****Official 2015 Missouri Tigers Football Thread****

['Hamas' Jenkins]

After seizing the Citrus Bowl from Jerry Kill and the Minnesota Golden Gophers, the Missouri Tigers finish 11-3.

Italics=Likely sign and place
Bold=JUCO recruit

Key Recruits:

2016 Class:

Spoiler!

Tre Williams DE, MO, ****
Nate Strong RB, IL, ****
Damarea Crockett RB, AR, ****
Marvin Terry DE, TX ***
Greg Taylor S, MO, ***
Brendan Scales TE, MO ***
Albert Okwue. TE, IL ***
Cale Garrett ILB, MO ***
Trystan Castillo OL, MO ***
Micah Wilson QB, OK ***
Trevour Simms OL, IL ***
Tucker McCann K, IL ***
Dominic Collins WR, IL ***
Jerod Alton ATH, MO ***
DeMarkus Acy DB, TX ***
Dimetrious Mason WR, GA **
Christian Holmes WR, GA **
Trey Baldwin LB, TX **
Marksell Utsey DT, AR **

Schedule:

9/5: SEMO
9/12 @Ark St.
9/19: UConn
9/26: @Kentucky
10/3: South Carolina
10/10: Florida
10/17 @ Georgia
10/24: @ Vandy
10/31: Bye
11/5 (Thu): Mississippi State
11/14: BYU (@ Arrowhead)
11/21: Tennessee
11/28: @Arkansas

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

The Tigers are hosting Missouri State in 2017, but MU is still too chicken to invite the Bears to Mizzou Arena. Bitches.

Have the Bears invited Mizzou to their place?

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

The Tigers are hosting Missouri State in 2017, but MU is still too chicken to invite the Bears to Mizzou Arena. Bitches.

That's not accurate.

Mizzou has a standing offer to any in-state school to play them at Mizzou Arena. This includes SLU, SMS, SEMO, UMKC, Truman (exhibition), MO Western (exhibition).

Missouri doesn't play the Bears because the AD in Springfield thinks it deserves a home-and-home series with Mizzou.

If the Bears would agree to play one-shot games in Columbia, they could easily play the Tigers. As long as they demand a home game in return, it won't get scheduled.

SLU is in the same boat.

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

That's not accurate.

Mizzou has a standing offer to any in-state school to play them at Mizzou Arena. This includes SLU, SMS, SEMO, UMKC, Truman (exhibition), MO Western (exhibition).

Missouri doesn't play the Bears because the AD in Springfield thinks it deserves a home-and-home series with Mizzou.

If the Bears would agree to play one-shot games in Columbia, they could easily play the Tigers. As long as they demand a home game in return, it won't get scheduled.

SLU is in the same boat.

Mizzou has PTSD from Fontleroy posterizing Albert White and you know it.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

Mizzou has PTSD from Fontleroy posterizing Albert White and you know it.

Springfield has little brother syndrome, and you know it.

This game would have continued to happen if the Bears weren't insisting on a return game. In-state, P5 schools just don't play home-and-home series with in-state mid-majors unless those schools are very established and consistent in basketball. (Iowa one of the few exceptions due to state law)

[Pitt Gorilla]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Springfield has little brother syndrome, and you know it.

This game would have continued to happen if the Bears weren't insisting on a return game. In-state, P5 schools just don't play home-and-home series with in-state mid-majors unless those schools are very established and consistent in basketball. (Iowa one of the few exceptions due to state law)

Iowa doesn't do it now either. After UNI began to regularly beat the others, the format changed to a neutral site tournament. Of course, UNI housed Iowa in Des Moines this year.

[WhawhaWhat]

I'm told all 32 teams are represented at #Mizzou's Pro Day. #Chiefs GM John Dorsey is here.

— Terez A. Paylor (@TerezPaylor) March 19, 2015

[kcchiefsus]

Not panicking at all, but kind of curious why Missouri along with Vanderbilt are the only two teams to not have a football commit yet. There are a few programs with 10 or more commits already.

Again, not panicking. I'm just curious why we seem to move at such a slow pace on the recruiting front. We only had 2 recruits at this point last year, so it seems like it's the way it usually is under Pinkel.

Any idea what size of class we're looking at this year? I'm guessing it will be a small class after some big classes the past few years. I hope we can have another strong class again after last years group we brought in. The last time we had such a highly ranked class was 2010 and it seems like we were unable to sustain the success on the recruiting trail for two years in a row.
Posted via Mobile Device

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by kcchiefsus

Not panicking at all, but kind of curious why Missouri along with Vanderbilt are the only two teams to not have a football commit yet. There are a few programs with 10 or more commits already.

