The Missouri Tigers football program represents the University of Missouri in college football and competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Since 2012, Missouri has been a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and is currently aligned in its Eastern Division. Home games are played at Faurot Field ("The Zou") in Columbia, Missouri.
Missouri's football program dates back to 1890, and has appeared in 31 bowl games (including 10 major bowl appearances: 4 Orange Bowls, 3 Cotton Bowls, 2 Sugar Bowls, and 1 Fiesta Bowl). Missouri has won 15 conference titles, 5 division titles, and has 2 national championship selections recognized by the NCAA. Entering the 2017 season, Missouri's all-time record is 672â€"549â€"53 (.548).
The team was coached by Gary Pinkel (2001â€"2015), who is the winningest coach of all-time at Missouri (setting that mark with his 102nd win at the AT&T Cotton Bowl on January 3, 2014). Pinkel's record with Mizzou after his final game on Nov. 27, 2015, is 118â€"73 (.618).
Conference affiliations
- 1890â€"1892: Independent
- 1892â€"1897: Western Interstate University Football Association
- 1898â€"1906: Independent
- 1907â€"1995: Big Eight Conference (MVIAA 1907â€"1964, unofficially called Big Six 1928â€"1947, Big Seven 1947â€"1957 and Big Eight 1957â€"1963)
- 1996â€"2011: Big 12 Conference
- 2012â€"present: Southeastern Conference
Source
Championships
The Missouri Tigers have 15 conference championships and 5 conference division titles.
Conference Championships
†Denotes co-champions
* The 1960 Big Eight title was retroactively awarded after a loss to Kansas was reversed due to Kansas' use of a player who was later ruled to be ineligible.
Divisional Championships
The Tigers were previously members of the Big 12 North division between its inception in 1996 and the dissolution of conference divisions within the Big 12 in 2011. The Tigers joined the SEC as members of the SEC East starting in 2012.
†Denotes co-champion
Non-consensus National Championships
Due to the lack of an NCAA-sanctioned Football Bowl Subdivision national championship, third parties including the Bowl Championship Series, Associated Press, United Press International, and USA Today have often crowned a champion following either the end of the regular season or following the bowl games for that season. The NCAA historically has not endorsed a specific system or champion, but lists several polls or mathematical selectors as "Consensus National Champions" in their NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records guide.
The Tigers have been declared champions twice by non-consensus polls. Neither of these national championships are officially claimed by Missouri.
* The 1960 record was officially recorded as 10â€"1, but was later changed to 11â€"0 due to Kansas' subsequent forfeit.
Bowl games
Missouri has appeared in 31 bowl games, including 10 major bowl appearances: 4 Orange Bowls, 3 Cotton Bowls, 2 Sugar Bowls, and 1 Fiesta Bowl, with an all-time bowl record of 15â€"16.
Missouri's entire bowl history is shown in the table below.
Year-by-year record
11960 team lost to Kansas but was later awarded win by default due to an ineligible Kansas player, (Bert Coan).
