GAME NOTES: The seventh-ranked Missouri Tigers will try to wrap up a perfect home campaign this Saturday, as they welcome the Texas A&M Aggies to Faurot Field for a Big 12 showdown. The Tigers enter the contest with a great deal of confidence and they have won their last three outings following their lone loss of the season at nationally-ranked Oklahoma (41-31) on October 13th. The team was last in play this past weekend, when it trounced Colorado by a score of 55-10. The win improved Missouri to 8-1 overall and that helped the program surge to its highest-ever BCS ranking (6th). With a victory this weekend, the Tigers would reach the nine-win plateau during regular season play for just the fourth time in school history and the first time since 1969. Missouri, which is just one game back of Kansas in the Big 12 North standings at 4-1, now heads back home, where it has won 14 of its last 15 games, including all five this season. This is the final home game of the year for the Tigers, who will play their last two regular season games on foreign soil. As for Texas A&M, it has fallen on hard times of late, losing two straight and three of its past four outings. The team is also coming off one of its worst performances of the season, a 42-14 beating at the hands of Oklahoma this past weekend. It was the third loss in four road games for the Aggies, who now stand at 6-4 overall and an even 3-3 in conference play. Texas A&M though, does own a 7-2 edge in the all-time series with Missouri and that includes a 25-19 triumph at College Station last season.

The Aggies' offense revolves around their lethal ground game, which ranks second in the Big 12 and 11th in the nation with an average of 228.3 ypg. The team has scored 35 offensive touchdowns this season, with 26 of them coming via the run. Jorvorskie Lane is a massive back that is hard to bring down and he not only leads Texas A&M, but the entire Big 12 with 15 rushing touchdowns. Overall, Lane ranks second on the team with 627 rushing yards and he is averaging a solid 4.9 yards per carry. Mike Goodson is the quicker and more elusive of the Aggies' tailbacks and he is third on the team with 526 yards on the ground. Heading the charge for Texas A&M is quarterback Stephen McGee, who has rushed for 793 yards and four touchdowns. McGee is clearly more dangerous with his legs than his arm, as he has thrown for just 1,538 yards and seven touchdowns in 10 games. In last weekend's lopsided loss to Oklahoma, the Aggies were completely shutdown, gaining a mere 283 total yards, including only 128 on the ground. McGee paced the team with 71 rushing yards on 16 attempts, and he also threw for 155 yards and a score on 15-of-28 tosses. Both Lane and Goodson were held in check, as the duo each ran for only 28 yards in the loss.

Defensively, Texas A&M has been abused several times this season and it is giving up 24.3 ppg and a way too high 408.0 total ypg. The unit hasn't had much success against the run (149.1 ypg), but it has had even less versus the pass (258.9 ypg). Getting to opposing quarterbacks has also been a problem for the Aggies, who have recorded only 13 sacks thus far. Last weekend, this defense was torched for 470 total yards in a 42-14 loss to Oklahoma. The Aggies surrendered 186 yards on the ground and 284 through the air and they didn't record a single turnover or sack. Mark Dodge guided the defense in defeat with seven stops and he leads the team with 94 tackles for the season.

The Tigers have been outstanding on the offensive side of the ball this season and they rank sixth in the nation in scoring (42.0 ppg) and seventh in total yards (509.7 ypg). The unit has shown it can run (172.1 ypg) effectively and dominate through the air (337.6 ypg), and it is also converting 57.0 percent of the time on third downs. Quarterback Chase Daniel is having the type of season that could earn him Big 12 Player of the Year honors. The versatile gunslinger is completing an efficient 68.6 percent of his pass attempts for 328.2 ypg, and he has thrown 23 touchdowns against nine interceptions. He is also effective when the ball is tucked away, rushing for 233 yards and three more scores. Last weekend, Daniel threw for 421 yards and five scores on 26- of-44 pass attempts, as Missouri routed Colorado 55-10. Chase Coffman caught three of those touchdown passes, giving him a school-record 19 for his career. Martin Rucker, who leads the team with 60 catches and 617 yards for the year, posted six catches for 26 yards and a score last weekend. Jeremy Maclin also got involved, finishing with six receptions for 108 yards and a touchdown. On the year, Maclin ranks second on the team with 45 catches and 596 yards, and he is one of three players to have caught at least five touchdown passes this season.

On defense, the Tigers have held their own this season and they are limiting opponents to just 21.7 ppg and 376.9 total ypg. The unit has done a good job in stopping the run (117.1 ypg) and it has also been productive in generating turnovers, forcing 22 thus far. Last weekend, Missouri put forth a tremendous defensive effort, as it held Colorado to a dismal 196 total yards, including only 84 on the ground. The defense surrendered a mere seven first downs, while forcing three turnovers and recording a pair of sacks. William Moore led the charge, as he registered 11 tackles, a forced fumble and his team-high fourth interception of the season. Sean Weatherspoon chipped in with four tackles and a fumble recovery, and his 82 tackles are a team-best for the season.

Missouri is clicking on all cylinders right now and that is bad news for a Texas A&M club that has struggled on the road this season. With Chase Daniel leading the charge, the Tigers should have no problem exploiting the Aggies' soft pass defense en route to the victory.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Missouri 40, Texas A&M 20