Mizzou position breakdown

[DocNice]

I've talked just a little smack this week, but I do think this will be a good game. Here's how I see Mizzou's personnel. I'd love to see the same about NU.

 

QB

Blaine Gabbert. Blaine is quite simply the most talented QB to ever wear the mizzou uniform. Obviously, Chase was pretty decent, so we take a step backward from last year. However, in QB's you have ones that hold you back, ones that execute the offense, and ones that win games for you. Blaine, as a true sophomore, is the latter. I'm glad Pinkel didn't redshirt him, because I'll be surprised if he's here for his senior year.

 

Now, that doesn't mean he's perfect. He gets happy feet when the pass rush gets behind him. He has improved on this over the season, and seems to settle down as the game goes on, but it's easily the weakest part of his game. He also take sacks when he shouldn't and it's a miracle he hasn't thrown an interception, because he's thrown a few up for grabs. He has a lot of other areas to improve on as well, looking off receivers, footwork, etc (he loves to throw off his back foot). But he reads defenses pretty well, doesn't throw a lot of bad throws, is pretty accurate, and has an absolute cannon of an arm. Oh, and he runs faster than Jacory Harris (really). Not as shifty, but straight line he'll outrun cornerbacks sometimes.

 

As for backups, Costello is a former walk on who has done pretty well, and by all accounts, won't lose the game for you if he has to come in.

 

Receivers

Obviously we lost Maclin and Coffman and some other good players. I love our coach's quote from earlier this year. To paraphrase, we can't run the "throw a 5 yard pass to Maclin for a 80 yard TD anymore" offense. He just was on another level. Coffman too, was the best college tight end I've ever watched. So it's natural to think there's a big dropoff there, and there is. But the good news for Missouri is that the big dropoff still leaves us higher than most teams. I'd say KU has a better receiving corps, probably OSU. Others can make a claim, but we're up there in the conference.

 

Danario Alexander is our biggest playmaker. If he hadn't had a broken wrist and 4 ACL surgeries, he'd be a sure All American candidate. Naturally, you can't absorb those injuries unscathed, but you can still see what made him dangerous. As someone on AtomicTeeth.com said, he runs like a newborn Caribou, and that's meant in both a good and bad way. Really fast, but really awkward. He doesn't accelerate like Maclin did, but may have higher top end speed. At 6'5" and 40" vertical, the dude can get up high too. And he's a good route runner, getting open pretty well.

 

Our next two playmakers are Jared Perry and Wes Kemp. Jared was a frosh all american, and then disappeared his sophomore year. Last year he had a respectable season as our 4th option. But this year he's decided to shine again. He's built like a featherweight boxer and it looks like a stiff wind would blow him over, but he's got great speed, acceleration, moves and playmaking ability. He's right behind Danario in catches, and with slightly more yardage. I'd call Alexander option 1 and Perry 1a. Taking advantage of the coverage those two draw is Wes Kemp, who reminds me a lot of our receiver a couple years ago, William Franklin. Franklin played second fiddle to Maclin and Rucker, but still got drafted and looks to be a journeyman NFL reciever. Not too shabby. Kemp doesn't look All American in any one aspect, but he's got good size, speed, strength, acceleration and hands. Everything you want at this level.

 

Beyond that it gets a little thin. All of our running backs can catch the ball. Jerrell Jackson has potential, but seems to be suffering from Jared Perry syndrome watching all the other guys make plays instead of stepping up. Still, a pretty good receiving corps. I think our big challenge will be getting separation against the fastest defenses that we're going to start facing in conference play, particularly Texas. From 2007 to last year, you could really tell the difference in how tight they were covered after we lost Franklin and Rucker and didn't have quite as many playmakers. same should be expected this year.

 

Running backs

Pinkel says this is the best running back stable he's ever had. I don't know about that, but they're definitely not going to hold us back. Derrick Washington was 2nd team all conference last year, and among returning backs had the most yardage last year. He's not going to pull away from your secondary, but he's got nice moves and cuts. He does seem to be struggling this year with finding the right holes and is tentative though. Behind him is Devion Moore, he changes things up with more of a shifty running style, and you'll also see carries from Kendial Lawrence, and exciting frosh who has most fans clamoring for more carries. He's got difference maker written all over him, but he's still learning the little things.

 

Offensive Line

The general consensus was that this would be a strength this year, as would the running game. I was skeptical of this claim and now I feel unfortunately vindicated. That doesn't mean there's not potential. I think we're weakest at guard, particularly left guard. And we seem to be having some real issues with missed assignments and poor technique. That said, this is a big, strong bunch with at least average speed, probably a little better. I don't think they've lost because they've gotten out-physicaled, so I don't know how that will play out vs Nebraska. Will the more physcial style bother them, or is it more an issue of technique and assignment? Again, not sure this applies to left guard, where we've gotten pushed around slightly more, though I think that's fixable as these guys aren't small and slow.

