Mizzou Links, 8-13-10 (Friday the 13th WOOOOOoooo...)

Practice Reports

• The Trib (Dave Matter): Injuries Galore

  The day started with DE Aldon Smith (hip pointer) and WR L’Damian Washington (thigh bruise) dressed in red jerseys. Neither participated in drills. Gary Pinkel said Smith could miss a couple of days. With Smith out, DE Brad Madison worked with the No. 1 defense. … With Washington out, WR Brandon Gerau saw more time with the No. 2 offense, that is until he suffered a neck stinger and missed some drills. (He said he felt better after practice.) … Midway through practice, SS Kenji Jackson came down awkwardly after driving TE Michael Egnew out of bounds. The first-team safety was seen by trainers immediately, but Pinkel didn’t mention Jackson in his post-practice injury briefing. "He’s going to be fine," Pinkel said. "Rex didn’t say anything to me about him." (The same can’t be said for Engew’s facemask, which one player said was "bent about as far as it goes.") … OG Jayson Palmgren hobbled out of a drill early in practice, while OLB Andrew Gachkar came in and out of the lineup with what looked like a minor foot/ankle injury. … WR Jerrell Jackson (broken wrist) sat out all drills and, as reported on Wednesday, will miss approximately four weeks of action. … Also, MLB Will Ebner (hamstring strain) sat out all drills. … TB De’Vion Moore (concussion) was back participating in every period at full speed, as was MLB Luke Lambert (knee strain.)

• PowerMizzou: Thursday practice report

  *I've been impressed with Carl Gettis and Kevin Rutland during drills. They seem to be covering very well so far in practices, especially in the one-on-one drills. Gettis, in particular, seems set on making his senior season a better one.
  
  *We noticed a few freshmen who might be inching toward playing time. Darvin Ruise and Nick Demien each appeared to be spending at least some time with the second units on their respective sides of the ball. Ruise is also involved with the kickoff coverage team.

  PowerMizzou: Defensive line photos
  PowerMizzou: Tiger tailbacks on the run
• MUtigers.com Blog: Defense Wins Black Jerseys Back, Injury News Is Also The Talk of Football Camp

  On a 3rd-and-1 play, senior TB Derrick Washington carried the ball and got to the left edge. He eluded all pursuit and scooted down the sideline for a 32-yard touchdown, showing that the talk about his increased quickness from last year was not only idle chatter...
  
  A true freshman who stood out Thursday morning was CB Xavier Smith. Smith was seen breaking up a pair of passes in 11-on-11 work, including one that came late that came in the endzone as QB Tyler Gabbert tried to hit WR Bud Sasser for a score...

• Fox Sports MW: Tiger Camp Notebook: August 12

Other Mizzou Football Links

• MUtigers.com: Mizzou-Kansas Tickets on Sale August 16
• PowerMizzou: Opportunity Knocks
  The Trib: Tigers in need of extra hand
• The Missourian: Missouri leans on T.J. Moe

  Moe, a 6-foot bundle of dynamite, is the best route runner on the team. His pedigree as a quarterback gives him exceptional field vision and a solid understanding of defenses, which he best uses against zone coverage. He signed with Missouri as an all-purpose athlete, but his hands and pop off the line of scrimmage made the decision to convert him to wide receiver easy.

  "There's no question he charged out like a fish out of water. He's used to being with the ball in his hands under center, and now he's out in space. And all those things out in space are foreign to anyone who hasn't been out there," Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said. "Now the bell's going to ring, maybe a lot faster than he thought it was going to ring, but that's also good."

  Not gonna lie: I've seen Moe play three primary times (Illinois, Furman, spring game), and he dropped passes in all three. It sounds like everything has clicked for him, and guys like Matter and Dearmond are obviously aboard the Moe bandwagon, but until I actually see him go through a game without a key drop or a tip-turned-pick, I'm going to be a bit paranoid. Prove me wrong, T.J.
• Fox Sports MW: Derrick Washington has something to prove
• The Trib: NEWCOMER PROFILE: DE Kony Ealy
  PowerMizzou: Freshman Q&A: Greg White
• PowerMizzou: Together Again (neat story about the pairs of brothers on this year's team ... the Hochs and Gabberts)

Big 12 Links

First, a sad note from the Dallas Morning News: former Texas and A&M assistant Emory Ballard has Lou Gehrig's disease.  Who is Ballard?  The guy who invented the wishbone.  Darrell Royal was beginning to struggle at Texas, and out of necessity, they switched up the offense with Ballard's new formation ... and all it did was change college football.  Godspeed, Coach.

• Colorado
  Denver Post: Tyler Hansen appears to have upper hand at CU scrimmage
  The Ralphie Report: Buffaloes Fall Scrimmage Stats And Notes
• Iowa State
  The Trib (Steve Walentik): An island in Ames (more basketball than football)
• Kansas
  Rock Chalk Talk: A Few Odds And Ends From Kansas Training Camp
  Topeka Capital-Journal: Jake Laptad anchors KU defensive line
• Kansas State
  Topeka Capital-Journal: Is Bryce Brown worth the drama?
  
  Plus a bonus basketball link...
  ESPN.com Blog: Summer Buzz: Kansas State Wildcats
• Oklahoma State
  Cowboys Ride For Free: Mike Gundy's Legacy Dilemma
• Texas
  Burnt Orange Nation: John Chiles at the Last Chance Saloon
  Burnt Orange Nation: Talkin' Texas and College Football with SI's Andy Staples
  Austin American-Statesman: Mack Brown participates in discussion about agents

Other Mizzou Links

• Mizzou Track & Field
  The Trib: Halter officially takes over as MU track coach
• Mizzou Volleyball
  MUtigers.com: Ampudia, Kreklow Earn Preseason Honors
  MUtigers.com: Golden Tiger Information

Other

• Smart Football: Strategic trends for the next decade? Start with defense