Missouri
Tigers

Make that four.

The Tigers clawed back from a seven-point deficit at the intermission and sent their seniors out with a 34-24 victory over Iowa State, ensuring a fifth straight winning season as they improved to 7-4 and 3-4 in the Big 12.

The Tigers can enhance their bowl profile by beating Kansas in Saturday's regular-season finale, the third installment of the Border Showdown at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, where the rivals have split their last two meetings.

"We have a tough game next week with Kansas and we hope to end the season strong," Pinkel said. "I believe this (senior) class has the most wins in a four-year span (at Missouri). Also, with a win, this class will be the winningest class in school history. This group has put so much into this team and the program as a whole."

Against the Cyclones, senior Danario Alexander continued his push for All-American honors.

Alexander had his third consecutive double-digit reception performance, finishing with 11 catches for 173 yards, including a 63-yard catch-and-run to the end zone that gave MU a 24-17 lead with 8:19 left in the third quarter. Alexander broke MU's single-season record for receiving yards, eclipsing the mark set by Jeremy Maclin last season.

Iowa State (6-6, 3-5) evened the score three minutes later, but the Tigers blanked the Cyclones in the fourth quarter, adding a Grant Ressel field goal and De'Vion Moore's 1-yard touchdown run with 4:43 left.

With No. 2 receiver Jared Perry sidelined with a broken bone in his right leg, sophomore Jerrell Jackson more than filled in as Blaine Gabbert's secondary target.

Jackson caught a career-high eight passes for a career-high 142 yards, including a game-tying 70-yard touchdown catch early in the third quarter. Jackson redeemed himself after committing a costly fumble late in the second quarter that Iowa State converted into a go-ahead touchdown pass just before halftime.

"He really bounced back after the fumble, which led to a touchdown at the end of the first half," said Gabbert, who completed 23 of 32 passes for 337 yards and two touchdowns.

"I can't say enough about our receivers. They really bounced back after that loss of (Perry) all week. They really stepped up, and JP has really helped them out on the mental side of things."

--WR Danario Alexander passed former teammate Jeremy Maclin to set MU's single-season receiving yardage record. Alexander, who entered the game with 1,238 yards, gained 173 yards, eclipsing Maclin's 2008 record of 1,260 with a total of 1,411 yards. Alexander also moved into second place on MU's single-season receiving list with 92 catches. He passed former TE Chase Coffman, moving from fifth place.

--Missouri converted two fourth-and-1 quarterback sneaks in the second half, but coach Gary Pinkel couldn't help but think of Bill Belichick's controversial gamble in last week's Monday Night Football game. The New England coach went for it on fourth-and-2 with the Patriots ahead and lined up deep in their own territory late in the final minutes of a loss to the Colts. "I'm sitting there looking at him like he's nuts," Pinkel said. "Then I'm looking at myself on the sideline like, 'You are psycho.'"

--For the Kansas game, Missouri will wear specially made Nike uniforms, a one-time deal as part of the company's Pro Combat line. "Last year, we brought the new (gold) uniforms out and we didn't do what we needed to do," LB Sean Weatherspoon said, referring to special jerseys for last year's Kansas game, a game the Tigers lost in the final seconds. "We needed to change that."

GAME BALL GOES TO: QB Blaine Gabbert -- Despite playing without his No. 2 receiver, the sophomore put together one of his most complete games of the season, going a third straight week without throwing an interception. He also wasn't sacked for the second week in a row. Gabbert's season passer rating (143.5) trails only Texas' Colt McCoy among Big 12 quarterbacks.

KEEP AN EYE ON: WR Michael Egew -- The sophomore's playing time has gradually increased in the past few weeks. Early in the first quarter, he grabbed an 11-yard pass for a first down, the longest reception of his short career.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I really want to finish this off. We really want to finish the season strong. The Kansas game is very big for us. Fourth-quarter victories like today are huge for our team's success and improvement." -- Missouri coach Gary Pinkel

No less valuable was MU's restored running game, opening with a strong first half with TB Derrick Washington and closing with a productive second half by QB Blaine Gabbert and TB De'Vion Moore once Washington was sidelined with a concussion.

STILL NEEDS WORK: Iowa State had plenty of success moving the ball against Missouri's defense in the first three quarters as the Cyclones chewed up 315 yards and scored 24 points. Plus, they caught the Tigers' unprepared for a couple of trick plays to punch the ball in the end zone. Alexander Robinson threw a halfback option pass to Jake Williams for a first-quarter touchdown, and Iowa State also threw a backward pass to offensive tackle Scott Haughton, who ran for a 12-yard score in the third.

ROSTER REPORT:

--TB Derrick Washington was feeling better after the game despite suffering a concussion in the first half. Asked if he knew who Missouri was playing next week, he said, "Oh yeah, we've got KU." His status for Saturday's game remained uncertain. Coach Gary Pinkel only said, "I'm hoping he will be OK and be ready soon for us."

--Missouri began Saturday paying tribute to its relatively small class of 15 seniors, including two All-American candidates in WR Danario Alexander and LB Sean Weatherspoon. With the victory, the 2009 senior class has won 37 games over the past four seasons, matching the 2008 senior class for the most in team history.