2006 Statistics

In his sixth season as the head coach, Gary Pinkel spent 2006 re-instilling consistency after the four year rollercoaster ride with Brad Smith at the helm. For every up and personal accolade Smith delivered, he failed to produce more than eight wins in his four years as starter. Chase Daniel proves to be the passer Smith never became. Though not as fast as the I-A record holder (most rushing yards by a QB), Daniel seems like he can produce more wins and therefore get MU further than Smith ever did. He moves well enough (second in team rushing), and with both TBs back, a steady backfield will take Mizzu back towards the top of their division. The spread offense they run will really take off in ‘07 after seeing what Daniel can/cannot do. The entire offense is almost the same as it was in ‘06, but the defense needs help (LB, also safety and DL depth) before any talk of bringing a 10+-win season to Columbia can start in earnest. Two decent BCS-aligned non-cons to start is just what the doctor ordered as tune ups, but the next two patsies after that give way to Nebraska, (at) Oklahoma and Texas Tech in the first three weeks of October. If Mizzu can win two of those three (went 1-2 against them in ’06), then the nation will know Tiger Ball is back and ready to reside permanently in the top 25.

This is the offense of Chase Daniel, their junior QB who was an all-Big XII second-teamer as just a first-year starting sophomore last year. Daniel is a former EA Sports National Player of the Year (prep), and the dual-threat has fulfilled expectations with a 28:10 TD:INT ratio. Coach Pinkel and coordinator Dave Christiansen run Daniel all over in a modest spread approach, giving him the “old school” option of stepping back if he sees an open guy or running it at will. The well-sized receivers, led by senior deep threat William Franklin, line up three or more at a time to confuse and overmatch defenses. But they are not the main aerial weapons employed at Mizzu – TEs Martin Rucker and Chase Coffman, first- and second-team all-conference, respectively, and both 6’6, led the Tigers in catches (Coffman was tops, though, and Franklin had more yards than either TE). They use their size to go underneath for lots of sure yards. Still, the guy who touches the rock about half as much as Daniel is senior RB Tony Temple. Temple has both toughness and speed, but Pinkel should use him more in the flat and downfield instead of usually keeping him home on passing plays as the tight ends go downfield. Depth at TB goes far, too. It will all work that much better with a senior-laden line that has developed subs and also returns four starters. These guys roll out well for their size. Still, expect lots of inside running to bait defenses so that when they get inventive guys are often open one-on-one in patterns. Finishing as the No. 8 total offense means Tiger Ball is back in vogue…now, “show me/us” more.

Senior all-conference tackle Lorenzo Williams and junior Ziggy Hood will continue to clog the middle effectively, but new faces in the line’s two-deep mean the Tiger’s system of often shuttling fresh players in may have to wait so the best four can remain on the field longer to assure results. With their top two sack artists gone, juniors Stryker Sulak and (backup) Tommy Chavis are the only experienced ends. Two four-star recruits from the incoming class give promise to the line’s revampings, and new faces may be just what are needed after Mizzu finished only 58th in run defense last season. But the LB corps also sees two new starters, making sizable junior strongside backer Brock Christopher a key for tying the Tiger’s stopping 11 together. Another off-season for true sophomore MLB Sean Weatherspoon to get stronger means UM’s special teams Player of the Year (2006) will have an immediate impact as the new starter there. The entire corps’ two-deep has seen real game reps, so losses here may be exaggerated after the new group gels and proves otherwise. As for the safeties, both junior starter William Moore and senior backup (now starting) Cornelius Brown shared the “free” slot in ’06. Moore likely slides over and Brown remains. No less than eight three-star DBs have been recruited in the last two classes, so backups are imminent and should be fine. So should both starting corners and their backups. All of these huge “outsiders” return to secure the sidelines and nickel/dime packages for what was the No.37 pass defense. Senior all-Big XII CB Darnell Terrell gets junior former-starter Dominique Johnson back at full strength after his knee went out in the Colorado game. But Hardy Ricks subbed in so well as a true freshman that a battle for who starts opposite Terrell will only make the Tiger’s better. Injuries seemed to be an issue when the defensive results in ‘06 slipped as the season wore on. The (seven returning) starters need to stay healthy for Mizzu to prove its five losses in the last seven games of ‘06 were an aberration, not the direction UM is currently heading.