All-time record vs. SEC teams
Current coaching staff
Coaching Staff
Award winners
- Amos Alonzo Stagg Award â€" For Contributions to Football
- Don Faurot â€" 1964
- Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award
- Warren Powers â€" 1978
- Mosi Tatupu Award â€" Best Special Teams Player
- Brock Olivo â€" 1997
- John Mackey Award â€" Best Tight End
- Chase Coffman â€" 2008
Player accomplishments
All-Americans (35)
- Marcus Murphy, AP, 2014
Retired jerseys
- Johnny Roland, #23
- Roger Wehrli, #23
- Brock Olivo, #27
- Bob Steuber, #37
- Darold Jenkins, #42
- Paul Christman, #44
- Kellen Winslow, #83
Missouri players in the NFL
Current
- Tim Barnes â€" center
- Beau Brinkley â€" long snapper for the Tennessee Titans
- Justin Britt â€" center for the Seattle Seahawks
- Chase Daniel â€" quarterback for the New Orleans Saints
- Kony Ealy â€" defensive end for the New York Jets
- Blaine Gabbert â€" quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals
- Andrew Gachkar â€" linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars
- E.J. Gaines â€" cornerback for the Buffalo Bills
- Zaviar Gooden â€" linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals
- Russell Hansbrough â€" running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Charles Harris - defensive end for the Miami Dolphins
- Ziggy Hood â€" defensive end for the Washington Redskins
- Jeremy Maclin â€" wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens
- William Moore â€" safety
- Sheldon Richardson â€" defensive end for the New York Jets
- Aldon Smith â€" linebacker for the Oakland Raiders
- Jacquies Smith â€" defensive end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Sean Weatherspoon â€" linebacker
- Shane Ray â€" linebacker for the Denver Broncos
- Mitch Morse â€" center for the Kansas City Chiefs
- Dorial Green-Beckham â€" wide receiver He was dismissed from Missouri in 2013, and practiced but never played for Oklahoma
- Markus Golden â€" defensive end for the Arizona Cardinals
- Marcus Murphy â€" running back/return specialist for the New York Jets
Former
- Bud Abell â€" former linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs.
- Danario Alexander â€" former wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers
- Victor Bailey â€" former wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs
- Brandon Barnes â€" former linebacker for the Washington Redskins
- Ed Blaine â€" former offensive guard for the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles
- Dwayne Blakley â€" former tight end for the Atlanta Falcons
- Colin Brown â€" former offensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills
- Hank Burnine â€" former end for the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles
- Paul Christman â€" former quarterback for the Chicago Cardinals
- Chase Coffman â€" former tight end for the Tennessee Titans
- John Douglas â€" former linebacker for the New York Giants
- Kip Edwards â€" former cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings
- Michael Egnew â€" former tight end for the Jacksonville Jaguars
- Gerry Ellis â€" former running back for the Green Bay Packers
- Atiyyah Ellison - former defensive lineman for the Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars
- Mike Fink â€" former defensive back for the New Orleans Saints
- James Franklin former quarterback for the Detroit Lions
- William Franklin (American football) â€" former wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions
- Justin Gage â€" former wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans
- Tony Galbreath â€" former running back for the New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings, and New York Giants
- Mel Gray â€" former wide receiver for the St. Louis Cardinals
- Jim Harrison â€" former fullback for the Chicago Bears
- Jerrell Jackson â€" former wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs
- Demetrious Johnson (American football) â€" former defensive back for the Detroit Lions, and Miami Dolphins
- Mike Jones â€" former linebacker for the L.A./Oakland Raiders, St. Louis Rams, and Pittsburgh Steelers
- Henry Josey â€" former running back for the Minnesota Vikings
- Wes Kemp â€" former wide receiver for the New York Jets
- Gary Lane â€" former quarterback for the Cleveland Browns
- Leo Lewis â€" former wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings
- Erik McMillan â€" former safety for the New York Jets
- T. J. Moe â€" former wide receiver for the St. Louis Rams
- Joe Moore â€" former running back for the Chicago Bears
- Damien Nash â€" former running back for the Denver Broncos
- Brock Olivo â€" former running back & special teams player, Detroit Lions
- Gus Otto â€" former linebacker for the Oakland Raiders
- Tony Palmer â€" former offensive guard for the Green Bay Packers
- Francis Peay â€" former offensive tackle of the New York Giants, Green Bay Packers, and the Kansas City Chiefs
- Johnnie Poe â€" former cornerback for the New Orleans Saints
- Tommy Reamon â€" former running back for the Kansas City Chiefs
