HOUR AWAY. THE MISSOURI TIGERS TONIGHT WILL KICK OFF THE MUCH ANTICIPATED 2024 FOOTBALL SEASON AT HOME AGAINST MURRAY STATE. KRCG 13 SPORTS DIRECTOR ROD SMITH IS LIVE INSIDE MEMORIAL STADIUM. ROD >>CURRENT HOPES ARE SKY HIGH FOR THIS MISSOURI TIGERS FOOTBALL TEAM THIS YEAR. THEY COME IN AS THE 11TH RANKED TEAM IN THE NATION. LAST YEAR THEY FINISHED WITH AN 11 WIN SEASON, FINISHING EIGHTH IN THE COUNTRY. A LOT OF REASON FOR OPTIMISM. THEY'VE GOT ALMOST THE ENTIRE OFFENSE COMING BACK. EIGHT OUT OF THE 11 STARTERS ON OFFENSE ARE BACK. THEY'VE GOT A PLAYOFF SYSTEM TO SHOOT FOR THIS YEAR, UP TO A 12 TEAM COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SYSTEM, UP FROM FOUR LAST YEAR. PEOPLE THINK THIS MIGHT BE THE YEAR MISSOURI GETS IN THE PLAYOFFS AND ALSO THEY HAVE A GREAT SHOW OF SUPPORT HERE. WE'VE GOT A BIG CROWD COMING IN HERE FOR THE SIXTH STRAIGHT TIME. A SELLOUT CROWD HERE AT MIZZOU OVER 62,000 WILL BE ON HAND. BRIAN HUDNELL IS OUT WITH THE FANS AND HAS MORE BRIAN. >>HEY GUYS. WE'RE APPROACHING KICKOFF HERE. WE ALREADY HAVE SOME FANS OUT HERE. TAILGATING SHOULD BE AN EXCITING NIGHT HERE FOR THE TIGERS. WHO AM I HERE WITH TODAY? >>HI THERE I'M STUART WOODY. I DROVE IN FROM KANSAS CITY EARLIER TODAY AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE SEASON AND READY TO GET THINGS KICKED OFF. >>WHAT ABOUT YOU? >>HI, I'M BRIAN, I'M FROM KANSAS CITY AND JUST READY FOR IT TO COOL DOWN. >>COOL. YEAH SAME HERE. >>AND LASTLY, JEFF, ALSO FROM KANSAS CITY AND EXCITED FOR THE FIRST GAME. FIRST WIN. SAME HERE. HOW ARE YOU GUYS EXCITED FOR THIS YEAR WITH THE COTTON BOWL AND EVERYTHING. 11 WINS. IT SHOULD BE AN EXCITING YEAR FOR THE TIGERS. >>CAN'T WAIT. WE WERE AT THE COTTON BOWL. SO LET'S JUST KEEP KEEP GOING, KEEP GOING. >>WE WERE ALL AT THE COTTON BOWL AND WE'RE READY FOR THE NEXT ONE. >>AWESOME, RIGHT? >>WHAT'S THE MAN SAY? WHY STOP NOW? >>WHY STOP NOW? >>WE GOT WE GOT SOME EXCITED TIGERS FANS HERE. KICKOFF IS APPROACHING SHORTLY, BUT WE'LL SEND IT BACK TO YOU BACK TO YOU, ROD. >>BRIAN, YOU KNOW THERE WILL BE OVER 60,000 FANS HERE AT FAUROT FIELD FOR THE FIRST TIME ON AN OPENING HOME GAME SINCE 2015. KERMIT, YOU MAY REMEMBER BUT THIS IS MY 40TH YEAR COVERING MISSOURI TIGER FOOTBALL. MY FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS, I HAD A GREAT PARTNER ON THE SIDELINE HELPING ME OUT. HIS NAME WAS KERMIT MILLER. REMEMBER THOSE GOOD YEARS? WELL, THEY'RE A LOT BETTER NOW. KERMIT THAN THOSE DAYS. BACK TO YOU IN THE STUDIO >>THE EQUIPMENT WAS A LOT HEAVIER. EVERY