 

Defense

Defensive Line

This is a story of the good and the mediocre. We've got a few issues here to work out, but also a lot of talent. The strength is our DE's, which are the fastest bunch I've seen at Mizzou. They are big, strong and fast. Aldon Smith might be playing on Sunday before he senior year, but for right now, he needs to keep low so he doesn't get stood up. He's got really long arms and lots of speed, so he's a sackmaster. Brian Coulter has started playing up to expectations this year, and has said he "gets it" this year, while he was confused last year. He tends to have high highs, but also mistakes. He'll make plays but also lose contain or miss an assignment. Jacquies Smith is the other main option, and he's probably the least noticed but arguably the best. He has linebacker speed and it's easy to forget he's a DE. All 3 are around 250 and 6'5".

 

At tackle, we're in a little worse shape. We rotate in mainly 3 players. Jaron Baston is our best tackle, and he's a step down from our last two tackles that went pro, but still pretty good. I noticed against Nevada he wasn't getting pushed off his block, and in fact was pushing around his blocker, but he was just going the wrong places. He'd run right past where the action was. If we want to clog the middle against you guys, he needs to have a better nose for the ball. The other tackle is not quite as set, and while they are physically impressive and athletic (I've never seen a 280 lb guy with no body fat) they seem to lack technique, getting stood up, and got pushed around a little at Nevada. However, they are not consistently bad or good, beating their man sometimes and getting pushed straight back others. Either way, you could have success in this matchup.

 

Linebackers

Quite simply the best group I've ever seen at Mizzou. I know I've said that a couple of times now, but this is exactly why I'm so high on this team. Lots of talent. These guys are really fast and really hit. They're not quite as fast as they were advertised to be, but even discarding the hype, they fly around pretty well. The headliner is Sean Weatherspoon, a sure first rounder if he continues his play. He's bulked up over 250 now, but doesn't seem any slower, and knows how to hit. We go two deep at all 3 positions without much dropoff, so you'll see a lot of names, but the other one to remember is Will Ebner, who is just a linebacker's linebacker. Nose for the ball and when he hits, you go backwards. Really, in your couch at home you go backwards. It hurts just to see it. He's been an understudy this year, but it's hard to imagine him not seeing the bulk of the playing time, even if he's out of position now and then as a true sophomore.

 

Secondary

Mizzou's defense, and particularly it's secondary, was really maligned last year. I think that was somewhat deserved, but even with the best players departing, it's clear they're better this year. Secondary, more than any other position, is defined by your failures more than successes. You're good if you stop them 95 times, great if you stop them 99, and bad if you stop them 85. Mizzou, even last year, didn't lack speed, and they've got even more this year. The key is stopping the big play, and they're doing very well at that this year under new defensive coordinator Dave Steckel.

 

Now, in not giving up the big play, they've played a little softer, so I worry about a team that can chip away. Bowling Green has that style of offense and a good QB, but they're still bowling green. I think Texas and KU are the games that worry me in this respect. From what I gather about NU, it's more about sucking you up with the run and going deep, but maybe I'm wrong. If I'm right, I don't see that being successful unless we have to stack 8 in the box. You'll have to earn your passing yards the hard way.

 

We've got a lot of good players here. Probably too many to list. If memory serves, I think we're rotated 6 CBs and 4 or 5 safeties. The safeties and corners are pretty good in run support. Lots of speed and lots of youth, but generally have played in position. The best is probably Carl Gettis, a standout CB as a frosh (I think was frosh all american) who had a disappointing sophomore year, but seems to be better than ever after slimming down 15 pounds.

[Fuzzy]

Good deduction.

 

Im taking anything away from the Mizzou players, but quite frankly i feel that their is more experience, talent and depth on the Husker side than the Mizzou side.

 

QB - Zac Lee is almost in the same boat as Gabbert, athletically speaking of course, they both have flaws and will be pretty close when the stats end this year and need work throughout the season, and it will be fun to watch both their development. Lee's major flaw is playing in a hostile environment and getting a rhythm when on the road, though we only have one game to go by on that, the Mizzou one will be another big test for him.

 

RB - Im just going to flat out say it, Helu is better than Washington, and i think Burkhead will be ok running against them as well.

