1997 Missouri Tigers football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1997
| team = Missouri Tigers
| sport = football
| image = Missouri Tigers old logo.svg
| image_size = 150
| conference = Big 12 Conference
| division = North Division
| short_conf = Big 12
| CoachRank = 23
| APRank = 23
| record = 7–5
| conf_record = 5–3
| head_coach = Larry Smith
| hc_year = 4th
| off_coach = Jerry Berndt
| oc_year = 4th
| off_scheme =
| def_coach = Moe Ankney
| dc_year = 4th
| def_scheme =
| captain =
| stadium = Faurot Field
| bowl = Holiday Bowl
| bowl_result = L 24–35 vs. Colorado State
}}
{{1997 Big 12 Conference football standings}}
The 1997 Missouri Tigers football team represented the University of Missouri during the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. The 1997 Tigers went 7–5 (5–3 in Big 12 play), ending a streak of 13 consecutive losing seasons. However, the Tigers lost to Colorado State, 35–24, in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego. They played their home games at Faurot Field in Columbia, Missouri. They were members of the Big 12 Conference in the North Division. The team was coached by head coach Larry Smith.
The loss to eventual the national champion, (and then top-ranked) Nebraska in overtime came after the infamous Flea Kicker play. This was a deflection reception off an unintentionally kicked pass as the receiver that was falling and tried pull the ball to his chest with his foot, resulting in a deflection off the foot that another receiver was able to dive a catch.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 1997
| poll = AP
| timezone = Central
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 6
| time = 6:30 pm
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| opponent = Eastern Michigan
| site_stadium = Faurot Field
| site_cityst = Columbia, MO
| tv =
| score = 44–24
| attend = 52,514
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 13
| time = 11:30 am
| w/l = l
| away = y
| opponent = Kansas
| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium
| site_cityst = Lawrence, KS
| gamename = Border War
| tv = FSN
| score = 7–15
| attend = 38,000
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 20
| time = 4:00 pm
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| opponent = Tulsa
| site_stadium = Skelly Stadium
| site_cityst = Tulsa, OK
| tv =
| score = 42–21
| attend = 40,385
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 27
| time = 11:00 am
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| opponent = Ohio State
| opprank = 7
| site_stadium = Faurot Field
| site_cityst = Columbia, MO
| tv = ABC
| score = 10–31
| attend = 58,882
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 4
| time = 1:00 pm
| w/l = w
| opponent = Iowa State
| site_stadium = Faurot Field
| site_cityst = Columbia, MO
| gamename = rivalry
| tv =
| score = 45–21
| attend = 44,386
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 11
| time = 11:30 am
| w/l = l
| away = y
| opponent = Kansas State
| opprank = 22
| site_stadium = KSU Stadium
| site_cityst = Manhattan, KS
| tv = FSN
| score = 11–41
| attend = 43,510
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 18
| time = 1:00 pm
| w/l = w
| homecoming = y
| opponent = Texas
| site_stadium = Faurot Field
| site_cityst = Columbia, MO
| tv =
| score = 37–29
| attend = 48,451
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 25
| time = 11:30 am
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = Oklahoma State
| opprank = 12
| site_stadium = Lewis Field
| site_cityst = Stillwater, OK
| tv = FSN
| score = 51–50
| overtime = 2OT
| attend = 33,300
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 1
| time = 1:30 pm
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = Colorado
| site_stadium = Folsom Field
| site_cityst = Boulder, CO
| tv =
| score = 41–31
| attend = 43,119
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 8
| time = 2:30 pm
| w/l = l
| opponent = Nebraska
| opprank = 1
| site_stadium = Faurot Field
| site_cityst = Columbia, MO
| gamename = rivalry
| tv = ABC
| score = 38–45
| overtime = OT
| attend = 66,846
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 15
| time = 1:00 pm
| w/l = w
| rank = 25
| opponent = Baylor
| site_stadium = Faurot Field
| site_cityst = Columbia, MO
| tv =
| score = 42–24
| attend = 43,825
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = December 29
| time = 7:00 pm
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| neutral = y
| rank = 19
| opponent = Colorado State
| opprank = 18
| site_stadium = Qualcomm Stadium
| site_cityst = San Diego, CA
| gamename = Holiday Bowl