Again, not panicking. I'm just curious why we seem to move at such a slow pace on the recruiting front. We only had 2 recruits at this point last year, so it seems like it's the way it usually is under Pinkel.

Any idea what size of class we're looking at this year? I'm guessing it will be a small class after some big classes the past few years. I hope we can have another strong class again after last years group we brought in. The last time we had such a highly ranked class was 2010 and it seems like we were unable to sustain the success on the recruiting trail for two years in a row.
Posted via Mobile Device

Signing day is February 3, 2016. There's still time.

[kcchiefsus]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

Signing day is February 3, 2016. There's still time.

Again, I realize that. And as I already mentioned, I'm not panicking or saying the sky is falling. We hardly had any recruits at this point last year and we ended up with possibly our best class ever.

My point is to just inquire to why it is this way, when nearly every other team has already hit the recruiting trail hard and has a number of recruits.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by kcchiefsus

Not panicking at all, but kind of curious why Missouri along with Vanderbilt are the only two teams to not have a football commit yet. There are a few programs with 10 or more commits already.

Again, not panicking. I'm just curious why we seem to move at such a slow pace on the recruiting front. We only had 2 recruits at this point last year, so it seems like it's the way it usually is under Pinkel.

Any idea what size of class we're looking at this year? I'm guessing it will be a small class after some big classes the past few years. I hope we can have another strong class again after last years group we brought in. The last time we had such a highly ranked class was 2010 and it seems like we were unable to sustain the success on the recruiting trail for two years in a row.
Posted via Mobile Device

They're probably taking a small class AND the in-state crop is pretty weak (one of the reasons they took a big class last year).

They're being aggressive out-of-state, but those typically are not going to be early commits.

[KChiefs1]

http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/i...to-get-its-due

Adam Rittenberg, College Football
What does it take to get noticed in today's college football? Team M would like an answer.

Oh, you don't know Team M? Here's an introduction: It has 76 wins in the past eight seasons. During that span, it owns five division titles, three in one Power 5 conference and two in another. It has five bowl wins, two in the Cotton, and five 10-win seasons. Impressed yet?

OK, you want NFL draft picks? How about 17 selections in the past six drafts? Team M also ranks in the top five nationally in most first-round picks since 2009 (with six). It will add a seventh, defensive end Shane Ray, on April 30 in Chicago.

Normally, such accolades would make Team M's head coach a national celebrity and put his assistants at the top of wish lists for top jobs. Not at Missouri, the most overlooked successful program in major college football.

Most college football fans have heard the name Gary Pinkel. But how many current or former Pinkel assistants can they name? Could they instantly identify this logo or this stadium? In a sport where seemingly every Power 5 team is magnified, Missouri's success under Pinkel often gets swept aside.

"The world is enamored with the beauty of certain programs," said Dave Steckel, who spent the past 14 seasons on Pinkel's staff at Missouri before becoming Missouri State's head coach in December. "If you go into any bar across the country and you say, 'What's the most successful school that starts with an M, everybody’s going to say Michigan.' Well, they’re nowhere. Now [Jim] Harbaugh’s a great guy. He’s probably going to do a phenomenal job there.

"But the M-word's Missouri."

The M-word, despite all those W's, remains a mystery to many. The team that represents the Show-Me State might have one of the least showy coaching staffs in the country. Pinkel and his assistants, several of whom have been with him for more than a decade, quietly go about winning games and producing NFL talent.

They're not credit seekers or career climbers. They're unquestionably under the radar, but given the results, they don't mind it there.

"We all know the more you win, the more credit you get," Pinkel said. "That's part of the deal when you’re in a program that’s now earning more respect. [The lack of attention] was frustrating sometimes. It happens. The last two years have been definitely different being in this league.

"We're proud of our numbers and we're starting to get some of the recognition."

Missouri's quiet success is rooted in coaching continuity, a hallmark of Pinkel's career. While coaching at Toledo, he turned down opportunities to interview elsewhere so his three children could graduate from the same high school (they did). When he took the Missouri job in November 2000, he brought most of his staff from Toledo.

Three assistants who made the move with Pinkel from Toledo -- Cornell Ford, Brian Jones, Craig Kuligowski -- are still at Missouri. Quarterbacks coach Andy Hill was on the previous Missouri staff and has remained throughout Pinkel's tenure. Defensive coordinator Barry Odom was on Pinkel's staff from 2003-11, left to become Memphis' defensive coordinator, and then returned in December to replace Steckel.

"We've been very fortunate to have a lot of loyal guys," Pinkel said. "There's certainly a sense when you go to the [American Football Coaches Association] convention and you see all the guys unemployed, walking around, it gives you a sense of security here in a very insecure business."

Pinkel credits the staff stability for shepherding Missouri from the Big 12 to the SEC. No Power 5 team during realignment madness has had a smoother transition than the Tigers, who have won consecutive SEC East Division titles.

"I wouldn't put up with me for this many years," Pinkel joked, "so I don’t know why they stuck around."

There are several reasons. Pinkel, a longtime Don James assistant, uses James' management style. Assistants know where they stand with Pinkel. He demands hard work but encourages the staff to be with their families at night. He doesn't conduct six- or 12-month evaluations, preferring to address issues immediately.

Grudges aren't held.

"You know exactly what to expect," Odom said. "You know the standards that he wants the program to live by and at the end of the day, you look around the country, you want an opportunity to go in to work every day and really enjoy it and have the ability to be your best. He fills out the checklist on all those things."

Adam Rittenberg, College Football
What does it take to get noticed in today's college football? Team M would like an answer.

Oh, you don't know Team M? Here's an introduction: It has 76 wins in the past eight seasons. During that span, it owns five division titles, three in one Power 5 conference and two in another. It has five bowl wins, two in the Cotton, and five 10-win seasons. Impressed yet?

OK, you want NFL draft picks? How about 17 selections in the past six drafts? Team M also ranks in the top five nationally in most first-round picks since 2009 (with six). It will add a seventh, defensive end Shane Ray, on April 30 in Chicago.

Normally, such accolades would make Team M's head coach a national celebrity and put his assistants at the top of wish lists for top jobs. Not at Missouri, the most overlooked successful program in major college football.

Most college football fans have heard the name Gary Pinkel. But how many current or former Pinkel assistants can they name? Could they instantly identify this logo or this stadium? In a sport where seemingly every Power 5 team is magnified, Missouri's success under Pinkel often gets swept aside.

NAMES YOU SHOULD KNOW
Here are five other successful, under-the radar coaching staffs:
Georgia Tech: Like Missouri, Georgia Tech claims division titles (four ACC Coastal in seven seasons) with little national attention, as Paul Johnson and a staff including two former FBS head coaches consistently gets it done.
Kansas State: Bill Snyder is a legend, but some of his longtime assistants like Dana Dimel, Mo Latimore and Del Miller have been instrumental in one of college football's most extreme makeovers.
Minnesota: A loyal and talented staff kept the program on track during Jerry Kill's health issues, and Minnesota is now a threat in the Big Ten West Division.
Navy: Ken Niumatalolo doesn't get nearly enough credit for helping Navy to eight or more wins in six of his seven seasons, and a savvy staff that includes coordinators Ivin Jasper and Buddy Green has been a huge help.
UCF: The Knights have an instantly recognizable head coach in George O'Leary, but a strong staff including rising star Brent Key has helped UCF to 33 wins in the past three seasons, including a Fiesta Bowl championship.
-- Adam Rittenberg
"The world is enamored with the beauty of certain programs," said Dave Steckel, who spent the past 14 seasons on Pinkel's staff at Missouri before becoming Missouri State's head coach in December. "If you go into any bar across the country and you say, 'What's the most successful school that starts with an M, everybody’s going to say Michigan.' Well, they’re nowhere. Now [Jim] Harbaugh’s a great guy. He’s probably going to do a phenomenal job there.

"But the M-word's Missouri."

The M-word, despite all those W's, remains a mystery to many. The team that represents the Show-Me State might have one of the least showy coaching staffs in the country. Pinkel and his assistants, several of whom have been with him for more than a decade, quietly go about winning games and producing NFL talent.

They're not credit seekers or career climbers. They're unquestionably under the radar, but given the results, they don't mind it there.

"We all know the more you win, the more credit you get," Pinkel said. "That's part of the deal when you’re in a program that’s now earning more respect. [The lack of attention] was frustrating sometimes. It happens. The last two years have been definitely different being in this league.

"We're proud of our numbers and we're starting to get some of the recognition."

