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Missouri holds off Iowa State

Oct 27, 2007 - 11:35 PM COLUMBIA, Missouri (Ticker) -- Missouri exacted a measure of revenge against Iowa State on Saturday.

Chase Daniel passed for 251 yards and a touchdown Saturday as the 13th-ranked Tigers held on for a 42-28 Big 12 Conference victory over the Cyclones.

The win avenges Missouri's 21-16 loss at Iowa State last year.

"I was very concerned about this game, and the players read about all this stuff and see on television that we were four-touchdown favorites," Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said. "But you've got to get ready and guess what? If you don't do it, you're not going to win. You're not going to get the prize at the end. So you've got to find a way to win and I feel that we did that today."

The Tigers (7-1, 3-1 Big 12 North) opened a 28-14 lead early in the second half when defensive end Stryker Sulak sacked Meyer and defensive tackle Lorenzo Williams scooped up the fumble and scored from nine yards out.

"In terms of the game, I think the offense fed off of it," said Sulak of the fumble. "It felt good to do it. I was really happy for Lorenzo that he got it and got us the touchdown."

Missouri converted the two-point conversion when Daniel hit wide receiver William Franklin.

But Iowa State (1-8, 0-5) answered right back with a one-yard TD pass from Meyer to Marquis Hamilton at the nine-minute mark of the third quarter to pull the Cyclones within 28-21.

Missouri scored consecutive touchdowns to take a commanding 42-21 lead early in the fourth quarter on a 10-yard pass from Daniel to tight end Martin Rucker and a one-yard scoring run by wide receiver Jeremy Maclin.

Iowa State answered with a 37-yard TD run by halfback Alexander Robinson with 7:19 left, but Missouri hung tough and kept the Cyclones scoreless from there.

"I thought the kids played hard down to the end," Iowa State coach Gene Chizik said. "I though that there was a comedy of errors at one point that really were inexcusable. Starting with the beginning of the second half, a couple of kickoff returns in a row put us in a hole.

"I thought it looked like we were just waiting for bad things to happen. But they kept fighting and kept clawing."

Daniel completed 28-of-37 attempts, Rucker had seven catches for 64 yards and Maclin chipped in 57 yards on six receptions for the Tigers.

Meyer was 33-of-48 for 237 yards for the Cyclones and Robinson rushed 21 times for 149 yards.

"Obviously Missouri is a great team, they are ranked 13th in the nation," Robinson said. "When you get a team like that you have to capitalize on every opportunity that you have. Obviously we let a few slip away."