Bulls bash Mizzou 63-14 in Columbia
Colleen Drazen
Issue date: 9/16/04 Section: Sports
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It didn't matter, however, as the Bulls defeated Mizzou 63-14.
Head coach Bill Sexton said the team played well in the second half.
"The half-time score was 20-14," Sexton said. "Our mistakes resulted in their opportunity. We got sloppy, and their athletic ability took over. In the second half we executed much better and scored 43 points."
Senior captain Tom Tajkowski said the team played well for its first game out.
"We worked well together and accomplished things we set out to do," Tajkowski said. "The game was a lot closer than what the score reflected. It was a fun game for us to play."
Mizzou made two tries and two conversions for its 14 points. Both tries came off Bulls' mistakes.
Senior Richard Schuessler said the team had two careless mistakes.
"We played a strong defensive game," Schuessler said. "We made two little mistakes that were bad turnovers, and they scored off them."
The Bulls' points came from three tries by Ryan Worth, two tries by senior Brian Wilson and tries by sophomore Greg Ballard, senior Nyika Kupara, junior Taurean Johnson and senior Sean Foley. Foley also was six for nine on conversions and two for two on penalties.
Schuessler said having players on the team with experience is helpful.
"There are a lot of guys with a lot of experience who have played upper-level rugby and played at Westerns," Schuessler said. "Their leadership has helped us out, players like Sean Foley, who is an All-American."
The Bulls B team lost to Mizzou's B team 21-8. Despite the loss, Sexton and the A-team players were pleased with the results.
Sexton said the game was spectacular.
"We have a lot of rookies this year and only two of them have prior rugby experience," Sexton said. "I was pleased, as were the experienced players, watching them do all the things we had done in practice."
Schuessler said it was good to see the progress the rookies made in just a few weeks.
"It was encouraging to see them go from not knowing what was going on to understanding some of the nuances of the game," Schuessler said. "A lot of them will be starting next year."
Up next for the rugby team is Saturday's game against the University of Nebraska. It will be the Bulls' first home game of the season and its first of five league games that count toward the team's playoff chances.
Tajkowski said it will be a big game.
"They will most likely be bigger than us, but we will more than likely be better technically," Tajkowski said. "More or less, it is a must-win situation for the rest of our season."
Sexton said Nebraska's coach is relatively new and has been cleaning up the team's game and forming a more cohesive team.
"They beat us last spring, but last fall we dominated them," Sexton said. "It is still fresh in our memories what happened last spring, and we want to get this one back. It is a very big game."
Sexton said playing at home will give the team an advantage over Nebraska.
"Being at home means we don't have to make the five-hour trip," Sexton said. "We want to play at home. Our field is in pretty good shape, and we have new goal posts. Usually the games are pretty well attended by family and friends."