Gameday attire:
#ShowMe All-Black Everything for Saturday's game vs. Delaware State#MIZ #ShowMe pic.twitter.com/RmViTfQxmd
— Mizzou Football (@MizzouFootball) September 22, 2016
Gameday HYPE:
This game is for the strong.
— Mizzou Football (@MizzouFootball) September 23, 2016
You're still here. And we're still here. #MIZ #ShowMe pic.twitter.com/ByGdr30jQI
1. A week ago, MIzzou sported an all-gold ensemble in a loss. This week, they'll flip the script and go all-black in an attempt to flip the end result as well. Sometimes you have to change things up if you want to make a spark. If you were in charge of the color-scheme, what combination would you choose to get things headed in the winning direction?
Oscar Gamble - What the players want to wear. Look good, feel good, play good.
Josh Matejka - Those first week all-whites were fresh as hell. I don't care that Mizzou lost in them, they looked awesome.
Chris Bohkay - I'd like to see a uni with sandstone colors that mimic the look of the columns. It's historic and quite possibly either really ugly or horribly ugly. If not, then wrap them in the state flag like Maryland does. Let's have some fun with this.
Jack Peglow - Black tops, gold pants. Always gold pants. The contrast between the jersey and the pants in this combination is perfect. All-gold just makes Mizzou's players look like a bunch of chocobos running around out there.
switzy227 - Whatever fits and uses colors of the Missouri Tigers.
Sam Snelling - Would Crimson and White be too obvious? With just the players number on the helmet? I feel like that wins a lot.
AlaTiger - Black jerseys and gold pants is forever the best Mizzou uniform.
PBoggs - Call me old fashioned, but let's bring back our Big 12 unis. Then we can start scoring like a Big 12 team, but play defense like an SEC team.
jaeger - I can't believe no one else has advocated for what is objectively the greatest of Mizzou's uniform colors... ANTHRACITE.
dcrockett17 - Uniform talk is the worst. I'm old.
2. After being relatively absent during Missouri's first two games, Charles Harris hosted a welcome back party for the defensive line last week. Now that they've arrived, we can shift our attention to the other parties that have yet to arrive. Are there any more grand entrances scheduled? If so, who's next?
Gamble - Yes. Alex Ross.
Matejka - It's hard not to say Ross because of his talent and the fact he's always atop the depth chart. This would be a great week to do it against a weaker opponent.
Bohkay - I'd like to see the arrival of Sean Culkin. I mean, where the hell have you been, Thor? Asgard? What's the deal?! Get Mjolnir revved up and let's party like it's 1999.
Peglow - Against a team like Delaware State, I hope Alex Ross kicks in the door and grabs the karaoke mic while Ish Witter and Damarea Crockett mob behind him. If they get stage fright again, the emergence of the #TightEndPassingGame would be a wonderful sight.
switzy227 - I think the run game has improvement in it. Maybe Ross' return to action will be the spark.
Snelling - I need to see a Josh Augusta touchdown.
AlaTiger - An actual running game. I don't care really who provides it, although I remain extremely skeptical of Ish.
PBoggs - I'm waiting and hoping for a spark in Sherrils. He flies around the field like a bat out of hell, but tackles like he is chasing a greased pig. If he can get the tackling piece down, watch out!
jaeger - Serious answer is Ross. Witter has been running the ball well, but Alex has stayed atop the depth chart despite not playing much. I assume that means he's got some serious contributions to make. On special teams, too, although our return game has been pretty solid without him.
dcrockett17 - Terry Beckner Jr. is over here like, "I have already arrived, like those floating orbs of death in Phantasm." That said, now that teams will have to pay serious attention to Harris, it should open things up for the other ends. More importantly, I hope we don't get the where the only thing we notice is sacks.
3. Drew Lock has played incredibly well thus far, but the sample size is still a little small. Do you think that Mizzou's young quarterback can maintain his current trajectory as the Tigers' season unfolds? What needs to happen for him to do so, or to improve, even?
Gamble - Yes. Fewer interceptions.
Matejka - Why not? When he's been on , he's looked unbeatable. He's obviously not going to throw a perfect ball every time, but if he can avoid making silly mistakes and see the defenders a little better than he did last week, he'll continue to be a top 3 QB in the SEC. If he improves, I'll start the 2017 Heisman campaigning personally.
Bohkay - I think Drew's a LOCK to continue to sling it with purpose and poise. He's like me at pop-a-shot: incredibly awesome and brash as hell, while potentially a bit cocky. You don't believe me? Well bring your quarters and step up, son. We'll see who's got the most tickets at the end of the night. Long story short - he'll do sophomore things and I think I'm good at pop-a-shot. Deal with it, America!
Peglow - He can most certainly improve, but he'll need the guys around him to improve with him for it to happen. The offensive line has been solid, but they'll need to get better as Mizzou enters SEC play. The receivers need to make better plays against better competition. The running game needs to respawn. Drew has been great - and he can still get better - but he can only improve as much as his teammates will allow.
switzy227 - Lock will keep it up, with hiccups, all year. Improvement will show up in the form of decreased danger throws and (maybe) taking advantage of scramble opportunities. Or "scrambletunities".
Snelling - The interceptions last game were a little concerning. I'd like to see the offense manufacture more of a rushing attack to compliment Lock's throws, because it felt like two of the INTs from last game were from the defense dropping back so many guys.
AlaTiger - Use the middle of the field more.
PBoggs - He is a sophomore, and he will do sophomore things (interceptions). I want him to keep testing secondaries with the deep ball, and get our wide-outs more comfortable with his touch.
jaeger - He needs to keep getting great protection from the line, and, otherwise, just keep doing what he's doing. The only thing he's lacking currently is consistency, and that only comes with reps.
dcrockett17 - He's a talented kid, and I couldn't be more excited about his upside. As I said, it's arguably the highest in the program's history at that position. Add to that, this QB-friendly offense should be prolific most Saturdays once everyone settles into it. But, I read Heupel's late-game dive play binge more punitively than some. I think he all but benched Lock and the passing game for their collective carelessness. Rank speculation to be sure. I just don't think he dismissed ALL of those turnovers as purely youthful indiscretions. Improvement for Lock will be philosophical as much as it will be about getting more snaps. Will he try to go full-on "gunslinger" and become the guy whose M.O. is driving the ball into traffic? Or, will he take on more of a "point guard who can score" style? His talent means that he can get numbers either way. But success lies with running the offense like a point guard, Steve Nash comes to mind given the style. A deadly shooter from anywhere, but his great achievement was that most guys cut their turnovers in half when playing with him. Put another way, Lock's biggest improvement will like in how he answers this question: Is his job to try to score on every play, or to make the easiest play that leads to scoring? Right now, in a small sample, he gravitates toward trying to score every play. My hope is that he eventually shows us with his play that he's chosen another path.
There you have it. Let's go get a win.
Eyes up, Tigers.