Breaking down the Tigers
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BY CURT McKEEVER / Lincoln Journal Star
THE OFFENSE
Base formation: No-huddle, one back
2006 per-game averages
Points: 30.6
Total yards: 412.9
Rushing yards: 155.0
Passing yards: 257.9
Turnovers lost: 2.2
Time of possession: 27:53
THE DEFENSE
Base formation: 4-3
2006 per-game averages
Points: 15.9
Total yards: 290.7
Rushing yards: 123.3
Passing yards: 167.4
Turnovers gained: 2.3
THE COACH
Gary Pinkel
Years at Missouri: 6
Record: 36-32
Worth noting: Wondering if Pinkel’s program has turned the corner? The Tigers have won 15 of their last 22 games dating to the 2004 season finale. This year’s 6-0 start was the first at Missouri since 1973, while the 7-1 beginning was the first since 1969 — the last time Mizzou won a conference championship.
THE GAMERS
Chase Coffman
Position: TE Year: So.
Height: 6-6
Weight: 245
Worth noting: Might have the softest hands of any tight end in the country, but he dropped a sure touchdown catch that would have put the Tigers up 10-0 against Oklahoma last week. Has at least five receptions in the last three games and is No. 2 on the team with 40 this season.
Marcus Bacon
Position: WLB Year: Sr.
Height: 6-2
Weight: 220
Worth noting: He definitely has a nose for the ball. Leads Mizzou with 81 tackles and in turnovers created (3 fumble recoveries and 2 interceptions). Oklahoma did an effective job of neutralizing him, as he had no momentum-swinging plays while making just one solo and five assisted tackles.
Chase Daniel
Position: QB Year: So.
Height: 6-0
Weight: 225
Worth noting: Think of a Brad Smith who would rather throw than run and you’ve got Daniel. Physically, he won’t remind you of the Tigers’ career yardage leader (Daniel is more bulk than lean muscle). But he’s got the attitude and wherewithal to take on and outrun linebackers, and a great touch in the short and intermediate passing game.
QUARTERBACKS
Chase Daniel was responsible for 359 of the Tigers’ 360 yards against Oklahoma last week. Granted, they lost, but you get the idea how important he is to Mizzou. Daniel has surprisingly effective mobility, but he prefers to survey the scene out of the shotgun formation and pick teams apart with an arm that has tossed a school single-season-record 19 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. Daniel needs just 177 passing yards to set the school mark for most in a season.
RUNNING BACKS
Tony Temple leads the Tigers with averages of 73.6 yards rushing per game and 5.2 per carry. But he’s been demoted because of a fumble against Oklahoma and now Earl Goldsmith, primarily a third-down back who has just 23 carries this season, will carry the load. That’s cause for concern if you’re a Mizzou fan. Then again, most know that the team’s running game likely will be keyed by Daniel, whose 108 attempts are just 20 fewer than Temple’s.
RECEIVERS
The Huskers will have their hands full with this group. Tight end Chase Coffman might be better than his dad, Paul, who spent 10 seasons playing in the NFL. Chase has good-enough speed that he’ll get some downfield looks, but he’s especially tough in traffic. Fellow tight end Martin Rucker (32 receptions) may be faster and, like Coffman, he can expect to move on to the NFL. Rucker, too, hails from NFL bloodlines, as his older brother, Mike, a former Husker defensive end, is in his eighth season with Carolina. Mizzou’s wideout burner is Will Franklin. Possessing a 17.7-yard average on 42 receptions, he’s got great after-the-catch moves. Five of his six TDs have been from at least 30 yards out. Other weapons of note: Brad Ekwerekwu has 32 starts and Jared Perry leads Big 12 freshmen with 25 receptions.
O-LINE
Right tackle Joel Clinger is the only senior, but three members of this unit, which has allowed just 11 sacks, have started at least 21 games. Center Adam Spieker is the leader with 33. He’s also a Rimington Trophy candidate. Junior left tackle Tyler Luellen has started the last 22 games. Not a lot of experience at the guard spots. Left-side starter Ryan Madison, a high school teammate of Luellen, is a sophomore with seven starts, while Monte Wyrick has been the right-side starter the last three games.
