2011 Independence Bowl, Missouri Vs. UNC: ‘SEC’ Chants Fill Shreveport Air

318: Yards gained by Missouri in the first half as they put the game virtually out of reach. North Carolina landed the first blow, marching 51 yards for a touchdown on the game’s opening drive. Missouri would score the next 31 points, reaching paydirt on all five first-half drives and both running and throwing at will.

4: Consecutive wins Missouri finished with to end the 2011 season. Against a brutal schedule, dinged by tight losses and injuries, the Tigers pulled it together and bid adieu to the Big 12 in solid fashion. The defense saved three of its best performances for the final four games, and Missouri’s ability to both run and pass set the table for success. The Tigers rushed for at least 240 yards in eight games and threw for at least 240 in five, and for the first time in school history, they finished the season with over 3,000 rushing (3,172) and passing (3,010).

Quick, close your eyes and guess which team is losing its interim head coach after this game. Actually, you’ll need to read the following in order to make an informed decision. OK, so, one team in the 2011 Independence Bowl ran for seven yards per carry throughout its 44 attempts, while the other couldn’t break two.

Larry Fedora inherits a talented team that’s clearly in need of direction, or at least not playing in Shreveport anymore.

Mizzou’s on pace for almost 400 yards rushing. Without a reason to keep throwing, they just might near that mark.

The game temperature is in the 40s, with near-perfect 100 percent humidity. Attendance is bleak. Sometimes you wonder whether the Indy Bowl is actually put on by AdvoCare at all. Maybe it’s really operated by a neighboring rival city that just wants to make Shreveport look worse than it really is. Like a Bossier City, perhaps?

Still, the following crowd image is an argument against bowl games, not an argument against Missouri or UNC fans:

The Independence Bowl trophy will be awarded Monday following the match-up between Missouri and North Carolina. Disaster has struck, however, as the trophy’s glass vase has been broken. And it seems as though Missouri’s mascot, Truman the Tiger, is the party at fault.

A photo of the broken trophy is after the jump, as is a wretched assortment of relevant puns that you will hate.

Why in the world wouldn’t Missouri and North Carolina fans be elated to redirect their entire holiday budgets towards a Shreveport trip?

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ROOTABILITY FACTORS. Both schools would prefer that you look to their future rather than take a peek at what they’re both sweeping under the carpet faster than you can say “I’m not a scumbag.”

Davis would not make it to opening day and in stepped Everett Withers. A 7-5 record might not sound like much, but Withers spun so much gold that it earned him a seat at Lord Urban The First’s table in Ohio State. High praise indeed.

NOTE: Confused? See the quick glossary at the bottom.

For both teams, the 2011 season was a story of perseverance. North Carolina fought through the focus issues associated with an NCAA investigation and a coaching search, not to mention the growing pains that come with a new pair of starters in the offensive backfield.

The Missouri Tigers take on the North Carolina Tar Heels in their last game as a member of the Big 12 before joining the SEC. This will be the Tigers seventh consecutive post-season bowl game. While they’ll be playing their final game of the season in the Big 12, they’ll be taking on a North Carolina team who will be playing their last game for head coach Everett Withers. Tigers quarterback James Franklin will lead the nation’s twelfth ranked offense and eleventh ranked rushing attack against a Tar Heels defense that gives up just 23.5 points per game. Running backHenry Josey comes in with 1,168 rushing yards on the season.

The Tar Heels on the other hand bring their balanced attack on offense against a Missouri defense who also gives up just 23.5 points per game. Senior wide receiver Dwight Jones looks to make one last impression before heading to the NFL, leading the team with 1,119 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Quarterback Bryn Renner has done a nice job replacing now Houston Texans quarterback T.J. Yates, throwing for nearly 3,000 yards and 23 touchdowns with just 12 interceptions. The Tar Heels are coming off a season ending victory over Duke and will look to carry the momentum to win one last game for head coach Everett Withers.

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The NCAA is reportedly looking into North Carolina’s Dwight Jones related to a promotional flier for a New Year’s party. The flier first surfaced on Deadspin. This should be fun. As the Charlotte Observer reports:

Sound the alarm, y’all. Sounds like a student-athlete is out here BALLIN TOO HARD.