Film Study: Missouri has all the tools to take it to Alabama

Admit it.

You’ve doubted the University of Missouri ever since you heard it would be making the transition from the Big 12 to our beloved Southeastern Conference just three short seasons ago.

And when the Tigers finished a putrid 5-7, in their first season of play, you felt justified in your feelings that a finesse, spread-to-pass outfit wouldn’t be able to cut the mustard in a conference full of uber-physical squads that swap helmet paint on a weekly basis.

But when they subsequently won the SEC East — while finishing 12-2 — you went with the old adage: Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn every once in a while.

And despite the fact that this season Mizzou had navigated the majority of its schedule with only two losses, you’ve continually pointed out the fact that one of the defeats was to the University of Indiana — at home no less.

You kept waiting for the other shoe to fall so that the University of Georgia would find its rightful place in the SEC Championship Game over the Tigers from the “Show Me State.” Well Mizzou showed you as it finished off two of the hottest teams in the SEC — Tennessee and Arkansas — and will now once again head to Atlanta to play for all the marbles (SEC-wise) against the Alabama Crimson Tide.

But in your heart you don’t feel as though Mizzou stands a chance against the mighty Tide and the game may resemble the Tigers’ other loss, a 34-0 defeat at the hands of Georgia. But au contraire mon frère; Missouri plays a brand of football that’s difficult for anyone to deal with, and it’s been that way the majority of head coach Gary Pinkel’s underrated tenure.

It’s time to recognize Missouri is a major player in the SEC, and that fact won’t be changing anytime soon.

NFL-Caliber Personnel And Coaching

When Missouri and Texas A&M’s transitions to the SEC were announced, they were marketed on billboards in a few southern states with fertile recruiting grounds. Here in suburban Atlanta, Ga., we were treated to a Mizzou billboard that read: Proud To Be SEC.

I rode by that billboard every day on my way to work thinking how I couldn’t wait for the Tigers’ arrival as I’d been a fan of the program for a number of years. (I also rode by that billboard wishing I had a new job, but that’s another story for another day haha).

Mizzou drew my interest back in the early 2000’s when Pinkel and offensive coordinator Dave Christensen unleashed a wide-open, no-huddle spread-based offensive attack fronted by one of the most exciting quarterbacks I had ever seen, Brad Smith (Philadelphia Eagles).

Smith’s ability to manufacture explosive plays was supported by talent at the skill positions and a plethora of NFL-caliber defensive players. The next incarnation of that squad featured quarterback Chase Daniel (Kansas City Chiefs), receiver Jeremy Maclin (Philadelphia Eagles), edge-rusher Aldon Smith (San Francisco 49ers), safety William Moore (Atlanta Falcons), “Will” linebacker Sean Weatherspoon (Atlanta), tight end Chase Coffman (Tennessee Titans), interior lineman Evander “Ziggy” Hood (Jacksonville Jaguars), tight end Martin Rucker (former Chief) and receiver Danario Alexander (formerly of the San Diego Chargers).

It wasn’t by happenstance that Mizzou finished the 2007-08 regular season as the No. 1-ranked team in the nation — as it was loaded with NFL talent.

The last few seasons saw talented players like QB Blaine Gabbert (49ers), interior beast Sheldon Richardson (New York Jets), edge-rusher Kony Ealy (Carolina Panthers), edge-rusher Michael Sam (a free agent who needs to be on the Falcons!), cornerback E.J. Gaines (St. Louis Rams) and WR Dorial Green-Beckham (transferred to the University of Oklahoma) dominate for the Black and Gold.

And the current version of the team is no different.

We know that Pinkel is a QB whisperer and will virtually always have a difference maker at the position. And we also know that Mizzou’s defensive line will usually be one of the premier units in the country.

Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Maty Football/Vertical-Stretch Game

In my humble opinion, Mizzou’s current QB, Maty Mauk, is the most exciting at the position since Daniels was in Columbia; Gabbert was good and James Franklin was underrated, but there’s something special about Mauk.

The 6’1″, 200-pound Kenton, OH., native most exemplifies what Pinkel is looking for in a signal-caller.

The Mizzou offense is fairly complex as the QB is a conduit of Pinkel’s, and offensive coordinator Josh Henson’s, philosophy of getting as many snaps off as humanly possible. The entire route tree is available for the QB as the scheme does require plenty of attention in the short-to-intermediate area of the field.

