College Football Week 3 Observations

Week Three gave us some very exciting games, as at least 11 games were decided in the closing minute(s) of the game. 

• Missouri struggled with San Diego State, needing a last-minute Blaine Gabbert -to- T.J. Moe 68-yard touchdown pass to win 27-24.  Gabbert seems to have found his two favorite recovers in Moe and Michael Egnew, who had 14 catches for over 130 yards.

•  Some believe that Georgia may be playing for Mark Richt's job this year.  If they play as they did against Arkansas in the fourth quarter of last week's game, that may not be the case.  Up 17-7 and 24-10 at one point, the Bulldogs tied the score and Arkansas needed a last minute Ryan Mallett touchdown to eek out the 31-24 win.  And even after that, the game wasn't guaranteed a win, as the Razorbacks needed a sack at midfield to close out the game.  Georgia has struggled without star receiver A.J. Green.

• Temple is now 3-0 for the first time since 1979, when the Owls finished 10-2. It was the first win for the Owls over a BCS opponent since a 34-24 win over Syracuse on November 13, 2004.

• North Texas is down to their third-string quarterback after losing the starter of that game for the second week in a row.  Riley Dodge, son of coach Todd Dodge, takes over for the Mean Green, who haven't been too mean as of late.  In his fourth season in Denton, Dodge is 5-34 as head coach.

• Kansas State's Daniel Thomas is showing the country what the Big 12 already knew: He is one hell of a running back.  Thomas has 552 yards through three games and has helped lead the Wildcats to their first 3-0 start since 2006.

• With their win over Ole Miss, Vanderbilt snapped a 10-game conference losing streak dating back to 2008. The Commodores have beaten the Rebels four of the past six seasons. 

• Wisconsin has started 3-0 in every season under Bret Bielema. Wisconsin is 9-1 in its last 10 games against Pac-10 teams.  The Badgers have won 27 straight nonconference regular-season games, the third-longest active streak (behind LSU and USC). Arizona State had 261 kick-return yards (including a 97-yarder and 95-yarder), more than either its rushing or passing total in the game.  Yet Wisconsin needed a last-second blocked PAT to win.

• Auburn came back from a 17-0 deficit to defeat Clemson in overtime.  It is the Auburn's 14th straight win over Clemson.  The game appeared headed to another OT when Chandler Catanzaro made a 27-yarder after a defensive stand kept Clemson shy of a winning touchdown. After a 5-yard illegal procedure penalty on the kick because center Dalton Freeman double-clutched the ball, the redshirt freshman's second attempt hooked wide left.

• Ryan Nassib threw a school-record five touchdown passes, and Syracuse pulled away in the second half to beat Maine 38-14 on Saturday night in the Orange's home opener.  Nassib was 19-for-28 for 260 yards.

• With Dan Conroy lining up for a 46-yard field goal to tie the game in overtime and the play clock running low, holder Aaron Bates took the snap, stood up and waited for Charlie Gantt to come open downfield. The stunning fake worked to perfection, and Gantt's 29-yard touchdown catch gave the Spartans a 34-31 win Saturday night.   The Spartans started 3-0 for the first time since 2007 and earned their third win over the Fighting Irish in four years.  Saturday was the ninth time in the last 11 meetings between Notre Dame and Michigan State that the game was decided by seven points or less and it was the second OT affair since 2005.  The Spartans' 28 victories against Notre Dame are the second most of any Irish opponent (USC has the most with 34). 

• Nick Foles hit William Wright with a late 4-yard touchdown pass and No. 24 Arizona held its ground in the national spotlight with a momentum-swinging 34-27 win over ninth-ranked Iowa.  Keyed by their stingy defense and special teams, the Wildcats rushed out to a 27-7 halftime lead before having the Wright touchdown pick up the vital win.  Arizona beat a nonconference opponent ranked in the top 10 at home for the first time since 1989. Iowa allowed at least 30 points for the first time since 2007 vs. Purdue, a span of 33 games. Iowa has lost six straight games when playing a regular season game west of the central time zone. The last win came in 1987.  Arizona sacked Ricky Stanzi six times, including three straight times on Iowa's final drive. 

