MU coach wary of fans' enthusiasm at big game

COLUMBIA — If you feel the urge to run onto Faurot Field after Saturday’s Missouri football game against Nebraska, you might want to resist it.

On Wednesday, Tigers football coach Gary Pinkel sent a campus-wide e-mail encouraging MU students to show restraint and not rush the field. Injuries at other colleges from rushing football fields and basketball courts have highlighted the dangers of such celebrations.

“Good sportsmanship is vital to our university’s reputation and our team’s success,” Pinkel said in the email. “We encourage our fans to enjoy the game safely and responsibly.”

Police apprehended 34 fans who ran onto the field when Missouri last hosted Nebraska in 2005. Twenty-two were charged with trespassing.

Pinkel’s e-mail goes on to remind students to be safe, responsible and courteous during and after the game.

He also reminds students that if they are caught on the field, their actions are being recorded on camera and students will be identified and tried in court.

The game is being touted as a sellout by the Missouri Athletic Department, which lists the capacity of Memorial Stadium as 68,349.