Missouri 48, Kentucky 17: Grading the defense

Defensive Coordinator

Dave Steckel: 7.35 (season average: 6.87)

Comments:

10 * Kentucky Correction Factory = 7.5. Round to 8

Allowed them a little more passing yardage than normal, but held them to lower than normal rushing numbers, overall good job. dlh

Defend the screen!!!!!!!

Defense was consistently in position to make plays.

ehh

fix the screen pass problem

Good adjustments in the first,didn't change as quickly in the second.

Hope he's spending the bye looking at screens

If Stec doesn't stop your offense at first then he'll damn well stop it as time goes on.

It was easy to sleep on UK, and we kind of did at times.

KY should not score

Let Sam play more so he can get more sacks and continue his grown msn legacy. Please.

Not dominate but plenty good against the likes of kentucky

Only one turnover??? Slackers! -Mac6

People will ding him for giving up points to Kentucky, but whatever.

Planned well, and everything went mostly according to it. A couple of drives where the D looked hopeless loses him a point

Please tell me that you are playing with us when you get caught with the screen passes!!! Other than that good game calling.

somehow.. teach these guys about screens before we play a team that will beat us with it.. damn

Steck, what has happened to SAM the last two games?

Your not playing fair Coach Stec....that was too easy.....

Defensive End

Kony Ealy: 8.10 (season average: 7.06)
Markus Golden: 7.70 (7.19)
Shane Ray: 7.59 (6.87)
Michael Sam: 7.03 (7.47)

It blows my mind that only two of these four are over a 7.1 average.

Beast mode

Ealy and Golden were fantastic. Ray showed a couple bursts of excellence and now that teams are trying to adjust for Sam they are paying for it.

Ealy FINALLY had what I anticipated to be a standard Ealy-game

Ealy's best game.

Good day

I assume Sam was doing wonderful things, but Ealy was beastmode

I heard Whitlow had nightmares about The 'REGS' saturday night.

I think Rayt's starting to draw the attention that will allow the other guys to gey in there. Bang up job. dlh

Keep the sacks coming

Solid game. Sam kind of quiet this game. Like seeing everyone step up to get the attention.

The more they roll protection Sam's way, the more Shane and Markus make them pay.

These guys are good.

They start doubling down on Sam, Ealy goes beast mode.No, no, no (Mutombo style).

This might be Kony's "best" game in many eyes because he got like 3 sacks, but seriously everyone on this D-line... WOW

Weird that Sam has the lowest rating from me. -Mac6

You get a sack! you get a sack! ealy gets three sacks everyones happy

Defensive Tackle

Matt Hoch: 7.64 (season average: 6.64)
Lucas Vincent: 7.31 (6.61)
Harold Brantley: 6.68 (6.58)
Josh Augusta: 6.58 (6.22)

It blows my mind that none of these have better than a 6.6 average. We hate tackles!

For my money, that was Vincent's best game of the year. He seemed to be everywhere.

Hoch had a great game

I don't like how the DT's can get pushed off the line on short yardage situations, why are they so big then?

Kept them stuffed. dlh

Lucas and Matt each got one!

More beast mode

Need to clog the middle better, but great job taking up space on passing plays

Nice presssure all game.

Not the DTs best game but they held up nicely

Our DTs will be INSANE next season.

Really solid. I like it when DTs get sacks, too.

Solid game guys....Hoch was a cut above though

They actually got some stats this game! -Mac6

Vincent and Hoch joined the sack party. Just a dominating presence up the middle by all 4 of these guys.

Linebacker

Andrew Wilson: 7.93 (season average: 7.16)
Donovan Bonner: 7.00 (6.43)
Kentrell Brothers: 6.93 (6.73)
Darvin Ruise: 6.84 (6.27)
Michael Scherer: 6.00 (5.75)

#WilsonForHeisman

Andrew Wilson perserved the turnover streak, Bonner got a sack, good game.

Best game for Ruise this season. I would not enjoy being chased down from behind by Andrew Wilson.

Didn't notice Scherer. Wilson continues to be Wilson.

even more beast mode

Going to miss Wilson next year. -Mac6

I hope Wilson gets a shot at playing on Sundays.

I thought Andrew was slow. Huh. I guess not.