• North Texas isn't the only school with significant quarterback injuries this weekend.  Houston lost their top two QB's, including Heisman hopeful Case Keenum, in the SAME GAME.  They will now be forced to go to freshmen as their starters.  With the win over Houston, UCLA avoided their first 0-3 start since 1971.  Houston had scored at least 20 points in 29 straight games before Saturday's game.

Week 3 Preview

Georgia Tech (1-1) at North Carolina (0-1)

   This is a game featuring two teams who are both looking to get back on track.  Tech lost last week at Kansas and the Heels are trying to get back to their winning ways after suffering a heart-breaking loss to LSU in Week One.  The Jackets feature a nice 1-2 running punch in Josh Nesbitt and Anthony Allen.  The two spearhead an attack that is second in the nation in rushing yards per game with 332 yards per game.  Nesbitt leads the team with 163 yards and five touchdowns, while Allen averages nearly seven yards per carry.  North Carolina is led by quarterback T.J. Yates, who threw for 412 yards and three touchdowns.  Jheranie Boyd leads the team with six catches for 221 yards.  He had 12 catches for 214 yards as a freshman last season. 

   Georgia Tech wins if...it can control the time of possession and play its stingy defense while running their attack to perfection.

   North Carolina wins if...it can continue to overcome the loss of six defensive starters.  Al Groh, GT's new defensive coordinator, has been known to shut down the Heels so how they respond will be something to look for.


Arizona State (2-0) at Wisconsin (2-0)

   This will be the first true test for the Sun Devils, as they travel to the always-tough Camp Randall Stadium.  Their offense is led by the quarterback-running back combo of Steven Threet and Cameron Marshall.  Threet, a Michigan transfer, has completed 47-of-70 passes for 630 yards and five touchdowns, but has also thrown three interceptions.  Marshall has 14 carries for 132 yards and four touchdowns.

   The Badgers come into the game after defeated UNLV and San Jose State in their first two games.  Despite being known for their running game, quarterback Scott Tolzien has put up some impressive passing stats, completing 30-of-42 passes for 388 yards and one touchdown.  The team already has two players, John Clay and Montee Ball, who have rushed for over 100 yards.  Clay leads the team with 260 yards and four touchdowns, while Ball has 110 yards and two scores.

   ASU wins if...it can continue to throw the ball around.  The Wisconsin defense is tougher than the Devils' first two opponents, but if Threet is on the same page with his receivers, they may be able to pull the surprise.

   Wisconsin wins if...it rushes the ball like it has been.  The Sun Devils have given up 149 rushing yards per game to two FCS schools, so if the Badgers are on their game, it might be a long day for the ASU defense.


Clemson (2-0) at Auburn (2-0)

   The game at Auburn not only marks the first true test for the Tigers, but also starts a rough stretch of games, where four of five teams played in bowls and either are or have been ranked this year.  The offense has been pretty balanced between the passing game and the running game.  Quarterback Kyle Parker has thrown for 283 yards and four touchdowns.  The rushing load has been split amongst Jamie Harper, Andre Ellington, Roderick McDowell and Daniel Barnes.  Ellington leads the way with 133 yards and three scores.

   Cameron Newton has come in and run this offense in perfection.  The quarterback has thrown for 322 yards and five touchdowns, while rushing for 241 and two more.  His rushing total is almost 100 more yards than the next leading rusher.

   Clemson wins if...it contains the Auburn rushing game and gets a balanced game from all their players.  Shut Newton down and you have a good shot at the win.

   Auburn wins if...they shut down the Clemson rushing game, which averages nearly 230 yards per game.  If Auburn's own rushing attack is on, it might also be a long day for their opponents.  Either way, look for a shootout.


