One game does not a season make, but if you're a long-suffering University of Missouri football fan, you've got to be encouraged -- and no doubt pleasantly surprised -- by the Tigers' season opener last Saturday.

Not that Illinois is supposed to be one of the nation's top teams this year -- although the Illini were still expected to be strong despite losing star quarterback Kurt Kittner from last season's stellar squad -- but I don't think anybody expected the Tigers to dominate the contest.

But that's exactly what the Tigers did as they had their way on both sides of the ball during a 33-20 victory.

Perhaps most impressive of all was the performance of Brad Smith, MU's little-known quarterback. The redshirt freshman shredded Illinois' supposedly stout defense for 138 yards rushing and 152 yards passing in a nearly flawless performance that evoked memories of some of the Tigers' standout double-threat signal callers from years past.

MU's defense was also solid, not resembling anything like the sieve it has been in recent years.

Overall, it was a strong performance, one that gives MU fans hope that Gary Pinkel just might be the coach who finally gets the Tigers moving in the right direction, although only time will tell about the former Toledo boss who is in his second season in Columbia.

The Tigers stand a strong chance of starting out 4-0, but then the schedule gets especially brutal, with road games at Nebraska, Texas Tech, Iowa State and Texas A&M, along with home games against Oklahoma, Colorado and Kansas State. A home contest against Kansas looks like the only cupcake once Big 12 play begins.

Check back with me after all that and I'll let you know if I'm still impressed with the Tigers.

Here's wishing Indian quarterback Jeromy McDowell the best as he deals with the knee injury that will keep him sidelined for the rest of the season. Jeromy is a truly class act as well as being a heck of a player.

And here's hoping Jack Tomco and Jeff East -- who will share the quarterback position in place of McDowell, with Tomco serving as the starter at least for now -- come through to help the Indians make up for the loss of one of their offensive leaders.

Friday's opening night of the area high school football season didn't really contain anything out of the ordinary, but Sikeston's 21-14 win at Jackson could indicate that life after Mario Whitney will be a bit rough for the Indians, as quite a few people have suggested.

Or maybe the Bulldogs really are much improved this season, as many others have suggested.

Like Jackson, which made the Class 5 semifinals last year, one other team coming off a sensational season -- Class 3 runner-up New Madrid County Central -- was treated rudely Friday, losing to Jonesboro, Ark., 37-0.

Most people think the Eagles, who graduated just about everybody off last year's squad, will be way down this year.

Time will tell on all of the above.

I'm not saying the Rams are going to win the Super Bowl this year, although most of the so-called experts rank them as one of the favorites.

But I am certain that the Rams' 0-4 preseason record will have absolutely no bearing on the kind of year they have. Preseason results mean nothing.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian