Missouri 28, Texas A&M 21: Grading the defense

At this point, I'd like to assume that the Matt White hatred in comments is an attempt at parody.

Defensive Coordinator

Dave Steckel: 8.12 (season average: 7.06)

Comments:

21 points to a top 5 offense? Brilliant!

Best game plan of the year. Mr. Heismann's lowest full-game output...ever.

Created a scheme to hold off A&M. Not an easy task.

Good game calling.

Good job containing Manziel. Defending Auburn's rushing attack will be one hell of a task though.

Great coach. would like to see more press coverage

Great game plan to contain Johnny and Evans.

great gameplan, slow to make adjustments

Great job keeping containment of Johnny Manziel

Great plan for containing the virus they call johnny football

He shut down Johnny Badminton; can't ask for more than that.

Held Aggies to much less than their avg yardage both total on rush. Shut down Evans. dlh

Outside of a couple big plays, kept A&M in check

OUTSTANDING! Until he came out with the 3-man front that allowed a long scoring drive.

Shut down Johnny Football...check

STEEEEEEEEEEEEEEC!

Watching your team try to stop JFF is so frustrating, but in the end, that was as good as you can ever expect. -Mac6

What can you say? Mike Evans had a career low by a longshot, and our secondary isnt even this unit's strength. Best man for the job

Who still has the Only SEC Defense to not give up more than 30 points? This guy.

Worst game Johnny Manziel has played in 2 years. Great plan, great execution.

You just held the reigning Heisman trophy winner to the worst performance of his career. You get a 9.

Defensive End

Markus Golden: 8.27 (season average: 7.31)
Kony Ealy: 7.86 (7.17)
Michael Sam: 7.73 (7.46)
Shane Ray: 7.39 (6.94)

Aggressive and Disciplined.

Beasts having a nasty feast

Better game on shutting down the screens

Can't say enough about the ends ability to keep Manziel in the pocket..Stats may not show it but I thought Ealy played one of his best games as a Tiger

Disruptive force throughout the game. Excellent job. dlh

For as many NFL lineman that are supposedly on TXAM our d-line pushed them around great game

Golden was ridiculous. Just how fast is he, anyway?

Got pressure against a good O-line and a QB that sometimes seems to enjoy getting chased out of the pocket. -Mac6

Got to pat Shane Ray on the back after the game. This group is one for the ages

He's Michael Sam. It's what he does.

Honestly this entire defensive line played really well. I choose to not single out any one player because I believed they all played that well.

Kony Ealy actually had a very strong game as did Markus golden. Truly a ferocious Sack Pack

Markus Golden has one of the better motors I've seen for a DL

Not as visible on the stat sheet but their containment of John Football was definitely seen and appreciated.

PRESSURE! PRESSURE! PRESSURE!

Sam needs one more sack to tie Aldon. GET IT!

Shane Ray should not be roughing the punter, but overall the line was awesome.

They did great.

Defensive Tackle

Matt Hoch: 7.53 (season average: 6.77)
Harold Brantley: 7.31 (6.79)
Lucas Vincent: 7.27 (6.73)
Josh Augusta: 6.80 (6.35)

Boys up front kept good pressure for the most part.

Decent job, TAMU ran the ball better than I expected. -Mac6

Did their part, brought pressure when it was needed

Disciplined and Agressive

Excellent job stuffing the middle. dlh

Gave up a lot on the ground, not sure if we can allow that to continue against Auburn

Good sustained push most of the game against the pass..struggled against the run

Great game Augusta

Hoch and Brantley were monsters in the middle closing holes and pushing backs and JFF to Wilson

Honestly this entire defensive line played really well. I choose to not single out any one player because I believed they all played that well

I still don't know how to evaluate these guys

Lucas got in there.

Mostly good.

PRESSURE! PRESSURE! PRESSURE!

Solid like a rock.

They tackled. They got a good push up field. A few times RBs found space but...

Linebacker

Andrew Wilson: 8.35 (season average: 7.30)
Kentrell Brothers: 7.61 (682)
Donovan Bonner: 7.38 (6.53)
Darvin Ruise: 6.80 (6.35)

Andrew did a fantastic job spying

Andrew Wilson is amazing.

Brothers seemed to be everywhere.

Brothers was dynamite early, Wilson missed some tackles he doesn't normally miss but was strong throughout

Great job by the LBers, kept a mostly clean sheet.

I don't know how but I swear Andrew Wilson hits harder the longer the game goes on.

I miss Wilson already.

Ruise should not see the field.

Seriously ANDREW THE HAMMER WILSON is amazing.

Solid effort by the LBs. A couple of big smackaroos in there. dlh

Stud Wilson how about the same stuff on Auburn's running game!

Talk about a couple underrated players here in Brothers and Bonner. Obviously Wilson is a star

Very nice game.

Wilson and Brothers cleaned up all night. -Mac6

Wilson and Brothers tackled very well, steckel says tackle, tackle, tackle so they did

Wilson continues to prove why he is the General of the defense.

