Mizzou Links, 3-23-12

Mizzou Football Links

• Scrimmage Reports
  The Trib (Dave Matter): Defense on top as Tigers head into spring break

  The No. 1 offense didn’t have much early success either as Darvin Ruise stripped Kendial Lawrence on the second play from scrimmage after a 5-yard run and Robert Steeples scooped it up for a takeaway. On the next series, Corbin Berkstresser was backed up to his own end zone after a Mitch Morse snap sailed over his head, and the struggles continued when Shane Ray zipped around left tackle Taylor Chappell and tagged Berkstresser for a sack of 8 yards. A play later, Berkstresser had his reply, a strike to L'Damian Washington on a slant that picked up 56 yards after a long run. Washington, who last season had the team’s fastest 40-yard dash, outran three defenders down the middle of the field but was finally tripped up just outside the red zone. […]

  In the first of three possessions pitting the No. 1 offense and defense, Lawrence picked up 12 yards on two carries, but Michael Sam slipped past Chappell for a sack on first down — then got an earful from the coaches when he nearly took down Berkstresser in the pocket. "We’ve got to protect our quarterback, so that was my bad," Sam said later.

  PowerMizzou: Defense does it again

  The Missouri defense is missing its share of starters as well. Defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson and end Brad Madison are out for spring ball. In Madison's absence, Shane Ray has been impressive getting to the quarterback. Ray had two sacks on Thursday.

  "He did that to our offense all through last football season," Pinkel said. "Our offensive tackles got sick of him."

  While injuries are limiting virtually every unit on the field, one place the Tigers have been strong is at linebacker. Zaviar Gooden is on one side with Andrew Wilson, who had a jarring hit on Marcus Lucas during the scrimmage, on the other and a healthy Will Ebner, who had a tackle for a loss and a forced fumble, in the middle.

  PowerMizzou: PMTV-HD: Defensive Day
  KC Star (Campus Corner): Bishop Miege's Shane Ray racks up sacks in scrimmage
• 2013 Recruiting
  PowerMizzou: First rankings are in

Other Football Links

• Great, Great Piece
  CBS Sports (Bruce Feldman): Ask Indiana's Crean -- being a great coach has nothing to do with playing

  Washington State head coach Mike Leach played rugby in college, not football. He actually got his start coaching Little League baseball when he was 15. Leach, too, was perplexed why there seems to be so many more coaches -- percentage-wise -- in basketball than football that didn't play. After a few minutes of mulling some ideas, Leach offered up two theories. First, that the nature of the sport discourages people from considering the coaching route.

  "Everybody has played basketball," Leach said. "You may not be good enough to play in college, but everybody has played in a pickup game, play shirts and skins or in some church league. People play touch football, but that's different than real football. People play flag football, but that's very different than real football. Unless you've been involved in organized football, it's not really real football."

  Then there is this one: Detailed football understanding has been insulated for many years because it was restricted by the film itself. To study the inner workings of the game, you needed the film, and that was not easy to get. Up until the early '90s, most teams just used film, Leach says.

  "It took hours to splice film together," Leach said. "Now that it's on video and DVD more people can actually study football."

Mizzou Basketball Links

• Banquet
  MUtigers.com: Mizzou Basketball Banquet Set for April 9
• Lesson: Only Make Hires That Make Your Fanbase Mad
  KC Star: There's a bit of Mizzou in the Wolfpack

Other Mizzou Links

So when only coaches from Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Iowa State are doing the voting, a Missouri coach can win Big 12 coach of the year. Got it. (And yes, that makes me feel a smidge guilty for the whole "Pinkel votes Oklahoma State fourth" thing.)

• Mizzou Softball
  MUtigers.com: No. 10 Tigers Continue Conference Play in College Station
• Mizzou Baseball
  MUtigers.com: Baseball Opens Big 12 Play with Oklahoma State
  SimmonsField.com: Game Day: Oklahoma State @ Mizzou
  SimmonsField.com: HI NOTES: 2013 SEC Schedule, Busch game details, 15-1
  SimmonsField.com: A closer look at the 2013 SEC Baseball Schedule
• Mizzou Wrestling
  Big 12 Sports: Missouri's Smith Garners Big 12 Wrestling Coach of the Year Award
  MUtigers.com: Brian Smith Named Big 12 Coach of the Year
• Mizzou Gymnastics
  The Missourian: Missouri gymnastics prepares for its final Big 12 Championship
• Mizzou Tennis
  MUtigers.com: Tennis Announces 2013 SEC Schedule
• Mizzou Women's Golf
  MUtigers.com: Tigers Compete at Mountain View Collegiate