Missouri 31, Tennessee 3: Grading the defense

Defensive Coordinator

Dave Steckel: 7.86 (season average: 6.82)

Comments:

Allow 3 points to a conference opponent? You get a 9.

BAM thats how you play defense

Can't argue with 3 points allowed.

Classic Steck D. -Mac6

Great game calling.

I know we mix the defense up a lot, but I was disappointed with the two linebacker scheme and Wilson on the sidelines. Other than that, quite fun.

Looked like he took the approach of waiting on Tennessee to screw up. Tennessee had some serious bruisers on the OL, maybe the real reason for limited penetration.

Nice gameplan for a QB we really didn't know anything about. Freshman jitters helped us out at the beginning of the game. Run D was superb.

Planned to near perfection. D just keeps getting better.

Seemed to have them doing the right thing all night.-dlh

Stec gonna Stec.

That'll do Steck.

We gave up a 51-yard field goal. UNACCEPTABLE!!

Will never stop the intermediate routes (swings, screens etc.). Johnny footbal will eat him alive, again. Just like Conner Shaw.

Defensive End

Markus Golden: 8.02 (season average: 7.13)
Shane Ray: 7.80 (6.80)
Kony Ealy: 7.65 (6.94)
Michael Sam: 7.36 (7.52)

A little better lane assignment. Going against some monster DT's, and alot of doubles.

Best performance this year.--dlh

Constant pressure from the edges. -Mac6

Disruptive

Dominant, again, even if individual stats don't seem to show it.

Great job everyone!

Have YOU ever seen Markus Golden and the Predator in the same place?

I get giddy when there are three DE's in at once. Sam was slowed, but Pressure is Cumulative, amIright.

I'm prepared to go out on a limb and declare that Markus Golden is pretty good.

Pressure is cumulative: Tennessee's tackles did a great job at the beginning of keeping Dobbs upright but hurried him in to poor decisions and eventually our DEs wore them down

Scary good. As I said a couple of weeks ago -- Sheldon who?

Studly. Hard to sack em up when they throw the ball a sec after the snap.

The best in the league

They were getting held a LOT.

They've played so good this season that this game seemed average. Amazing.

Though you don't see the sacks meter smoking after this game as in weeks past, the DE's played extremely well and created opportunities for the second and third levels.

Were being held all day.

Defensive Tackle

Matt Hoch: 7.63 (season average: 6.53)
Lucas Vincent: 7.27 (6.53)
Harold Brantley: 7.07 (6.57)
Marvin Foster: 6.88 (6.07)
Josh Augusta: 6.74 (6.18)

9's across the board. Well deserved.

Best performance of the year. GIve Foster a courtesy 9. Foster, you played well, and represented the university and the State quite well.--dlh

Haz a sad for Foster. :-(

Heal up Marvin.

Hoch is coming on strong. Most surprising group of the year.

Interior lineman won the battle of the trenchs

No room to run, no time to throw.

No running room for Tenn. -Mac6

Nothing great, nothing awful. Feel bad for Foster, saw a little bit out of Augusta.

Sorry about the triceps, Marvin.

Tennessee really couldn't run well against us consistently and these guys had a lot to do with that.

Thanks Marvin!!!!!!!

UT chose the short pass game over the run, for a reason.

Linebacker

Andrew Wilson: 7.93 (season average: 7.07)
Kentrell Brothers: 7.12 (6.70)
Darvin Ruise: 6.98 (6.21)
Donovan Bonner: 6.95 (6.37)

Andrew Wilson is a man!

Continue to impress and improve.

Gonna miss Wilson next year.

I swore Wilson had 10 tackles. -Mac6

Outstanding.--dlh

Ruise has been a solid #2.

Slow, but solid.

Still no disruption of intermediate routes.

We've had some really good linebackers come through in the last few years.

Wilson is a beast.

Wilson is a machine

Wilson was Wilson. Other LBs I didn't see much of except when Bonner was stuck covering a slot receiver which is not the best plan. Really stepped up when UT got into scoring position.

Cornerback

E.J. Gaines: 8.33 (season average: 7.56)
Randy Ponder: 7.32 (6.48)
Aarion Penton: 7.18 (6.75)
John Gibson: 7.15 (6.53)

Gaines is back and making plays

Gaines is back, and he was back.

Got burnt a couple times....luckily the QB missed the throws or they were dropped

I think EJ was amazing first game back, put a nine down for me.

If EJ was listed, I'd give him an 8. -Mac6

Nice to have Gaines back, huh?

Nifty and shifty

No EJ? Because it's just assumed he'll be an 8.3?

Oustanding!--dlh

Pretty nice job.

So great to have EJ back. Youngsters have held the fort, but can't argue EJ is the glue.

Some freshman mistakes by Penton and Gibson ended up not costing us. EJ with a monster comeback game.

Welcome back E.J.

Welcome back, EJ.

Safety

Braylon Webb: 7.45 (season average: 6.59)
Ian Simon: 6.90 (6.24)
Matt White: 6.83 (6.09)
Duron Singleton: 6.69 (6.05)

Another week, another opponent field goal, and still no blocked kicks from Matt White. The man is just stealing scholarship money at this point.

Didn't cost us any points so that's good.

Getting better each week

Great to see improvement game to game.

Hoping Singleton continues to make strides. Having gaines back helped, but if a couple Dobbs passes are better, UT has two easy touchdowns.

It's a good thing that frosh QB couldn't hit his open receivers.

Our safeties are bad

Ouststanding!--dlh

Safety play has really stepped it up. However, I'd rather someone else be the Nickel.... Simon gets burned a lot.

Simon dropped a pick early or he would have been higher.

Simon would've clearly been the best safety if he'd gotten that INT. -Mac6

Singleton seems to be getting better and better.

Special Teams

Jake Hurrell (long-snapping): 7.51 (season average: 7.24)
Andrew Baggett (kickoffs): 6.75 (7.68)
Braylon Webb (holding): 6.74 (6.84)
Christian Brinser (punting): 6.69 (6.57)
Andrew Baggett (place-kicking): 5.08 (5.80)

Baggett's place-kicking scores over the last six weeks: 3.94, 8.27, 4.87, 8.63, 3.91, 5.08. Consistency is boring, anyway...

Although a ridiculous notion, I wanted them to go for it at the end of the first half to alleviate the Baggett deja vu situation, but I guess you have to get back up on that horse.

Andrew Baggett 7, Tennessee 3.

Bagget is falling apart...Brinser dropped snap punt was maybe the play of the game.

Baggett is just showing off now by hitting multiple uprights

Baggett, is maddening at times

Baggetts a good kid but Nick Coffman kicks 50 yarders like there extra points.

Bags needs to get over the "yips". Snaps and holds could be partly to blame, but unit needs to fix it.

Brinser's save of the bobbled snap mave have saved the game early

Consistently inconsistent.

Get out of you own head, Baggett.

Go get 'em Andrew!!

Good KO coverage

Hit the same upright on a FGA, but solid game otherwise by all.--dlh

I miss kickoffs going out of the end zone.

More touchbacks, fewer missed FGs please. -Mac6

Needs to improve

Sorry, Andrew..

They are learning to play better