|
WR
Sean Coffey |
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2004
Statistics |
Coach:
Gary Pinkel
22-25,
4 years |
2004
Record: 5-6 |
|
ARKANSAS
STATE |
WON
52-20 |
at
Troy |
LOST
14-24 |
BALL
STATE |
WON
48-0 |
COLORADO |
WON
17-9 |
at
Baylor |
WON
30-10 |
at
Texas |
LOST
20-28 |
OKLAHOMA
STATE |
LOST
17-20 |
at
Nebraska |
LOST
3-24 |
KANSAS
STATE |
LOST
24-35 |
KANSAS |
LOST
14-31 |
at
Iowa State |
WON
17-14 (OT) |
|
2004 Final Rankings
AP-UR, Coaches-UR, BCS-UR
|
2005
Outlook |
After
a 2003 season that saw the first winning
record and bowl trip since '98, the Tigers
appeared to crumble under the pressure of
huge potential and raised expectations.
The staff out-coached itself by limiting
Smith's options, resulting in a disjunctive
offensive effort that cost the team a division
title in the mediocre Big 12 North and a
second straight bowl trip.
Well,
now the pressure is off. Despite the return
of Smith, the Tigers are largely pegged
to be an also-ran in the division. They
enter this season with something to prove
rather than something to live up to, a big
mental advantage for most college teams.
And Smith is free to improvise, which is
when he's at his best.
The
slightly reworked schedule is favorable.
The athletic department got out of a rough
opener against Iowa and replaced it with
Arkansas State at Arrowhead. It will be
the Tigers' first trip to Kansas City in
60 years, something they hoped to make last
year by appearing in the Big 12 title game.
Home dates against New Mexico and Troy follow,
giving this team an excellent shot at 3-0
heading into the conference opener against
Texas (if they can get payback on Troy).
But neither of these is a pushover, so we
will see just where Mizzu lands with these
initial testing scrimmages. Any shot at
the division will be determined by road
dates at Colorado and Kansas State in the
final three weeks of the season.
Developing
the front-seven and adjusting to the new-look
offense are keys. If both happen quickly,
don't be surprised if the Tigers are a major
surprise this fall. But, realistically,
a winning record and another bowl trip are
reasonable goals. Anything less could cost
Pinkel his job. So while the pressure is
off his players, not everyone in the program
is feeling more relaxed – yet.
Projected
2005 record: 4-7
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|
MISSOURI
*POWER RATINGS |
Offense |
Defense |
QB
- 4.5 |
DL
- 3 |
RB
- 3 |
LB
- 2.5 |
WR
- 4 |
DB
- 3.5 |
OL
- 2.5 |
.. |
|
RETURNING
LEADERS |
Passing:
Brad Smith, 369-191-11, 2185 yds., 17 TD
Rushing: Brad Smith, 165 att., 553
yds., 4 TD
Receiving: Sean Coffey, 39 rec.,
648 yds., 10 TD
Scoring: Sean Coffey, 10 TD, 60 pts.
Punting: Matt Hoenes, 31 punts, 36.6
avg.
Kicking: Adam Crossett, 1-3 FG, 2-2
PAT, 5 pts.
Tackles: Jason Simpson, 98 tot.,
58 solo
Sacks: Brian Smith, 7 sacks
Interceptions: A.J. Kincade, 2 for
0 yds.; Marcus King, 2 for 1 yd.
