Missouri Football Looks To Air It Out
7/10/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
July 10, 2000
Welcome to Missouri Football 2000. The Missouri Tigers definitely welcome the new campaign. Mizzou is coming off of a disappointing 4-7 record and is extremely anxious to wash that taste out of their mouths.
Head Coach LARRY SMITH spent the months of November and December disecting his program from top-to-bottom. Changes were made in nearly all facets and the Tigers implemented those changes this past spring. Now Missouri is ready to showcase what many believe is a very talented football team.
For starters, Smith has added three new coaches on the offensive side of the ball. ANDY HILL and newly-hired BILL CUBIT will be the co-offensive coordinators. SAM PITTMAN, who came to Columbia with Cubit from Western Michigan, takes over as the offensive line coach. Former graduate assistant CHRIS TABOR joined the staff full-time as the new running backs coach.
Collectively, Mizzou's new offensive brain trust has spent the last several months devising a new offensive scheme that will combine the old Missouri smash-mouth style with a new wide-open assault.
Big things are expected on the defensive side of the ball heading into the 2000 season. Depth and experience are in the Tigers' favor. Missouri's defensive staff has made a few personnel changes to help get the best 11 men on the field, and one thing that was obvious following the spring is that the Tiger `D' has plenty of interchangable parts.
The Tigers also plan on displaying improvement on special teams, especially in punting, kick returning and kick coverage. Smith has put fourth-year assistant CORBY SMITH in charge of special teams. The younger Smith spent the spring devising new blocking and return schemes to make sure the problems the Tigers had in 1999 don't re-develop in 2000.
Here is a position-by-position breakdown of the 2000 Missouri Tigers.
OFFENSE QUARTERBACK
JIM DOUGHERTY and KIRK FARMER entered the 1999 season as the two-headed Missouri quarterback. The system seemed to be working until Farmer went down in week five with a broken leg. The 6-1, 193 pound Dougherty tried to shoulder the load, but couldn't, so enter freshman JUSTIN GAGE. The 6-5, 200- pound athlete had his redshirt removed in week nine. He played nearly half of the game against Texas A&M before starting the season finale at Kansas State.
Meanwhile, waiting in the wings as a partial academic qualifier was 6-4, 194- pound DARIUS OUTLAW, who week in and week out provided excellent looks for the Missouri defense while practicing and learning the system with the Tigers' scout team offense.
Farmer emerged as the No. 1 quarterback coming out of spring practice with Dougherty running a close No. 2. Both QBs proved to Cubit that they can handle the new multi-faced attack and both came out of the spring with a lot of confidence.
The 6-5, 213-pound Farmer did not miss a beat in the spring following the broken leg. His physical skills are outstanding. Not only does he possess a great arm, but he has very good foot-speed for his size. What is really impressive about the sophomore from Jefferson City is his ability to get control of a huddle and lead his offense on the field.
Dougherty worked the hardest he has ever worked during the off-season. He is physically stronger and much more confident heading into the 2000 campaign. He is a good athlete with the ability to tuck the ball and go. His decision making in the new offense was very good this spring and his experience as the full-time starter for most of the season in 1999 make him a huge asset to the 2000 squad.
Outlaw will use the 2000 season to develop and further learn the new Missouri offense. The redshirt freshman is a great athlete and will serve as a very talented third-stringer this fall.
Missouri will most likely redshirt talented incoming freshman BRANDON BLAKE, the younger brother of New Orleans Saints quarterback Jeff Blake, as well as CODY BUFORD, a huge QB who the Tigers may elect to move to tight end.
RUNNING BACK
The emergence of redshirt freshman ZACK ABRON was probably the biggest story of the spring. At 5-10, 232 pounds, Abron is a bowling ball-type runner who runs low to the ground and is very hard to bring down. He is what Larry Smith describes as a "mean" runner who seemingly falls forward every time he is tackled.
Abron gives the Tigers a different look offensively, especially since Missouri will be opening up the offense this season.
