COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Punters usually are the first players on the field, either in practice or on game days, and the last to be recognized.

Improvements in the punting game quietly have helped Missouri, ranked No. 21, ascend from perennial loser to annual contender.

The Tigers finished in the bottom two in the Big 12 Conference in net punting nine times from 1996 to 2007. Missouri coach Gary Pinkel and his staff decided they'd had enough entering the 2008 season.

"It was really becoming a thing of frustration for me at the time because we were losing the field position battle every week," Pinkel said. "There was no doubt in any of our minds that something needed to be done to change that."

Pinkel and punting coach Andy Hill checked other programs to find ways to improve. They noticed Wake Forest had enjoyed success with a rugby style, in which the punter rolls out and drives the ball at a lower angle to allow it to bounce for additional yardage.

Hill had seen that style when he was playing in junior college, but never considered coaching it himself until fully understanding the technique.

"When I first saw it I thought the guys doing it were crazy," he said. "It's worked so well for us now and it really gives us a whole new dimension other teams have to prepare for."

The Tigers debuted the rugby punt with Jake Harry in 2008, improving from 11th in the conference to fourth in net yardage. Harry led the Big 12 with a 40.5-yard average in 2009.

Sophomore Trey Barrow and senior Matt Grabner have combined to maintain that success this year for unbeaten Missouri (5-0, 1-0 Big 12), which enters its first road test of the season Saturday at Texas A&M (3-2, 0-1).

Both players had punts downed inside the 5-yard line during the first quarter to help establish momentum in a 26-0 shutout over Colorado last week. Barrow also had a 26-yard run off a fake punt during the second quarter that set up a Missouri touchdown.

"The fake punt was sort of like a dream for me," Barrow said. "I actually returned punts in high school, too, so it felt more natural to me than some people might think."

Both Grabner and Barrow have had little trouble learning the rollout method. Grabner was a standout soccer player in high school and played for Missouri's club team before friends persuaded him to try out for football. Barrow also played basketball and baseball in high school.

Together, their efforts have Missouri ranked second in the Big 12 in net average.

"You want kickers to come in and compete to earn their jobs," Pinkel said. "If you get them out there competing hard and you coach them up well, then the cream will rise to the top and you will have success.

"That's what we've been able to do."

Noteworthy

* Missouri is among 13 remaining unbeaten teams in the country and is seeking the fourth 6-0 start in school history, the last time in 2006.

* The Tigers are 9-3 on the road the last three seasons, with all three setbacks coming against ranked teams.

* Missouri is third in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 11.2 points per game, and is one of two schools that hasn't allowed a touchdown in the third quarter.

* Michael Egnew leads the nation's tight ends with an average of 7.8 receptions.

* Texas A&M leads the series 7-3, but Missouri has won three of the last four.