Mizzou Links, 8-17-09

More scrimmage reactions!

• Post-Dispatch (Bryan Burwell): Don't worry about Missouri

  Pinkel believes he has created a Program with a capital P, not a fleeting "here today, gone tomorrow" era that rides on the strength of one good recruiting class. The way you build a Program — and with it the all-important tradition — is by reloading, not rebuilding. And Saturday morning, there was evidence that Pinkel has another glimmering athletic centerpiece upon which to continue that tradition.
  
  Blaine Gabbert.

• The Trib (Dave Matter): Emptying the notebook

  Gabbert could throw a touchdown pass on every throw he makes the rest of camp, but we still won't know how he'll play in front of a crowd of 65,000 at the Edward Jones Dome, where he'll make his first career start, in his hometown, no less. And we won't know how he'll react to his first interception. Or his first sack.
  
  Part of playing the position, as Brad Smith and Chase Daniel proved, is taking a hit and bouncing back up, first for the next play, then the next week. Toughness, as he's said many times, is one quality Pinkel demands from his quarterbacks above the rest.

• The Trib: Gabbert shows his strut in scrimmage
• The Trib: Scrimmage Slide Show
• PowerMizzou: Nickname or not, Tiger backfield ready to run
• The Missourian: De'Vion Moore adds strong second offensive option
• The Missourian: Coulter feels like new man
• The MIssourian: Missouri football team still sorting out return game
• KC Star: Screen play stands out in MU scrimmage
• Mutigers.com: Tigers Hold First Fall Scrimmage
  

Other Mizzou links!

• The Trib: MU soccer has high expectations
• Mutigers.com: Cantwell Claims World Championship
• SimmonsField.com: Taylor Stadium renovation underway
  

Big 12 Football links!

• Bring On the Cats: 5 Issues That Could Derail Snyder's Comeback Season
• Clone Chronicles: ISU First Scrimmage Recap
• KC Star: Big 12 football team ratings by position
• Omaha World-Herald: Six things we've learned from the first week of NU practice

  Linebacker is the position that bears the most watching. If the NU coaches have an idea for how they'll fill out all three linebacker spots on their first pre-game depth chart, they aren't letting on. They say it's completely wide open — even a week into camp. The staff wants to see more consistent execution, but apparently, no one has satisfied that request. The unit's most veteran player, Phillip Dillard, is still working his way back from a disappointing spring. And the redshirt freshmen, seemingly all tabbed as rising stars at some point last year, haven't yet taken that next step. So there are a couple capable walk-ons, Mathew May and Colton Koehler, who've earned the right to be called first-teamers. But so, so much could change in three weeks.

• Topeka Capital-Journal: KU linebackers vie for PT
• Daily Oklahoman: OU coach Bob Stoops says more credit due to five Sooners

Some, uhh, interesting rankings in that KC Star piece.  That's all I'm going to say.

Other

Finally, just in case you didn't see this...just unbelievable.  After catching flack for what I thought was the ultimate "I'm a badass" move (showboating while still wrecking the world record) at the Olympics last summer, Usain ran what everybody said he could have had he not slowed up.  Gay was running so fast and just got trounced...