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Missouri tries to avoid looking past Kansas State

Nov 17, 2007 - 12:00 PM No. 6 Missouri (9-1) at Kansas St (5-5) 12:30 pm EST

MANHATTAN, Kansas (Ticker) -- In order to ensure that next week's game at Kansas will be for the Big 12 North Division title, Chase Daniel and Missouri first must beat another team from the Sunflower State.

Daniel and the sixth-ranked Tigers visit Kansas State on Saturday, one week before a huge showdown.

Missouri (9-1, 5-1 Big 12 North) visits unbeaten No. 4 Kansas next week. But the only way the Tigers can guarantee it'll be for the division title, they must defeat the slumping Wildcats.

The Tigers have won four straight games since a 41-31 loss at Oklahoma on October 13. Last week, Missouri downed Texas A&M in Columbia, 40-26.

An outside Heisman Trophy candidate, Daniel completed 27-of-35 passes for 353 yards and three touchdowns for the Tigers, who have collected more than 1,150 total yards the past two games.

Kansas State briefly was ranked following a 41-21 road upset of Texas in Austin on September 29, but the team is just 2-4 since.

Last week, the Wildcats were crushed by Nebraska, 73-31, just seven days after the Cornhuskers had surrendered 76 points - their most ever - in a loss to Kansas. It was the most points Kansas State had surrendered since 1971.

The Wildcats had won 13 consecutive meetings before falling in Columbia last year, 41-21.