 

WR - This could be looked as a weakness, Huskers came into the season with the notion that TE's would get more use than WR's, but quite frankly its been passed around pretty evenly, maybe more so for the WR. Even though we dont have a firm set of WR's yet, there are a lot that stand out. Such as Gilleylen, Brooks, Holt, and Paul. Even the backups have gotten some attention like Cooper, Kinnie, and Bell.

 

Offesive line - What can i say, would Helu be able to slash his through the first 4 games like he with crummy blocking? Or would Lee only have been sacked 3 times this year if the blocking that was that bad?

 

Defensive line - C'mon, do i need to go here? We held VaTech to 16 points. And 13 of them came from two bad defensive stands. I wouldn't expect any less of an outstanding performance from the Husker defense line on Thursday.

 

LB - Although they are young, they have been doing a great job learning the position and have helped with the fact that Huskers have only given up 28 points in just 4 games.

 

Coverage - Gabbert has a strong arm, and has proved it in the past 4 games, our coverage will be tested if the DL cant put enough pressure on him to make mistakes.

 

Keys to a Husker victory...

 

We must win the turnover battle, whether it comes with INT's or fumbles, we have to win it.

 

Lee must be able to get into a passing rhytme should the running game get a little flaky. He must come out and take charge of the offense against the crowd.

 

Helu must be prepared to run good and hard against the Tigers if Lee cant get things together with the passing game.

 

DL needs to apply pressure to Gabbert, make him force throws or put it up for grabs, LB need to watch Gabbert's speed, and the coverage needs to get picks or swat away passes when the ball is thrown. NO BLOWN COVERAGES!!!

[mmmtodd]

let me make this simple...

 

position by position breakdown of the missuckit tigers...

 

position: losers.

 

 

 

 

the end.

[walksalone]

let me make this simple...

 

position by position breakdown of the missuckit tigers...

 

position: losers.

 

 

 

 

the end.

 

here endeth the lesson

[kansas husker]

I'm verry interested to see how gabbert will handle a very good pass rush. As well as how are secondary will handle gabbert.

 

Personaly I don't see any secnario playing out that doesn't end in husker victory.

 

GBR!

[mmmtodd]

there are guys on this husker team that talked, dreamed, and thought they were coming here with gabbert. i hope the kid has a swivel neck.

[AngryHusker88]

Thank you, DocNice, for sharing that breakdown. I've been interested for the last week or so in reading a breakdown of Missouri's offense & defense and I'm glad that you provided 1.

 

Here is my breakdown of the Huskers. I won't be able to describe things in the nice detail that you did, as I'm not really a football expert by any means, just a hardcore Husker fan who watches every Husker game. This is my personal breakdown based on what I've observed from Nebraska this year.

 

Quarterback

 

Zac Lee (6'2, 210 lbs) tore up Florida Atlantic, Arkansas State & UL-Lafayette. He had a somewhat of a bad day against VT but I personally think he did better than people say. He had some really good throws, had some good throws that were dropped, he had a bad interception & three or four bad passes that luckily weren't intercepted. I'm still impressed with Lee, he's a first year starter & his bad game was on the road in a tough enviroment against a damn good defense.

 

Zac Lee has a cannon for an arm, i don't know if he can throw the football as far as Gabbert, but he does have a cannon. Alot of his throws are beautiful & pinpoint, where only his receiver has a chance to get it. He's also a significantly better decision maker than Joe Ganz. He's a decent scrambler & can make accurate throws while dodging defenders. He'll run the ball if he has to & he's not afraid to take a hit.

 

Running Back

 

Basically we're two deep at running back - Roy Helu & Rex Burkhead. Roy Helu is one of those shifty backs, not a power back. After the Arkansas State game, I thought that Helu was overrated but then the next week he tore up Virginia Tech's defense for 169 yards rushing & 33 receiving. One of the reasons, I think, why Helu only had average performances against Arkansas State & UL-Lafayette is because they stacked the box to stop the run, which didn't matter because it only helped Zac Lee tear them up in the passing game.

 

Rex Burkhead is just a hardass.

 

Our running backs have done a very solid job this year of maintaining control of the football. We haven't given up a single fumble all year, & although Helu fumbled twice against UL-Lafayette, both fumbles were recovered.

 

Receivers

 

IMO our receivers are solid but not spectacular. Our main four receivers are Menelik Holt, Curenski Gilleylen, Niles Paul & Chris Brooks. Menelik Holt is a big receiver (6'4, 220 lbs) & he's made some nice catches but seemed to have butterfingers against VT. Niles Paul is the best blocker out of our receivers, but as a receiver is inconsistent. He had a big day against Arkansas State & I remember him making a good play or two against VT, but didn't really do much against Florida Atlantic or UL-Lafayette. Curenski Gilleylen is our deep threat & seems to be Lee's favorite target, although Lee does a good job of distributing the ball evenly. Chris Brooks is our most underrated receiver IMO just because he does what a receiver is supposed to do - catch the ball. He's not a burner but if the ball's thrown his way he will catch it, he has very good hands.

