Mizzou Links, 8-17-10

By Bill Connelly@SBN_BillC Aug 17, 2010, 5:41am CDT

Practice Reports / Depth Chart Changes

The Trib (Dave Matter): Back to Work
Now for some depth chart changes. Pinkel released an official updated depth chart. Here are the significant changes: Receiver L’Damian Washington is ahead of Rolandis Woodland at the X position. Freshman Marcus Lucas is third. … Jayson Palmgren moved in front of Justin Britt at left guard. … Lawrence skipped past De’Vion Moore for the No. 2 tailback job. … T.J. Moe is officially the No. 1 slot receiver (H) while Jackson recovers. Freshman Bud Sasser shifted inside to the slot position and is the top backup, ahead of Gahn McGaffie, who also moved inside. … Wes Kemp is listed as even with Jaleel Clark at the Z receiver position. … On defense, Michael Sam is ahead of Marcus Malbrough for the No. 2 defensive end job behind starter Aldon Smith. … Starting linebackers Andrew Gachkar and Zaviar Gooden have officially flipped sides, Gachkar to the strong side, where he played last season, and Gooden to the weak side, where Sean Weatherspoon earned All-Big 12 honors from 2007-09. ... Adam Burton slides over from middle linebacker to strongside, where he’s No. 3. … The depth at strong safety now goes Kenji Jackson, Kenronte Walker, Braylon Webb and Randy Ponder. … At free safety, Matt White and Tavon Bolden are even for the No. 2 job behind starter Jasper Simmons. … Lots of dead-heat competition at cornerback. Behind starter Kevin Rutland, Munir Prince and Robert Steeples are listed as even. Behind starter Carl Gettis, Kip Edwards, Trey Hobson and freshman Xavier Smith are all down as even. … Grant Ressel is your kicker, while Matt Grabner is ahead of Trey Barrow for the punter job.
PowerMizzou: Shuffling the deck
For all of Woodland's struggles -- and there have been many of late -- he might have had his best practice of camp after being jumped by Washington. Woodland, plagued by drops the first week and a half of camp, made a few nice catches on Monday. More importantly, they were physical catches, where contact was imminent yet he held onto the ball. I only saw one ball thrown to him hit the ground, on a pass to the corner of the endzone. However, Gettis had close coverage on him, and may have tipped the ball.

It's going to be a back-and-forth battle between Woodland and Washington, so one practice obviously won't change things. Woodland needs to string together a few of these workouts to see dividends on the depth chart.
MUtigers.com Blog: Tigers Get Back To Practice, Defense Wins Black Jerseys
Late in the practice, during 11-on-11 work in the redzone, when the #1 offense and #1 defense went against each other, QB Blaine Gabbert lofted a fade pass in the corner to Rolandis Woodland, and it looked like it might go for a touchdown initially, but CB Carl Gettis was there, and he jumped high to get a hand on the ball and knock it down for an incompletion. On the next snap, Gabbert was flushed from the pocket thanks to a strong push by the defensive line, as well as good coverage in the secondary, and he was forced to throw the ball away. Gabbert got the offense on the scoreboard on the next play though, as he hit TE Michael Egnew on a really nice play-action delay route over the middle that Egnew caught for a 10-yard score. The defense eventually got the win, as they made three straight plays to end it. LB Andrew Gachkar applied tight coverage to Egnew in the endzone, knocking a pass away for an incompletion, and that followed two straight run stops on 3rd and goal from the 2-yardline. On the first, TB Derrick Washington tried off tackle for no gain, as DE Jacquies Smith was there for the stop, and then the defense loaded up against the run and stuffed an option try that went to the right side.
KC Star (Campus Corner): Mizzou Shakes Up Depth Chart at Receiver
KC Star: Receiver positions highlight MU depth-chart changes
Fox Sports MW: Mizzou shakes up depth chart with wide receivers
Fox Sports MW: Tiger Camp Notebook: August 16
True freshman WR Jimmie Hunt wore a boot today with an ankle injury. Coaches said that they thought he would likely miss a week of practice.

Junior WR Jerrell Jackson who broke his wrist last week had surgery this morning.

The rash of injuries at receiver have caused the staff to shuffle some players around.

Coach Pinkel addressed the situation after practice.

"We'll see how it sorts out at the end," said Coach Pinkel. "A lot of times, you don't want to be moving a lot of young people around too much. We'll see what happens. That thing's not going to get settled for a while."

A young receiver who has benefited from his opportunity to see more time is freshman Bud Sasser from Denton (TX). Sasser played with the second team at the Z receiver position today.

Mizzou Links, 8-17-10

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