The Missouri Tigers All-Season Team: Danario Alexander
As we put a wrap on the roller coaster ride of a rebuilding season in 2009, I've decided to ask for the community's help in fashioning the 2009 Mizzou All-Season Team. Just like I did in 2007 before the Cotton Bowl, putting together the All-Season Team will help recognize the top performances of the season at each position this past year.
Today, we take on the almost impossible task of determining the best performance of the season for the first receiver on the list: Danario Alexander. Nominees after the jump.
NOMINEES (in chronological order):
- Danario Alexander vs. Nevada: We got our first look at the brilliance to come from 'Nario in a 10-catch, 132-yard debut against Illinois, but that was Blaine Gabbert's day. Alexander grabbed the headlines for himself on a Friday night in Reno, propelling himself to his first Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week award of the season.
THE LINE: 9 rec., 170 yards, 18.9 avg., 2 TD
- Danario Alexander vs. Oklahoma State: On a night where everything just seemed a little out of a sync for the entire evening, at least Danario's numbers looked right. Pokes defenders were having trouble catching him, and even when they did and grabbed a hold of his facemask, they still couldn't bring him down:
THE LINE: 9 rec., 180 yards, 20.0 avg., 1 TD
- Danario Alexander vs. Colorado: Picking up from his catch and run in the Nevada game, the Colorado game afforded us the opportunity for another "Oh, Danario caught the ball after 15 yards and then ran away from everyone untouched" highlight. The Buffs got a close-up view of the afterburners on his way to the first of his two touchdowns on the day.
THE LINE: 8 rec., 123 yards, 15.4 avg., 2 TD
- Danario Alexander vs. Baylor: Nick Florence was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week after Baylor's win over Missouri, but his primary competition for that award came from the other side of the field. The gem of the day was his 84-yard catch and run.
THE LINE: 13 rec., 214 yards, 16.5 avg., 1 TD
- Danario Alexander vs. Kansas State: He was unquestionably the best player on the field in Manhattan in a big rebound victory for the Tigers. Behold Bill Snyder Family Stadium Nario's Playground:
The real question is determining which of his three touchdowns was most noteworthy. Was it Nario going over top to steal a bomb away from being a sure interception for Tysyn Hartman? Was it the beautiful corner route for the touchdown to end the first half? Was it the long distance slant and spin for his third touchdown? Should we take into account his Jason WItten-esque helmetless fight for a first down?
THE LINE: 10 rec., 200 yards, 20.0 avg., 3 TD
- Danario Alexander vs. Iowa State: After two consecutive 200-yard games, it says a lot about Alexander's season that we can look at an 11/173/1 day against Iowa State and respond with "meh." It was another fantastic day for Alexander, who drew comparisons to a mix of Jim Brown and Usain Bolt from ISU coach Paul Rhoads after the game. Playing his final home game at Faurot Field, Nario broke Jeremy Maclin's record for receiving yards in a season, much to the cha-grin (BOOO BAD PUN) of the ISU mascot:
THE LINE: 11 rec., 173 yards, 15.7 avg., 1 TD
- Danario Alexander vs. Kansas: It's scary to think about how Missouri's season might have gone without Danario Alexander, and no game is scarier to think about than Mizzou's last second win over the Beaks. You can make the argument that in 120 minutes of football, Alexander had more success at Arrowhead Stadium in 2007 and 2009 than the Chiefs did. Nario used a 68-yard catch-and-run touchdown to put Missouri on top for the first time, putting the team on his back in the second half in the midst of an incredibly thrilling shootout with Dez Briscoe.
THE LINE: 15 rec., 233 yards, 15.5 avg., 1 TD
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K-state may have been the most impressive in showing off his total skill set
but KU wasn’t far behind AND it was such an enormous game.
"Those who fear disorder more than injustice inevitably produce more of both." -- Rev. William Coffin
Without Danario's performance in Manhattan....
K-State might have been bowl eligible. :’o(
Hail to the Purple, Hail to the White
Wildcat in spirit, Wildcat in fight
Hail Alma Mater from sea to sea
Onward forever, Hail Victory!
If you click the afterburners link and explore a tiny bit
you get to Brian Mortensen’s KOMU wrap of the K-State game (or just click here if you’re interested) and his opening is exactly why K-State Danario has got to be the choice:
“The Tigers entered Bill Snyder Family Stadium in desperate need of someone, anyone, to propell the Tigers for a full 4 quarters of football and shred the second half woes plaguing the Tigers since losing to Nebraska.” —Brian Mortensen, KOMU
It may not be as pivotal program-wise as T-Ruck and S. Carolina, but I would argue that it was the pivotal point in this particular season… Not that I don’t like beating kU and kU ‘Nario wasn’t outstanding… but I feel the K-State game had impact beyond that particular game, whereas it seems the kU game may have not.
A nod's as good as a wink to a blind bat.
by Other Side of the Pillow on Jan 5, 2010 11:46 AM CST reply actions
Gotta be K-State
all his kansas numbers were pretty much catch and run past people. Against K-State, he did that, and also came down with a big jump ball, burned the guy on a corner route, pulled a Rucker getting that first down, etc.
by Transmogrified Tiger on Jan 5, 2010 12:13 PM CST reply actions
I just think without Domino we still would've beaten K-state
but against kU, it was Domino (and derrick washington to a lesser extent) who kept us in the game and put us in a position to win the game.
Great Oden's Raven I love Mike "The Predator" Dixon!

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