 

Offensive Line

 

So far, our O-line has contained and dominated every d-line they've faced, with the exception of Virginia Tech DE Jason Worilds. They are very physical but they seem to get penalized alot. Our starters are LT Mike Smith (6'6, 295 lbs), LG Keith Williams (6'5, 305 lbs), C Jacob Hickman (6'4, 290 lbs), RG Ricky Henry (6'4, 300 lbs), RT Marcel Jones (6'7, 310 lbs).

 

Defensive Line

 

DT Ndamukong Suh is IMO the best lineman in the country, offensive or defensive. If you watched the Virginia Tech game, Suh flat out dominated preseason all-american guard Sergio Render. Suh is also pretty damn fast for a defensive tackle & already this year I've seen him run 10 yards or more past the line of scrimmage to tackle a guy. Jared Crick, the other starter at DT, is a solid player. DE Pierre Allen is a solid player & has pretty good speed. DE Barry Turner looked horrible against Arkansas State but he really picked it up against VT & had a damn good game, made 6 tackles or something & really just played solid the whole game.

 

Linebackers

 

Two of our three starting linebackers are redshirt freshmen - Sean Fisher & Will Compton. The other is Phil Dillard, who has been buried in the depth chart most of the spring & for the first two games but started against VT b/c our coaches thought he could help stop their running game & he played solid against VT. Our linebacking core isnt dominant but all three starters thus far seem to be solid tacklers.

 

Secondary

 

Our secondary is IMO the weakest part of our defense. Suprisingly the strong point of our secondary is SS Larry Asante, whos been playing good football so far (he got injured against UL-Lafayette but its supposed to be just a minor injury). The rest of our secondary is average, although I think CB Prince Amukamura & backup CB Alfonzo Dennard have potential.

 

However, I'm not worried about our secondary b/c I feel the dominance of our defensive line will narrow the playing field for our secondary against Missouri's receivers.

[AngryHusker88]

double post

[Fuzzy]

I think CB Prince Amukamura & backup CB Alfonzo Dennard have potential.

 

Quite frankly, Prince has been a surprise CB to me, i expected Anthony West to focus of attention this season, and so far its been mostly Prince, Thorell, and Dennard.

[DocNice]

Thank you, DocNice, for sharing that breakdown. I've been interested for the last week or so in reading a breakdown of Missouri's offense & defense and I'm glad that you provided 1.

 

Here is my breakdown of the Huskers. I won't be able to describe things in the nice detail that you did, as I'm not really a football expert by any means, just a hardcore Husker fan who watches every Husker game. This is my personal breakdown based on what I've observed from Nebraska this year.

 

Quarterback

 

Zac Lee (6'2, 210 lbs) tore up Florida Atlantic, Arkansas State & UL-Lafayette. He had a somewhat of a bad day against VT but I personally think he did better than people say. He had some really good throws, had some good throws that were dropped, he had a bad interception & three or four bad passes that luckily weren't intercepted. I'm still impressed with Lee, he's a first year starter & his bad game was on the road in a tough enviroment against a damn good defense.

 

Zac Lee has a cannon for an arm, i don't know if he can throw the football as far as Gabbert, but he does have a cannon. Alot of his throws are beautiful & pinpoint, where only his receiver has a chance to get it. He's also a significantly better decision maker than Joe Ganz. He's a decent scrambler & can make accurate throws while dodging defenders. He'll run the ball if he has to & he's not afraid to take a hit.

 

Running Back

 

Basically we're two deep at running back - Roy Helu & Rex Burkhead. Roy Helu is one of those shifty backs, not a power back. After the Arkansas State game, I thought that Helu was overrated but then the next week he tore up Virginia Tech's defense for 169 yards rushing & 33 receiving. One of the reasons, I think, why Helu only had average performances against Arkansas State & UL-Lafayette is because they stacked the box to stop the run, which didn't matter because it only helped Zac Lee tear them up in the passing game.

 

Rex Burkhead is just a hardass.

 

Our running backs have done a very solid job this year of maintaining control of the football. We haven't given up a single fumble all year, & although Helu fumbled twice against UL-Lafayette, both fumbles were recovered.