Iowa (2-0) at Arizona (2-0)

   The Hawkeyes are coming off of a big win against in-state rival Iowa State and are only giving up seven points per game.  Ricky Stanzi seems to be on a mission, completing 71 percent of his passes for 433 yards and three touchdowns.  He has been aided by a running game anchored by Adam Robinson.  Robinson has 265 yards and four touchdowns on the year, while averaging seven yards per carry.

   The Wildcats come into the game undefeated as well, and have one of the most prolific defenses and offenses in the country.  The team is second in points allowed per game, with four per game and is averaging 47 points per game good for 12th nationally.  The team is led by quarterback Nick Foles, who has completed 83 percent of his passes for 579\4 yards and three touchdowns.

   Iowa wins if...their defense is able to shut down the Arizona passing game, which is eighth nationally.The Wildcat defense hasn't really been tested, so it's up to the Hawkeyes to give them a good battle.

   Arizona wins if...Foles continues to sling the ball around.  The defense, ones of the best in the nation, will have to stop the balanced attack of Iowa

My opinions about Reggie Bush

   As everyone knows, the topic of the week has been Reggie Bush and what has been happening with what is going to happen to the Heisman Trophy and yesterday it was resolved.  On Tuesday afternoon, Bush announced that he will forfeit his Heisman Trophy.  On Wednesday afternoon, the Heisman Trust announced that the award will be vacated and NOT go to Vince Young, who finished second that year in the Heisman voting. 

   Unlike voting for other events, the Heisman Trophy is an award that is based off of a player's performance that entire year.  And there is no doubt that Reggie Bush put up stats that were more than deserving of the Trophy.  Now, if the award had been handed out after the National Championship Game, it may have gone the other way, after the incredible game Young had against Bush's Trojans in an upset win.  Bush accumulated 789 first place votes; Young had 79.  Would the tally have been different had they done it in mid-January?  Possibly and maybe probably, but there is no doubt that the 1,740 rushing yards, 16 rushing touchdowns, 4788 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns earned him the award.  Oh, did I mention ZERO fumbles????

   Reggie Bush did the right thing.  He gave up an award that should never been his.  I know earlier I made it sound like he deserved it and in 2005-2006 he did.  But that was 2005-2006.  At the time, nobody but Bush and his family knew about the money and gifts that he chose to accept.  So at the time, it made sense to award him the trophy.  But now with all of the allegations (and apparently truths) that have surfaced, they have shown that in actuality Bush should have been declared ineligible to play, therefore nullifying all of the stats and awards he earned that season.  Your numbers don't count if you shouldn't even be allowed to step onto the field.  But as the Heisman Trust said, it's five years later.  There is no way to re-do the vote.  The best thing to do is keep the award vacated.

   The people to truly feel sorry for in this case are the current players at USC.  Many of them probably came to USC because of Bush and the success they saw the team have while he was there.  But now those players who came to follow in his footsteps are paying for his transgressions.  To me and many others, it's an unfair thing that the NCAA Has done, but the university will have to live with the consequences, whether they knew what was going on or not.  Going to a bowl game is one perk many players look forward to when they commit to a school and the fact that many of the current players won't have that opportunity for two years is something that will hurt recruiting.  Not to mention the loss of 30 scholarships over the next three years.

   The sad thing is that this happens much more than we all know of, but not everyone gets caught.  It's become a game of 'if you can do it w/o getting caught, continue doing it.'  You would think that stories like this would give other athletes thoughts of stopping all of this because of all of the trouble it can cost them, but they also see that if they do do it, it most likely won't effect them or the school until they are long gone. 

   But again, the issue was the Heisman Trophy and what to do with it.  Reggie Bush did the right thing.  And so did the Heisman Trust...

Week 2 Observations

Week Two was one that many had circled on their calendars because of some of the perceived "big-time" matchups.  But more about those later.  Some of the earlier games turned out to be pretty good.