Kickoff Returns: Alex Woodley, 9
ret., 20.0 avg., 0 TD
Punt Returns: None
|
|
|
DB
James Simpson |
|
|
|
OFFENSE
- 6 |
----RETURNING
STARTERS---- |
DEFENSE
- 3 |
|
KEY
LOSSES |
OFFENSE:
Tony Clinker-OT, Scott Paffrath-OT, Joe Gianino-OG,
Thomson Omboga-WR, Victor Sesay-TE, Joe Tantarelli-K,
Damien Nash-TB (NFL) |
DEFENSE:
Atiyya
Ellison-NT, James Kinney-LB, Shirdonya Mitchell-CB,
Henry Sweat-LB, Zach Ville-DE, Nino Williams-SS,
C.J. Mosley-DT (NFL) |
|
|
2005
OFFENSE |
Quarterback
Mizzu
is down to its last chips with Brad Smith. As
a result, coach Gary Pinkel, who could need a
few good hands this fall to save his job, is finally
revamping the offense to play to the strength
of one of the nation's best athletes. While much
of the new look is shrouded in secrecy, it appears
as if the offense will be a no-huddle spread attack
(resembling Meyer’s Utah or Bowling Green
squads) that should give Smith more choices out
of the option. Smith, who never got on track last
fall as Pinkel tried to turn him into a pocket
passer, can finally get back to using those quick
legs. The new offense didn't look great during
the spring game, when the re-tooled defense held
Smith and the first team to one first down in
three series. On the bright side, he didn't turn
the ball over (last fall, the typically accurate
Smith threw 11 picks). Apparently (as some are),
he's better when he has to make decisions on the
fly. This is his chance to take it to the next
level, but, as talented as Smith is, he'll need
his teammates to grasp the offense before he can
truly live up to his potential.
Running
Back
Tony
Temple got the edge on fellow soph Marcus Woods
for the starting tailback job during the spring,
when Woods sat out with a strained knee ligament.
Temple, a small speedster (4.4 in the 40) with
nice vision, good pass-catching ability and decent
power, had possibly the best spring out of anyone
on the roster. He would be an exciting complement
to Smith if everything clicks. One area of concern
is fumbles -- Temple dropped the ball four times
in the final three scrimmages. Woods, who got
three starts last fall, is another tiny guy with
similar speed. He averaged 4.2 yards per carry
and showed decent hands, but he has a lot of catching
up to do with Temple. Toss in the running ability
of Smith, and the overall speed and variability
of this rushing attack will be problematic for
most front sevens. There is no fullback in this
offense.
Receiver
Though
plagued by injuries this spring, this group is
solid as Smith has several big, quick targets.
The leader is all-conference candidate Sean Coffey,
a 6-5, 220-pounder who is at his best on medium-range
routes. Coffey, who had 10 TDs and averaged 16.6
yards per catch, is Missouri’s go-to receiver,
but this unit needs someone to step up and be
a deep threat. Returning starter Brad Ekwerekwu,
who moves to the Z-spot, showed signs of emerging
as such in the spring. He's 6-3 and runs a 4.3,
though that only helped him averaged 8.9 yards
per grab in '04. Redshirt freshman Tommy Saunders,
a walk-on, capitalized on the absence of Coffey
and starter Will Franklin and emerged as a possible
possession receiver out of the H-spot this spring.
Then there are fast guys like Greg Bracey and
Chris Crosby, who fans are still waiting to see
fulfill their potential(s). If someone can go
long consistently, it will open up the running
game and the underneath routes. That would make
a player like Smith look like Mike Vick.
Tight
End
When
the underneath opens up, there are two players
here who will prosper. Former big-time recruit
DeQuincy Howard stood out with an excellent spring,
but the starting gig will likely go to soph Martin
Rucker. A freshman all-America, Rucker had 19
catches and four TDs last fall while proving to
be a good blocker. Howard, who runs a 4.6, is
a little faster. Smith hit his TEs 51 times last
fall. Howard and Rucker have the potential to
increase that number.
Offensive
Line
The
line, which returns three starters, was off-key
throughout much of the spring. In addition to
adjusting to a revamped offense, one of its starters,
soph LT Tyler Luellen, sat out with a shoulder
injury. Another, LG Tony Palmer, showed up overweight
and opened the spring at No. 2 on the depth chart.
The challenge to Palmer resulted in a solid spring.