 

Receivers

 

IMO our receivers are solid but not spectacular. Our main four receivers are Menelik Holt, Curenski Gilleylen, Niles Paul & Chris Brooks. Menelik Holt is a big receiver (6'4, 220 lbs) & he's made some nice catches but seemed to have butterfingers against VT. Niles Paul is the best blocker out of our receivers, but as a receiver is inconsistent. He had a big day against Arkansas State & I remember him making a good play or two against VT, but didn't really do much against Florida Atlantic or UL-Lafayette. Curenski Gilleylen is our deep threat & seems to be Lee's favorite target, although Lee does a good job of distributing the ball evenly. Chris Brooks is our most underrated receiver IMO just because he does what a receiver is supposed to do - catch the ball. He's not a burner but if the ball's thrown his way he will catch it, he has very good hands.

 

Offensive Line

 

So far, our O-line has contained and dominated every d-line they've faced, with the exception of Virginia Tech DE Jason Worilds. They are very physical but they seem to get penalized alot. Our starters are LT Mike Smith (6'6, 295 lbs), LG Keith Williams (6'5, 305 lbs), C Jacob Hickman (6'4, 290 lbs), RG Ricky Henry (6'4, 300 lbs), RT Marcel Jones (6'7, 310 lbs).

 

Defensive Line

 

DT Ndamukong Suh is IMO the best lineman in the country, offensive or defensive. If you watched the Virginia Tech game, Suh flat out dominated preseason all-american guard Sergio Render. Suh is also pretty damn fast for a defensive tackle & already this year I've seen him run 10 yards or more past the line of scrimmage to tackle a guy. Jared Crick, the other starter at DT, is a solid player. DE Pierre Allen is a solid player & has pretty good speed. DE Barry Turner looked horrible against Arkansas State but he really picked it up against VT & had a damn good game, made 6 tackles or something & really just played solid the whole game.

 

Linebackers

 

Two of our three starting linebackers are redshirt freshmen - Sean Fisher & Will Compton. The other is Phil Dillard, who has been buried in the depth chart most of the spring & for the first two games but started against VT b/c our coaches thought he could help stop their running game & he played solid against VT. Our linebacking core isnt dominant but all three starters thus far seem to be solid tacklers.

 

Secondary

 

Our secondary is IMO the weakest part of our defense. Suprisingly the strong point of our secondary is SS Larry Asante, whos been playing good football so far (he got injured against UL-Lafayette but its supposed to be just a minor injury). The rest of our secondary is average, although I think CB Prince Amukamura & backup CB Alfonzo Dennard have potential.

 

However, I'm not worried about our secondary b/c I feel the dominance of our defensive line will narrow the playing field for our secondary against Missouri's receivers.

 

Thanks! It sounds like Lee is the real deal. You could say this about either QB, because Lee somewhat failed his first test, and you could argue that Gabbert hasn't been tested by a vicious pass rush and great secondary. Pinkel's quote about QB's is, "QB's are like tea, you never know what you've got until you put them in hot water."

 

Now, I personally think Gabbert has seen some hot water, and he's also seen just about every kind of defensive strategy he's likely to see this year, including dropping everyone into coverage, pressuring with just 4 rushers, and blitzing like crazy, and seems to be handling it very well. He also seems, so far, to get better under pressure. Not pass rush pressure, but game pressure. His QB rating is better when we're down or late in the game than early.

 

It sounds like the real strength of your team is the lines and your QB and RB. To me, that means your running game has to dominate, which could be hard against Mizzou despite what Nevada did to us, and if you do that you must be able to make us pay with play action. Mizzou's strategy will be to let you chip away with the running game, get lots of yards, but stall drives on the occasional short run that puts you in 3rd and long.

 

The defensive line doesn't bother me too much. It could make us one dimensional, but from what I've heard, you're not likely to get an undo amount of pressure with just 4 linemen. The spread can help compensate for a weaker line with better skill players, so we're pretty used to losing the LOS against better teams and still moving the ball. It will make more difference in the red zone, so limiting big plays and holding us to field goals is the key for you on defense.

[rcruter]

i don't think mu will have much success running the ball, should come out throwing like they did last yr, that is what will open up running game. Helu should have success against MU, Lee, we shall see, big game on the road, he was not very good in vt game with similar circumstances but not a rivalry game so pressure amped up. We will know wich qb does better soon and it's about time! Tired of all these my daddy can whup your daddy, time to get it on!

 

If MU comes out firing against the weak secondary and lbers of NU they will have grt success and could run away with game, then start running the ball. If they stubbornly try to run it first, distinct possibility, game will be closer and NU has better chance.

 

Game should be entertaining and what college football is all about.

[DocNice]

Good deduction.

 

Im taking anything away from the Mizzou players, but quite frankly i feel that their is more experience, talent and depth on the Husker side than the Mizzou side.

