COLUMBIA, Mo. — Blaine Gabbert got a pep talk from his coach, who reminded him of his starring role in a victory that knocked Oklahoma out of the BCS standings lead a few weeks ago.
Then Gabbert broke out of his slump.
The quarterback accounted for three touchdowns in a strong bounce-back effort and No. 20 Missouri made just as many big plays on defense in a 38-28 victory over error-prone Kansas State in its home finale Saturday.
“I told him on the biggest stage of college football, the biggest stage you can have, ‘GameDay’ and the whole thing, you executed at the highest level, and you are good,” coach Gary Pinkel said. “Never doubt how good you are.”
The Tigers capitalized on three fumble recoveries and scored 17 straight points to put away the Wildcats. Gabbert led the way with 297 yards passing and rushing, hitting receivers on the numbers and showing off his speed.
“It meant a lot having the coaching staff all behind me, because losing two tough games like that, your confidence is a little shaken,” Gabbert said. “It was great to get back out here, have a good day and get a win.”
Missouri finished 6-0 at home and beat Kansas State for the fifth straight time.