Missouri's quiet success is rooted in coaching continuity, a hallmark of Pinkel's career. While coaching at Toledo, he turned down opportunities to interview elsewhere so his three children could graduate from the same high school (they did). When he took the Missouri job in November 2000, he brought most of his staff from Toledo.

Three assistants who made the move with Pinkel from Toledo -- Cornell Ford, Brian Jones, Craig Kuligowski -- are still at Missouri. Quarterbacks coach Andy Hill was on the previous Missouri staff and has remained throughout Pinkel's tenure. Defensive coordinator Barry Odom was on Pinkel's staff from 2003-11, left to become Memphis' defensive coordinator, and then returned in December to replace Steckel.

"We've been very fortunate to have a lot of loyal guys," Pinkel said. "There's certainly a sense when you go to the [American Football Coaches Association] convention and you see all the guys unemployed, walking around, it gives you a sense of security here in a very insecure business."

Pinkel credits the staff stability for shepherding Missouri from the Big 12 to the SEC. No Power 5 team during realignment madness has had a smoother transition than the Tigers, who have won consecutive SEC East Division titles.

"I wouldn't put up with me for this many years," Pinkel joked, "so I don’t know why they stuck around."

There are several reasons. Pinkel, a longtime Don James assistant, uses James' management style. Assistants know where they stand with Pinkel. He demands hard work but encourages the staff to be with their families at night. He doesn't conduct six- or 12-month evaluations, preferring to address issues immediately.

Grudges aren't held.

"You know exactly what to expect," Odom said. "You know the standards that he wants the program to live by and at the end of the day, you look around the country, you want an opportunity to go in to work every day and really enjoy it and have the ability to be your best. He fills out the checklist on all those things."

"Florida's struggled over the years, but everybody talks about Florida. Texas has struggled over the years, but everybody talks about Texas. But what about Missouri, which has built a phenomenal program? It's the designer jean thing. Missouri's just Levi's, man. It's blue collar. Pink has built a great football program that should have national notoriety."


Missouri State head coach Dave Steckel, who spent 14 seasons as an assistant at Missouri

Pinkel encourages career advancement and notes that the few assistants who have left -- just six in 14 years -- did so for loftier positions. But he also doesn't want assistants who are job-seeking every six months.

Steckel claims Pinkel's assistants have had "numerous" opportunities to leave. While some are known -- Kuligowski, who has coached eight all-conference defensive linemen in the past eight seasons, turned down a coordinator offer at Illinois in January -- many are not.

"It hasn't been public knowledge on how many coaches could have left that desk, and the only ones who left were to better themselves professionally," Steckel said. "It's a shame that more guys out of that program haven't had more head-coaching or grander opportunities."

Perhaps it's Pinkel's understated approach. "He's not a guy that's going to go around and pat himself on the back and say, 'Look at me,'" Odom said.

Some devalue Missouri's accomplishments because they happened in the weaker divisions (Big 12 North, SEC East) and didn't culminate with league titles. Because there's so little staff turnover, Missouri hasn't made the seismic assistant hires of fellow SEC members Auburn (Will Muschamp), Alabama (Lane Kiffin) and LSU (Ed Orgeron).

Steckel thinks the problem is that college football coverage remains dominated by brand names.

"Florida’s struggled over the years, but everybody talks about Florida. Texas has struggled over the years, but everybody talks about Texas," he said. "But what about Missouri, which has built a phenomenal program? It’s the designer jean thing. Missouri’s just Levi’s, man. It's blue-collar. Pink has built a great football program that should have national notoriety.

"They should be building statues of him; they should be paying him about $6 million a year."

Pinkel, who makes $3.1 million, sees Missouri's profile growing with its SEC success. Others are figuring out what he's known for years about his staff.

Maybe the buzz is finally building, but Pinkel and his assistants know they must keep the wins coming.

"There's a special thing going," Odom said. "It's our job to take it to the next level. If respect and notoriety comes with that along the way, that's awesome."

Sam Khan Jr. contributed to this story.

[KChiefs1]

My phone has issues....sorry.

[KChiefs1]

70K expected for the spring game?

[bowener]

The only plus to getting older right now is that I will get to see Mizzou continue to grow and become a premiere program in college football.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Rock Bridge's Tre Williams looks like another prototypical Mizzou DE. 6'5" 220, and he's already drawn interest from TCU, FSU, and Georgia, and has Missouri as his leader after their offer.

He and Josh King would be awesome recruits and future bookends.