Tiger Football Notes, 11/4: Daniel might have future as a defensive coach
Usually when you ask an offensive player what catches their eye about an opponent, he’ll say something nice about the defense first.
Not Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel.
“They want to pound the ball and they’ve got a great quarterback in Zac Taylor,” Daniel said of Nebraska.
OK, so Daniel quickly switched gears and gave props to an Adam Carriker-anchored defensive line that he figures will “blitz us some, and play their coverages, so we’ve got to be ready.”
But his initial observation about the Huskers said everything about what occupies the Tigers’ minds first.
Over the course of the season, Missouri’s run defense has given up a respectable 123.2 yards per game, which ranks 49th nationally. The last two games, however, have been completely different. Kansas State had two 100-yard rushers while gaining 262, and Oklahoma, behind a 162-yard day by No. 2 tailback Patrick Allen, got 231.
“There’s nothing magical there. We’re not going to change the schemes, because we believe in what we’re doing,” coach Gary Pinkel said. “Sometimes it’s leverage, sometimes it’s contain, and other times it’s missed tackles.
“We’re going to work very hard at it, because (Nebraska) has good running backs.”
TIGERS WILL REACH BACK FOR THE FASTBALL: Missouri’s lone touchdown drive against Oklahoma last week was executed out of a “fastball” offense, where the Tigers switched formations and rattled off successive no-huddle plays so effectively that the Sooners struggled to set their defense by the time the ball was snapped.
Expect to see some of that today, but not as much as you might think. For starters, running that fast of tempo is physically more taxing. And running it on the road has its challenges.
“It’s hard, because you’re going on cadence (at home), and on away games you’re going to have to go on silent (counts) so it might mess the line up a little bit,” Daniel said. “But we haven’t had too much trouble with that.”
QUOTABLE: “It’s on the senior leadership. If we come out and do our jobs like we’ve normally been doing, we’ll be perfectly fine.” — Defensive end Xzavie Jackson
Not Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel.
“They want to pound the ball and they’ve got a great quarterback in Zac Taylor,” Daniel said of Nebraska.
OK, so Daniel quickly switched gears and gave props to an Adam Carriker-anchored defensive line that he figures will “blitz us some, and play their coverages, so we’ve got to be ready.”
But his initial observation about the Huskers said everything about what occupies the Tigers’ minds first.
Over the course of the season, Missouri’s run defense has given up a respectable 123.2 yards per game, which ranks 49th nationally. The last two games, however, have been completely different. Kansas State had two 100-yard rushers while gaining 262, and Oklahoma, behind a 162-yard day by No. 2 tailback Patrick Allen, got 231.
“There’s nothing magical there. We’re not going to change the schemes, because we believe in what we’re doing,” coach Gary Pinkel said. “Sometimes it’s leverage, sometimes it’s contain, and other times it’s missed tackles.
“We’re going to work very hard at it, because (Nebraska) has good running backs.”
TIGERS WILL REACH BACK FOR THE FASTBALL: Missouri’s lone touchdown drive against Oklahoma last week was executed out of a “fastball” offense, where the Tigers switched formations and rattled off successive no-huddle plays so effectively that the Sooners struggled to set their defense by the time the ball was snapped.
Expect to see some of that today, but not as much as you might think. For starters, running that fast of tempo is physically more taxing. And running it on the road has its challenges.
“It’s hard, because you’re going on cadence (at home), and on away games you’re going to have to go on silent (counts) so it might mess the line up a little bit,” Daniel said. “But we haven’t had too much trouble with that.”
QUOTABLE: “It’s on the senior leadership. If we come out and do our jobs like we’ve normally been doing, we’ll be perfectly fine.” — Defensive end Xzavie Jackson
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