This week, a lot of people have been bringing up the fact BG is 3-1 all-time against Missouri.
And each time I read that statistic (and I read it a lot given the number of tweets, blogs and stories it has appeared in), I simply shake my head and say, ‘Who cares?’
It’s a legitimate statistic, but the last two times the teams played were 2001 and 2002 – a time when the landscape of both teams was far different than it is today.
After splitting the first two meetings in the late 1990s, under Urban Meyer-coached teams, the Falcons dismantled a Mizzou team two years in a row earlier this decade to make the matchup record 3-1.
The first go around, BG won on a touchdown with 3:40 to go in what would become a 20-13 victory in Meyer’s head coaching debut.
The second go-around, BG won in dominating fashion, taking down the Tigers to a tune of 51-28 at home while posting 557 yards of offense.
Now for anyone who thinks anything like that is going to happen for BG tomorrow, I’d like to meet you. And maybe slap you around a little bit and ask ‘What’s wrong with you?’
It’s a different time, and fans should expect a much different game this year. First-year coach Dave Clawson does.
‘What we did against Missouri in 2001 and 2002 has no bearing on 2009,’ Clawson said. ‘Certainly, the Missouri program is in a much different spot right now than it was in 2002.’
In 2001 and 2002, the Tigers finished 9-14 overall in Gary Pinkel’s first two seasons as coach. The last two seasons, Missouri has finished 22-6 – showing the improvement Pinkel has brought to the program.
By comparison, BG finished 17-6 overall in 2001 and 2002 under Meyer. But in the last two seasons, BG played to a mediocre 14-11 record in the final two seasons of Gregg Brandon’s tenure.
Times certainly have changed.
Others are pulling out this stat about how well BG has done against BCS schools this decade.
‘Since 2001, the team is 11-7 in games against schools from BCS conferences, including one each of the past two years,’ I’ve seen numerous times. But here’s the thing.
Half of those wins came with Josh Harris and Omar Jacobs leading the way on offense. And I don’t think anyone today is confusing Tyler Sheehan for either of those two.
That’s not to say Sheehan isn’t able to beat big-time opponents as he downed Minnesota in his first career start, then-No. 25 Pittsburgh in last season’s opener and defending Sun Belt Conference champion Troy last week.
So if you feel it necessary to use some statistic to back up your opinion that BG has a chance of winning tomorrow, make it that one instead of outdated facts.