The other thing that Abron has provided the Tigers is depth at the running back position. Missouri also returns junior ZAIN GILMORE, the Tigers' leading rusher from a year ago who is a much better all-around back than he was in 1999. At 6-1, 222, Gilmore is a big back with a lot of speed (4.4). With Abron pushing him, the Tigers could have one of the best running back combinations in the conference.
Several other Tiger backs should fit into the new offense in one way or another. Last seasons big surprise was sophomore JOE CHIRUMBOLO, who has put on weight to help him become a more fully-rounded fullback. His ability to catch the football out of the back field makes him a threat when he is on the field. Redshirt freshman DAN DAVIS is another running back who should see some time in 2000. At 6-2, 242, Davis has the athletic ability to play fullback or line up at tailback, especially in a one-back set.
Missouri also has senior tailback RICARDO RHODES and sophomore fullback T.J. LEON, both of whom have seen significant playing time. Also keep an eye on true-freshman EUGENE SWEAZIE, a huge fullback with great athletic ability who may see the field this year.
WIDE RECEIVER
Senior JOHN DAUSMAN returns to the Tigers after missing last season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. He went through spring practice at about 80 percent, but never missed a snap. The former walk-on was Mizzou's second- leading receiver in 1998, and his big-play ability is definitely welcomed back to the Tiger lineup.
Dausman isn't the only receiver with the ability to make the big play. Junior ERIC SPENCER and sophomore TRAVIS GARVIN were both important players in the Missouri passing game last season. Spencer is dazzling in the open field after the catch while Garvin is a go-to guy. Garvin led the team in receiving (36 catches, 608 yards) last year as a true freshman.
If Dausman, Spencer and Garvin aren't enough, the Tigers have also added two other big-play receivers into the mix. Redshirt freshman BRANDON BARNES is a razzle-dazzle receiver with great speed and hands. What is really impressive about Barnes is his size, 6-4, 210 pounds. He was nothing less than spectacular in the spring and has the ability to some day be one of the best in the conference.
And then there is 6-5, 200-pound JUSTIN GAGE, a quarterback, a basketball post-player, and now a wide receiver.
Gage has seen plenty of the spotlight in just one year at Missouri, and now he might be the Tiger that will burn an opponent when they least expect it. He proved after just one week at wide receiver in the spring that he has the ability to play the position, but his quarterback mentality makes him the obvious Mizzou magician when the Tigers decide to hit their opponent with some trickery.
TIGHT END While Blakley is a key target for the Missouri quarterbacks, the tight end is also very important in the Tigers' ground attack. Junior BRANDON FORD has a been a key player in the double tight end set for Missouri each of the last two seasons. His role remains the same heading into the season, but the new wide-open offense may allow Ford to be on the receiving end of some passes. Fellow junior GARRETT HILL saw more playing time last season, mainly in the two tight end set. After a solid spring, Hill should continue to progress this season.
OFFENSIVE LINE The Tiger O-line entered the spring just the opposite of last season, with four seasoned veterans and one hole to fill. That hole is the one left by Riti, but that doesn't necessarily concern new offensive line coach SAM PITTMAN. Missouri fiddled with a number of combinations in the spring, mainly due to an injury to offense tackle AARON CRITTENDON. Crittendon is expected to be ready in the fall and will once again line up opposite returning right tackle JUSTIN BLAND. Both players are athletic for their size (both over 320 lbs.) and both now have a full season under their belts.
Junior MIKE HAYES takes over for Riti as the leader of the offensive line and will once again inherit the right guard position. Hayes moved over to center for a couple of weeks in the spring, and can play that position if needed, but he did a solid job at right guard last year and has the ability to be one of the best in the conference.
Two redshirt freshmen look to fill the other two offensive line positions. ROB DROEGE, a 6-6, 288-pounder out of St. Louis, takes over at left guard while the center spot will be handled by A.J. RICKER (6-5, 287). Both players made great strides during the spring.
Veteran JOE GLAUBERMAN returns and provides depth at any of the guard or tackle positions. Junior CHRIS RYAN has emerged as a solid backup at center or right guard and sophomore J.P. HALL will be counted on to step in as a backup at either of the guard positions this season.
