Tigers optimistic about future

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The last taste isn't what Missouri coaches and players will remember most from this season.

Although the Tigers were thoroughly outplayed in a 38-0 loss to No. 10 Kansas State on Saturday, quashing their hopes of becoming bowl-eligible, it doesn't erase the good feeling and confidence they generated with their double-overtime victory at Texas A&M a week ago.

Not by a long shot for a program that appears to be going about the building process the right way.

"I'm not going to let this game in any way change my thoughts on how much progress we made," coach Gary Pinkel said. "I'm extremely excited about the future."

The bottom line will show that Missouri (5-7, 2-6 Big 12) improved only one victory from Pinkel's first season and that the Tigers have only two winning seasons in the last 19 years. But they exit this year with a lot more optimism because of close calls against Oklahoma, Iowa State and Colorado -- all ranked when Missouri played them -- and the breakthrough victory over Texas A&M.

Missouri led then-No. 1 Oklahoma in the second half, and lost consecutive 42-35 shootouts to Iowa State and Colorado, the latter in overtime.

Also, most of the key players will be back next year. Only three seniors finished the year as starters on offense, and only four on defense. Plus, Pinkel redshirted several players who could have helped this year because he had his eye on the big picture.

One of the biggest losses is senior wide receiver Justin Gage, who finished his career with a Big 12 record 200 catches for 2,704 yards. Gage caught a pass in his last 34 straight games, a school record.

"I'm so excited for the younger guys, because they're really going to have a chance to do something special next year," Gage said. "We all learned a lot this year, and they still have a chance to make some great things happen."

Brad Smith's startling debut season got most of the attention, and rightly so.

Smith, a redshirt freshman, became only the second player in NCAA history to pass for 2,000 yards and run for 1,000 in one season. He took his lumps against stingy Kansas State, getting 30 yards on 13 carries and going 7-for-24 for 126 yards with one interception, poor numbers that Pinkel believes will motivate him during the offseason.

Teammates long ago became believers in Smith, who beat out senior Kirk Farmer for the job in spring practice.

"He's a natural-born leader," cornerback A.J. Kincade said. "He won't say much, but he's a leader and he does what he has to do."

Smith isn't much of a statistics guy, except for the bottom line.

"I could have the same kind of season next season and put up a lot of numbers maybe, but those don't matter if we don't win more games," Smith said. "We're working for coach Pinkel, who's preparing us to win. We just have to take that last step, and we have the whole offseason to learn how to do that."