Wilson got in the wrestling ring

Wilson tackles everything.

Cornerback

E.J. Gaines: 8.86 (season average: 7.69)
Randy Ponder: 7.62 (6.75)
Aarion Penton: 7.23 (6.80)

Best game of EJ's career? -Mac6

Didn't see much of Gibson or Penton- would love seeing them in the Nickel from time to time over Simon. Gaines, wow. Ponder kinda gave up a couple big plays, but nothing too extreme.

E J Shut down Evans. The others did really well too.

E.J shut down Mike Evans. Enough said.

E.J. did some work

EJ Gaines, what can you say? He shut down the big talker.

EJ player of the game, shut down Evans signel-handedly. dlh

Gaines gets a no brainer 9 for that performance

Gaines was flawless, thought the rest of the corners were ok, but some struggles against the slot

Gains was too good for words

Great job guy's now on to Auburn.

I looked up shut-down corner in the dictionary, and there was Gaines' picture.

I would give EJ more if Bill C would let me.

Michael Evans: $ catches for 8 yards. That is a shut down performance.

Mike Evans 8 yards if Gaines does not get a perfect 9 nothing deserves a 9, his performance was legend wait for it dary legendary. Great game

Mike Evans: 4 catches for 8 yards

Mike Evans: 4 receptions 8 yards... nuff' said.

No more Heisman repeat for Manziel. Excellent.

Outstanding job against arguably the best QB/WR combo in the country

Wilson might be the General but Gaines did what I thought almost wasn't possible. He kept Mike Evans from getting Double Digit reciving yards... yes Double Digit... after games where he had over 297!!! That is something.

You just held Mike Evans to 4 catches and 8 yards. You get a 9.

Safety

Braylon Webb: 7.41 (season average: 6.75)
Matt White: 7.21 (6.32)
Ian Simon: 7.05 (6.36)

Congratulations on your graduation Matt White!

Few mistakes, JFF took advantage of, but overall good game

I'm not one to usually jump on White, but he had a VERY rough game. He had a TD saving tackle, but gave up a more than he helped at times

Matt white blew a couple coverages, but made a couple plays

Matt White with crucial errors on two touchdown plays, and he got truck-sticked into the end zone on the third TD. Matt White everyone!

Matt White, be better

May have been White's worst game all season, but came out more solid in second half.

Most improved unit over the course of the year IMO

Nice game by Matt White.

Played solid besides White's blown coverage on a TD.

They did well. Stopped a couple close big plays.

Where there moments where you could have done some things better? Yes. However, every group can say the same thing and honestly you guy did a good job.

White had 2 bad plays and about 5 huge plays, other safeties were solid

Whte/Ponder get crossed up on the one TD pass. Other than that, fairly solid effort by all DBs. dlh

Worst game of the year by the safeties (esp. White). Which shows how great the rest of the defense was to limit TAMU like they did. -Mac6

Special Teams

Christian Brinser (punting): 8.18 (season average: 6.85)
Jake Hurrell (long-snapping): 7.75 (7.34)
Andrew Baggett (kickoffs): 7.46 (7.65)
Braylon Webb (holding): 7.20 (6.92)
Andrew Baggett (place-kicking): 5.95 (5.89)

All did their part, seemed to be few miscues if any at all

Andrew Baggett's inconsistency kicking field goals could be a blessing in disguise, Mizzou can no longer "play to kick a field goal" but on the other hand, we also can't rely on him either.

Baggett missed another one, but his kickoffs were great so I'll let it slide. Did you see the problem Alabama has at place-kicker? Yeah, I like Baggett.

Baggett missed yet again. I feel bad for the kid. Atleast this one wasn't make or break.

Baggs, is not doing so hot. Missed a FG and only one kickoff exited the end zone it looked like

Brinser played well.

Brinser was / is the unsung hero of this game. In fact, onthe other side, it was aTm's poor punt late that gave Mizzou terrific field position -- setting up Josey's 57-yard scamper into Tiger lore. But Brinser's consistency -- putting the Aggies inside the 20 four times -- limited the play calling for A&M and enabled Steck to dial up a smorgasbord of defenses. Kudos to Christian Brinser are in order.

Brinser was fantastic...Baggett was ok 47 yarders are not chip-shots, but have to think that his confidence is shot

Didn't miss the extra points at least... Brinser had a great game punting. -Mac6

Going for the field goal is still kinda risky at times but I think Baggett can still become a great kicker. Brinser dropped the boom. 4 Punts landed in the 20 and he got one on the 2 yard line. This group is chaotic in preformance but they arn't really "bad"

Great punting!

Great punts, all night long.

Jake really snapped the ball to his full potential this game.

Missed FG but it was a long one so it's all good Bags

No compliants. dlh

Really Brinser was the unsung hero of this game. Kept flipping the field til our offense got going.

Thank God this game did not come down to a Andrew Baggett field goal, i like the man but my anxiety levels probably would have put me in the hospital