Watercooler: One day until Vandy, defense is ready! (um, offense?)

Here are today's Mizzou Links.

By kristina Oct 23, 2015, 5:45am CDT

What's On (grab a kleenex, or five)

Students at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School in Columbia rally for their classmate Rhyan Loos as she battles cancer by wearing #RallyforRhyan wristbands that were distributed by the Mizzou Men's Basketball Team. To help the Loos Family visit www.mutigers.com/RallyForRhyan

Offense still bad

Third down conversions aren't our friends.

Missouri ranks 13th in the SEC in third-down conversions at 33.0 percent and averages 16.3 first downs per game, which is 3.4 fewer than any other team in the conference

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/college/sec/university-of-missouri/article40722231.html#storylink=cpy

Vanderbilt, which hosts Missouri at 3 p.m. Saturday in Nashville, boasts the best third-down defense in the SEC, allowing opponents to convert only 26.2 percent of the time.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/college/sec/university-of-missouri/article40722231.html#storylink=cpy

Well, then. WCGW?

Matter's take, from his Q&A, on Tyler Hunt: (Read the entire recap)

Preaching to the Tyler Hunt Choir Director, man. I don't have an answer for you. We've asked Tyler, we've asked the coaches. The answers don't change. He's frustrated but knows better than to complain or lobby for more touches. When it comes down to it, he's still a former walk-on. And more often than not, the staff will defer to the players whom they invested their time and energy to recruit. Maybe it's not that simple, but they clearly don't see him as an every-down back or even a counterpuch to the every-down back.

More Football Notes (defense still good!)

Another Vandy preview (Hey, it's Pinkel's 300th game as a head coach!)

Brothers: A joke-telling, tackling machine

"Anytime someone is upset or something, I can easily say something to make them all laugh," Brothers said. "It’s fun to remain positive and remember that everything is fine. I try not to be too uptight about everything."

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/college/sec/university-of-missouri/article41052765.html#storylink=cpy

From Mason's side of things

During Mason’s opening statement, he referenced each of Missouri’s defensive position groups by their nicknames used on MU's game notes, calling Missouri’s defensive line the "Zou Crew," the linebackers the "Bash Brothers" and the secondary the "No-Fly Zone." He nearly went 3 for 3. The defensive line actually refers to itself as "D-line Zou."

2/3 isn't horrible. (Imagine if we converted 2/3 of our third downs!!)

Spotlight on Dennis & Simon

ICYMI: Pinkel's teleconference wrap-up by Morrison

Softball notes: Our joyless misanthrope speaks out!

Q&A all things softball with Coach E.

"She [Lowary] was filthy this fall." Earlier this week "she threw four innings and gave up no hits to our team in a World Series game and didn’t really seem like she was breaking a sweat. She’s kind of gone to another level, I think."

Other sports notes

Volleyball is serving up aces

Courtney Eckenrode ripped eight straight serves to the spot between the left back and center back during the second set of the Missouri volleyball team’s sweep of Georgia on Sunday. Her serves kept working, so there was no reason to change locations.
Eckenrode served seven straight points as part of an 8-0 Missouri run. Five of those points were aces, including four straight at one point.

Important weekend for women's soccer

The Tigers face Alabama on Friday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. before a 1 p.m. contest at Vanderbilt on Sunday, Oct. 25. Both matches will be broadcast live on SEC Network + and the WatchESPN app