Junior ADRIAN COLE (6-4, 330) is another Tiger veteran who will be asked to step up his play this season.
DEFENSE DEFENSIVE LINE All-America candidate JUSTIN SMITH is the Tigers defensive headliner at defensive end. The 6-5, 265 pound Smith may be listed as an end, but expect Missouri to move Smith around a lot more this season. The Mizzou defensive coaches feel that they will be able call their defenses around Smith, being able to pin point him on different positions on the field.
Smith isn't the only defensive lineman that opposing offenses need to worry about. The Tigers feel they could have an outstanding interior duo in senior nose tackle PAT MINGUCCI and sophomore guard CEDRIC HARDEN.
Mingucci and Harden swapped positions in the the spring, a move the Missouri coaching staff feels will benefit both of them. Mingucci was off to a great start last season before suffering a knee injury that sidelined him two games.
Harden stepped in for Mingucci and was a terror. He recorded four sacks and nine tackles for loss. His size (6-3, 298) and speed make him very hard to handle.
Senior DANNY McCAMY has been moved to defensive tackle from the bandit position to provide more speed up front. With so much talent at linebacker this season, the move had to be made to keep McCamy on the field.
DARYL WHITTINGTON and MICHAEL GAVINS are two of the tallest players on the Missouri team and both will be factors on the defensive line. Whittington, 6-6, 246-pound senior is long and rangy and will spell Smith at times at defensive end. At 6-8, 298, Gavins is a huge interior lineman who at times showed signs of greatness, particularly against the run last season. He and McCamy were running neck-and-neck for the No. 1 defensive tackle spot at the end of the spring.
Missouri also expects big things out junior college transfer KEITH WRIGHT, an athletic defensive end who will see plenty of time on the gridiron for the Tigers.
LINEBACKER Junior JAMONTE ROBINSON is the leader of a very fast, hard-hitting group. At 6-2, 203 pounds, Robinson has a tremendous nose for the football. After some fine-tuning this spring and a summer working out with Justin Smith, he could be one of the best inside linebackers in the Big 12 this fall.
The loss of four-year letterwinner Barry Odom won't hurt nearly as much if sophomore SEAN DOYLE is the player the Missouri coaching staff believes he can be. Doyle started the last two games of last season and recorded 15 tackles in his debut against Texas A&M. There is very little doubt in Doyle's abilities. Incumbanent senior and former walk-on PAT DUFFY ended the spring as the No. 1 bandit. At 6-1, 225, Duffy has been solid. He makes very few mistakes and very few people play the game harder.
With the arrivals of junior college stars ANTWAUN BYNUM and SEAN AIN looming, it was a big spring for a few other veteran linebackers at Mizzou. Senior walk-on JASON LEWIS worked his way into being an everyday special-teamer last season and knows the system well enough to step in and play an inside linebacker position.
Junior DAVID MONROE came on towards the end of last season and will battle for playing time. The same goes for junior DUKE REVARD who could really benefit the Tigers on the inside in the fall.
Sophomore JOSH O'NEAL stepped up his play over the spring and spent time between the bandit and defensive line. The 6-6 Whittington also split some time at bandit, and could end up playing that position this year.
And then there is Bynum and Ain. Bynum was a first-team JUCO All-American last season who the Tigers must get on the field. Ain is also very talented and has a lot of speed. He could end up playing the bandit position as well.
DEFENSIVE BACK
Much like the offensive line, the Missouri defensive backfield was very inexperienced last season, and at times it showed. Last year's inexperience will hopefully be this year's gain as three starters and a handful of reserves who saw a lot of playing time return this fall.
Senior JULIAN JONES, the Most Valuable Player of the 1998 Insight.com Bowl, had a very good season in 1999, but expect even more this season. Jones played last year with a injured shoulder that hindered him throughout the season. He still recorded 92 tackles and a Big 12-best six interceptions, but at times was unable to make the spectacular big plays that he was expected to make. The shoulder is now healthy and Jones will be one of the top defensive backs in the Big 12 this coming season. Jones was moved to the halfback position late in the spring and will most likely move between that position and free safety depending on the opponent.
