Mizzou Links, Labor Day Edition
by Bill C. on Sep 7, 2009 11:04 AM CDT
in Mizzou Football 2009
11 comments
Still working on a national wrap-up post, but that will probably come tomorrow when the last two national games of the week (Cincy-Rutgers, FSU-Miami). So for now, you get more Mizzou links (and some Big 12 ones as well).
Mizzou-Illinois Wrap-up!
- Dave Matter: Emptying the Notebook
Now that we’ve seen what the ’09 Tigers are capable of, is it fair to reasonably expect double-digit wins? Are the Tigers suddenly North Division favorites? Unless Saturday was a mirage — and I don’t think it was — is it fair to say the Tigers could win every remaining game against teams not named Texas?
Yes or no, Gary Pinkel cautioned against any broad conclusions following one game, albeit one very impressive game against a better opponent than all but two Big 12 peers played.
"I would not judge" the program "after this game," he said. "It’s the next step. The bigger game now is next week, because we lost the edge a little bit. I told them in the locker room this is going to be the toughest Tuesday-Wednesday practices they’ve ever seen. And their body language wasn’t really good when I said that. But that’s OK. When you’re winning, you can do anything to them."
(Unlike, I suppose, at Michigan.)
- Campus Corner (KC Star): Concerning Gabbert, Restraint Be, uh, Darned
- Mizzourah: Week 1 Morning After - Illanoy
- SI.com (Stewart Mandel): Blaine Gabbert, Matt Barkley, Greg Paulus Impress in debuts
- Post-Dispatch: Trip is costly for Illini
- PRnewswire.com: Jimmy Clausen, Blaine Gabbert, Rahim Moore and Joe Pawelek Announced as Week One Nominees for the AT&T All-America Player of the Week Award
From Gary Pinkel on Twitter:
Tiger Fans- We MUST have 70,000 in Gold in THE ZOU this weekend for the opener! MUST! GO TIGERS!
YOU HEARD THE MAN!! MUST!!!!!!!
And from Palestra.net...
A look ahead!
- Post-Dispatch: Pinkel cautious about Tigers' early success
[A]t first blush, anyway, Tigers defenders seem revitalized under first-year defensive coordinator Dave Steckel.
They generated more pressure, including three sacks, with fewer men rushing. They forced two turnovers and minimized big plays, with Illinois' longest rush for 15 yards and longest pass for 24.
And even on the 24-yard pass, to Jarred Fayson, MU defensive back Jasper Simmons was glued to Fayson.
Last season, Williams threw for 451 yards. This season: 179. - PowerMizzou: Like Father, Unlike Son: Revised Expectations?
Big 12 Links!
- BYU > OU
Crimson and Cream Machine: An Attempt to Properly Summarize the Debacle in Arlington - Nebraska > Florida Atlantic
Corn Nation: Husker Report Card: Florida Atlantic
Husker Extra: QB Lee solid in first start
Omaha World-Herald: Huskers look good in opener, and it appears they'll need to beOn a wild first Saturday of college football, Nebraska's 2009 schedule came into focus. It's tougher today than it was yesterday.
Missouri looks better than advertised. The Tigers whipped up on Illinois 37-9, and made it look easy. Quarterback Blaine Gabbert looked like a poised veteran, not a shaky sophomore making his first start. The story of the game might have been MU's defense. The Big 12 North hopes the easy explanation is that Illinois just stinks.
Baylor is as good as advertised. The Bears took a gutsy win in the middle of ACC country, outlasting Wake Forest 24-21. Quarterback Robert Griffin is already a "bear'' to deal with.
- Kansas > Northern Colorado
LJWorld.com: Reesing's four combined TDs lead KU to 49-3 rout over Northern Colorado
Topeka Capital-Journal: KU notepad, grade card - K-State > UMass
Bring on the Cats: Postgame Reaction: K-State vs Massachusetts
Campus Corner (KC Star): Postgame: K-State 21, UMass 17 - Oklahoma State > Georgia
SI.com (Andy Staples): Oklahoma State uses SEC-style defense to stifle Georgia - Texas > UL-Monroe
Burnt Orange Nation: Post-Game React: Texas 59 Louisiana-Monroe 20 - Baylor > Wake Forest
Waco Tribune: Baylor football savors 24-21 win over Wake Forest in opener
Waco Tribune: Baylor's nimble giant Phil Taylor shows his versatility
ESPN.com: Mistakes prove costly for Wake Forest - Oklahoma State > Georgia
Tulsa World: OSU tempers victory party, regains its focus
Daily Oklahoman: OSU's Dez Bryant comes through...eventually - Texas Tech > North Dakota
Double-T Nation: Drive Chart :: North Dakota 13, Texas Tech 38 - Texas A&M > New Mexico
Dallas Morning News: Aggies have no trouble with New Mexico, 41-6 - Colorado State > Colorado
Ralphie Report: Steve Fairchild Was Right, The Colorado Buffaloes Look SillyI believed that a change in the offense would bring the smash mouth back to Colorado football but realized after a sweep wide on 4th and one that no offensive scheme can teach will, toughness and desire to get something accomplished but rather something that you have inside. Too many times we have seen lackadaisical performances, little energy and no response to sudden change during a game.
Shame on me, shame on me.
