Associated Press
COLUMBIA, Mo. ó Chase Daniel was close to perfect in an otherwise sloppy final tuneup for No. 5 Missouri.
Daniel passed for a career-high 439 yards and set a Big 12 record with 20 consecutive completions, helping the Tigers overcome a rash of errors in a 42-21 victory over Buffalo on Saturday.
“He made some outstanding plays,” coach Gary Pinkel said. “That guy brings his ‘A’ game every time he plays.”
The Tigers (4-0) lost three fumbles in Buffalo territory and special teams mistakes led to two of the Bulls’ touchdowns, keeping the game close well into the second half against a 331/2-point underdog. Missouri, which had two turnovers in the first three games, fell short of 50 points for the first time this season in a game that drew sellout attendance of 65,556.
“You look at everything we have done to this game and there’s been no adversity at all,” Daniel said. “We’re not going to go through the season without adversity, and we were able to face it today.”
Derrick Washington scored on a pair of short runs in the Tigers’ final game before beginning Big 12 play at Nebraska on Oct. 4. Washington has nine touchdowns in his first year as starting tailback, and at least two each game.
Ernest Jackson scored all three touchdowns for Buffalo (2-2), on a 97-yard kickoff return and receptions of 32 and 3 yards from Drew Willy. The Bulls, coached by former Nebraska quarterback Turner Gill, trailed by only three late in the first half and by six midway through the third quarter before Missouri pulled away.
Gill was 15-1 against Missouri in 16 years as a player and assistant coach at Nebraska.
“I’m so familiar with everything here, nothing really fazes me,” Gill said.