 

QB - Zac Lee is almost in the same boat as Gabbert, athletically speaking of course, they both have flaws and will be pretty close when the stats end this year and need work throughout the season, and it will be fun to watch both their development. Lee's major flaw is playing in a hostile environment and getting a rhythm when on the road, though we only have one game to go by on that, the Mizzou one will be another big test for him.

 

RB - Im just going to flat out say it, Helu is better than Washington, and i think Burkhead will be ok running against them as well.

 

WR - This could be looked as a weakness, Huskers came into the season with the notion that TE's would get more use than WR's, but quite frankly its been passed around pretty evenly, maybe more so for the WR. Even though we dont have a firm set of WR's yet, there are a lot that stand out. Such as Gilleylen, Brooks, Holt, and Paul. Even the backups have gotten some attention like Cooper, Kinnie, and Bell.

 

Offesive line - What can i say, would Helu be able to slash his through the first 4 games like he with crummy blocking? Or would Lee only have been sacked 3 times this year if the blocking that was that bad?

 

Defensive line - C'mon, do i need to go here? We held VaTech to 16 points. And 13 of them came from two bad defensive stands. I wouldn't expect any less of an outstanding performance from the Husker defense line on Thursday.

 

LB - Although they are young, they have been doing a great job learning the position and have helped with the fact that Huskers have only given up 28 points in just 4 games.

 

Coverage - Gabbert has a strong arm, and has proved it in the past 4 games, our coverage will be tested if the DL cant put enough pressure on him to make mistakes.

 

Keys to a Husker victory...

 

We must win the turnover battle, whether it comes with INT's or fumbles, we have to win it.

 

Lee must be able to get into a passing rhytme should the running game get a little flaky. He must come out and take charge of the offense against the crowd.

 

Helu must be prepared to run good and hard against the Tigers if Lee cant get things together with the passing game.

 

DL needs to apply pressure to Gabbert, make him force throws or put it up for grabs, LB need to watch Gabbert's speed, and the coverage needs to get picks or swat away passes when the ball is thrown. NO BLOWN COVERAGES!!!

 

Thanks for the breakdown. Based on what you and others said, here's how I see the "talent comparison". This doesn't really mean head to head advantage, but it's fun for fans to talk about. I'm sure others will see things differently, because I see an advantage for Mizzou.

 

QB:

Gabbert - Passing yards ranked 9 (despite 2nd fewest attempts in top 10), passing efficiency ranked 9th (one of 2 players in top 10 for yards and effieciency, plus he's top 10 in total offense), 0 INTs, 11 TDs, somewhat untested, but so far plays better under pressure situations.

Lee - Passing yards ranked 42, passing efficiency ranked 22, 3 INTs, 7 TDs, 11 for 30 in his toughest game

Advantage: Gabbert

 

RB:

Washington - Very good back. 45% of team carries, 4.4 YPC, 75 YPG, voted 2nd team all conference

Helu - Very good back, likely will finish over 1,000 yards barring injury and good potential for all conference team, 6.3 YPC, 116 YPG

Advantage: Slight edge to Helu based on season so far. Advantage last year was Washington. Given other factors such as O-line and depth, I'm tempted to call this one a push, but for the sake of argument, I'll say slight advantage Helu.

 

WR:

Mizzou: 3 proven playmakers who will contend for all conference this year, plus players with lots of potential in the wings

Nebraska: From what I've seen and the comments on this board a solid but not great group.

Advantage: Significant Mizzou advantage

 

O-Line:

Mizzou: 3 of the 5 are above average to very good. 1 position is average and the other position below average. As a group, they are playing average right now (season as a whole, not just Nevada), but have potential to be above average.

Nebraska: From what I know, they've consistently opened holes and protected the QB even against good competition.

Advantage: Significant advantage in production for NU, slight advantage in talent I'll say, though I do think Mizzou can make up ground here. Offensive Line is the 2nd hardest position to master in college football, and we've got 3 freshmen (including 2 true frosh) and 5 sophomores in the 2 deep, with only 1 Jr and 1 Sr. This group will improve, the question is how much. Offensive lines this young generally aren't very good at all. We've been more inconsistent: good at times and bad at times.

 

D-line:

Mizzou: Our defensive end rotation is the best I've ever seen at Mizzou. We have a 3 headed monster here and sometimes they're all on the field at the same time. At least one of them will go pro, and 2 have a legit shot. They run like linebackers, but have enough beef and talent to play the rush well. DT, we've got more talent than they're playing. Jaron Baston is a proven playmaker, but a step down from our NFL level DTs the last few years that clogged the middle. Sophomore Terrell Resonno is physically very very talented, but hasn't had production to match. He MIGHT play in the NFL one day, but right now he needs better technique and more of a mean streak. His backup and the 3rd main rotation player is most likely to get pushed around by a good offensive line.