• West Virginia provided for the first drama of the weekend when they faced off with in-state rival Marshall.  Down 21-6 with six minutes left, the Mountaineers rallied for a 24-21 OT win.  They scored the game-tying touchdown and two-point conversion with 12 seconds left in regulation.  

•  Minnesota continued to struggle with teams from the FCS, as they lost to South Dakota 41-38.  Junior Dante Walker, making only his second start at quarterback for the Coyotes, accounted for 433 yards, three passing touchdowns and two more rushing for South Dakota, which is just in its third year as an FCS program.

• A week after being upset by North Dakota State, Kansas needed to bounce back against Georgia Tech.  And bounce back they did, as the Jayhawks hung on for a 28-25 home win.  The win snapped an eight-game losing streak.  Freshman QB Jordan Webb threw for 179 yards, three TDs, and one interception in his first career start, while freshman RB James Sims ran for 101 yards and a TD in his college debut. 

• Last week, I told you to watch out for stud freshman Marcus Lattimore.  Well, he more than lived up to the hype in South Carolina's 17-6 win vs. Georgia.  He rushed the ball an astounding 37 times for 182 yards and two touchdowns.  Welcome to the SEC.

• The biggest upset of the week belonged to James Madison who upset Virginia Tech 21-16.  The win against the Hokies, the team's second loss in five days, is just the second win for a lower-level opponent against a ranked team.  Quarterback Drew Dudzik led the Dukes with two rushing touchdowns and also threw a 77-yard bomb for the team's first score.

• Michigan-Notre Dame is the one prime game that actually ended up being pretty good, going down to the last seconds.  Denard Robinson continues to look like the real deal, but might need to not carry the ball as much.  He finished the game with a QB - school record 502 yards total offensive yards, including 252 rushing yards on 28 carries.  He also happened to score with 27 seconds remaining to win the game and earlier had the longest run in Notre Dame Stadium history, an 87-yard touchdown.

• Ohio State-Miami was supposed to be one of the big games.  Well, it got a little out of hand, thanks to Jacory Harris' four interceptions.   OSU used a 33-10 outburst in the second and third quarters to erase a 7-3 deficit after one quarter.  Terrelle Pryor threw for 233 yards and a TD and ran for 113 yards and a TD as the Buckeyes improved to 27-2 at home under Jim Tressel against nonconference opponents. Dating back to last season, Harris has five touchdowns and 12 interceptions in the Hurricanes' last five losses. 

• Florida State also  laid down a big one as they came to Oklahoma and got throttled by the Sooners 47-17.  It was 44-7 after three quarters.  Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones threw for 380 yards and four touchdowns against a defense coached by his coaches brother, Mark Stoops.  The Sooners won their 32nd straight game at Owen Field, extending the nation's longest home winning streak.  Jones finished 30 for 40 without an interception. His 321 yards by halftime were the second-most in a half in Oklahoma history, behind only 2008 Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford's 350 in the first half of a 79-10 blowout against North Texas in the 2007 season opener.

• Mark Ingram missed his second straight game, but Alabama didn't miss a beat yet again, as they beat visiting Penn State 24-3.  Trent Richardson bruised the Nittany Lion defense Saturday night, gaining 93 of his 144 rushing yards after contact with a defender.  He also had a touchdown.  Freshman quarterback Robert Bolden struggled in his first road start, completing 13-of-29 passes for 144 yards and two interceptions. 

College Football Week 1 Observations cont'd.

• Jacksonville State is this year's Appalachian State after their double overtime win over Mississippi.  The Gamecocks were down 31-10 at halftime, but scored five touchdowns in their next six possessions, including outscoring the Rebels 21-3 in the fourth quarter to force overtime.  After trading touchdowns in the first overtime, Jax St. went for two in the second overtime and was rewarded on a play that looked like it would go nowhere as QB Coty Blanchard looked as if the play would go nowhere.  But he lofted a pass to RB Calvin Middleton and gave the Gamecocks the upset of the weekend.  The loss ruined the debut of Jeremiah Masoli, the controversial transfer from Oregon who was ruled eligible on a decision appeal just days prior to the game.

