COLUMBIA, Mo. — In the final Big 12 meeting, Gary Pinkel got the best of Texas.
Missouri’s coach didn’t seem all that euphoric about ending the school’s six-game losing streak in the series and knocking off the only conference school he hadn’t beaten heading into next year’s move to the SEC.
For one thing, the Tigers likely lost the conference’s leading rusher for the rest of the year. Also, they’re only .500.
“I don’t think off that field, ‘Gosh, I finally beat Texas!’” Pinkel said after Missouri’s 17-5 upset of the No. 21 Longhorns on Saturday. “I don’t do that.
“This game, I don’t care who it is, this gives us a chance to have a really good season and accomplish some goals.”
Kendial Lawrence topped 100 yards with a touchdown in relief of Henry Josey and a defense burned for 697 yards at Baylor a week earlier kept No. 21 Texas out of the end zone for the first time since 2004. Missouri won for only the second time in the last 17 times in the series.
“I’m really disappointed offensively,” said Texas coach Mack Brown, who refused to lean on injuries as an excuse.
“Even though they piled up today more than I think I’ve ever seen at one position, we still have to do our best to win the game,” the coach added.
Pinkel said Josey was undergoing an MRI exam but didn’t expect positive news. Coming off four straight games with 125 or more rushing yards, Josey was held to 19 yards on 11 carries.
“I feel really bad for Henry,” Pinkel said. “Whatever happens, if he has to have surgery or whatever, we’ve got the best people taking care of him and we’ll get him back 100 percent.”
Before Josey was carted off in the third quarter Brown came across the field to check on the sophomore from Angleton, Texas. Josey also missed the last nine minutes of the first half after an apparent helmet-to-helmet hit.
“I told him he’s had a great year and he’s a great player and I hope he got well fast,” Brown said.
Missouri upset a ranked team for the second time this season after beating Texas A&M on Oct. 29. The Tigers finish against Texas Tech, whipped 66-6 by Oklahoma State on Saturday, and Kansas in search of a seventh straight bowl bid.
“We’re still fighting for our bowl lives,” defensive end Jacquies Smith said. “It doesn’t mean any more just because it’s Texas.”
James Franklin completed his first 10 passes and ran for a 2-yard score for the Tigers (5-5, 3-4), who beat Texas for the first time since 1997. Lawrence had 106 yards on 18 carries with a 35-yard score in the second quarter.
“Once you get consistent carries, you get the feel of the game easier,” Lawrence said. “You’ve just got to go when your chance comes and make it happen.”
Texas (6-3, 3-3) entered with injury concerns at running back and was held to 76 yards rushing in only its third road game of the year. Missouri allowed only a chip-shot field goal for the game’s first score and a safety off a blocked punt in the third quarter.
“The thing that was frustrating the most was that we stopped ourselves,” said freshman quarterback David Ash, who was taken out in the third quarter. “Penalties, bad reads, just little things like that that we can control.
“They did good, but a lot of the stuff is what we can control.”
The previous two weeks at home, Texas whipped Kansas and Texas Tech by a combined 95-20 and topped 400 yards rushing in both games. Leading rusher Malcolm Brown (toe) and Joe Bergeron (hamstring) got no carries and the depth chart got leaner after Fozzy Whitaker left with an apparent right knee injury while making a cut in the first quarter.
Lawrence, who won the tailback job in fall drills but was shelved for three games early in the season by a broken fibula, stepped up with 79 yards on eight carries and a TD before intermission.
Missouri controlled play in the half even after fumbling away a scoring chance on its first drive when Emmnauel Acho stripped L’Damian Washington after a reception and Texas recovered at its own 12.
Franklin scored his 11th rushing touchdown on a 2-yard keeper to put Missouri ahead and Lawrence’s 35-yard run made it 14-3 with 4:43 to go in the half.
Thanks to the defense, Missouri was able to sit on its lead most of the second half.
“When somebody goes down, the next guy has to be ready to step up,” Texas wide receiver Marquise Goodwin said. “That’s where leadership comes in, that’s where you have to grow up and man up.
“No matter what, no matter who’s in there.”
Eric Waters’ blocked punt set up Missouri at the 1 for its first score in the third quarter in four games, though the Tigers had to settle for a 19-yard field goal by Trey Barrow that made it 17-3.
Less than four minutes later, Leroy Scott’s blocked punt out of the end zone gave Texas two points.
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