Need to be able to read screens better. Adjust calls or just stay home. Do not over pursue and get out of position.

Outstanding play by these guys. dlh

We need an Andrew Wilson clone every four years the man is killing it this year

Wilson hustles.

Wilson is a man, he's the defensive Britt.

Wilson tackle's everything.

Wilson's hustle keep the turnover streak alive and Ruise sealed it wil the recovery.....

Cornerback

E.J. Gaines: 7.62 (season average: 7.57)
John Gibson: 7.30 (6.64)
Randy Ponder: 7.07 (6.54)
Aarion Penton: 6.98 (6.78)

Gibson getting a kick return bump, I presume.

Another solid game!

CBs are looking good AND alleviating my fears about CBs for next year. Nice work. dlh

CBs looked good for the most part. Most of the missed tackles came from the LB position.

Didn't see much of Penton, but did see a lot of Gaines, Ponder and Gibson, was impressed

Going to miss EJ next year too, but I have high hopes for Penton. -Mac6

Good work. Feeling a lot better about next year's secondary.

I love our corners and with Penton and Gibson being freshman I feel like I'll love these corners for many years to come.

Keep game in front of you guys! Getting burned too much on screens.

One of the most complete games from the corners. Gaines is a special talent.

Say what you want about Ponders coverage, dude can lay some shots on people. I think we found a very acceptable backup to field KO....Hello Mr. Gibson.

The freshmen have come in and shown we aren't completely screwed when ej graduates

Safety

Duron Singleton: 7.49 (season average: 6.29)
Braylon Webb: 7.21 (6.65)
Matt White: 7.04 (6.19)
Ian Simon: 6.56 (6.27)

#2 Everywhere

Can't help but be excited about Singleton

For a while, seemed like Singleton was all over the field.

Got burned several times. Need to watch the play better.

I really really really like Braylon Webb. And these guys didn't really disappoint this week.

Singleton continuing to get his name called.

Singleton gets better every week.

Singleton has loads of potential. I like when he's in the nickel and then he blows up screen plays cuz he's bigger than out other safeties and he looks like a fullback and he hits kinda like a linebacker and even though he's kinda slower and his coverage isn't all that good I like him cuz his run defense support is really good and the other nickels give up big plays anyways so it only makes sense to put in a safety who is good at one thing cuz all the others suck at that other thing (run-on sentence of the day: complete)

Singleton is picking it up. Like what I saw. dlh

Singleton is really coming on!

Singleton just keeps getting better. -Mac6

Singleton looked good early but these safeties just make you sweet

Singleton was all over the place. Seemed to be in on everything. Great to see him step up with the opportunity came for more playing time.

Solid game by Singleton.....guy keeps getting better each game.

Webb is our best all around safety, followed by maybe Singleton. White is more like a linebacker, Simon got hurt, no?

Special Teams

Andrew Baggett (kickoffs): 7.42 (season average: 7.66)
Jake Hurrell (long-snapping): 7.37 (7.26)
Christian Brinser (punting): 7.32 (6.65)
Braylon Webb (holding): 6.79 (6.83)
Andrew Baggett (place-kicking): 4.76 (5.70)

Andrew Bagget wears jorts

Are special teams are very ehh this year

Bagget.....needs to get a whole let better

Baggett it's all in your head now

Baggett your not a Jeff Wolfert or Grant Ressel. I am sure these guys would say it is technique. Keep working and get the gremlins out of your head. I am sure you can kick those in your sleep.

Baggett's leg may have forced Pinkel to be more aggressive just when the season calls for it

Guess we give credit for the punt block here? -Mac6

HEY KENTUCKY! OUR PUNTER IS BETTER THAN YOUR PUNTER

Hey. Baggett didn't screw up this week.

I guess Copelin goes here? Kicking game didn't kill us, Copelin outstanding. dlh

I just don't know what to say at this point.

I'm sure it's never been said before but I can spit over the bar from PAT distance

Missed PAT, I'm only about a 1/3 as upset as I was last week.

Punt block was fun. Baggett's placekicking, not so much.

We have got to find someone else to kick our FGs and XPs. I don't think Baggett is going to recover this year. I hope I'm proven wrong