| tv = ESPN
| score = 24–35
| attend = 50,761
}}
}}
Rankings
{{see also|1997 NCAA Division I-A football rankings}}
{{Ranking movements
| poll1title = AP
| poll1firstweek = 0
| poll1lastweek = 17
| poll1_0=NR
| poll1_1=NR
| poll1_2=NR
| poll1_3=NR
| poll1_4=NR
| poll1_5=NR
| poll1_6=NR
| poll1_7=NR
| poll1_8=NR
| poll1_9=NR
| poll1_10=NR
| poll1_11=NR
| poll1_12=25
| poll1_13=21
| poll1_14=19
| poll1_15=19
| poll1_16=19
| poll1_17=23
| poll2title = Coaches
| poll2firstweek =0
| poll2lastweek =17
| poll2_0=NR
| poll2_1=
| poll2_2=NR
| poll2_3=NR
| poll2_4=NR
| poll2_5=NR
| poll2_6=NR
| poll2_7=NR
| poll2_8=NR
| poll2_9=NR
| poll2_10=NR
| poll2_11=NR
| poll2_12=NR
| poll2_13=23
| poll2_14=20
| poll2_15=20
| poll2_16=20
| poll2_17=23
}}
Game summaries
=Eastern Michigan=
{{see also|1997 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team}}
=Kansas=
{{see also|1997 Kansas Jayhawks football team|Border War (Kansas-Missouri rivalry)}}
{{Americanfootballbox
|bg=
|bg2=
|titlestyle={{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Missouri Tigers|border=2}}; text-align:center
|state=collapsed
|title=Missouri Tigers at Kansas Jayhawks
|date=September 13, 1997
|time=11:30 a.m. CST
|road=Missouri
|R1=0|R2=7|R3=0|R4=0
|home=Kansas
|H1=9|H2=0|H3=6|H4=0
|stadium=Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, Kansas
|attendance=38,000
|weather=
|referee=
|TV=
|TVAnnouncers=
|reference=[https://web.archive.org/web/20000309140324/http://www.fansonly.com/schools/miss/sports/m-footbl/archive/091098aab.html Source]
|scoring=
First quarter
- KU - Johner 1-yard run (kick blocked)
- KU - Garcia 32-yard field goal
Second quarter
- MU - Olivo 1-yard run (Knickman kick)
Third quarter
- KU - Vann 29-yard run (kick blocked)
Fourth quarter
- No scoring
|stats=
}}
=Tulsa=
{{see also|1997 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team}}
=Ohio State=
{{see also|1997 Ohio State Buckeyes football team}}
{{Americanfootballbox
|bg=
|bg2=
|titlestyle={{CollegePrimaryStyle|Missouri Tigers|border=2}}; text-align:center
|state=collapsed
|title=#7 Ohio State Buckeyes at Missouri Tigers
|date=September 27, 1997
|time=11:00 a.m. CST
|road=Ohio State
|R1=7|R2=7|R3=14|R4=3
|home=Missouri
|H1=7|H2=3|H3=0|H4=0
|stadium=Faurot Field, Columbia, Missouri
|attendance=58,882
|weather=78°, Partly Cloudy, wind 5-10 S
|referee=R. Christal
|TV=
|TVAnnouncers=
|reference=
|scoring=
First quarter
- OSU - Pepe Pearson 3 yd run (Dan Stultz kick)
- MIZ - Corby Jones 8 yd run (Scott Knickman kick)
Second quarter
- MIZ - Scott Knickman 27 yd field goal
- OSU - David Boston 5 yd pass from Joe Germaine (Dan Stultz kick)
Third quarter
- OSU - David Boston 28 yd pass from Joe Germaine (Dan Stultz kick)
- OSU - Michael Wiley 1 yd run (Dan Stultz kick)
Fourth quarter
- OSU - Dan Stultz 28 yd field goal
|stats=
}}
=Iowa State=
{{see also|1997 Iowa State Cyclones football team}}
=Kansas State=
{{see also|1997 Kansas State Wildcats football team}}
=Texas=
{{see also|1997 Texas Longhorns football team}}
=Oklahoma State=
{{see also|1997 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team}}
=Colorado=
{{see also|1997 Colorado Buffaloes football team}}
=Nebraska=
{{see also|1997 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team|Missouri-Nebraska football rivalry|Flea Kicker}}
{{Americanfootballbox
|bg=
|bg2=
|titlestyle={{CollegePrimaryStyle|Missouri Tigers|border=2}}; text-align:center
|state=collapsed
|title=#1 Nebraska Cornhuskers at Missouri Tigers
|date=November 8, 1997
|time=2:30 p.m. CST
|road=Nebraska
|R1=14|R2=7|R3=7|R4=10|R5=7
|home=Missouri
|H1=7|H2=17|H3=7|H4=7|H5=0
|stadium=Faurot Field, Columbia, Missouri
|attendance=66,846
|weather=
|referee=
|TV=
|TVAnnouncers=
|reference=
|scoring=
|stats=
}}
Coaching staff
| class="wikitable"
!Name !Position !Seasons at !Alma mater |
| Larry Smith
|Head coach |align=center|4 |Bowling Green (1961) |
| Jerry Berndt
|Offensive coordinator & quarterbacks |align=center|4 |Wisconsin–Superior (1960) |
| David Mitchell
|Running backs |align=center|1 |Arkansas State |
| Andy Hill
|Wide receivers |align=center|2 |Missouri (1985) |
| Andy Moeller
|Offensive Line |align=center|5 |Michigan (1986) |
| Corby Smith
|Tight Ends |align=center|2 |Iowa (1995) |
| Moe Ankney
|Defensive Coordinator/Outside Linebackers |align=center|4 |Bowling Green (1963) |
| Curtis Jones
|Defensive Line |align=center|8 |Missouri (1968) |
| Ricky Hunley
|Inside Linebackers |align=center|4 |Arizona (1984) |
| Jon Hoke
|Defensive Backs |align=center|4 |Ball State (1980) |
=Baylor=
{{see also|1997 Baylor Bears football team}}
=[[1997 Holiday Bowl]]=
{{see also|1997 Colorado State Rams football team}}