Mizzou finds Texas A&M with coaching distraction

~ Aggies coach Dennis Franchione is reportedly negotiating to have his contract bought out.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- No. 7 Missouri has November momentum for the first time in a long, long while and has 20 seniors to salute in its home finale. Texas A&M may be playing for a lame duck coach.

Those ingredients seem to point toward another laugher at Faurot Field on Saturday for the Tigers (8-1, 4-1 Big 12), who swatted Nebraska and Texas Tech out of the AP top 25 earlier in the season. Missouri is 5-0 at home this year and has won 14 of the last 15 home games, plus is coming off perhaps its most complete effort in a 55-10 dismantling at Colorado.

Missouri had not won in Boulder, Colo., since 1997. Now the buildup begins for a Nov. 24 showdown against No. 5 and unbeaten Kansas, a matchup of longtime conference have-nots finally getting a large taste of success, for the Big 12 North title.

"Certainly on the offensive and defensive side it was a very complete game," coach Gary Pinkel said. "But I think you let it go.

"I think they're focused and that now all our energies go into preparation."

Meanwhile, Texas A&M (6-4, 3-3) has only distraction. Coach Dennis Franchione has dodged questions all week amid reports a contract buyout was being negotiated after five years with the Aggies. His contract pays $2 million per season through 2012.

"This is something I can't control and I don't know the answers to," quarterback Stephen McGee said. "I'm not involved in this matter.

"I'm just going to be the A&M football player my teammates need me to be and I'm not going to worry about it. I don't want to talk about it."

The 56-year-old Franchione is 2-12 against Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma. He also came under fire for e-mailing inside information to boosters who paid $1,200.

This will be the third straight game against top 10 competition for the Aggies, who lost 42-14 at No. 4 Oklahoma last week and 19-11 at home to No. 5 Kansas. Their schedule has been rated the second-toughest in the nation, with opponents a combined 56-32.

"November is tough here, it always has been," Franchione said. "We knew going into the season this road schedule would be demanding, and it has been."

Missouri is wary of any perceived advantage after three lost fumbles in the first half led to a 25-19 loss at Texas A&M last year. The program also has been burned by losses to coaches on the way out the last two seasons, Iowa State's Dan McCarney last year and Kansas State's Bill Snyder in 2005.

The emotional tug of Senior Day also is in play. The list of outgoing players includes three of Daniel's top options, wide receiver William Franklin, tight end Martin Rucker and running back Tony Temple. Center Adam Spieker will make his 46th consecutive start and defensive tackle Lorenzo Williams has 16 1/2 career sacks.

The senior class has totaled 28 victories, five shy of the school best by the 1963 team.

"We came on kind of a hunch," said offensive tackle Tyler Leullen, another senior who'll be making his 37th career start Saturday. "We thought [the program] was going to basically explode, and it has.

"Things are great right now and we just want to keep that going."