•  Kansas State's Daniel Thomas looked like he is going to be a force to be reckoned with after he rushed for 234 yards and two touchdowns against UCLA.

•  Kenjon Barner rushed for a career-high 147 yards and scored five touchdowns, all in the first half, as Oregon rolled to a 72-0 win over New Mexico.  The Ducks rolled up a school-record 720 yards on the way to its biggest win ever over a FBS opponent.  

•  Jacksonville State wasn't the only FCS school that upset a FBS school.  North Dakota State shocked Kansas 6-3, ruining Turner Gill's debut as Jayhawks coach.  The Bison shut out Kansas for the last three quarters and held their opponents to 293 total yards.  While those 293 yards were 130 more than their opponents had, North Dakota State did just the right things to keep Kansas on a slide from last season, where they lost their last seven games of the year.

•  Leading up to game-time, the LSU-UNC game looked to be a let-down because of how many players UNC left at home.  Well don't let the Tar Heels know that, as they woke up in the fourth quarter and made Tiger fans worry about their 31-10 halftime lead.  UNC had the ball down seven on the LSU six with a second left, before a T.J. Yates pass fell incomplete, allowing LSU to escape with a 30-24 win.  The Heels were able to shut out the Tigers in the second half.  

•  In recent years, East Carolina has been known for a defensive team, but it was the offense that pulled out their crazy 51-49 win over Tulsa.  In his first start as a Pirate, QB Dominique Davis lofted a 33-yard Hail Mary pass to 6'8 Justin Jones as time expired and catapulted East Carolina to the win.Davis threw for 383 yards and five touchdowns.

•  If anyone continues to say Boise State is a "Cinderella" or an overrated football team, they must not have seen Monday's game.  Yes, the Broncos got off to a 17-0 lead and held only a 20-14 lead at the half.  Yes, they gave up the lead and had to rally for a last-minute touchdown to win, but it is how they did it that was impressive.  You could tell the team wasn't rattled by the pressure put on them, as they drove down the field calmly and scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:09.  The defense then shut down Tyrod Taylor, who had been carving up the Bronco defense, and secured a win that strengthens their resume as they try to look to become the first school from a non-automatic BCS qualifying team to play for the National Championship.

College Football Week 1 Observations

• SEC teams better be very, very scared.  South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore looks like he is the real deal.  Yes, he rushed 14 times for only 54 yards, but his two touchdowns and the speed he showed coming off of his rushes will be something that Gamecock fans should get used to.  The schedule gets harder than Southern Miss, but he looks as if he can live up to his high ranking he was given coming out of high school.

• Utah won its 18th straight game and continually looks as if will be a force to reckoned with as they prepare for their exodus to the Pac 10.  Their upset win over Pittsburgh showed again how stout their defense might be.  However, if the Utes are to continue winning, they will need to learn to be able to keep a lead.

• USC looks as if will be dominant again of offense, but their defense looked suspect against a mediocre Hawaii team.  While the offense set records, the defense gave up 588 yards, which was even more than the Trojans gained (544).  Matt Barkley went 18-for-23 for 257 yards and five touchdowns and no interceptions.  Marc Tyler overtook Allen Bradford for the running back spot and showed he was worth the promotion after rushing for 154 yards on 17 carries.  

• The Illinois-Missouri game turned out to be better than expected.  Illini QB Nathan Scheelhaase looks legit and had an impressive debut in his first ever collegiate game.  His running ability will be something opponents will have to watch out for, as he has speed and moves like a running back or wide receiver.  Missouri quarterback recovered from a slow start and looked very impressive, completing 34-of-48 passes for 281 yards.  Receiver T.J. Moe looks like he might be the next in a long line of successful wide outs for the Tigers.

•  Florida looks as if it might still have some kinks to work out.  Their offense looked dreadful against a MAC team that won a total of two games last year.  They had only 44 yards through three quarters.  

