I'm sure you've all read some articles here and there over the long weekend, so I'm not going to try to throw every link up on the board...just my favorites. And we start with Pat Forde talking about how the world finds itself on a new axis:
Hanging the most points on Illinois in its past 30 games -- three more than the Trojans scored in the Rose Bowl in January -- doesn't move the needle on the Joy-O-Meter. Watching your Heisman Trophy-candidate quarterback rack up 323 passing yards, 46 rushing yards and three passing touchdowns produces no overt fawning.
"That just comes with the expectation level around here," QB Chase Daniel said.
Those expectations made this the biggest season opener in school history. And the current Tigers should know their history.
Yo, guys: You're Missouri. Teams get five downs against you. Teams kick balls in the air and catch them for the winning touchdown against you. Your last conference championship was in 1969.
So soak that up and celebrate for a minute.
A few more Illinois links:
- Jeremy Maclin: 4 catches, 31 yards...and a Pontiac Game-Changing Nominee...
- The Dearmond boys are succinct and to the point: one down.
- The Trib's Joe Walljasper talks about how the pregame worries (O-line, punter) don't match the postgame worries (injuries, secondary).
- Dave Matter empties the notebook: "As long as he stays healthy, I’ve got no doubt Coffman will catch 100 passes this year, especially if MU sticks with the tight end rotation it used last night. Backups Andrew Jones and Jon Gissinger weren’t on the field very much. Coffman’s up to 166 career receptions, 34 behind Justin Gage for No. 2 on the MU career list and 37 behind all-time leader Martin Rucker. My guess is MU will have a new receptions king by the Colorado game. Coffman passed Linzy Collins for fifth place on MU’s career receiving yards list with 1,792 yards."
- One thing's for certain: the ground game did indeed make a statement.
SEMO links!
- Mutigers.com is catching on to the "BATTLE OF THE UNDEFEATEDS!!!" storyline...gotta love that...Mizzou and SEMO meeting "for in-state supremacy"...
- Here's SEMO's official release.
- Chase Daniel talks SEMO: "In a dream scenario, hopefully halftime.. All things have to go right for that to happen. We have to execute our offense at a high level. Since we didn’t play as well as we wanted to on offense last game we have a lot to get taken care of in practices this week. And hopefully we build a lead up by halftime and Chase Patton or Blaine, whoever is 2 or 3 can get some snaps."
- Willy Mo and Maclin will likely feel good enough to play on Saturday.
- More injuries: Steve Redmond is done (but will try to get back for a bowl game). We weren't counting on him for too much, but...man, if a starting LB goes down, we'll have no choice but to turn to freshmen or walk-ons...
- SEMO will be looking for revenge on Saturday after Mizzou's easy peasy 20-0 win over Cape Girardeau Teachers College in 1936.
The Mizzou defense is reviewing its rough spots. Should we forward yesterday's Defense Autopsy post to them?
There's no 'I' in Tommy Saunders...
...but there is a "Sunday". Just sayin'.
Finally, to basketball: I'd say the tour of Canada went as well as it possibly could have for Mizzou basketball...hooray, Canada! More from the Missourian...