Nebraska: Suh. Enough said. Plus I hear good things about his counterpart. I've also heard you've got good but not special DE's and pass rush. A good DT makes a pass rush look better because the QB can't step forward though.

Advantage: You guys aren't going to like this, but I'm calling this one a push. You've got better run stopping, but we've got better pass rush and edge pursuit. I would be open to arguments though. I do think NU could outplay us here if your ends play really smart assignment football, but on talent alone, I do think it's a push, mainly because of Suh.

 

LB:

Mizzou: Sean Weatherspoon, All American candidate. 2 deep at every position, all of them faster than your average LB. As a unit, probably one of the top 2 or 3 fastest LB corps in the conference. And they hit really hard. Easily the best LB unit we've had at Mizzou.

Nebraska: From what I hear, you've brought in some talented new players that have upgraded your speed. I'd say that's equivalent to Mizzou's 2nd team, and I mean that as a compliment, because those guys will play almost equal time with the starters. They're really good. However, we still have the starters as well, so...

Advantage: Mizzou

 

Secondary:

Mizzou: Much maligned last year, one of worst in the country. However, that wasn't due to lack of talent. We were worst in the nation in long plays given up, and players openly and in the media complained that communication was bad and sometimes they didn't know what defense they were supposed to be playing. Bad bad bad. Even if they just cut big plays in half, still over the national average, we'd have been ranked in the 50s in pass defense against the Big 12 QBs. Not horrible. This team has the most speed we've ever had on secondary, and leads the conference in fewest big plays under new defensive coordinator Dave Steckel. We've faced some pretty decent QBs and are doing alright in pass defense. We're not going to be Florida or Oklahoma, but this secondary I think is going to end the year pretty respected. I expect top 5 in conference and possibly top 3.

Nebraska: From what I've seen here this is the weak link in your defense and really could get tested. Unknown whether can hold their own or not against a good passing attack.

Advantage: Mizzou, possibly big advantage.

[captain obvious]

I don't think Lee "failed his first test." Please, everybody stop with that kind of language. It's ridiculous. The guy managed the game exceedingly well. He audibled A LOT, didn't make critical mistakes, and kept his cool despite struggles with the passing game. His receivers didn't help him out very much in that game, but he just kept going with it.

 

Zac Lee threw 2 picks in that game, neither of which made a damn bit of difference. Joe Ganz was almost always good for at least 1 game-swinging pick in big games.

 

I like Zac Lee. I think he's proven himself worthy of our respect. And he will get better.

[hskerprid]

Thank you, DocNice, for sharing that breakdown. I've been interested for the last week or so in reading a breakdown of Missouri's offense & defense and I'm glad that you provided 1.

 

Here is my breakdown of the Huskers. I won't be able to describe things in the nice detail that you did, as I'm not really a football expert by any means, just a hardcore Husker fan who watches every Husker game. This is my personal breakdown based on what I've observed from Nebraska this year.

 

Quarterback

 

Zac Lee (6'2, 210 lbs) tore up Florida Atlantic, Arkansas State & UL-Lafayette. He had a somewhat of a bad day against VT but I personally think he did better than people say. He had some really good throws, had some good throws that were dropped, he had a bad interception & three or four bad passes that luckily weren't intercepted. I'm still impressed with Lee, he's a first year starter & his bad game was on the road in a tough enviroment against a damn good defense.

 

Zac Lee has a cannon for an arm, i don't know if he can throw the football as far as Gabbert, but he does have a cannon. Alot of his throws are beautiful & pinpoint, where only his receiver has a chance to get it. He's also a significantly better decision maker than Joe Ganz. He's a decent scrambler & can make accurate throws while dodging defenders. He'll run the ball if he has to & he's not afraid to take a hit.

 

Running Back

 

Basically we're two deep at running back - Roy Helu & Rex Burkhead. Roy Helu is one of those shifty backs, not a power back. After the Arkansas State game, I thought that Helu was overrated but then the next week he tore up Virginia Tech's defense for 169 yards rushing & 33 receiving. One of the reasons, I think, why Helu only had average performances against Arkansas State & UL-Lafayette is because they stacked the box to stop the run, which didn't matter because it only helped Zac Lee tear them up in the passing game.

 

Rex Burkhead is just a hardass.

 

Our running backs have done a very solid job this year of maintaining control of the football. We haven't given up a single fumble all year, & although Helu fumbled twice against UL-Lafayette, both fumbles were recovered.

