(Mizzou quarterback James Franklin awaits the call)
Roasting in the sun, downing water after water to no avail, I started to think I may not be able to make it through the first half of today's Missouri - Miami (Ohio) game. I have to imagine the oppressive heat was partially responsible for the lackluster play on the field.
Both teams looked, well, terribly average. Mizzou netted a meager 291 yards, and the Redhawks weren't far behind with 270, most of them through the air. The Tigers managed a W with a 17-6 edge, but their play has not inspired the Tiger faithful - though it shouldn't necessarily discourage them entirely. (I said entirely).
We'll begin with quarterback James Franklin, since all eyes are on him. His performance was nothing other than what all of us expected - he can run the ball, and struggles with the pass. The good news is he is a very strong runner who could actually do damage to defenses, rather than the type of quarterback who can occasionally scramble out of a broken-down play. The problem is that you cannot win games that way, especially when opposing defenses know it's coming. The few times Franklin did go to the air made me wonder if he wouldn't be better suited at a different position. - But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Franklin was reportedly very hard on himself after his performance, but this pessimism is unnecessary. He finished the day with a rushing TD, a passing TD, and 1 interception. On an uneventful 100 degree day, that's not bad at all for your first start in Division I College Football.
(Franklin rushes in for the first TD of the game)
The zone read was a popular call by Pinkel and the coaching staff today, and allowed Franklin to showcase his running ability. He instinctively hit holes, and leads with his pads a bit more often than his coaches would like him to, I'm sure. (Franklin injured would probably sink the Tigers' season - does anyone know who the back-up is?) The passing play looked similar to the offense under Gabbert's command, but with even less throws down-field, and a few expected first-game misfires. The receivers got the ball in space, and tried to make plays. Franklin's one TD pass came on a well-executed play in the redzone to receiver Marcus Lucas. Moe led the day with six receptions for 56 yards, and had a few good moves, but does not look up to form.
The offense's main problem was their inability to string together lasting drives. Their 12 offensive drives averaged a dismal 21.6 yards, and only two drives were over 35 yards (a 42 yard drive and a game-long 76 yard drive ending in the first Missouri TD, run in by Franklin). These are far from the numbers Tiger fans have become accustomed to with their Chase Daniel and Blaine Gabbert offenses. Miami Ohio is a decent team - they won the Mid-American conference last year in an upset over Northern Illinois, and went on to win their bowl game (against weak Middle Tennessee State). But a promising Mizzou team that is number 21 in the land should do a lot better than 291 yards and 17 points.
The Missouri defense didn't look much better. They allowed the Redhawks to move the ball on their first drive of the game, but a missed field goal kept the scored knotted up at 0. They continued this bend-but-don’t-break trend late into the first half. Miami drove the ball into the redzone and it looked like they were about to make it 7 - 10 at the half. The defense committed two costly penalties in a row, allowing Miami to inch even closer to the Tiger goal-line. Just as it looked like the Redhawks could make it a game, the struggling Tiger's secondary came up big with an athletic pick in the end zone. With the exception of this play, it was the secondary that sagged the most in the unit. Mizzou looked good against the run, particularly up the middle, but Miami quarterback Zac Dysert took advantage of a lazy-looking secondary. It was Miami's failure to execute and score that kept the game in the Tiger's paws, not any action by the defense.
(Mizzou corner E.J. Gaines gets the pick)
All in all the play was discouraging, if for nothing but the fact that the numbers were nowhere near what Missouri has become accustomed to. The only redeeming quality is that most of the lack of productivity can be written off as inexperience. The offense wasn't dysfunctional, they simply were not in rhythm. The defense didn't implode, they just need some sharpening. I almost died sitting in the heat, I can only imagine what it did to the players on the field.
So Mizzou fans, don't get too down on yourselves. Every team needs to get better, and the Tigers are in perfect position to do that. We all know they need to greatly improve on both sides of the ball to compete in the Big 12 - the coaches know it, and the players know it. There's just one problem.
In six days the Tigers face a strong Arizona State team in the desert. This Sun-Devil team played weak Division I-AA UC Davis this week, so it's hard to tell how good they really looked. But boy, they sure looked good. Arizona State dominated UC Davis 48-14, producing exactly like Mizzou should have. It's time for me to eat my words - Mizzou may not be one bit underrated. If things don't pick up fast, 8-4 is optimistic.
This Mizzou squad is not bad, they simply aren't strong. They are a young team that is struggling to replace stars like Daniel, Gabbert, Maclin, and Alexander. Pinkel has done great things to make Missouri competitive again, and in a way the Tigers lucked out with Gabbert's success. It's time to settle down and figure out how to stay competitive year-in and year-out. There is a lot of potential on this team, but with the changing landscape of College Football, (and the apparent fracturing of the Big-12), Missouri's future may be as uncertain as it's been in a decade.
Preseason I would have picked Mizzou over ASU in a heartbeat for this Friday's matchup. But after today I have to go with the Sun Devils, and I'm afraid to say it probably won't be close.
(All photos taken by Zach Lynn)
