1st and Ten
– Seamless Transition? – There were some who thought that former
QB Brad Smith’s final two years in Columbia were sub par, but those will
be the same people who will cry the loudest with Smith no longer taking
snaps as a Tiger. Smith finished his career fourth overall in total
yardage in college football history. Timmy Chang. Ty Detmer. Philip
Rivers. Brad Smith. That’s how good he was. So, how is the transition
going to be under sophomore Chase Daniel? Seamless change or hiccups
all over the place? Even with Smith in the lineup last year, Daniel was
able to get himself on the field as a true freshman, after leading his
high school, Southlake Carroll, to a mythical high school national
championship in 2004. The new Tiger leader looks more like a linebacker
in the backfield than he does a QB, and the stark contrast to Smith was
evident from the first snap he took in 2005. Whereas Smith was such a
dynamic runner, the all-time greatest rushing QB in history, Daniel is a
better ‘blend’ of pass/run abilities and should hurt teams more through
the air than Smith did in his final two years at the helm. But, where
Daniel has some big shoes to fill is in the game breaker role. You
could see when things got tough in the Independence Bowl against South
Carolina, head coach Gary Pinkel literally called direct snaps to Smith
and let him run wild, like a schoolyard game in sixth grade. Daniel
probably doesn’t have that type of ability, but he can still keep a play
alive with his feet and then bury an opponent with his arm. No matter
what happens, 2006 will be different. How seamless that transition is
at the QB spot could determine the outcome of this season for Mizzou.
2nd and
Seven – Tight Ends in Abundance – You know, tight ends are
getting more and more athletic, but Missouri’s taking this whole two
tight end thing to a whole new level. The Tigers might have the two
best tight ends in the Big XII – Martin Rucker and Chase Coffman, which
should make Daniel very happy. Both tight ends finished the year with
47 catches to tie for the team lead, but it’s the number of different
ways that they can get the ball that makes them special. Coffman can
run deep fades down the sideline, going up over short corners, while
Rucker can get open anywhere between the numbers. It’s one thing to
have one rock solid TE to rely upon, but the Tigers have two studs.
It’s a nice problem to have.
3rd and
Three – Big XII’s Best Secret – The all-time leading sack artist
at Missouri is going to line up again this year at DE for the Tigers.
What? Who? Brian Smith, that’s who. This guy is an absolute blur off
the edge, and is really an outside linebacker living out his defensive
end dreams. At 235 pounds, Smith can get lifted off his feet, IF an OL
gets his hands on him. But, what you’ve got to like about him is the
fact that the Tigers use him on inside slants, attacking 300 pound
guards to get some other guys free off the edge. He’s not afraid to mix
it up, but when he turns on the jets off the corner, a QB is going
down. Teams know how good Smith is, even if you don’t. But, we’ll keep
this secret to ourselves.
4th and One
– What’s a Bowl win worth? – Down 21 to 0, looking as if there
were a million other places they’d want to be, the Tigers were in deep
trouble in the Independence Bowl. But, one 98 yard interception later,
and this team may have turned a major corner. If South Carolina punches
that one in to make it 28 to 0, how ugly does it get? Instead, Marcus
King took one to the house, and in the process may have laid the
foundation for the 2006 season. Sure, it took a superhuman effort by
Smith to vault the Tigers into the lead in the fourth quarter, but that
one play ensured that there would be a competitive second half. So,
what does that one win do for the Tigers? If you question what a bowl
win does for a team, just go down to Austin, Texas and ask Mack Brown
what the 2005 Rose Bowl meant to the 2005 national championship season.
That doesn’t mean that the Tigers will be going to Tempe, but a solid 8
or 9 win season should be within reach.