•  Robert Bolden, Penn State's first freshman starting quarterback since 1992, had a very impressive debut, completing 20-of-29 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns.  He will have a tougher matchup this week though, as the Nittany Lions face off with Alabama.

•  Sophomore Denard Robinson made his first game as a starter a memorable one, becoming the sixth quarterback since 2005 to run and throw for 185 yards or more.  His 197 rushing yards were the most ever by a Michigan quarterback in a single game.  His style of play looks to fit more of Rich Rodriguez's style than last year's starter Tate Forcier.  

Football Preview: Missouri

  In the early 2000's, an eight-win season would be considered a great success for the Missouri Tigers.  But that isn't the case anymore and for a fan base that now expects nine wins or more, last season's 8-5 season could have been seen by some as a disappointment.  But unlike last year, when the Tigers were one of the youngest teams in the country, the team brings back 16 starters and many others who have seen the field in their days in the Black and Gold.

   Offense - The team brings back seven starters from last year's squad, most notably quarterback Blaine Gabbert.  But it is replacing who the offense lost that will define the season.  Last year's top two receivers, Danario Alexander and Jared Perry, both have moved onto the NFL.  The team will also be without two-year starting running back and co-captain Derrick Washington, as he has encountered some legal problems that have caused him to be permanently suspended. 

   As of right now, Gabbert is the star of the offense and deservedly so.  He is only the most recent quarterback at a school that has had some of the best quarterbacks in the nation since 2002.  Gabbert is coming off a sophomore year where he threw for 3,593 yards, 24 touchdowns and only nine interceptions, despite playing with a severely injured ankle for half the season.  As was the case last year, the quarterbacks will be very inexperienced behind Gabbert.  Gabbert's backup is a true freshman from Texas, James Franklin, who has impressed coaches so much that he has moved past returning players Jimmy Costello and Ashton Glaser to win the backup role.  In fact, Glaser, a redshirt freshman, has also moved past Costello, who was Gabbert's backup last season.  The team also has Gabbert's younger brother, Tyler, who will be another highly recruited true freshman in the fall.

   The loss of Washington can be one that is devastating to the Tiger offense.  It could also be a blessing in disguise, as it will give Mizzou an opportunity to see some of the younger players.  The team will look to sophomore Kendial Lawrence or De'Vion Moore to carry the load.  Lawrence was a Parade All-American in his senior year of high school and rushed for 219 yards as a true freshman.  Moore is coming into his junior year after backing up Washington last year as well.  He rushed for 258 yards and a touchdown in 2009.  The other two players on the depth chart are true freshmen Henry Josey and Marcus Murphy.

   Replacing Perry and Alexander will be key for the Tiger offense.  The two helped combine for 66 percent of the receiving yards lost.  But the cupboard isn't bare in Columbia.  The team does return numerous players who saw action last year, as well as a cast of young players who will be looking to make their mark.  Wes Kemp started all 13 games for the Tigers last year and caught 23 balls for 418 yards and three touchdowns.  The only other player with starting experience, Jerrell Jackson, is coming off of wrist surgery.  Jackson, however, is the team's top returning receiver after he had 37 catches for 458 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore T.J. Moe will be the other starter in the Missouri spread attack.  The Tigers also have redshirt freshmen L'Damian Washington and Jaleel Clark, sophomores Rolandis Woodland and Gahn McGaffie, as well as highly regarded true freshmen Bud Sasser and Marcus Lucas.  The Tigers will be young at the receiver position but quite talented.  The team is also one who uses the tight end in the spread offense and numerous players who have seen playing time return there as well.  Michael Egnew will be looking to make his first start of the year as he replaces last year's starter, junior Andrew Jones.

   Defense - The defense returns eight starters from last year's team, one which finished 26th in rushing defense.  The team does lose linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, but the teams' recruiting has prepared them to overcome such a great loss.

