***Official 2012-13 Mizzou football repository thread***

[duncan_idaho]

I figured it was time to start the new version of this...

2012 Schedule
April 14: Spring Game
Sept. 1: SE Louisiana
Sept. 8: Georgia
Sept. 15: Arizona State
Sept. 22: at South Carolina
Sept. 29: at Central Florida
Oct. 6: Vanderbilt
Oct. 13: Alabama
Oct. 20: OPEN
Oct. 27: Kentucky*101st HOMECOMING*
Nov. 3: at Florida
Nov. 10: at Tennessee
Nov. 17: Syracuse
Nov. 24: at Texas A&M

Still three games to be released here. I'd expect a mid-major in the Sept. 1 game, a FCS team on Sept. 29, and another mid-major on Nov. 17 (to get a November home game on the schedule).

Committed Recruits:
A list of all players committed to Missouri for the 2013 recruiting class.

*** LB Joe Burkett, Jefferson City
*** ATH Aarion Penton, Christian Brothers (St. Louis)
*** ATH Anthony Sherrils, Hogan Prep (Kansas City)
*** OC Alec Abein SLUH (St. Louis)
**** ATH Chase Abbington, Fort Zumwalt South (St. Louis)
*** OL Harneet Gill, Francis Howell (St. Louis)
*** QB Trent Hosick, Staley (Kansas City)
*** WR J'Mon Moore, Elkins (Missouri City, Tx) Soft verbal - still looking around
*** OT Clay Rhodes, Stillwell (Kansas City)
*** DT Antar Thompson, Richmond Heights (St. Louis)
*** LB Eric Beisel, Rockwood Summit (Fenton, MO).
*** DT A.J. Logan, Rock Bridge (Columbia, MO)
*** QB Eddie Printz, Lassiter (Marietta, GA)
*** DE Nate Crawford, West Florida Tech (Pensacola, FL)
*** DE Marcus Loud, Wheatley (Houston, TX)
*** DT Josh Augusta, Peoria (Peoria, IL)
*** TE Jason Reese, Trinity (Euless, Tx)
*** S SHaun Rupert, Carver (Montgomery, AL)
*** S Duron Singleton, Fresno CC (Fresno, California)
NR DE Charles Harris, Liberty Prep (Kansas City, MO)





Season Notes:
New uniforms to be unveiled at the Spring Game on April 14.

I'll try to be good about maintaining this, though I've set a ridiculous standard for myself.

[Pitt Gorilla]

Great article about Marcus Lucas:

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colle...db1995dd8.html

Mizzou's Lucas ready for next step

COLUMBIA, MO. • Becoming an athlete at Missouri was always on the list of pursuits for Marcus Lucas, who envisioned himself playing college basketball.

What better way to honor his mother, Monique, than to play the same sport that put her through Mizzou from 1986 to '89?

Monique did play a role in developing her son's skills and ambitions, but it turns out she had the greatest impact on his ascent in football.

"When I first started playing football and playing receiver, we'd be in the yard almost every night playing catch," Lucas said. "So, the thing she tells people is that she's the one who taught me how to catch."

Having mastered the technique of catching Mom's passes, Lucas hopes to become a favorite target of quarterback James Franklin as he enters his first season as a projected starter.

The junior had 23 catches for 414 yards as a sophomore and has hit the point, as coach Gary Pinkel often says, maturity-wise that he could be ready for a breakthrough.

The basketball dream stalled as mother was beating son consistently through middle school, Lucas said. But he's ready to apply the pass-catching ability he learned in the backyard.

"I feel I've developed a lot since freshman year," he said. "So running routes, running different depths and catching passes away from my body — those kinds of things set me apart from a lot of receivers."

At 6 feet 5, 215 pounds, Lucas offers size and speed that was coveted by some top programs, including new SEC opponents Tennessee and Arkansas. But with Lucas growing up in Liberty, Mo., Mizzou always held the advantage.

Asked recently about Lucas' potential, Pinkel made a dangerous allusion to former Mizzou tight end Michael Egnew as a player who exploded onto the scene as a junior after two decent seasons. He insisted he wasn't trying to draw a parallel, but the seed was planted.

"He's maturing," Pinkel said. "I use the term maturity because to be truly mature and play focused at a high level, very few can do it at the level you need."

Lucas made a mark at Mizzou in multiple roles last year. He averaged 18 yards per catch, reflecting his ability to stretch the field, and caught five touchdown passes.

He also was an academic All-Big 12 selection, marking another influence from his mother.

"She was the first one to actually make it to college," he said, "and then excel in college."

Lucas was good enough to see the field as a freshman, his highlight coming on an 11-yard catch in the win over Oklahoma. By 2011 he was ready to leave a serious impression.

In the season opener he caught a 10-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that allowed Mizzou to hold off upset-minded Miami (Ohio). Against Texas A&M he displayed the value of his height when he went high for a fade pass to beat the Aggies in overtime.