The other half of the "Jones Boys" is junior CLARENCE JONES who is now a year wiser. Jones is a workhorse who has a lot of speed and is a hard hitter. He will handle the free safety spot after playing strong safety last season.
The move of Clarence Jones to free safety enables sophomore GARY ANTHONY to move into the starting lineup. Anthony could be a star in the making. He is a smart defensive back with good speed and a big hitter.
While Julian Jones will play one corner position, the other corner looks to be manned by sophomore JOHN McPHERSON. The special teams player of the year in 1999, McPherson had a tremendous spring, picking off two passes in scrimmages, recovering a fumble and scooping up a blocked punt for a touchdown. He has great speed and a ton of energy.
There is a lot of experienced depth behind Jones and McPherson at the corner positions. Senior LARRY HOLLINQUEST and sophomore TERRENCE CURRY have good coverage skills. Both started a game last season.
Senior ANDRE ROBERSON started nine games last season and will most likely be moved to one of the safety positions this season. The Tigers still have hope that sophomore corner ANTOINE DUNCAN can get all the way back from a knee injury that hindered him last season.
SPECIAL TEAMS The kicking game is solid with junior BRAD HAMMERICH who booted 9-of-14 field goals last season and was perfect in extra-point attempts. He has a strong leg which makes him dangerous from 50 yards out.
Despite some problems in the punting game last season, junior JARED GILPIN is still the guy for the punting chores. His numbers were solid when it was all said and done, as he averaged 38.7 yards per punt. Many people criticized Gilpin's size (5-10), but the Tigers feel that an ajustment in punt coverage will alleviate the bad snaps that Gilpin had to deal with in 1999.
Long-snapper BEN DAVIDSON had a rocky 1999 season, but Missouri plans on taking away any blocking assignments that Davidson had so he can just concentrate on snapping the ball.
The holder will be Gilpin who takes over for J.R. Romine who had to end his football career due to an arthritic knee.
The return game was a disappointment last season, and new special teams coach CORBY SMITH plans to make some scheme changes.
There are plenty of bodies to return the football. RICARDO RHODES had an outstanding 1998 campaign, but his return yards dropped significantly in `99. Rhodes is still one of the all-time return leaders in the Big 12 Conference. TRAVIS GARVIN also spent time returning kicks last season and could be called upon again this year.
There are plenty of options, including JULIAN JONES whom the Tigers have been hesitant to use, but may be the best of all of them. ERIC SPENCER is another option.
Missouri must also find someone to replace the departed Arty Johnson as the punt returner.
As they were last fall, the quarterbacks will be under the microscope more than any other position. The only difference between this year and last is that Mizzou returns two experienced quarterbacks.
Jim Dougherty
Zain Gilmore
There is no question that Missouri's wide receiver corps is now the strength of the offense. That is the main reason Mizzou restructured parts of its' offensive system to make sure the ball gets into their hands 50 percent of the time.
Travis Garvin
Junior DWAYNE BLAKLEY is coming off a second-team All-Big 12 season in 1999 and has a chance to be one of the premier tight ends in the country in 2000. At 6-4, 263 pounds, Blakley is an athlete. He caught 22 passes for 235 yards and a team-best six touchdowns last year. One of the tasks of the Missouri offensive coaches is to find more ways to get Blakley the ball in 2000.
Last season, consensus All-America center Rob Riti went to battle with four inexperienced offensive linemen. It was a learning experience for the four new starters, an experience that will hopefully pay off in the year 2000.
Despite losing talented veterans Jeff Marriott and Steve Erickson, there is plenty to be excited about on the Tiger defensive line. Size and speed characterize this group and there is plenty of both. This will be the biggest group of defensive linemen that Missouri has had since Larry Smith arrived.
The linebacker position is a problem for the Tigers, a GOOD problem. There is a ton a talent and a lot of bodies, and what the Missouri defensive coaching staff has to figure out who is going to play where and when.
Clarence Jones
A heavy emphasis was put on special teams in the spring, particularly in the punting and return areas. Missouri feels that the personnel is there, it is the schemes that will change.
