 #8 Missouri Tigers Preview What more can you say about Missouri other than the fact that they won more games last season than any other year in school history (12). Missouri beat everyone they came across sans Oklahoma who defeated them twice. Can the Tigers be as good this season as they were in 2007? DJ Boyer breaks down the 2008 squad to see that this year holds in store for them. #8 Missouri Tigers
Head Coach – Gary Pinkel
2007 Record – 12-2
2007 Review What more can you say about Missouri other than the fact that they won more games last season than any other year in school history (12). Missouri beat everyone they came across sans Oklahoma who defeated them twice. The Tigers were led by an offense that was ranked #5 overall in the nation.
Team MVP
Could it be anyone other than Chase Daniel. Daniel threw for over 4,300 yards while rushing for another 218 while accounting for 37 touchdowns (33 passing and 4 rushing). Daniel should be one of the front runners for the Heisman Trophy heading into he this season as Missouri should once again be among the elite in not only the Big 12 but the nation.
Offense
Quarterback
Chase Daniel showed flashes of brilliance in 2006 when he took over for four-year starter Brad Smith and won eight games right out of the gate but last year was a whole new level. Daniel did lose his top running back and tight end but he has plenty of options around him and distributes the ball so well that the team will be able to function. Missouri had six different players catch at least 35 passes or more last season so spreading the ball around isn’t a problem. Daniel is successful despite being only 5-11, far from the height many want for their prototypical quarterback. Chase is a popular name at Missouri as not only sported by Heisman candidate Daniel but his backup Chase Patton who like Daniel is an experienced senior.
Running Back Senior Jimmy Jackson spent his whole career backing up Tony Temple but he is penciled in as the starter. He found the end zone seven times last year but I’m not sure he will be the starter for the entire year and there is a chance we could see a system with rotating backs. Derrick Washington is a sophomore who offers more explosion than Jackson but less consistency. What could but Washington over the top is he is a better receiver coming out of the backfield but Jackson seems to be the better blocker. Just seems to be a positive and a negative for both which is why I think a running back by committee approach is what we may see.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Missouri has a very good corps set of receiver show will look great with Daniel throwing to them. Jeremy Maclin may have been the most dynamic freshman on the planet last year and he will be used even more as a sophomore. Maclin’s 9 touchdowns and 1,055 receiving yards are a little deceiving as he has not shown to be a consistent downfield threat yet. Maclin excels at taking the short pass and turning it into a long gain. This is also why Maclin is so on returns, he doesn’t need the same amount of blocking as an ordinary return man because he makes people miss frequently. Throw players like Tommy Saunders and tight end Chase Coffman into the mix and you have a solid reliable receiving corps that knows how to get downfield and block as well as get open.
Offensive Line
The offensive line is one that could go either way. The line has some experience and while individually there are no standouts they seem to work well as a unit. Depth is the concern with a lot of young bodies on the bench but all of the starters and backups have one thing in colon…they are mobile. All the starters are 300 pounds so being mobile is not a way of saying they are light, Missouri puts an emphasis on lineman that can move and that can be seen with the number of designed rollouts for Daniel in the offense. Daniel doesn’t put up huge rushing totals but he moves well and Missouri uses rolls outs or misdirection screens as often as any team in the nation and the line is prepared. Guard Ryan Madison and tackle Colin Brown are the leaders for the Tigers up front. Defense
Defensive Line Stryker Sulak and Tommy Chavis are a pair of capable ends that return but they seem to be a little one-dimensional despite the great numbers the defense threw up against the run last year. Missouri gets a lot of help from the linebackers stopping the run and it is up to the ends to tee off on opposing quarterbacks. Sulak has the ability to be an All Conference player and defensive tackle Ziggy Hood can be moved outside when Missouri wants to really beef up against the run. Andy Maples and Jaron Baston should be switching back and forth at the other defensive tackle slot. There will some 3-4 looks for Missouri where Sulak can line up as a linebacker.
Linebackers
The linebackers from last years BCS Bowl winning team are all back and they fly around the football. Sean Witherspoon is the best player and leader despite being surrounded by a pair of seniors starting with him in Brock Christopher and Van Alexander….Brock and Van…they just sound like linebackers don’t they? Look for sophomore Luke Lambert to find the field and continue to be a special teams standout for the Tigers as he led the special teams unit in tackles a season ago. This is the strength of the defense.
Secondary
The situation should be better for Missouri stopping the pass in 2008 and that is good since they finished 97th in the country stopping the pass a season ago. Missouri seems to have more speed and better tacklers at the key positions but the coverage is still spotty. Tremane Vaughns looks to have snuck into the starting lineup at corner and Carl Gattis is a returning starter. Missouri may have the best safety at the NCAA level in Will Moore and he sees more action then he needs to because of the corners being inconsistent in front of him. Don’t let his 8 interceptions a year ago make you think he plays the pass only. He isn’t a huge hitter but he is effective when making tackles and makes more solo stops then he should at the position.
Special Teams
Jeff Wolfert showed he could be reliable after a slow start but he hasn’t convinced everyone just yet. The Tigers have a new punter in Jake Harry but the story is Maclin who as a sophomore is already one of the most feared return men at the NCAA level. Missouri should win a lot of special teams battles and get good field position constantly as teams will look to avoid Maclin whenever they can.
2008 Outlook
Is another trip to the Big 12 title game in the works? It isn’t a given but it is quite possible with Daniel making a serious push for the Heisman Trophy. Missouri has always been a good team in the past and now with the right quarterback they have shown they can be a great team.
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