Mizzou DC DeMontie Cross talks about Barry Odom taking over defense
By Adam Spencer
Published:
Mizzou’s defense has been awful in 2016.
After having one of college football’s best defenses in recent years, the Tigers have struggled mightily under first-year coordinator DeMontie Cross.
That led to first-year head coach Barry Odom, who called the defensive plays last season, stepping in to take over.
On Tuesday, Cross said he understands why the move was made:
Mizzou DC DeMontie Cross diplomatically addressed system changes after Tues practice. On Odom taking over, he said, "We needed a spark."
— Dave Matter (@Dave_Matter) November 1, 2016
Odom is seemingly trying to reinstitute his system from last year:
Cross said MU has gone back to some of last year's terminology, so he's had to learn from Odom the past two weeks
— Dave Matter (@Dave_Matter) November 1, 2016
Biggest change for defense is on DL. Cross says linemen feel more relaxed and can "play faster without analyzing and overthinking"
— Dave Matter (@Dave_Matter) November 1, 2016
It didn’t pay off in Saturday’s 35-21 loss to Kentucky, but the Tigers will travel to take on a struggling South Carolina offense on Saturday.
If Mizzou’s defense struggles again, it may be time to throw in the towel for the 2016 season.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
