No. 25 Missouri rallies, beats Bowling Green 27-20

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Blaine Gabbert threw two second-half touchdown passes and Derrick Washington scored
the go-ahead TD late in the fourth quarter, helping No. 25 Missouri rally from a dud start to beat
BowlingGreen 27-20 in its home opener Saturday night.
Washington had 120 yards on 23 carries for the Tigers, who jumped into the rankings after an impressive
opening victory over Illinois and needed a strong finish for any hope of staying there. Missouri (2-0)
trailed 13-0 in the second quarter and 20-6 midway in the third before its offense stirred.
BowlingGreen (1-1) was such a handful seldom-used Missouri punter Jake Harry was called upon seven times.
Harry punted only 26 times all last season.
Tyler Sheehan was 29 for 46 for 206 yards and a touchdown and Willie Geter had 99 yards on 20 carries
with a 1-yard scoring run for BowlingGreen, which capitalized on a pair of fumbles for two first-half
field goals before fading. BowlingGreen, a Missouri nemesis from the Mid-American Conference, is 3-2
against the Tigers.
Gabbert, a sophomore who threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start against
Illinois, finished 20 for 33 for 172 yards after totaling 44 passing yards in the first half. His lost
fumble on a sack led to a 37-yard field goal by Jerry Phillips that put BowlingGreen ahead 10-0 late in
the first quarter.
Missouri began its comeback with an 18-yard run by Washington on third-and-10, and Gabbert’s 27-yard
touchdown pass to Perry on consecutive plays to cut the gap to 20-13 near the end of the third quarter.
Washington gained 6 yards on 4th-and-2 from the BowlingGreen 39 one play before Gabbert and Kemp
connected for a 33-yard score for Missouri’s first lead.
The first half was notable for what Missouri was unable to do. The Tigers were scoreless in the first
quarter for the first time at home since a 31-14 loss to Kansas on Nov. 20, 2004, and went without a
touchdown in the first half at home for the first time since a 26-10 loss to Oklahoma on Oct. 28, 2006.

Sheehan threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Ray Hutson for the game’s first score. BowlingGreen outgained
Missouri 162-116 in the first half.
Front page caption:Bowling Green’s Ray Hutson, right, slips past Missouri’s Brian Coulter, left, as he
scores a touchdown during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009,
in Columbia, Mo. (AP photo/L.G. Patterson)
Story photo:Bowling Green head coach Dave Clawson congratulates his team after a touchdown against
Missouri during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009, in
Columbia, Mo. (AP photo/L.G. Patterson)