Texas Bowl combatants return to their favorite state to recruit players
The Texas Bowl is a consolation prize for Missouri. After going bowling in Texas for the last three years, the Tigers (8-4) were hoping for a trip to the Insight Bowl in Arizona, but were passed over in favor of a team it beat, Iowa State (6-6), which travels better.
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But there is one reason for Navy (9-4) and Missouri to celebrate their trip to the Lone Star State. Both schools consider it prime recruiting territory. While Navy has more players from Texas (27) than any other state, Missouri has them beat with 31 Texans.
“We’re excited about playing in Houston,” Missouri coach Gary Pinkel told the Associated Press. “We’re excited that it’s on national TV, it’s in a recruiting area for us, it’s a huge alumni base. So in many, many ways, this works very well for us.”
Missouri’s two best players are from Texas. Senior wideout Danario Alexander, who led the NCAA in receiving yards (137 per game), is from Marlin. All-America linebacker Sean Weatherspoon is from Jasper.
“This bowl gives us a lot of advantages,” Weatherspoon said. “If we had been playing in Arizona we might not get a lot of family out there. I’m definitely excited to get the opportunity to go back to Texas and play in front of a home crowd.”
Navy starts seven players from Texas including three of its four linebackers and both offensive guards. Defensive captain Ross Pospisil is from Temple. Offensive captain Osei Asante grew up 20 minutes from Houston’s Reliant Stadium.
According to Asante, there is a brotherhood among the Midshipmen from Texas. Slot back Bobby Doyle, who is from Ohio, argues that football in his home state is superior. But Asante has a simple retort.
“We have a majority of Texans on the team and we’re a winning program,” said Asante. “I’ll leave it at that.”
The game will be an interesting contrast of the wide-open spread attack of Missouri, featuring sophomore quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who ranked No. 12 in the nation in passing yards (275.2 yards per game), and Navy’s run-oriented, triple-option scheme, triggered by junior Ricky Dobbs, who set an NCAA record for quarterbacks with 24 rushing touchdowns.
After losing four of five games in midseason, Missouri rallied to win its last three, including a season finale victory over rival Kansas.
“We lost a few games early in the season because we didn’t know how to fight at the end of the game,” said Missouri defensive tackle Jaron Baston. “The KU game, it was a fight all the way through. It just showed how much this team has grown.”
