MU faces Colorado in Big 12 opener

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A new-look Missouri defense will try to slow a surging Colorado offense when both teams open Big 12 play today in Columbia.

After switching to a 4-3 defense in the offseason, Missouri (2-1) is tied for second in the conference in scoring average, allowing 14.7 points per game. Coach Gary Pinkel made additional changes after he suspended starting linebacker David Richard on Monday following Richard's arrest on a marijuana possession charge, promoting Marcus Bacon to his first career start.

A week after managing just 125 yards of offense in a 20-12 win at Washington State, the Buffaloes (3-0) ran up 586 yards in a 52-21 win against North Texas on Sept. 18. Tailback Bobby Purify's 354 rushing yards rank 14th in the nation.

Purify suffered a high ankle sprain in the third game of 2003 and missed the rest of the season after taking a medical redshirt, but Pinkel said Purify is playing as well as he ever has.

"Purify is everything he was prior to his injury, a national-type back and certainly one of the best in our conference," Pinkel said. "He is just getting better and better each and every week."

Colorado coach Gary Barnett said Purify's return has allowed the Buffaloes to go back to what they do best.

"A year ago, we really struggled going north and south," Barnett said. "Bobby's a north-south guy, so it lets us get back and run the kind of offense we want to run."

Colorado quarterback Joel Klatt completed passes to 11 different receivers against North Texas. Former walk-on Evan Judge leads an inexperienced receiver group with nine receptions for 146 yards.

Missouri cornerback Marcus King said the defense will not overlook Colorado's passing game.

"Any team that passes or wants to pass, we're excited to play them," King said. "It's a chance for us to show our talents and show everybody that we can make plays just like they can."

Conversely, Barnett said he is concerned with the size of Missouri's starting receivers, whose average height is 6-3, compared to 5-11 for Colorado's starters in the secondary.

"They could all eat lunch off the heads of our corners," Barnett said. Colorado ranks 116th in the nation in pass defense.

Missouri quarterback Brad Smith has averaged 60.7 rushing yards per game this year after averaging 108.2 yards in 2003, as the Tigers have moved to a more pass-oriented offense.

It's OK with Barnett if Smith wants to stay in the pocket.

"All of us are trying to figure out a way to keep him in the pocket and force him to be a passer," Barnett said. "He knows that, and he knows that that is what every game plan is going to be."

Both coaches believe the North Division race is wide open.

"I would think that whoever wins this game would earn an edge," he said. "But I also see this division and this conference being wildly crazy, where absolutely anything can happen."

Barnett, a 1969 Missouri graduate, is 5-0 as a head coach against his alma mater. Colorado has won 17 of the past 19 meetings.