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by
Joel Welser
#30 Missouri
Tigers
Big 12
2006 Record: (8-5, 4-4)
Coach: Gary Pinkel (37-35 at Missouri,
110-72-3 overall)
Starters Returning: 15 (8 offense, 5 defense,
2 specialists)
Offensive Starters Lost: WR Brad Ekwerekwu,
OL Joel Clinger, OL Mike Cook
Offensive Starters Returning: QB Chase
Daniel, RB Tony Temple, WR Tommy Saunders, WR William Franklin, TE Martin
Rucker, OL Tyler Luellen, OL Ryan Madison, OL Adam Spieker
Defensive Starters Lost: DE Xzavie Jackson,
DE Brian Smith, LB Marcus Bacon, LB Dedrick Harrington, S Brandon Massey, S
David Overstreet
Defensive Starters Returning: DT Lorenzo
Williams, DT Ziggy Hood, LB Brock Christopher, CB Darnell Terrell, CB Hardy
Ricks
Starting Specialists Lost: none
Starting Specialists Returning: K Jeff
Wolfert, P Adam Crossett
Missouri fell apart at the end of the 2006 campaign,
losing four of their last five games. However, spirits are still high in
Columbia. The Tigers return just about every piece of their offense that
averaged over 425 yards per game. Of course the defense and special teams have a
few issues to address, but the offense alone is enough to win the Big 12 North.
Offense:
Chase Daniel threw for 3,527 yards and 28 touchdowns
as a sophomore and it will only get better for Daniel after having a great
spring. But what makes Missouri’s offense so dangerous is one of the deepest and
talented group of receivers in the nation. Will Franklin is the big play threat
and led the team with 829 receiving yards in 2006. Tommy Saunders, Jared Perry
and Danario Alexander bring the depth. The Tigers utilize their tight ends
amazingly well and Martin Rucker and Chase Coffman will have another great
season. Coffman and Rucker led the team with 58 and 53 receptions respectively
and are superb targets in the red zone.
The conference’s returning leading rusher adds
another dimension to the offense. Tony Temple ran for 1,063 yards and seven
touchdowns and it is his consistent performance that really opens up the entire
offense. Losing Joel Clinger and Mike Cook off the line hurts, but they still
will not have any problems opening up holes for Temple. Center Adam Spieker is
very talented and will lead the way during his senior campaign.
Defense:
It was a poor defensive effort that sprung the late
season losing streak in 2006. By the end, everybody and their brother were
running for over 100 yards against the Tigers defense. With six starters gone,
coordinator Matt Eberflus has some work to do. The return of tackles Ziggy Hood
and Lorenzo Williams should help out the run defense, but Coach Gary Pinkel will
also depend on some junior college transfers to help solidify the line.
Brock Christopher is moving to the middle linebacker
spot to lead the unit. The return of Van Alexander, who missed much of 2006 with
an injury, and the emergence of Sean Weatherspoon will make the linebackers just
as good as last year despite the loss of starters Marcus Bacon and Dedrick
Harrington. Weatherspoon has a ton of potential after playing as a reserve last
year as a freshman. Missouri returns both starting corners, led by the talented
Darnell Terrell, but the secondary will need to improve under new safeties Pig
Brown, William Moore and Justin Garrett.
The Bottom Line:
The offense will be explosive and the defense will
be better than they were at the end of last season. The Tigers found a great
kicker in Jeff Wolfert, but the rest of the special teams is a concern. Punter
Adam Crossett returns, but his productivity was shaky at best and junior college
transfer Jake Harry will get a shot at the job. The return game was pathetic as
well, but with Nebraska coming to Faurot Field, Missouri has no excuses not to
win the North. |
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