<strong><span class="infobox-head">FIRST QUARTER </span></strong><br /> <strong>Key play:</strong> A Blaine Gabbert completion to Danario Alexander for 12 yards was an indication of what was to come on a day in which Missouri threw 52 passes.</p><p><strong>Key stat:</strong> 11 of 12. Gabbert&rsquo;s passing in the first quarter, for 129 yards.</p><p><strong><span class="infobox-head">SECOND QUARTER </span></strong><br /> <strong>Key play:</strong> The Gabbert-to-Alexander pass-and-run that covered 84 yards &mdash; the longest pass completion of Gabbert&rsquo;s career and the longest reception of Alexander&rsquo;s &mdash; for a touchdown that put Missouri in front 20-9. </p><p><strong>Key stat:</strong> 11 for 171. Alexander&rsquo;s receptions and yardage at the half.</p><p><strong><span class="infobox-head">THIRD QUARTER </span></strong><br /> <strong>Key play:</strong> After Jake Harry IV&rsquo;s 51-yard punt was downed inside the Baylor 1, Missouri&rsquo;s Dominique Hamilton tackled Baylor running back Terrance Gannaway in the end zone for a safety.</p><p><strong>Key stat:</strong> Minus-11. Rushing yards in 16 carries for Baylor through three quarters.</p><p><strong><span class="infobox-head">FOURTH QUARTER </span></strong><br /> <strong>Key play:</strong> With 13:11 to play, Baylor&rsquo;s Kendall Wright ran through a pass interference on Missouri&rsquo;s Robert Steeples for a 59-yard touchdown pass that &mdash; with the extra point &mdash; put Baylor up 33-29.</p><p><strong>Key stat:</strong> 0. The number of touchdowns scored by Missouri in the second half of the last five games.</p><p><strong>Player of the game:</strong> Danario Alexander. Missouri looks to have three probable All-Big 12 first-team players. Sean Weatherspoon and Aldon Smith on defense. Alexander, on offense, is making a push for honors beyond all-league.</p><p><strong>Reason to hope:</strong> Missouri looked as if it could beat anybody with 347 yards total offense in the first half.</p><p><strong>Reason to mope:</strong> Missouri looked as if it could lose out the season with the offensive and defensive problems in the second half.</p><p><strong>Looking ahead:</strong> Kansas State awaits in the Little Apple, and it looks as if the worm has turned in the Big 12 North. You have to take the division-leading Wildcats seriously now.</p><p><hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> <strong><span class="subhead">&ensp;REPORT CARD</span></strong></p><p><span style="line-height:0"><br clear="all" /></span><table border="0" class="story-table"> <tr class="story-table-even-row"><td>D</td><td>Offense</td><td align="left">Missouri no longer gets credit for fast starts. The second half swoons have put a bowl trip in jeopardy. Only Danario Alexander has been consistent in every game.</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-odd-row"><td>F</td><td>Defense</td><td align="left">At Colorado, the Missouri defense saved the day with a strong second half. Against Baylor, the MU defensive secondary was toasted all day.</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-even-row"><td>B-</td><td>Special teams</td><td align="left">Grant Ressel kicked three field goals. Jake Harry IV&rsquo;s punt that was downed inside the Baylor 1 seemed huge at the time. But Tanner Mills&rsquo; squib kick when Missouri needed to recover an onside kickoff?</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-odd-row"><td>F</td><td>Coaching</td><td align="left">Against a defense that came in 97th nationally against the run, Missouri netted 10 yards in 25 carries. Sure, the passing game was on in the first half. Perhaps the running game might have been better with more than a few stock plays.</td></tr> </table> </div> <hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> &ldquo;</p><p></div>