A probable fourth-year starter, he'll need to
be the leader up front for a unit that spearheaded
effective (but still left wanting) efforts in
rushing (165.0 yards per game) and protection
(21 sacks allowed). Luellen and Palmer should
form a solid blindside, while soph C Adam Spieker
is developing into an excellent anchor. There's
plenty of competition on the right side, which
will leave some nice depth in the wake of the
named starters. How these guys handle the adjusted
offense will determine how effective the entire
team is.
OFFENSIVE
BREAKDOWN
By
most accounts, ours included, Pinkel was nuts
to keep Smith harnessed in a drop-back scheme.
He'll have to hope it's not too late to make this
change. If the offense had been anywhere near
productive last fall, this team plays in the conference
title game and goes bowling. With the defense
having to replace seven starters, it will have
to be a force. A talented line and backfield should
blend with Smith for an efficient ground game.
The key will be getting balance out of the passing
attack. If Smith can go vertical more often, this
could finally be a special offense. Balance will
be established, and what should have been (Smith
leading a juggernaut) will finally be.
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|
QB
Brad Smith
|
|
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MISSOURI
2005 DEPTH CHART
Returning Starters/Key
Players |
OFFENSE |
QB |
Brad
Smith-Sr (6-2, 210) |
Brandon
Coleman-Jr (6-4, 215) |
TB |
Tony
Temple-So (5-10, 195) |
Marcus
Woods-So (5-8, 185) |
WR |
Will
Franklin-So (6-2, 195) |
Chris
Crosby-Sr (6-3, 205) |
WR |
Brad
Ekwerekwu-Jr (6-3, 215) |
Andrew
Hoskins-Jr (6-2, 205) |
WR |
Sean
Coffey-Sr (6-5, 220) |
Jason
Ray-So (6-2, 215) |
TE |
Martin
Rucker-So (6-5, 245) |
DeQuincy
Howard-Jr (6-4, 255) |
OT |
Tyler
Luellen-So (6-7, 295) |
Colin
Brown-Fr (6-7, 305) |
OG |
Tony
Palmer-Sr (6-2, 325) |
Ryan
Madison-Fr (6-5, 295) |
C |
Adam
Spieker-So (6-3, 310) |
John
Dirk-Fr (6-3, 280) |
OG |
Mike
Cook-Jr (6-2, 320) |
Monte
Wyrick-So (6-4, 325) |
OT |
Joel
Clinger-Jr (6-6, 310) |
Kyle
Riggs-Fr (6-6, 310) |
K |
Adam
Crossett-So (6-2, 215) |
Scott
Russell-Fr (6-1, 180) |
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|
2005
DEFENSE |
Defensive
Line
Despite
taking some hard graduation hits, there should be
little drop-off among with the starting group. The
problem is developing experienced reserves, but
the relatively soft early schedule and some incoming
Juco DEs should help in that effort. The DE duo
of Xzavie Jackson and Brian Smith should be among
the best in the Big 12, while DT Lorenzo Williams,
a former DE, emerged this spring as possibly the
team's best lineman. He'll team inside with NT Earl
Stephens, a former TE and potentially solid run-stopper
who was a second-stringer last fall. Smith, who
had seven sacks as a backup, brings the kind of
speed off the edge that forces offenses to change
game plans, while Jackson is more of a run-stopping
end who hold “stays home” to optimize
his positioning. This is a good group, but an effective
rotation must be developed before the run defense
can improve on last year's No. 64 national ranking.
Linebacker
This
is the potential weak link of the defense. The
unit reloads after the losses of Henry Sweat and
the program's all-time top-tackler in James Kinney.
Sweat left a key gap to fill in the middle, where
converted safety Dedrick Harrington takes over.
It was hoped that former-Michigan State RB David
Richard would blossom into a force at the spot
this spring, but it didn't happen. The good news
is senior Derrick Ming, a career special team
contributor, looked strong in taking over at the
weak-side spot this spring. He and returning strong-side
backer Marcus Bacon were said to have had the
best springs of any defensive players. Richard
and redshirt freshman Van Alexander provide decent
depth for a unit that should be quick and aggressive,
though inexperienced.
