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, it's Andrew Gachkar's turn. Nominees after the jump.
NOMINEES (in chronological order):- Andrew Gachkar vs. Furman: What's more surprising to most Mizzou fans -- the fact that Gachkar finished the year second in tackles, or the fact that he did so despite having ZERO total tackles against Illinois? Two weeks later, Gachkar notched his first official sack of the season against Furman, as he had a sack taken away by an accepted illegal block penalty the week before against Bowling Green.
THE LINE: 7 tackles, 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss
- Andrew Gachkar vs. Nevada: Perhaps the most notable memory from Gachkar's contribution to Mizzou's win against Nevada was the fact that Missouri couldn't take advantage of it. Mizzou took the ball to open the game and promptly went zero yards on three plays before Gachkar recovered a Vai Taua fumble on the ensuing Jake Harry punt. Starting at midfield, Mizzou only turned the turnover into three points.
THE LINE: 7 tackles (all unassisted), 1 fumble recovered
- Andrew Gachkar vs. Oklahoma State: Gachkar actually led Mizzou in tackles in Stillwater, racking up a total of nine tackles, five of them unassisted. These numbers in a game in which Bill said in the postgame panic post that Gachkar "was around the ball quite a bit, but didn't make a ton of plays." In Stillwater, Gachkar was once again a very under-the-radar contributor, as he seemed to be all season.
THE LINE: 9 tackles (5 unassisted)
- Andrew Gachkar vs. Colorado: Yet another quietly solid day from Gachkar. Sensing a theme here?
THE LINE: 9 tackles (6 unassisted)
- Andrew Gachkar vs. Iowa State: Gachkar turned in his best statistical day of the season against the Cyclones, leading the team with 10 tackles on a day supposedly reserved for partner in crime Sean Weatherspoon. Gachkar and 'Spoon combined in the second quarter to snuff out a fake field goal attempt by Derek Schmidgall, holding the holder to no gain on 4th and 3 from the Missouri 35. It was one of three special teams tackles made by Gachkar on the day.
THE LINE: 10 tackles (6 unassisted), 0.5 tackles for loss
- Andrew Gachkar vs. Kansas: I'm sure that all seven tackles were of important in some respect, but Gachkar had what is likely the biggest tackle of his career in the waning moments of this year's Border War. With the game tied at 36, Kansas had driven inside the Mizzou 10-yard-line. After Gachkar tackled Rell Lewis on 1st and 10 and Todd Reesing missed Kerry Meier on 2nd down, Gachkar was the key force in drawing an intentional grounding penalty from Todd Reesing that cost Kansas 16 yards and forced the Beaks to settle for a Brandstetter field goal to go up by three. Probably one of the more forgotten and underappreciated plays for Mizzou down the stretch in that ballgame.
THE LINE: 7 tackles (5 unassisted), 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack