Missouri vs. Kansas State: 5 Things We Learned About the Tigers In Loss

The Missouri Tigers fell to the K-State Wildcats 24-17 for their third loss of the 2011 season.

It was a valiant effort by coach Gary Pinkel and his squad, but in the end, Kansas State came away with the last laugh.

Despite the loss, we learned a few things about the Tigers in this game. Here are five of those things.

Missouri Could Struggle on the Road for the Remainder of the Season

Mizzou has already had its fair share of road woes so far in the '11 regular season.

All three of their losses have come away from Columbia, including their most recent loss on Saturday to K-State.

The Tigers only have two remaining road games on their schedule, but both will be against ranked opponents in Texas A&M and Baylor.

If Missouri plans on getting a decent bowl game in December, it needs to start winning on the road very soon.

RB Henry Josey Is Mortal After All

MU sophomore tailback Henry Josey had been on fire coming into this game against Kansas State.

He was ranked No. 6 in the nation in rushing yards per game and was leading the Big 12 in total rushing.

That was until the Wildcats held him to just 55 yards on 12 carries and one touchdown.

Josey is still a rising star in the Big 12, but at least opposing defensive coordinators around the conference can breathe a little easier knowing he can be stopped this season.

Missouri Needs to Cut Down on the Penalties

Pinkel has always taken pride in the product he puts on the field each season.

In the past, that product used to be very disciplined and not commit very many penalties each game.

So far in 2011, it's a completely different story, as the Tigers came into their game against K-State on Saturday ranked No. 4 in the nation with an average of nine penalties per game.

MU committed seven more against the Wildcats, which not only contributed to its loss but will also continue to plague the team the rest of this season if it can't improve in this area.

DE Jacquies Smith Has Come Back to Life

Senior defensive end Jacquies Smith had a breakout game for the Tigers defense on Saturday.

He was responsible for two of the three QB sacks on the day, which were his first two for the 2011 campaign.

The former South Oakcliff High School star was third on the team with 5.5 sacks in 2010.

If Smith can build off Saturday's performance, he and teammate Brad Madison should be able to wreak havoc on opposing offensive lines for the rest of the season.

It's Always Tough to Win on the Road in the Big 12 Conference

You might have heard of this being said before, but I will say it again: It's tough to win away from him in the Big 12. Period.

Missouri has found that out twice already this season, and it is not the only team to come away empty-handed in a tough conference road game this season.

Missouri will need to have a better game than it did against K-State on Saturday if it expects to win its next road game against a tough Texas A&M Aggies squad in College Station.