback, Colt McCoy, is impressive, standing at 6 feet 3 inches and weighing in at 210 pounds. McCoy is having a career high season, leading his team with 348 rushing yards and averaging 259.5 passing yards per game.
“Not only can he make plays on passes, but he can also run,” said defensive tackle Ziggy Hood. “He’s a pretty good-sized kid and a tough kid. Sometimes he’ll take the ball and just run you right over. When you’ve got a tough quarterback coming at you like that, it makes the game a little bit more challenging.”
The Tigers have a great opportunity this Saturday to prove themselves and raise their ranking if they beat the Longhorns. The game will be aired nationally at 7 p.m. on ABC.