Defensive
Back
Two
starters and plenty of experienced backups return
to form what could once again be one of the nation's
better pass defenses. The Tigers ranked No. 3
in the nation as opponents averaged just 149.3
yards per game through the air. Talkative FS Jason
Simpson, a second-team All-Big 12 pick, has assumed
the leadership role. The team's second-leading
tackler, he's a force against the run as well
as the pass. Simpson did away with his long hair
and beard, showing up for spring ball with a shaved
dome as a sign of maturity. He'll have to pick
up the solid players around him, including new
starters David Overstreet (SS) and A.J. Kincade
(CB). The key could be the status of top-cover
CB Marcus King (suspended in February for attacking
his girlfriend’s car with a brick). Expect
Calvin Washington, a starter in '03, to take over
if/when King doesn't return.
DEFENSIVE
BREAKDOWN
After
steadily improving since Pinkel took over, the
defense peaked last fall, ranking second in the
Big 12. The Tigers also put steady pressure on
opposing passers while forcing a decent amount
of turnovers (23). The soft underbelly was, and
still is, the front seven. The new faces up front
must get more penetration while freeing a quick
group of LBs to make plays. Opponents will surely
try to exploit the inexperience in the run defense,
making rapid development in the front seven essential
to the success of this defense, and probably the
team. This tough conference won’t wait for
developments to solidify, so expect the problem
areas to be exploited early and often, until shored
up.
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DE
Brian Smith
|
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MISSOURI
2005 DEPTH CHART
Returning Starters/Key
Players |
DEFENSE |
DE |
Brian
Smith-Jr (6-3, 225) |
Stryker
Sulak-Fr (6-5, 245) |
DT |
Lorenzo
Williams-So (6-2, 275) |
Scott
Wheatley-Sr (6-2, 290) |
NT |
Earl
Stephens-Sr (6-4, 300) |
DeMarcus
Scott-Jr (6-2, 275) |
DE |
Xzavie
Jackson-Jr (6-4, 260) |
Elgin
Childress-Sr (6-1, 245) |
SLB |
Marcus
Bacon-Jr (6-2, 220) |
Emmett
Morris-Jr (5-11, 235) |
MLB |
Dedrick
Harrington-Jr (6-3, 240) |
David
Richard-Jr (6-2, 235) |
WLB |
Derrick
Ming-Sr (5-11, 245) |
Van
Alexander-Fr (6-1, 230) |
CB |
Marcus
King-Sr (5-10, 195) |
Alex
Woodley-So (5-11, 175) |
CB |
A.J.
Kincade-Sr (5-10, 190) |
Calvin
Washington-Sr (6-0, 195) |
SS |
David
Overstreet-Jr (6-0, 210) |
Justin
Scott-Sr (6-0, 200) |
FS |
Jason
Simpson-Sr (6-0, 205) |
Brandon
Massey-Jr (6-1, 195) |
P |
Matt
Hoenes-Jr (6-1, 195) |
.. |
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2005
SPECIAL TEAMS |
Kicker
Adam
Crossett, who was a part-timer on punts and FGs while
handling kickoffs, will focus on kicking this fall.
He has a strong leg, which resulted in 12 touchbacks
and a couple 40-some yard field goal tries. Crossett,
who was 1-of-3, just has to develop accuracy, which
appeared better this spring. He might also want to get
some more hang time on those kickoffs -- coverage here
was inversely lousy, ranking 90th in the nation.
Punter
Matt
Hoenes struggled last fall as a soph. He'll be pushed
by incoming freshman Matt Casaday, a Texas native who
originally committed to Utah. Hoenes looked better in
the spring, but expect Casaday to take over and improve
an area that cost this team valuable field position.
Coverage was 46th in the nation, however, and the overall
speed on board should lead to similar net numbers.
Return
Game
Punt
returns were outstanding (28th); kicks were dreadful
(105th). Those stats don't mean too much, though, because
the primary specialists in both areas are gone. Who
will take over here will be decided this fall, and several
players on both sides with great 40 times will get a
look.
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