CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

1980 Missouri

8–⁠4 (5–⁠2 Big Eight), coached by Warren Powers.

Schedule and results

Missouri in 1980, game by game: won vs. New Mexico 47–16; won vs. Illinois 52–7; won at San Diego State 31–7; lost vs. No. 17 Penn State 21–29; won at Oklahoma State 30–7; won vs. Colorado 45–7; won at Kansas State 13–3; lost at No. 8 Nebraska 16–38; won vs. Iowa State 14–10; lost at No. 10 Oklahoma 7–17; won vs. Kansas 31–6; lost vs. Purdue 25–28+45−22Won 47–16 vs. New Mexico+31New MexicoWon 52–7 vs. Illinois+45IllinoisWon 31–7 at San Diego State+24San Diego StateLost 21–29 vs. No. 17 Penn State-8No. 17 Penn StateWon 30–7 at Oklahoma State+23Oklahoma StateWon 45–7 vs. Colorado+38ColoradoWon 13–3 at Kansas State+10Kansas StateLost 16–38 at No. 8 Nebraska-22No. 8 NebraskaWon 14–10 vs. Iowa State+4Iowa StateLost 7–17 at No. 10 Oklahoma-10No. 10 OklahomaWon 31–6 vs. Kansas+25KansasLost 25–28 vs. Purdue-3Purdue
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below.
DateOpponentResultElo
Sep 13vsNew MexicoW 47–⁠1667%
Sep 20vsIllinoisW 52–⁠778%
Sep 27atSan Diego StateW 31–⁠754%
Oct 4vs17Penn StateL 21–⁠2960%
Oct 11atOklahoma StateW 30–⁠761%
Oct 18vsColoradoW 45–⁠788%
Oct 25atKansas StateW 13–⁠374%
Nov 1at8NebraskaL 16–⁠3833%
Nov 8vsIowa StateW 14–⁠1079%
Nov 15at10OklahomaL 7–⁠1731%
Nov 22vsKansasW 31–⁠677%
Dec 27Bowls & playoffvsPurdueLiberty BowlL 25–⁠2850%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Lost to Purdue 28–⁠25 in the Liberty Bowl; unranked in the final AP poll; 3rd in the Big Eight.

In program history: The 21st-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 129 on file).

AP poll, week by week

  1. Wk 1: 17
  2. Wk 2: 17
  3. Wk 3: 15
  4. Wk 4: 12
  5. Wk 5: 9
  6. Wk 6: 19
  7. Wk 7: 16
  8. Wk 8: 16
  9. Wk 9: 15

Players on this team

Before 2004 our records hold honors and the draft; these are the players whose college years here, from their Wikipedia articles or their honors, include 1980.

Record
8–⁠4
Conference
5–⁠2 3rd in Big Eight
AP final
Unranked peak No. 9
Points
332–⁠175
Coach
Warren Powers
Elo
1628 +54 this season
SP+ rating
18.9 No. 18 of 133; offense No. 18, defense No. 24
SRS
18.6 No. 15 of 138 in Division I-A
Recruiting class
—
Defensive coordinator
Carl Reese

Drafted in 1981

The 1981 draft
Rd 1Howard Richards OTDallas Cowboys
Rd 2James Wilder RBTampa Bay Buccaneers
Rd 2Eric Wright DBSan Francisco 49ers
Rd 5Wendell Ray DEMinnesota Vikings
Rd 6Johnnie Poe DBNew Orleans Saints
Rd 7Bill Whitaker DBGreen Bay Packers
Rd 7Ron Fellows DBDallas Cowboys

All-Big Eight

7 first team, 6 second team

First team

Second team

From Wikipedia’s 1980 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).

1980 Big Eight standings

TeamConf.OverallAP final
Oklahoma7–⁠010–⁠23
Nebraska6–⁠110–⁠27
Missouri5–⁠28–⁠4
Kansas3–⁠3–⁠14–⁠5–⁠2
Oklahoma State2–⁠4–⁠13–⁠7–⁠1
Iowa State2–⁠56–⁠5
Kansas State1–⁠63–⁠8
Colorado1–⁠61–⁠10

Ordered by conference winning percentage, then conference wins. Division splits and tiebreakers aren’t applied.