Mizzou Links, 8-31-09

Mizzou Football Links!

• The Trib: It's right around the corner
• Post-Dispatch: Tigers still have questions
• KC Star: Tigers believe losing Chase Daniel doesn't mean losing on the field
• Campus Corner (KC Star): As Paul Harvey used to say...

  "Everybody’s got to make their own identity," receiver Wes Kemp said. "We’ve got a quarterback who can throw it downtown and make all the other throws."

  De'Vion Moore takes that confidence a leap further.

  "Brad Smith, Chase Daniel are both great players," said the sophomore tailback. "Players of their time. We have Blaine Gabbert and he’s going to be a captain of this team.

  "He’s going to keep this team running. We’re going to look to him to make the plays and I see him doing it.

  "He’s going to come in and make a name for himself. He’s going to be a Blaine Gabbert."

• The Missourian: Woodland puts waiting behind, takes to the field for Missouri football team
• The Trib: Blaine Dalton's arrest ends short and tumultuous MU career
• Dave Matter: Emptying the Notebook on last week's scrimmage (and Dalton's dismissal)

  When visiting a St. Louis Rams practice a few years ago, Yost noticed one crucial difference between Rams quarterbacks Kurt Warner and Marc Bulger, a difference that also is obvious between Gabbert and Daniel.

  "Warner threw it way earlier than Bulger, but the ball got there at the same time because Bulger could make up for it with arm strength," Yost said. "Bulger isn’t considered to have super arm strength, but compared to Warner it was considerably stronger. But it’s more of a timing, anticipation deal. You can make up for it."

  That, Yost said, is how Daniel made up for his lack of Gabbertish arm strength. He could anticipate where receivers would be before they got there, a way to compensate for putting less velocity on the ball as stronger quarterbacks do.

  On the other hand, the drawback to that passing style is that the ball has to come out of the QB's hand quickly, almost immediately after receiving the snap. That makes it difficult to call for a lot of deep vertical routes in the course of a game.

• PowerMizzou: Newcomer Q&A: Jasper Simmons
• The Trib: MU chancellor asks Anheuser-Busch to stop 'Team Pride' program
• The Trib: No one to blame (Trey Millard commits to Oklahoma)

  I guess everybody thought I should be for Mizzou, but it wasn’t that way," Millard said. "Plus, I didn’t want to stay in town.
  
  Sometimes, it’s just that simple. A teenager actually wants to step out into the world and see what else is out there.

• Post-Dispatch: Missouri looks to improve its weak pass defense

Okay, Post-Dispatch...I tend to ignore some of the "The P-D hates Mizzou!!!!!" talk, but come on.  You finally write two more articles on Mizzou (the first in, what, a week?), and not only are they both negative, but one references the most ridiculous stat of last season?  That's right, they went nails-on-a-chalkboard with me by referencing Mizzou's total pass defense figure repeatedly.  Again, unless you're willing to tell me that Oklahoma had the 99th-best pass defense because they ranked 99th in passing yards allowed, while Tulane had the 14th-best because they were 14th, then you need to just stop referencing stats you apparently don't understand.

Also, for PowerMizzou subscribers, Gabe threw together a bunch of links for Tiger commits and targets in their first H.S. games of the season...

Illinois Links!

• Post-Dispatch: In years ahead, MU, Illini face schedule issues
  

Big 12 Links!

• Omaha World-Herald: Several decommits turn into Husker foes

  Before signing day in February 2008, 15 players who told NU they were coming eventually decided against it. The majority skipped out on their verbal commitments during the stretch in which the Huskers slipped from 4-1 to 5-7, fired head coach Bill Callahan, replaced him with Bo Pelini and went into damage control.

  It happens.

  But the reality nearly two years later is that class was full of players. And it could even come back to haunt the Huskers.

  Of the eight who chose other Big 12 schools, seven are on North Division rosters. As many as five of those seven could begin the 2009 season as starters, with the other two projected as No. 2s on their respective depth charts.

• Omaha World-Herald: Carl Pelini says defense is improving with youth movement
• Denver Post: Honeymoon over for Hawk, brother
• Daily Oklahoman: Feat puts Big 12 in league of its own
• Daily Oklahoman: SEC! SEC! SEC! ... and don't forget it
• KC Star: Snyder hopes to write a perfect ending
• SoonerScoop.com: Ratterree on the verge of being a walk-on success

Why the link on Ratterree?  Because that's my boy!  He's the little brother of my high school best friend...I dunked him in a pool when he was 2.  Now, he could lift me in the air with one hand.  It really does sound like he's moved ahead of at least three scholarship tight ends on OU's depth chart and will play quite a bit while they're massacring BYU on Saturday.

Mizzou Soccer Links!

• Mutigers.com: Missouri falls to DePaul 2-0
• The Missourian: Missouri women's soccer loses to DePaul
• The Trib: A dazzling debut for new fan favorite (Michelle Makasini)

Tough loss for Mizzou, but not a crushing one by any means.  Looks like DePaul was VERY physical with Mizzou (19 fouls for DePaul to 13 for Mizzou) and managed to keep Mizzou from getting many good shots on goal despite giving up more shots overall, plus more corners.

Mizzou Volleyball Links!

• The Trib: Tigers back in attack mode
• Mutigers.com: Mizzou's stats after three matches

Look at how quickly Rosa Medrano has become Mizzou's go-to player.  She has taken 104 of Mizzou's 345 attacks, while Julianna Klein has taken 77.  Catie Wilson (39), Amanda Hantouli (29), Paola Ampudia (26), Brittney Brimmage (26), and Wendy Wang (23) round out a pretty balanced second tier, but it appears we're all about Medrano and Klein for now.

Other Mizzou Links!

• The Trib: West Coast intrigues MU softball coach
• The Trib: Taylor Stadium gets makeover

Other

• NY Times: Signs that College Seasons Begin and Swine Flu Enters Locker Room

Scary stuff here.