Official Mizzou/uga Thread

[ozark trout fisher]

Maty Mauk. I wouldn't put a true freshman in against Alabama. I don't care if he's the next Peyton Manning-he wouldn't make it through three snaps before he got knocked out of the game by that defense. We're in trouble against Alabama no matter what we do, but that game doesn't really matter, beyond what injuries we may incur. Kentucky, Tennessee, 'Cuse, and A&M do. And hopefully James Franklin will be in the line up for most or all of these games. If so we might squeak into a bowl. If not....I don't want to think about it. I don't really get the talk about making either Berkstresser or Mauk our starter beyond the point where Franklin can come back. When he's been playing he's been our best quarterback option this season. And we know how he played at the end of last year. We haven't seen much of that this season, but that has more to do with the injuries on the offensive line than anything else. He earned a lot of ridicule for his decision not to accept the pain shot before the ASU game, but he gained my respect for making the only smart decision. Imagine a football player considering his own health a few years down the line when football is a distant memory. I guess that's not considered acceptable anymore.

It seems like a good number of Mizzou fans are ready to throw in the towel on this team, which is pretty lame. Get all excited about the move to the SEC and jump off the bandwagon at the first resistance. Missouri is 3-3, it's well within the realm of possibility they could make a bowl, and if not we still have an excellent head coach. Missouri will be fine long term, if not this season. This is a young and injury plagued team.

South Carolina didn't tear it up right away in the SEC. But they elevated their program and they have been challenging for the SEC title the past few years. I think they will win it (and the national title) this season. Pinkel has built Missouri into a 10 win machine in a good conference. Last year we were a bit off that and this season we may only get half that. But given his enormous success over his career at Missouri, I feel very good about his chances to turn this around.

MIZ!

[moguy1973]

I still don't think that 6 wins with 2 of them being conference games ( against weak conference teams) should be a consideration for a bowl game. I predict they win one more game against Kentucky and that's it. A&M is way better than them this year and you never know about The Vols at home. They might eek out one at home against Cuse barring everyone is healthy.

[ozark trout fisher]

We will see. I think this team will be pretty good if/when our injured players start to make their way back into the line-up.

[stlfisher]

This team just keeps making it difificult for themselves. Franklin is hurt and it is affecting his play...no question about it. We still can't snap the ball, or protect the quarterback, and Berkstresser looked just god awful Saturday. The defense actually seems respectable.

I'd agree about Mauk...keep him on the bench against Alabama.

I am still pumped about the move. I think most are. If you look a the record most thought Mizzou would be 4-2 at this point so 3-3 is not terrible. I think is just the manner in which they have played that has people upset. They could easily be 1-5. They just look nervous to me.

[KCRIVERRAT]

Keep Mauk on the bench ALL YEAR. They've red-shirted him this year so why waste it by playing him now? Let Franklin and Berkstresser finish this year out. With Franklin being a senior next year and Berkstresser a junior Mauk would have to be lights out next spring and summer to get the starting job even then.

[stlfisher]

Yeah, keep him on bench all year. Franklin probably starts next year and Mauk backs him up

[Smalliebigs]

Franklin is not a D-1 quaterback for a variety of reasons.....It's on Gary for reqruiting him. OTF I don't think a cortisone shot will affect your future like you are saying.

I love Mizzou but they are over matched with talent and out recruited by the SEC teams. I love how tough their deffense is playing but the lack of depth overall across the board at every posistion is killing them. The spread offense is a joke against talented players.....there is a big reason why not one team in the NFL runs a spread offense.

I still don't see where Mizzou gets 6 wins you guys are talking about???? they have a fighters chance at best against Tennessee and Syracuse and thats stretching it IMO.

Maty Mauk is a little undersized but is a real quarterback that can actually pass.....redshirting is fine this year but, next year there should be a tryout for the posistion. Franklin can't stay in a game or chooses not to and that is not acceptable at this level. Mizzou should go out and get a real coching staff with the extra revanue from the SEC....they are already down and suck but we can only assume they fill their coffers and pay off the Big 12 for bailing. One player here and there does not make a reqruiting class. I hope the Mizzou alumni doesn't mind beeing the doormat of the SEC.????