 

Receivers

 

IMO our receivers are solid but not spectacular. Our main four receivers are Menelik Holt, Curenski Gilleylen, Niles Paul & Chris Brooks. Menelik Holt is a big receiver (6'4, 220 lbs) & he's made some nice catches but seemed to have butterfingers against VT. Niles Paul is the best blocker out of our receivers, but as a receiver is inconsistent. He had a big day against Arkansas State & I remember him making a good play or two against VT, but didn't really do much against Florida Atlantic or UL-Lafayette. Curenski Gilleylen is our deep threat & seems to be Lee's favorite target, although Lee does a good job of distributing the ball evenly. Chris Brooks is our most underrated receiver IMO just because he does what a receiver is supposed to do - catch the ball. He's not a burner but if the ball's thrown his way he will catch it, he has very good hands.

 

Offensive Line

 

So far, our O-line has contained and dominated every d-line they've faced, with the exception of Virginia Tech DE Jason Worilds. They are very physical but they seem to get penalized alot. Our starters are LT Mike Smith (6'6, 295 lbs), LG Keith Williams (6'5, 305 lbs), C Jacob Hickman (6'4, 290 lbs), RG Ricky Henry (6'4, 300 lbs), RT Marcel Jones (6'7, 310 lbs).

 

Defensive Line

 

DT Ndamukong Suh is IMO the best lineman in the country, offensive or defensive. If you watched the Virginia Tech game, Suh flat out dominated preseason all-american guard Sergio Render. Suh is also pretty damn fast for a defensive tackle & already this year I've seen him run 10 yards or more past the line of scrimmage to tackle a guy. Jared Crick, the other starter at DT, is a solid player. DE Pierre Allen is a solid player & has pretty good speed. DE Barry Turner looked horrible against Arkansas State but he really picked it up against VT & had a damn good game, made 6 tackles or something & really just played solid the whole game.

 

Linebackers

 

Two of our three starting linebackers are redshirt freshmen - Sean Fisher & Will Compton. The other is Phil Dillard, who has been buried in the depth chart most of the spring & for the first two games but started against VT b/c our coaches thought he could help stop their running game & he played solid against VT. Our linebacking core isnt dominant but all three starters thus far seem to be solid tacklers.

 

Secondary

 

Our secondary is IMO the weakest part of our defense. Suprisingly the strong point of our secondary is SS Larry Asante, whos been playing good football so far (he got injured against UL-Lafayette but its supposed to be just a minor injury). The rest of our secondary is average, although I think CB Prince Amukamura & backup CB Alfonzo Dennard have potential.

 

However, I'm not worried about our secondary b/c I feel the dominance of our defensive line will narrow the playing field for our secondary against Missouri's receivers.

 

Thanks! It sounds like Lee is the real deal. You could say this about either QB, because Lee somewhat failed his first test, and you could argue that Gabbert hasn't been tested by a vicious pass rush and great secondary. Pinkel's quote about QB's is, "QB's are like tea, you never know what you've got until you put them in hot water."

 

Now, I personally think Gabbert has seen some hot water, and he's also seen just about every kind of defensive strategy he's likely to see this year, including dropping everyone into coverage, pressuring with just 4 rushers, and blitzing like crazy, and seems to be handling it very well. He also seems, so far, to get better under pressure. Not pass rush pressure, but game pressure. His QB rating is better when we're down or late in the game than early.

 

It sounds like the real strength of your team is the lines and your QB and RB. To me, that means your running game has to dominate, which could be hard against Mizzou despite what Nevada did to us, and if you do that you must be able to make us pay with play action. Mizzou's strategy will be to let you chip away with the running game, get lots of yards, but stall drives on the occasional short run that puts you in 3rd and long.

 

The defensive line doesn't bother me too much. It could make us one dimensional, but from what I've heard, you're not likely to get an undo amount of pressure with just 4 linemen. The spread can help compensate for a weaker line with better skill players, so we're pretty used to losing the LOS against better teams and still moving the ball. It will make more difference in the red zone, so limiting big plays and holding us to field goals is the key for you on defense.

Not trying to flame ya here but, your above statement doesn't really hold water. MU up to this point is averaging barely above 3 yds per attempt vs inferior opponents. In a couple of your games ( can't recall which) if you take away a couple of 40 yd runs MU is barely making 2 yds per carry.

 

I think the Pelini brothers are going to get after your line with alot of stunts and blitzes and Gabbert is going to see pressure like never before.

[junior4949]

Blaine Gabbert may be the best throwing Mizzou QB to ever wear a uniform, but no way in hell is he the most talented QB to wear a Mizzou uniform. I'll eat crow if he passes for 2000 or more and rushes for 1000 or more this year because Brad Smith did it by the time he was a sophomore!