Aug. 10, 2001

COLUMBIA, Mo.- The Missouri football team got a break from the heat on day two of two-a-day practices on Friday. After battling a heat index of over 100 degrees on Thursday, the Tigers came out to 70-degree weather on Friday. The Tigers second practice of the day will be spent indoors where they will go through extensive position meetings.

Both the Missouri offense and defense went through live seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 drills on Friday morning. Several players have stood out so far. Sophomore Zack Abron, down 20 pounds from a year ago, continued to display his speed and agility. On one play, Abron adjusted to ball thrown to him out of the backfield, caught the pass, and then made one quick move and dashed through the open crease.

Fellow veteran tailback Zain Gilmore is also in great condition and has played very well the last two days. Gilmore, the Tigers top returning rusher, has also dropped close to 20 pounds and is much faster than last year.

Quarterback Darius Outlaw had a solid practice on Friday. The play of the day occurred when Outlaw connected with roommate Justin Gage on a deep fly pattern that Outlaw placed perfectly on the outside shoulder of Gage.

Defensively, junior Keith Wright has quickly adjusted to his new defensive tackle position. Wright, who redshirted as a defensive end last year, is playing in the down position for the first time in his career. His quickness has proven to be a great test for sophomore center A.J. Ricker, who will go up against Wright daily in practice.

Freshman cornerback Marcus King also had a good practice on Friday. On two consecutive plays, King was able to break up potential completions. On the first play, King stepped in front of tight end Joe Chirumbolo to bat the ball away. On the very next play, he went step-by-step down the sidelines with wide receiver Brandon Barnes to deflect a pass.

The Tigers will be back on the field on Saturday for practices at 8:15 a.m. and at 3:45 p.m.