rollercoaster season in which McFad- Mizzou’s Daniel, a junior, was the den overcame injured ribs and a slight quarterback at perennial powerhouse concussion suffered in September, the Southlake Carroll High School. And the Razorbacks have jelled down the Razorbacks’quarterback Casey Dick, stretch. another junior, was a star at Allen High For Missouri, in its 25th bowl School, in another Metroplex suburb. In ( 10-14), this has just been a special fact, Daniel’s Southlake team beat season period. The 11-2 Tigers already Dick’s Allen club in Texas State High have achieved their first 11-victory sea- School Playoff Games (5A Division II) son in history, their first No. 1 ranking in 2003 and 2004. So there is a bit of (Associated Press) since 1960, and revenge at stake for Dick, who didn’t their first Big 12 North Division title start at quarterback in either game, after topping Kansas, 36-28, in a high- while Daniel did. stakes, dramatic, regular-season- “Some players have played against ending game at Arrowhead Stadium in each other in high school,” said Kansas City, Mo. They came within one Arkansas’ head coach Reggie Herring, victory of playing for the national title, who stepped over from the defensive but there’s no reason for the Tigers to coordinator’s role when Houston Nutt be disappointed in their season. resigned as Arkansas’ head coach in From 1984-1996 Mizzou did not late November after beating LSU. post a winning season. Now, Missouri “There is no other bowl in the country is in its third straight bowl game under our fans would rather attend…Our guys Coach Gary Pinkel, and fourth bowl in are excited and we are very honored to five years. “I think it is all part of build- be here.” ing a program and overcoming obsta- Aside from the University of Texas’ cles of the recent past,” Pinkel said. 22 Cotton Bowl appearances, Arkansas’ “This is our fourth bowl in five years. It Missouri freshman JJerremy Maclin amassed appearance total of 11 is matched only is a Jan. 1 game…It is another step.” 2,,713 tottall yards tthiis season, rankiing second iin tthe nation wiitth 208.69 per game. by old Southwest Conference foe Texas “I know the history of Missouri,” A&M. The Razorbacks also have played added the Tigers’ senior nose tackle because the Dallas-Fort Worth area has SMU in the Cotton Bowl in numerous regu-Lorenzo Williams. “It has not had the best more Mizzou alums than any city outside of lar-season games over the years. Arkansas of luck. It has had the Fifth Down Game the state of Missouri. is 3-6-1 in its Cotton Bowl games, losing to (controversial loss to Colorado in 1990) Arkansas, likewise sold all its tickets in Oklahoma 10-3 in its last Fair Park appear-and the kicked ball incident (in a loss to one day. Arkansas has always drawn well ance on Jan. 1, 2002. top-ranked Nebraska in 1997). When we in Dallas, where thousands of Razorback Missouri is in its second Cotton Bowl got here Coach Christensen (Dave, offen- faithful make their homes and for years appearance, but first in 62 years, since the sive coordinator) and Coach Pinkel told us watched Arkansas in the old Southwest 1946 game when the Tigers’ dropped a we were about the dream. Our class when Conference. Plus, the Dallas-Fort Worth high-scoring 40-27 decision to Texas and we got here, we said would be the class to area is a fertile recruiting area for both Longhorn quarterback Bobby Layne. That turn it around. And I think we have done a schools. game stood as the highest scoring Cotton great job.” “We are certainly honored,” Pinkel said. Bowl until Notre Dame beat Houston,
The Tigers are playing in their first New “This is a very prestigious bowl, rich in tra- 35-34, in the Jan. 1, 1979 game. Missouri Year’s Day Bowl Game since Jan. 1, 1970, dition and known for hospitality. It is also a has played in the Cotton Bowl itself, in a when they lost to Penn State, 10-3, in the recruiting area for us. As you know Mis- long-running series with SMU. The Tigers
Orange Bowl. Missouri sold out its Cotton souri is our primary area. But we have 18- beat SMU here, 27-26, in 1996 in their Bowl ticket allotment in a few hours and 25 players every year in our program from most recent appearance in Dallas. should have plenty of rooters at Fair Park Texas.” Expect this game, like the 1946 Cotton
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