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A pep talk from coach Gary Pinkel seemed to help Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert snap out of his brief slump. Gabbert now has a chance to provide his coach a big lift.
Pinkel will become the program's first coach to win at least nine games in three different seasons if Gabbert can lead the 15th-ranked Tigers past Iowa State on Saturday night in Ames.
Gabbert topped 300 yards in consecutive games earlier this season, including 308 in an upset of then-No. 3 Oklahoma on Oct. 23, to lead Missouri (8-2, 4-2 Big 12) to its first 7-0 start in 50 years.
The junior quarterback then struggled through defeats at Nebraska and Texas Tech, throwing for a combined 294 yards while completing 41.7 percent of his throws - 20.6 below his season average. Despite that stretch, Pinkel remained confident in Gabbert.
"I told him on the biggest stage of college football, the biggest stage you can have, GameDay and the whole thing, you executed at the highest level, and you are good," Pinkel said. "Never doubt how good you are."
Gabbert silenced any doubters last week, going 17 of 25 for 208 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-28 victory over Kansas State. He also rushed for 89 yards on 14 carries including 32-yard TD run.
"It meant a lot having the coaching staff all behind me because losing two tough games like that, your confidence is a little shaken,'' Gabbert said. "It was great to get back out here, have a good day and get a win."
With that renewed confidence, Gabbert will try to lead the Tigers to the nine-win mark for the third time in four seasons. Missouri won a school-record 12 games in 2007, and went 10-4 the following year - both with Heisman Trophy finalist Chase Daniel under center.
The Tigers finished 8-5 last season after a 35-13 loss to Navy in the Texas Bowl.
Missouri is still dealing with injuries on defense.
Nose tackle Dominique Hamilton (broken ankle) and linebacker Luke Lambert (knee) are expected to sit out again, while fellow linebacker Will Ebner's status is unknown because of an ailing neck. The Tigers have gotten so thin at linebacker that they might use safety Jarrell Harrison as a starter for the second straight week.
One of Harrison's teammates in the secondary, Kevin Rutland, could play despite a strained muscle in his back.
Iowa State, meanwhile, lost third-year starting quarterback Austen Arnaud to a career-ending knee injury last week on one of eight sacks allowed in a 34-14 loss at Colorado.
The Cyclones (5-6, 3-4) will look to sophomore Jerome Tiller in their final attempt to become bowl eligible in each of the first two seasons under coach Paul Rhoads. Tiller has appeared in four games this season and 11 in his career, completing 54 percent of his passes for 584 yards.
"It's the same running plays and passing plays that we'll execute," Rhoads said. "Things will change based on what we think we can do against Missouri, not what we think we can do with Jerome over Austen."
Tiller didn't play in last season's 34-24 loss at Missouri. Gabbert threw for 337 yards and a pair of long second-half touchdowns.
The Tigers are 1-2 away from home this season but have a chance for their fourth straight victory over the Cyclones, the longest streak in this series since winning 10 in a row from 1956-65. Missouri leads the all-time series 59-34-9.
Iowa State has dropped eight in a row in Ames to ranked teams, including a 52-20 defeat to then-No. 12 Missouri in 2008.