Basketball will be a different story thankfully

[ozark trout fisher]

Franklin is not only a D-1 quarterback, but a very good one. He's been bitten by the injury bug this year. So many have already forgotten his breakout season last year. This is a physical league, and players will get injured. That is not Franklin's fault. Just like it's not Elvis Fisher or Marcus Murphy's fault. He is an excellent QB and Pinkel deserves praise rather than blame for bringing him to MU.

Franklin should be our starting quarterback (when he's healthy) until he graduates. Maty Mauk will be a good quarterback in the future but he won't be ready this year or probably next. Experienced quarterback play is necessary to win games in this league. We've seen what happens to a pretty darned good redshirt freshman QB (Berkstresser) in this league. He does just fine against a middle of the road Pac 12 opponent and then can't get anything done against a lower-rung SEC team. It would be worse for a true freshman. Franklin has plenty of experience playing (and beating) good teams. He did well against Georgia, and was playing very well against Vandy until he got the strained MCL. We need him under center.

Lastly, Missouri has a great coach. Forget all those ten win seasons? Forget how bad Missouri used to be before Pinkel built a very good program essentially out of nothing? Missouri isn't an easy place to recruit, it's not an easy place to win. We have decent talent within our borders, but not to the degree of most of the other Big 12 schools, let alone those in the SEC. Pinkel still carved out quite the niche for us in that conference. I'd be shocked if he doesn't do the same in the SEC.

Ultimately, under Pinkel Missouri will almost certainly become at least a middle of the pack SEC school, far from a doormat. They just happen to be awfully injury plagued this year, especially along the O-line. It was the worst possible timing for the move, but in the future they will be fine. Every piece of history suggests that. Missouri will always have a tough time being true SEC title contenders, but there is no reason in the world with the current staff that 7-9 wins a year shouldn't be expected, after the first couple of seasons. That would be acceptable to me.

[ozark trout fisher]

Mizzou finally rights the ship with a nice win. Granted it's Kentucky, but honestly I was expecting another game that came down to the wire. It was good to be able to relax a bit and enjoy a big win for once.Very pleased with the defensive effort, as well as the run game. Sheldon Richardson carried us today, and Kendial Lawrence also had his best game of the year. Still, at certain times, it looked like we were ready to give the game away to UK, but they were never able to make us pay. They are just as injury riddled as Missouri, probably worse. I feel for that team.

There were plenty of mistakes made, but in the end, this win keeps Missouri's bowl hopes alive. The game against Tennessee in two weeks probably decides whether we get there, assuming we're able to get past Syracuse (which probably won't be a cakewalk.) I feel just a bit better about our chances after today.

It was good to see Franklin play in the second half, even if he handed it off just about every time. Berkstresser has really done well in an impossible situation for a redshirt freshman, but Franklin's experience is so important right now.

[Al Agnew]

Injuries, and on a related note the lack of depth that makes each injury more significant, is what hurt Mizzou this year. And Yost's play calling (and apparently sometimes Pinkel's play calling) hasn't seemed to adjust to the injury problem. Losing more than half the offensive line has just killed them. Whoever is the quarterback, he hasn't had time to let pass plays develop. So the offense has mostly been limited to very short pass plays, and opposing defenses have been loading up for the short passes. Special teams have made some huge mistakes. Nobody can snap the ball accurately.

I disagree that the spread can't work in the SEC. With the injuries Mizzou has had and the lack of depth, NO offense would work very well in the SEC. Give Mizzou a good offensive line and a healthy, experienced quarterback like Chase Daniel, Blaine Gabbert, or Brad Smith at their best, along with the skill players they have, and I guarantee you the spread will work just fine in the SEC. The only problem with Mizzou's spread at its best is that it can score too quickly, and not give the defense enough of a rest. This year we're seeing a joke of a spread offense, but with an injured quarterback and horrendous offensive line, any offense would be a joke. You have to remember that Berkstresser is a red-shirt freshman who wasn't expected to contribute much this year, and Franklin didn't even start out the season at 100%, and hasn't been 100% even at his healthiest this year.

The injuries are just sad. Yost's play calling has been more frustrating. Way too many quarterback draws and runs when you knew your top quarterback was coming off injuries and your back-up isn't all that much of a running threat. No roll-outs to try to escape the pressure. Not enough dependence on the running game when you've got two excellent backs.

Syracuse is winnable. Tennessee is barely winnable. Six wins and a bowl game are doubtful, but possible.