MINNEAPOLIS -- When the Gophers found out they'd be playing Missouri in the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1, Minnesota's players admittedly didn't know much about the Tigers. Some watched Mizzou lose to Alabama in the SEC title game this past Saturday, but that was about all they had seen from this year's Tigers team.
So what should Minnesota know about Missouri?
For starters, the two programs have perhaps two of the most loyal coaches in college football. Kill's two coordinators -- Tracy Claeys on defense, Matt Limegrover on offense -- have been with Kill since 1995 and 1999, respectively. Many of Kill's other coaches have been equally loyal to him through the years as he's ascended the college coaching ranks.
Tigers head coach Gary Pinkel is cut from the same cloth. His defensive coordinator, Dave Steckel, has been with Pinkel since he took the Missouri job in 2001. Associate head coach/quarterbacks coach Andy Hill has also been at Pinkel's side for the last 14 seasons. And when current offensive coordinator Josh Henson was brought on the staff in 2009, it was the first new coach Pinkel had hired at Mizzou since he took the job eight years earlier.
"We are very similar," Kill said of Pinkel. "Our staffs have been together a long time. Coach is a guy that, in my opinion, his story's not told enough, what he's done at the University of Missouri, making that transition to the Southeast Conference. . . . A great deal of respect. I'm looking forward to the challenge."
The Tigers made that switch to the SEC before the 2012 season after spending many years in the Big 12. After going 8-5 in 2011, the Tigers took a step back in their first year in the SEC in 2012 and finished 5-7. But Pinkel led Mizzou to a 12-2 record in 2013 and a victory over Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl.
The 2014 season was another successful one for the Tigers, who finished 10-3 during the regular season and had a 7-1 conference mark in the SEC. Among Missouri's wins were a victory over No. 13 South Carolina and a 34-27 road win against No. 24 Texas A&M.
One of the Tigers' three losses, though, was a bit of a headscratcher. Mizzou lost at home to Big Ten cellar dwellar Indiana back in September. The Tigers scored late in the fourth quarter of that game to take the lead, but the Hoosiers answered with a touchdown in the final minute to steal the upset in Columbia. Indiana went on to finish the year just 4-8 overall and 1-7 in the Big Ten.
Maybe Kill and his staff can talk to the coaches at Indiana to figure out the recipe for beating the Tigers.
"I haven't got that far," Kill said. "We'll do our homework, I can tell you that."
Statistically speaking, Missouri didn't do anything particularly exceptional this season but did plenty of things well. The Tigers ranked 62nd in the nation in rushing yards per game and 96th in passing. Missouri did have two running backs top 700 yards this season, led by Russell Hansbrough (970 yards) and Marcus Murphy (767). Though quarterback Maty Mauk wasn't the most accurate passer (52.9 percent), he did throw for 23 touchdowns during the regular season. Mizzou turned the ball over just 14 times this year, something Minnesota's opportunistic defense hopes to change in the Citrus Bowl.
Defensively, the Tigers were very stout for much of the season. They allowed just 21.4 points per game, which ranked 26th in the nation. Missouri as a team had a whopping 42 sacks, sixth-most of all FBS teams. That effort was led by redshirt junior Shane Ray, whose 14 sacks earned him Associated Press SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors. Minnesota's offensive line will no doubt have its hands full with Ray, who was ejected from the SEC championship game for a targeting penalty.
One benefit for the Gophers in playing a New Year's Day bowl game is they get to square off against a formidable opponent, and Missouri certainly should be just that as one of the better teams in a tough SEC conference. The Tigers are definitely beatable, though -- just ask the Hoosiers -- and a win against them would be big for Minnesota's program.
It's the first time these two schools have faced off since 1970, and just the ninth-ever meeting between Minnesota and Missouri. The Gophers haven't beaten the Tigers since 1945, a streak of five games. Then again, in what has been a memorable season for Minnesota, many such streaks have been snapped by the Gophers. Perhaps one more is in order.
"We're playing the SEC team that played for the championship, Missouri," Kill said. "It's a great challenge for our program, but I think we certainly want to win the game."
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