COLUMBIA, Mo. — It’s become a tradition: Missouri football coaches tackle challenging schedules their first year on the job.
In 1978, Warren Powers’ first month at Mizzou included games against not one but two teams ranked No. 1 at the time — Alabama and Oklahoma — plus an opener at No. 5 Notre Dame.
Bob Stull’s first season in 1989 saw the Tigers take on three teams in the top four: No. 2 Miami, No. 3 Colorado and No. 4 Nebraska.
In 2001, Gary Pinkel’s Mizzou opening game seemed unassuming at first — until the Tigers were ambushed by a promising young coach on the Bowling Green sideline, Urban Frank Meyer III.