With 18 players in the receivers' meeting room, Lucas knows there is always someone pushing to take a job.

"I just know I've been working hard this offseason to be able to make that stride to the next level," he said. "I've been trying to go from just being out there making plays to being a consistent playmaker."

Lucas made only three starts last season, but offensive coordinator David Yost has said he regards him as a returning starter at the "X" receiver spot.

Lucas had just one catch in the team's first scrimmage, but the quarterbacks were busy spreading the ball around to 19 players. That number will dwindle, and Lucas is content just being part of the puzzle.

"It's not a thing where I'm expecting every ball to come my way," he said. "I want to get the best out of myself. My coaches and teammates have goals for me and I want to be able to be that guy."

[BourbonMan]

Pinkel challenges Franklin, praises freshmen
http://www.kansascity.com/2012/08/16...n-praises.html

[BourbonMan]

MU scrimmage report: Ebner sits, defense shines

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/08/16...#storylink=cpy

[BourbonMan]

MU’s Madison is feeling good and making sacks

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/08/16...#storylink=cpy

[beer bacon]

Sheldon, Ealy, DGB, Gaines, and Franklin are going to own this year. Own own own.

[Demonpenz]

Unless that qb matures I won't be impressed

[beer bacon]

6-6 315 pound OT Mitch Hall is transferring from Ole Miss to Mizzou. He'll have to sit out this year, but he'll still have three seasons to play.

https://twitter.com/TylerABC17/statu...11453765566465

[DJ's left nut]

I'd like to care, but the kid was losing snaps with the 2nd team to a true freshman.

He seems like okay depth, but not someone I'm going to get real excited about.

[Pitt Gorilla]

Mizzou's receivers are going to be sick. If healthy, the same will be true of MU's D-line.

[Death2CasselFans]

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[eazyb81]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

I'd like to care, but the kid was losing snaps with the 2nd team to a true freshman.

He seems like okay depth, but not someone I'm going to get real excited about.

Meh, I think I'll take Pinkel's track record of player evaluation over Hugh Freeze's at this point.

And it shouldn't be ignored that Freeze is completely overhauling the offensive scheme at Ole Miss, while Hall was recruited for a different scheme by Houston Nutt.

[Stanley Nickels]

Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla

If healthy, the same will be true of MU's D-line.

The operative phrase there is, "if healthy". Vincent and Hoch have been sitting out the last few practices. I truly hope we can stay healthy. If so, I think both lines match up well with pretty much every team we play this year save Alabama. The Tide have an ungodly amount of talent in the trenches.

[Pitt Gorilla]

His Brother's Keeper
Pete Scantlebury
PowerMizzou.com Recruiting Editor

http://missouri.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1398074

There's a new face in the middle of Missouri's offensive line. He's the caregiver of the football, given the responsibility of safely getting the leather ball seven-yards back to James Franklin. He's the caretaker of Missouri's quarterback, tasked with blocking 300-plus pound defensive tackles -- the SEC's trademark -- and making sure Franklin stays upright, making sure Missouri's running backs have room to roam up the middle.

Center Mitch Morse is up for the task. For his entire life, he's had a much more important person to protect.

Am I my brother's keeper?

Morse's life changed completely on April 1, 1996.

Morse's younger brother, Robbie, suffered a traumatic brain injury while under the care of a babysitter on that date.

Mitch was four years old. Robbie was four months.

Catherine Morse recites the date quickly and assertively when asked about the event, sounding like she's telling a friend about her son's birthday. In retrospect, it's a date equally important, as it changed the complexity of Robbie's life.

Robbie became severely mentally and physically disabled because of that incident, about which the family does not go into great detail.

"I think [Mitch] knew something bad happened," Catherine Morse said. "But I don't think he fully comprehended what that meant, at that age. That his brother would be as disabled as he is."

The mother looks back at the moment, and how it affected her oldest son. She makes sure to say repeatedly that this isn't a sad story -- and, in talking with the family, it's clear they truly believe that. Out of the tragedy, the family adapted to a new life with Robbie at the center.

Mitch Morse said he had to mature at an early age, and his mother agrees with that statement.

"Mitch is an extremely compassionate person," Catherine Morse said. "Always has been. He's very sensitive about Robbie's needs. I think to some extent, when you're a kid and get to adulthood and start to process things, it seems normal for you. 'That's my life, that's my brother.' I don't think he ever thought, 'Wow, that's really extraodinary.'

"But his whole lifestyle was dictated with Robbie's special needs, so it had a profound impact on Mitch."

As Mitch grew older, it became apparent that athletics would be a major part of his life. He went from a back-up quarterback to a starting lineman for St. Michael's Academy in Austin, Texas. After growing to 6-foot-6, 285-pounds, Morse received a scholarship offer from Missouri and committed quickly.

All the while, his younger brother would never be able to see him play.