But it’s the vertical-stretch passing game that separates Mizzou from just about every team in the conference — principles that are rooted from Henson’s time under Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State University (when Gundy was the OC for former head coach Les Miles).

You can bet your bottom dollar that Henson will call vertical shots an upwards of 10 times a game. He believes the threat of a vertical pass opens up his running game out of the spread.

Mauk, at times, has superb accuracy; sometimes it looks as though he couldn’t throw to ball in the ocean while surfing. But he has one of the strongest arm you’ll see — especially when you consider his lack of ideal size — and he has a great feel for putting touch on the deep ball.

When your offense is a high-risk high-reward outfit, your completion percentage is bound to suffer. (Mauk currently sits at 53.5 percent completion with 22 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.)

Mizzou, as always, has a couple of studs at receiver in seniors Bud Sasser (65 receptions for 950 yards with nine touchdowns) and Jimmie Hunt (34 receptions for 529 yards with 5 TDs), who are scheme-specific fits as both are two of the very best vertical receivers in the country.

Here’s an example of what Bama can expect from the Missouri’s offense — clearout routes and 9’s. If Mauk is allowed a clean pocket, his live arm can shred a secondary.

Running back Russell Hansbrough, 5’9″, 190 pounds, adds value in the between-the-tackles running game but is more of an edge-bender — which coincides with the type of runs Henson has installed.

The same can be said for his backfield mate, Marcus Murphy, who adds additional value to special teams in the form of highlight-reel kick and punt returns. Both were pivotal in the come-from-behind win over Arkansas with how they dominated with the speed sweep.

Here we see Hansbrough getting loose on a Sweep to the field side of the formation. He shows of his brilliant vision after finding the organic cut-back lane in the zone scheme. From there, his open-field running ability took over.

Mizzou’s offensive line can be hit or miss — which is troublesome for an offense with a focus on long-developing routes — but Mauk’s athleticism has made up for mishaps by that unit due to his ability to evade a rush, at times.

The Pinkel-Henson scheme also deploys Mauk on plenty of designed runs; Mizzou truly forces defenses to defend all quadrants of the field. The offense has been slow to start games, but when your offense is as explosive as Mizzou’s you’re never really out of a game.

With Bama’s vulnerability against vertical-passing schemes, and its propensity for not performing as well away from Tuscaloosa, this game has a chance to be very competitive. Especially when you factor in Mizzou’s strengths on defense.

Potent Pass Rush/Physical Defense

In what is undoubtedly a testament to Pinkel’s ability to recruit and develop players, Mizzou’s ferocious pass rush has not lost a step despite losing two of the best edge-rushers in the SEC in Sam and Ealy.

In fact, it can be argued that the duo of Markus Golden (8.5 sacks) and Shane Ray (12.5 sacks) may be slightly better as both appear to be superior athletes over their predecessors. In defensive coordinator Dave Steckel’s 4-3-based scheme, an emphasis is put on sound tackling at all levels.

While this unit does a bit of gap pressing, it’s completely comfortable with sitting home and holding gap integrity. Much of that can be accredited to a defensive line that focuses on stopping the run on the way to the pass.

Mizzou is only giving up an astounding 3.4 yards per carry — which is a necessity when you’re going against a balanced offense like Alabama’s. The Tigers did a pretty decent job against, perhaps, the premier rushing outfit in the country in Arkansas.

Mizzou has an active linebacker corps that does a great job of scraping to the play — most notably “Mike” linebacker Michael Scherer (second leading tackler on the team). But it all starts up front.

Case in point: Golden knifed through the A-gap on his way to making an impact stop on Arkansas’ star running back Jonathan Williams.

While some may not realize it, the Razorbacks are built very similar to the Tide — the main difference being the Tide’s passing ability as they have the very best receiver in the nation, Amari Cooper.

There’s not a corner of God’s green earth that can stick with Cooper in man coverage; there’s not a zone defense that he can’t dissect, either. Missouri’s strong pass-rush prowess will have to take the pressure off its leaky secondary.

As Auburn displayed, racking up 628 yards of offense en route to 44 points, a team with a potent vertical-passing game can have its way with Bama’s secondary. However, Mizzou can’t get pass happy as Auburn also provided the threat of a run throughout the contest.

Missouri has all the tools to replicate Auburn’s performance; it will have the benefit of a better defense, and the game will be at a neutral site. Regardless of the outcome, Mizzou will continue to be a major player in the SEC behind the great Pinkel.

Don’t sleep on the Tigers, folks.