- Howard Richards â€" former offensive lineman for the Dallas Cowboys
- Johnny Roland â€" former running back for the St. Louis Cardinals
- Martin Rucker â€" former tight end for the Cleveland Browns
- Andy Russell â€" former linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers
- Kevin Rutland â€" former defensive back for the Kansas City Chiefs
- Michael Sam â€" former defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys
- Bud Sasser â€" former wide receiver for the St. Louis Rams
- George Seals â€" former lineman for the Chicago Bears
- Brad Smith â€" former quarterback/return specialist/wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles
- Brian Smith â€" former linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars
- Gordon Smith â€" former tight end for the Minnesota Vikings
- Justin Smith â€" former defensive end for the San Francisco 49ers
- Ray Smith â€" center
- Jon Staggers â€" former wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers
- Bruce Van Dyke â€" former offensive guard for the Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Green Bay Packers
- L'Damian Washington â€" former wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs
- Russ Washington â€" former offensive tackle for the San Diego Chargers
- Eric Waters â€" former tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers
- Roger Wehrli â€" former cornerback for the St. Louis Cardinals â€" Pro Football Hall of Famer
- Lorenzo Williams â€" former defensive end for the Baltimore Ravens and Carolina Panthers
- Kellen Winslow â€" former tight end for the San Diego Chargers â€" Pro Football Hall of Famer
- James Wilder â€" former running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Eric Wright â€" former cornerback for the San Francisco 49ers
College Football Hall of Fame
Missouri has 12 inductees into the College Football Hall of Fame
- Bill Roper, Coach (1951)
- Paul Christman, Quarterback (1956)
- Don Faurot, Coach (1961)
- Bob Steuber, Halfback (1971)
- Jim Phelan, Coach (1973)
- Ed Travis, Offensive tackle (1974)
- Darold Jenkins, Center (1976)
- Frank Broyles, Coach (1983)
- Dan Devine, Coach (1985)
- Johnny Roland, Halfback (1998)
- Kellen Winslow, Tight end (2002)
- Roger Wehrli, Cornerback (2003)
Pro Football Hall of Fame
Two Missouri players have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame:
- Kellen Winslow, Tight end (1995)
- Roger Wehrli, Cornerback (2007)
Nickname
The nickname "Tigers", given to Mizzou's athletic teams, traces its origin to the Civil War period. At that time, plundering guerrilla bands habitually raided small towns, and Columbia people constantly feared an attack. Such organizations as temporary "home guards" and vigilance companies banded together to fight off any possible forays.
The town's preparedness discouraged any guerrilla activity and the protecting organization began to disband in 1864. However, it was rumored that a guerrilla band, led by the notorious Bill Anderson, intended to sack the town. Quickly organized was an armed guard of Columbia citizens, who built a blockhouse and fortified the old courthouse in the center of town. This company was called "The Missouri Tigers." The marauders never came. The reputation of the intrepid "Tigers" presumably traveled abroad, and Anderson's gang detoured around Columbia.
The Tigers militia unit was commanded by James Rollins, upon whom the MU's Board of Curators later bestowed the title of "Pater Universitatis Missouriensis" (Father of the University of Missouri) in recognition of his "great efforts to promote the posterity, usefulness, and success" of the University.
When the MU football team was first formed in 1890, at a mass meeting of students and interested citizens held to perfect the organization of the team, "Tigers" was unanimously selected as the team name, in recognition of Rollins and the town's civil war defenders.
Mascot
Truman the Tiger was introduced as the school's mascot against the Utah State Aggies in 1986, receiving his name from former president Harry S Truman. Truman has been named the "Nation's Best Mascot" three times since 1986, most recently in 2004.
Homecoming
- See 1911 Kansas vs. Missouri football game
The NCAA as well as Jeopardy! and Trivial Pursuit recognize the University of Missouri as the birthplace of Homecoming, an event which became a national tradition in college football. The history of the University of Missouri Homecoming can be traced back to the 1911 Kansas vs. Missouri football game, when the Missouri Tigers faced off against the Kansas Jayhawks in the first installment of the Border War rivalry series.
Future opponents
Intra-division opponents
Missouri plays the other six SEC East opponents once per season.
Non-division opponents
Missouri plays Arkansas as a permanent non-division opponent annually and rotates around the West division among the other six schools.
Non-conference opponents
Announced schedules as of December 17, 2015
References
External links
- Official website