"He's progressed through the years, but he has a hard time walking," Mitch said. "You have to have a visual on him at all times. I mean, he can roam around the house some, but you have to be with him all throughout the day."

"It's not that he couldn't go," Catherine Morse said. "He's easily agitated. We just try to keep him in a very strict routine, and it's not something he could comprehend."

Now, Robbie has a full-time care provider that's been with him for the last 13 years. Catherine said the family is blessed in being able to afford that, and a big help was Mitch's full scholarship to Missouri. Because of the care provider, Catherine and husband Kevin will be able to see almost all of Missouri's games this fall, with the exception of the away game against South Carolina.

Whenever Mitch returns home though, the reaction by Robbie is the same.

"There's always a big smile on his face," Catherine Morse said. "He's thinking, 'Hey, I remember this guy!'"

I am my brother's keeper

Mitch Morse's sense of responsibility was born out of Robbie's disability. Throughout his life -- even at a young age -- Mitch would do what he could to help his parents in taking care of his brother.



Robbie Morse, 16, has been the biggest inspiration for older brother Mitch.
"You don't have a normal childhood, compared to other people," Mitch Morse said. "It's normal for me, but you have to make sacrifices to take care of your brother.

"You haven't lived until you have to put a 16-year old on the toilet. It's like having a little kid around all the time. He's great, but you learn to be humble and patient. It's a virtue to be around him. It helps a lot."

Catherine Morse said Mitch would watch Robbie if she or her husband had to run errands. He would help feed Robbie when he was young. Robbie is "ambulatory but non-verbal," Catherine Morse said, and although he can feed himself now, Mitch still helps to cut Robbie's food when he's home.

The family is open to talk about Robbie. Instead of a sensitive subject, the family wants to exalt Robbie and explain exactly how much he means to them. Mitch explained that it isn't a one-way street with his brother. For all the help that Mitch provided growing up, Robbie has returned the favor ten-fold.

"Without a doubt, he's my biggest inspiration," Mitch said.

"It's a hard subject to talk about," Kevin Morse said in an e-mail. "But it certainly helped Mitch develop into the kind of young man that makes his parents proud."

There's no hesitation in Morse's voice during a conversation about Robbie. But, it's clear the separation has taken a toll. Maybe it's the August heat or the residual effects of a nearly three-hour practice, but Morse gets teary eyed when he reflects on his baby brother. Part of that comes with the juxtaposition of the brothers.

"It's a tale of two sons," Catherine Morse said. "There's one son, this super-human son that plays college football. And there's Robbie, who's physically dependent on us for everything."

"You go and play this football game," Mitch Morse said, pausing. "And you get all this praise. But when you go home, he doesn't care. He just wants the company. It's different ends of the spectrum. I get to go home and just be the older brother. When you're at school, you're the football player."

It's tough for Morse to think about what could have been, had Robbie not suffered the severe trauma. But, he believes his brother would have been a better athlete than he.

"It stunted his growth," Mitch Morse said. "His hands are still ginormous. He was supposed to be 6-8, 6-9, but he's barely six-feet."

Mitch Morse doesn't want to get pushed around on the offensive line. But, when he's with Robbie, that's okay.

"He's kind of the boss," Mitch said, smiling. "He knows he can get whatever he wants, but he's still gracious about it in his own ways."

The two brothers developed a tender expression of their love for each other. When Mitch goes home, his biggest task is to rub Robbie's feet. Mitch said it's not therapeutic and doesn't serve any medical purpose. But Robbie loves it. Catherine recalled a recent time when Mitch returned to Austin, bringing a few teammates with him. As soon as he walked in the door, Robbie propped up his feet, smiling at his brother.

"I think the guys were like, 'Wow, look at that,'" Catherine Morse said. "It was pretty funny."

Those hands don't show any hint of Morse's Other Life, his life as the "super-human" football player. On the field, he uses them to grip the football, to punch and throw defensive linemen while blocking, tools of destruction. Off the field, they're tools of endearment.

"He doesn't know I'm a football player," Morse said. "He just knows me as the foot rubber."



In high school, long before dreams of college football were realized, long before Missouri became his new home, Mitch Morse would honor his brother in a small way. Before every game, Morse would write, "Always With Me -- Robbie Morse" on the tape that covered both wrists.

Morse hasn't done that at Missouri, as he hasn't seen much playing time in his two previous seasons on campus. Now, he's the starter at center, hoping to anchor an offensive line that faces its biggest challenge in the SEC. Robbie won't be able to see his brother play, or understand the challenge ahead this season.

But, during some games, pay attention if the TV cameras catch Mitch Morse in a close-up. The writing on the wrists will return, he said. Written in pen or marker, that ink will be more than just a motto.

It represents the blood that unites two brothers.

[BourbonMan]

MU practice report: Walk-on lineman awarded scholarship

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/08/21...#storylink=cpy

[BourbonMan]

MU practice report: Leftwich out 4-5 weeks with foot injury

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/08/22...#storylink=cpy