D-LINE
The Tigers are fortunate to have solid depth here, as they’re now without their career sacks leader, end Brian Smith. Sophomore Stryker Sulak has taken over for Smith. Sulak started seven games last year, and this season had five more tackles than Smith when Smith broke his right hip against Kansas State on Oct. 21. Xzavie Jackson (5 sacks, 8 hurries) is a load on the other side. The most disruptive force inside the ends is nose guard Lorenzo Williams (5½ sacks, 2 fumble recoveries and 2 forced fumbles). Tackle Ziggy Hood is back after sitting out three games with a broken foot. Jamar Smith is second among the interior defenders with 27 tackles. You’ll also see DeMarcus Scott and Tommy Chavis shuffled into the lineup.
LINEBACKERS
Three of the team’s top four tacklers are linebackers. From his weakside spot, Marcus Bacon has made 13 more tackles than any other Tiger, and he’s also produced 5 takeaways and forced 5 fumbles. Fellow senior Dedrick Harrington is tied with Bacon for the team lead with 54 solo stops from his MLB position, and in the past five games he’s averaged 9.2 tackles. Strongside starter Brock Christopher is No. 4 with 60 tackles. Starters play most of the snaps. The backups are a sophomore, redshirt freshman and true freshman.
SECONDARY
Free safety David Overstreet, a first-team All-Big 12 pick in 2005, anchors a stingy group that’s helped the Tigers ranks No. 2 in the Big 12 in passing yards allowed and passing-efficiency defense. The son of the late Oklahoma and Miami Dolphin running back, Overstreet had 14 tackles against the Sooners last week and has 67 this season. He also has 5 breakups and 2 fumble recoveries. Cornerback Darnell Terrell leads the Tigers with 7 breakups. Redshirt freshman Hardy Ricks has been forced into the lineup because of an injury to Domonique Johnson. One of the team’s best athletes, strong safety William Moore, suffered a concussion against OU, but he’s expected to return Saturday.
SPECIALISTS
Punting situations have proven to be an adventure for the Tigers, who rank last in the Big 12 in average net yardage (31.8) and 11th in average return (7.1). Against Oklahoma last week, they had a punt blocked for a safety, but over his past four games, Adam Crossett has averaged 44.5 yards per kick. Jeff Wolfert came to Missouri as a diver, but he’s traded jumping into water for the fire of place-kicking, and he’s been money on 11 of 13 field goals and all 34 PAT kicks. Earl Goldsmith has taken over kickoff return duties and boosted things a bit by averaging 20.6 yards. Receiver Tommy Saunders is the deep man on punts, and is averaging 11 yards. Before being injured last week, William Moore made a critical mistake, drawing a personal foul- roughing penalty while trying to block a punt.
SCOUTING REPORT
From Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione, whose team allowed Daniel to complete 21 of 29 passes for 295 yards and a touchdown without intercepting him, but came up with three fumble recoveries and played a turnover-free game to beat the Tigers 25-19 in College Station, Texas, on Oct. 14. A&M quarterback Stephen McGee completed 19 of 23 passes for 183 yards and a score, while beefy running back Jorvorskie Lane plowed for 127 yards and a rushing TD.
“They don’t really ever huddle. It looked like (against the Sooners last week) they might have went with a little faster tempo, what I watched on the TV copy, which might have been a little bit more of a challenge for Oklahoma. I think the biggest challenge is they’re good at what they do and they know what they’re doing and they spread the field and make you play in space, and you’ve got to have athletes to play in space with them. And they’re very good within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. They have a good, quick passing game, and then their zone play and their quarterback runs, you’ve got to do a good job of defending that area and yet not give up the big play.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt that (Daniel is) the catalyst and the mechanism that makes it all go. And he’s really comfortable in it and what he’s doing. And their design and what they’re doing fits him very well. If you don’t have a plan or a way that you’re going to keep him in check, he’s going to find a way to beat you, because he’s a tremendous little competitor.
“It was various things throughout the day (that we nicked them with offensively), but as we got to the fourth quarter we kind of got in two tight ends and the fullback and tailback and put the ‘J-Train’ (Lane) running downhill at ’em. They knew what we were going to do and we knew what we were going to do, and we were able to do it. The physicalness of our line was key and pivotal. We had a good time of possession on the day and, I don’t know for sure, but we may have wore on them a little bit as the day wore on.”
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