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What's On
Inside fall camp.
The Missourian: Five things we learned from Missouri fall camp
3. Missouri has depth concerns at running back
Sophomore Ish Witter opened camp as the No. 2 back on Missouri’s depth chart, but he’s looked far from impressive during camp. Although he does have two touchdowns to his name, his average of 2.83 yards per carry hasn’t exactly put him far above the other candidates.
Elsewhere, junior Morgan Steward hasn’t fully recovered from last August’s hip injury. He’s certainly had some carries, but he hasn’t shown the ability to cut and pick up speed like he did in the 2014 spring camp. The 6-foot, 210-pound running back from Kansas City rushed for 34 yards on 19 carries in Missouri’s three scrimmages.
The Trib (David Morrison): Predicting Missouri's Season-Opening Depth Chart
The Trib: MU nears decision time on redshirting Lock
Lock took three of the Tigers’ seven sacks, but he also continued to show the hallmarks of consistency and talent that have put him in position to possibly play as a true freshman.
Pinkel said that decision — along with decisions on all the team’s other freshmen — will be announced Monday.
"You’ve just really got to know what we’re doing offensively. If you know the playbook, everything else is going to come," starter Maty Mauk said. "You know your reads, you’re going to know what they’re going to do, when you know that kind of stuff. And, man, Drew knows what’s going on. He’s a guy that’s going to be great. He’s just got to keep getting better."
Post-Dispatch: Mizzou preview: Breaking down the Tigers, by position
KC Star: Who can Maty Mauk target in Mizzou’s offense this season? Here are some candidates
KC Star: Are Missouri’s football players in order with Gary Pinkel’s "Law of the Playmaker"
Influential: RB Russell Hansbrough
"Playmakers lead by example. Team members will follow a playmaker when they won’t respond to anyone else. In the case of a highly talented team member who is not especially gifted in leadership, he may be an effective playmaker in his area of passion."
More often than not, Hansbrough is a man of few words, but his influence on the team showed when he was elected as a senior captain. Missouri’s players pay attention to and emulate Hansbrough’s work ethic. They respect and appreciate him, and when he does speak, the team responds.
Good to know
MUtigers.com: Mizzou Aims to Improve Postgame Traffic with I-70 Express
Barry's time to shine
Post-Dispatch: Mizzou's Odom has made his own luck
As for his defense, Odom’s Memphis system worked out of a 3-4 base, but it morphed into multiple looks. He’ll mix in several packages this year when the season begins Sept. 5 against Southeast Missouri State.
"He understands and knows how to move the pieces around," Hunley said.
"He’s focused and he attacks," said MU safeties coach Ryan Walters, who coached with Odom last year at Memphis. "He’s clear-minded all the time. He doesn’t get too high or too low. He doesn’t make impulse calls."
No, unlike Steckel, who liked to say he called games from his gut, Odom brings a different, more stoic approach. With Odom, there’s no willy-nilly to his game-day decisions.
"He’s quiet, but he’s got a very competitive nature," said Henson, MU’s offensive coordinator. "When he’s in front of the defense, I think the kids feel that."
PowerMizzou: The Long Road Home
"I think we knew that it would take something pretty special for Barry to leave because I think he knew that we were building something special there," Baker said. "Whenever coach Stec went to Missouri State, I think we were all like, 'Yeah, they're probably gonna want to talk to Barry and he's probably gonna want to go back there.'"
Steckel shocked many both in Columbia and in the coaching community when he accepted the head coaching job at Missouri State on December 14th. Speculation around Missouri's search immediately focused on Odom. But Memphis had a bowl game to play. For a week, Odom juggled preparing for BYU with fielding calls about job offers across the country.
"I took all the emotional things out of it on the familiarity with the coaching staff here, the day to day structure of the program, all the things that I knew existed," Odom said. "I removed that part of it and I looked at it in more the capacity of is it a situation that you could step in and be successful. Are the resources there to be provided to give you an opportunity to do what you need to do? Then the work environment on working with the staff and the head coach. All three of those components overrode any of the ideas that I would allow emotionally on anything about coming back to Mizzou. Missouri is always gonna be a special place to me and my family. Once coach Pinkel called me I tried to look at it in an open mind with those things in mind to see if it was the right fit for me and the right fit for Mizzou."
Kony! Marcus!
Ron Rivera says Kony Ealy has won the starting position at right DE. Really pleased with how he's played the past two weeks.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) August 30, 2015
NOLA.com: Marcus Murphy says he has to show Saints he 'could do this each week'
NOLA.com: Sean Payton: Saints kick returner Marcus Murphy 'making this team'
L'Damian :(
#Chiefs have released L’Damian Washington, Charles Tuaau, Jeret Smith, Vaughn Martin, Aaron Hester, Andrew East, Anthony Dima & Kenny Cook.
— Terez A. Paylor (@TerezPaylor) August 30, 2015
J-Mac
Maclin, Chiefs make for perfect match : Sports
KC Star: Chiefs’ Jeremy Maclin strengthened by life experiences, including exodus from Philly
That was all another reflection of how Maclin has grown from a complicated start in life through circumstances such as season-ending injuries at MU and in Philadelphia and a lymphoma scare that proved unfounded to what he is now.
Not just a gifted football player, but someone granted perspective, too.
"I just learn not to take anything for granted, you know?" he said. "You never know what’s going to be your last day on this Earth, what’s going to be your last day being able to play football, so you just can’t take anything for granted."
Volleyball is 3-0
The rest of the weekend got easier for Mizzou after the near-upset against NDSU in the season opener.
University of Missouri Athletics - Mizzou Volleyball Tallies 3-0 Sweep Over Winthrop
University of Missouri Athletics - Mizzou Records Another Sweep, Claims 2015 Tiger Invitational Crown
Kan showcases full repertoire, MVP performance helps MU win invite - Columbia Daily Tribune | Columbia Missouri: Mu
Soccer is 2-1-1
Scheduling Purdue: fine. Scheduling Indiana: NEVER.
University of Missouri Athletics - Flynn's Winner Gives Mizzou 3-2 Comeback Win Over Purdue