ARLINGTON, Tex. — Both the Missouri Tigers and Oklahoma State Cowboys missed a BCS bowl game by one loss and ended up at what many call the best non-BC bowl, the Cotton Bowl. Tigers’ fans remember a thrilling game on January 1st, 2008- and one the team hopes to repeat this year.
The Tigers of 2007 won’t soon forget that year’s Cotton Bowl Classic.
“Tony Temple rushed for I think a Cotton Bowl record at one point, four touchdowns, he really carried the team that day, and culminated our great season. We were 12-2 and I think finished #4 in the country,” former standout quarterback Chase Daniel said.
It was without a doubt Tony Temple’s day as he set a rushing record for the Cotton Bowl with 281 rushing yards and nearly set the record for all bowl games.
“Chase Daniel actually made a phone call to coach Christensen who was our offensive coach at the time, he said, ‘You know, I’m having a tough day, this wind is crazy and you know we just need to hand this ball off to Temple. He’s having a great day.’ And next thing you know I’m getting the ball back-to-back, back-to-back,” Temple recalled.
What many didn’t know was that Temple was suffering from a torn hamstring, and he didn’t think he could run anymore.
“I was on the sideline, I was laying down, I think I probably had 220, 230 yards, and I’m like, ‘Ok this was a good game, we have this game in the bag. I’m done.’” Temple said.
Coach Gary Pinkel had different plans for Temple.
“(Coach Pinkel) reaches down, he says in my ear he says, ‘Tony, can you run the ball right now? You’re 20 yards away from the record, we need you to go.’ I thought about it for two seconds, and I said, ‘I think I can go,’” Temple said.
Temple ran for 40 yards for his final touchdown of the game and had to be carried off the field by Chase Daniel and Tyler Luellen.
“Tyler Luellen picks me up off the field, and you know my pride, I’m like, ‘I got it, I got it, I’m good. They snatched me up,” Temple said. “It was an amazing game.”
And Daniel said he believes this year’s team has a chance to have a similar experience.
“This group here has a chance to finish five, six in the country, number four in the country, so they’re going to be ready for sure,” he said.
In 2008 Mizzou beat Arkansas 38-7 at the old Cotton Bowl stadium at Fair Park. Tony Temple scored four of the five Mizzou touchdowns that day.