I never thought I would feel this stupid after a football game.
Other!
- NY Times: NFL Teams Unleash Offense, With a Nod to the College Game
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I haven't adjusted expectations
I always thought we’d compete for the North, because Neb has just as many questions as us if not more, we get them at home, and KU has to run the gauntlet with the South (putting ALL the pressure on their North games).
Illanoy gave us a pretty good peek at what this team’s ceiling might be, and we are all impressed (rightfully so). However, we still don’t know about the floor. Where will this team’s water will settle? As good as they were in game 1 I doubt it will be the best game of the season. I am even more sure that it won’t be the worst. So what will be a “typical” game from this team, and how different will it be from what we just saw? We just don’t know. So we better not just slot this game in as “typical”. We should know better.
Consider some things that went right on Saturday that might not be repeatable every week.
1. Third down conversions: 9 of 17 (53%) is not insanely high, but a very good conversion rate for a team with lots of new faces on offense. I would expect that rate to settle down down a bit in league.
2. Penalties – 5 for 45 yards; of course, Pinkel’s teams historically have been good at avoiding penalties. I expect that to continue overall. But, I really thought the zebras swallowed the whistle Saturday by comparison to every other game I watched.
3. Kicking game – Maybe Ressel really is the next Wolfie. He certainly kicked like it. There were no gimmes among any of his kicks, which all passed the eyeball test. The kid won’t go 3-3 every week, but he looked like he knew what he was doing. Having said that, Harry 4 had a ridiculous day punting. If you’re looking for so-called hidden yards that Illinois never had, consider Mizzou’s 45.2 yards net punting including 3 punts downed inside the 20. Illinois played with its back to its zone pretty much the entire game, which played right into Steckel’s soft shell.
For its part MU didn’t shoot itself in the foot with penalties, nor did it give up a lot of free field position in the kicking game. In these two areas MU looked as if they were in mid-season form. Pinkel’s good, but c’mon. There was probably some fluke in at least those two areas, neither of which might have changed the outcome but both could be big against better opponent.
One question I have about the defense is whether the soft zone we saw from Steckel is a philosophical change, or was something put in to specifically matchup with Juice. On one hand the tackling was noticeably improved over last season, and that is certainly sustainable. However, I worry about playing quite so vanilla against the better QBs Mizzou is likely to face—as early as this coming week.
So as not to seem a complete wet blanket here, Gabbert was as brilliant as everyone is saying. And frankly, I thought he and the RBs were playing behind a pedestrian effort by the o-line. They were probably the worst looking unit on offense. I expect that will improve substantially barring major injury.
"Those who fear disorder more than injustice inevitably produce more of both." -- Rev. William Coffin
Bingo.
We expected to have a “baseline” at the end of the Illinois game. And while I’m certainly not complaining, I don’t think we got it.
by RPT on Sep 7, 2009 2:01 PM CDT up reply actions
I remember
That last year ( I think it was last year) the O-line started the game off really weak, but got it together as the game, and season, went along (until OSU). This year, I think that having to rotate Gregory out to tackle may have cause a bit of distress in the plan. Further, and this is my opinion, that one of the reasons that the RB’s didn’t get it going is that the blocking at the second level (LB’s) didn’t happen. I don’t recall the name, but the King mentioned one LB having 10 tackles rather quick (with the lack of yards, that tells me the guards aren’t getting out to block him).
Third down conversions are a bit low, but I think Costello was 0-3, and Gabbert was 1-1 on fourth down. That’s still only 60%, but I would like to know what the first down yardage was. I think it was much lower than past years.
I don’t recall one holding penalty. How, in this day, is that possible?
I'm the guy that keeps Mr. Death in his pocket.
I agree with everything you said, but it is nice to know that this team can perform at this level.
Whether they will every week remains to be seen
"It's a BLT with a fried crab on it, Whaaaaaaaaa?"
f'real
Gabbert has a friggin’ hand cannon.
"Those who fear disorder more than injustice inevitably produce more of both." -- Rev. William Coffin
I vote none, but I already thought we could compete in the North
I hate hype machines right now, especially after what happened last year, so I’m just gonna keep it cool for now. And as for Whitlock’s super-gush over Gabbert story, it feels like he’s almost trying to jinx us. But I’m incredibly paranoid so… Go Tigers!
If you watch Rambo backwards, it's Sylvester Stallone healing people with his magic bullet vacuum.
Just because you're paranoid doesn't make you wrong
No manner of evil is beyond Whitlock.
"Those who fear disorder more than injustice inevitably produce more of both." -- Rev. William Coffin
I did enjoy the part...
…where he says that by midseason, Mizzou should be clicking along better than when Chase was a Heisman finalist. That’s where he gave away his jinx attempt—that was a little too blatant. :-)
Rock M Nation
Thrust nunchuk upward!
I guess more relief than surprise
I thought the game could have gone either way going in, but I did have Mizzou picked 38-24. I see our running game still goes east & west where running north & south would net more yards. We didn’t have the speed and strength to get around end.
I’d also like to find the shirts the coaches had on Saturday.
Steve
by thedad on Sep 7, 2009 11:55 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
Or the shirt that Spoon's girlfriend had on...
Bill, that is your mission for this week.
I'm the guy that keeps Mr. Death in his pocket.
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