   End Aldon Smith, is back for his second time around in a Tiger uniform, and he’s looking to build on his redshirt freshman season from a year ago that saw him earn Big 12 Defensive Freshman & Newcomer of the Year, as well as 1st-Team Freshman All-American honors. Smith ended his freshman season with 64 tackles, including team-high totals in tackles for loss (19) and sacks (11.5). The sack total broke the MU single-season sacks record of 11.0 set in 2000 by All-American DE Justin Smith, who has been in the NFL for a decade now. Smith’s sack total led all of the NCAA’s freshmen in 2010, and ranked 9th among all players.  Dominique Hamilton started 12 games last year and pitched in with 46 tackles.  The other two starters on the line figure to be Terrell Resonno and Jacquies Smith.

   Replacing Weatherspoon's 111 tackles will be no easy task, but the Tigers will look to sophomore Zaviar Gooden, who saw action in all 13 games last season.  Gooden has improved his speed this offseason and hopes to provide Missouri a spark at the third linebacker position.  Andrew Gachkar returns as another linebacker after finishing second on the team in tackles with a career-high 80, in 2009.  The middle linebacker position looked to be a battle between Luke Lambert and Will Ebner, until Ebner

   The defensive secondary boasts five players who have started games in their Missouri careers.  Of those five, four are seniors.  Jasper Simmons returns at the free safety position after finishing fourth on the team with 73 tackles, three tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.  Corner Carl Gettis started every game last year for the Tigers, on the way to 61 tackles, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.  Fellow senior Kevin Rutland started opposite of Gettis in all 13 games.  He came up with 47 tackles and a team-high two interceptions.  Kenji Jackson and Jarrell Harrison split time at the strong safety spot and it looks as if they will continue to do the same in 2010.  Harrison was in on 47 tackles and three passes broken up.  He also chipped in with two tackles for loss, an interception and a sack.  Jackson, on the other hand, had 41 tackles, one for loss and one pass broken up.  A good but also potentially bad thing for the secondary is that there is little experience behind the starters, as most are either sophomores or redshirt freshmen.

   Recruiting - Missouri signed 23 recruits in it's 2010 class and nine of them will play this year. James Franklin checks in as the backup quarterback after having a stellar career in the state of Texas, a state Missouri has recruited very well.  He comes in after being ranked no lower than No. 11 on any quarterback list.  As a senior, he threw for 2,360 yards, rushed for 1,282 yards and accounted for 41 total touchdowns.  Marcus Lucas and Bud Sasser are both third on the depth chart at receiver positions and deservedly so.  Lucas comes in as a four star recruit and, despite being blanketed his senior year, still managed to come up with 38 catches for 819 yards and nine touchdowns.  Sasser finished with 64 catches for 1,250 yards and a school-record 24 touchdowns.  The only defensive player getting playing time will be defensive back E.J. Gaines. He had a monster senior season, as he ran for 1,500 yards and 20 touchdowns and caught 20 passes for 400 yards, while also starring in the secondary by making 72 tackles and 2 interceptions.  This is after a junior season where he had 89 tackles and five interceptions and a sophomore year when he had 88 tackles and five picks as well.


   Schedule - As they have for the majority of the decade, the Tigers start the season with a game against Illinois in St. Louis.  This, however, will be the last game of the Arch Rivalry for the foreseeable future.  The team then gets its next four games at home, while preparing for the rough stretch of the season.  The four games include tilts against McNeese State, San Diego State, Miami (Ohio) and Colorado.  The Tigers have a good shot at being 5-0 as they head to a grueling four-game stretch which will ultimately decide what type of season it will be.  The stretch starts off with a game at Texas A&M before the Homecoming game against Oklahoma.  Did you know Missouri is home to the first-ever Homecoming?  The team finishes the rough stretch with away games at Nebraska and Texas Tech.  The Tigers then finish with a home game against Kansas State, a road game at Iowa State and the traditional regular season finale against Kansas in Kansas City.