| 09 November 2009
I was really looking forward to making this post after a week of posting about a certain douchebag AP “reporter” who I will intentionally not name. Of course, that was before I realized I would be writing about Mizzou’s most inexplicable loss since ’05 New Mexico.
Most of the bad losses from the past three and a half years could be at least partially explained or there was at least a silver lining of some sort. Gabbert wasn’t at 100 percent earlier this year and it was a young team playing good teams. ’08 kU didn’t make a whole lot of difference in the grand scheme of things. Tigers were just overmatched against Texas and OU. Everything was still on the table after Okie State last year. ’06 Iowa State was a classic screwjob.
Not so much here. I don’t care that Baylor did actually play really well. I don’t care that it’s a young and inexperienced team. This shouldn’t happen. There’s just not an excuse.
-A lot to complain about in this one. The kickoff coverage for the Tigers was abysmal. Baylor was constantly working with a short field. This really isn’t because of short kickoffs either and it’s been a problem all year.
-The drive Gabbert led with one minute left in the first half that culminated with a Jared Perry TD w/ one second left might have been as good as we’ve seen Blaine Gabbert. Doesn’t get more efficient than that. Despite the fact that it was obvious that the Tigers were letting Baylor hang around I would have bet my life at that point that Missouri was winning the game.
-Carl Gettis hasn’t looked very good since Big 12 play began but he was having a pretty solid game before he went out with a head injury in the second quarter. And the secondary’s performance in the second half proved that he’s clearly the best corner on this team (although that’s not really saying much). Robert Steeples is starting to look really Justin Garretish. Physical player that gambles WAY more than he should and he usually pays for it.
-Danario Alexander is starting to look just as good as Maclin did last year. I don’t think that’s hyperbole. He’s really playing that well. That said, that drop he had late in the fourth quarter was brutal and a play your No. 1 wideout has to make. No excuses.
-On a related note, any reason why Mizzou stopped running that screen play to ‘Nario in the second half? Seemed like that play was good for a minimum of about eight yards every time they ran it in the opening 30.
-Has there been any progress made with the Tigers’ rushing attack. I thought they were slowly but surely rounding it into shape during the Okie State and Texas losses and the explosion against Colorado seemed to prove that. But now we have this setback. What gives? I’m clueless.
-Anyone stop to think about how this is the third consecutive home loss for the Tigers? First time that’s happened since the infamous ’04 season. Between 2005 and 2008 the Tigers were nearly unbeatable at home. So much for opposing teams fearing “the Zou.”
-A lot of harsh criticism of Gabbert after he struggled in the second half. That’s where a lot of Tiger fans need to slow their role. His first half was as good as about any we’ve seen from a Tiger quarterback even if it was Baylor. Obviously he’s got to play a complete game if he wants to win many games. But I can’t help but wonder what his final stats would have been if in the fourth quarter his receivers could have, you know, CAUGHT A FUCKING BALL. I think Jared Perry ends up with over 200 yards if he catches every ball that he should. I realize a loss falls on the team and even in the fourth Blaine was still off the mark on a lot of his passes even when his receivers were getting their hands on them. But this is one of my biggest concerns for this team moving forward.
-Staying on that topic, who the hell catches passes for this team next season? If it’s true that Marcus Lucas is coming to Columbia then we might need him to be a Maclin-type impact player because I don’t see a guy capable of developing into a No. 1 WR in this bunch.
-Off the topic a little bit, but how good of a coach is Bill Snyder? I'm not going to believe that team is going to win the North and I have my doubts about how long Snyder sticks around, but hats off.
-If you’re tempted to attack a player over Twitter or Facebook, don’t do it. Just don’t. You’ll thank me later.
-I just read a Tweet from Dave Matter that Pinkel said the defense missed 18 tackles on Saturday. It seems like Ebner and Spoon are the only truly sound fundamental players on that unit. Maybe Aldon but it’s hard to tell how much of his production is a result of good technique or just insane ability.
-I generally hate the “Pinkel can’t make adjustments” outcry we get after losses like this (because there have been games where adjustments clearly were made but nevertheless he’s stubborn and we should fire him, right?) but in this case there obviously weren’t adjustments made. And that’s going to be the biggest obstacle this team has to overcome if it wants to somewhat salvage this season. There’s an old quote that a lot of coaches have hanging in their office and you often see on motivational posters “There is nothing less important than the score at half-time.”
That’s what the rest of the season is going to be about. I really can’t sum it up better than Dave Matter did in his “Emptying the Notebook” post:
On that note, here’s what I’m watching for the rest of the season. And it’s got nothing to do with play-calling or roster moves. Because at this point, the Tigers’ problems are beyond Xs and Os. They’ve proven they can call plays that work on both sides of the ball. Your offense doesn’t stink if you can throw for 330 yards in a half. The problem is sustaining that success after taking a 50-yard jog into a room and sitting down for a few minutes while a band plays outside. (Really, what more is halftime?) Duplicating those successful plays from quarter to quarter and week to week is another story, but Missouri can score on people and stop people — in stretches. And they’ve proven they have the personnel to compete with eight of their first nine opponents.
Here’s what’s worth watching: Do they splinter or stick together? Do they suffer an internal and on-field collapse like the 2004 team that lost five in a row? Pinkel has called that team the most selfish group he’s ever coached, and the struggles from that season triggered some of the program’s positive changes that took place over time. Obviously the media’s exposure to players is limited, but I don’t sense any cancers on the current roster. Other than Weatherspoon and nose tackle Jaron Baston, I’m not sure this team has many dynamic, outspoken leaders, but overall it’s a good group of kids. More than anything, I think they’re unsure how to handle success and failure, and that’s largely a sign of a young team, which it is. (Though youth should never be an excuse in college sports where the wisest veteran is never more than three years of experience more seasoned than the youngest.)
But do they have any fight left? With such a small core of seniors who play large roles — Weatherspoon, Baston, Brian Coulter, Danario Alexander, Jared Perry, Kurtis Gregory — will there be enough urgency to turn things around before writing off the season and moving ahead to 2010? Will the incentive of beating Kansas State, Iowa State and Kansas and a lesser bowl be enough to motivate this team?
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