Mizzou Beats BYU on Saturday

This week started with the team ceasing football activities in solidarity with students protesting racism on the Missouri campus, which could have cancelled this Saturday’s game against BYU if not for the surprising resignation of university president Tim Wolfe.

Security at Arrowhead, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, told the fan her sign was a “political statement” and refused to let her in the stadium until she returned it to her vehicle. After a week that nationally displayed the racial tension on Mizzou’s campus, the football team, which was at the heart of a student movement, regained its confidence after a season in which it was falling off the rails.

All of the hand-wringing over Missouri’s upcoming game against BYU disappeared, it was game on, and courtesy of a politically minded opponent, the Cougars and their faithful learned an important lesson about just how much influence athletes can wield in the 21st century university power structure. And as the final minutes ticked off the clock, chants of “Gary Pinkel” began to rise from the Missouri fans still in the stands.

That’s when Pinkel, who had stood by his striking players, announced he would step down at season’s end.

Pinkel informed his staff and team of the news Friday evening and will address questions after their game against BYU this Saturday.

“I want to make clear that I am not doing poorly and that this is a manageable disease but one that will not go away”, he added.

Pinkel said his decision had nothing to do with the events on campus, nor with the difficulties the Tigers have had this season. I know this works’. I love him. I appreciate him.

Missouri has been on an emotional roller coaster lately.

In 15 seasons at Mizzou, Pinkel brought the program to national relevancy, coaching the Tigers to five double-digit win seasons, five shared or outright division championships, four appearances in conference championship games and 10 bowl games.

J’Mon Moore’s touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter helped Missouri to a 20-16 victory over BYU on Saturday night, capping a tumultuous week for the Tigers that began with a boycott and included the resignation announcement of coach Gary Pinkel.

Pinkel became the coach at Missouri in 2001 after coaching at Toledo for ten years.

For years the Tigers had been buried near the bottom of the Big Eight and the Big 12 standings.

Another touchdown, a 1-yard run by Tyler Hunt in fourth, capped off the win and a week that challenged a team’s will. “I mean, I think we can pull it out tonight. With all the adversity and all the things that went down, and how (the players) stayed focused to play and compete and come back and battle through that football game, I was very happy for them”. “You gave me a family that I so desperately needed and for that I am grateful”, Sam tweeted to Pinkel.