Mizzou Opens Fall Camp
8/4/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 4, 2011
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The 2011 football season kicked off for the Missouri Tigers Thursday afternoon on the Kadlec Athletic Fields, and there was a definite air of excitement as the team went through the paces of a two-hour workout in unseasonably cool weather conditions.
Just two days after Columbia experienced record temperatures that officially reached 108 degrees, Gary Pinkel's team practiced Thursday in 83 degree weather, with a steady breeze to keep things cool. The players practiced in shorts, and per NCAA rules, will not be allowed to go in full pads until next week.
"It was a real good first practice, I was a little concerned Tuesday with the weather, and this practice in the afternoon," Pinkel said. "Lucky break here, the weather was good, I think we had a good workout, now things will crank up tomorrow. You're limited with what you can do with just helmets on, but I think it's the best way to acclimate players to the pads. Overall, good work and we'll add drills tomorrow, some one-on-one, some option drills, every day we'll add a little bit more," he said.
Team captains were chosen by the players Thursday afternoon, and the captains for 2011 will be a quartet of accomplished senior leaders: TE Michael Egnew, LT Elvis Fisher, SS Kenji Jackson and DE Jacquies Smith.
Pinkel announced that sophomore TB Marcus Murphy would redshirt in 2011, as he's recovering from recent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder - an injury he sustained in 7-on-7 balls late in the summer. Since Murphy played in 2010 as a true freshman, he'll be able to take his redshirt without issue and come back full strength in 2012.
Another Tiger who wasn't on the field Thursday is junior college transfer DL Sheldon Richardson. Mizzou officials confirmed Wednesday that Richardson was not cleared to practice yet with the team, but that they expect him to finish his NCAA eligibility requirements soon. Pinkel confirmed Thursday to media that the school is waiting on paperwork to finish the process.
"We expect him to be out here pretty soon," Pinkel said.
Prior to practice, the Tigers were included in the USA Today Coaches' Top-25 poll, as Mizzou debuted at #21 in the rankings. One national pundit, Sports Illustrated's Stewart Mandel (@slmandel on Twitter) included the Tigers as one of his five most underrated teams in the coaches' poll.
Here were some observations made in Thursday's practice...
Senior CB Trey Hobson early in the day in 7-on-7 drills made a nice break on a sideline route and picked the ball off. He would have went the other way for a long touchdown return, but whistles blew the play dead before he could get very far. Soon after, sophomore LB Andrew Wilson snagged an errant James Franklin pass over the middle for an interception of his own. However, Franklin came right back and completed consecutive passes to sophomore TE Eric Waters and to junior WR T.J. Moe for nice gains.
Later in the day in 11-on-11 work, senior LB Will Ebner looked fresh and healthy when he crashed into the backfield to pressure sophomore QB Ashton Glaser into throwing the ball away. Glaser came back and connected with junior WR Rolandis Woodland on a sideline route for a gain of around 20 yards. Woodland made a beautiful adjustment to the ball as he leaped high to snag it, while coming down with one foot in bounds to make the play. That effort drew a lot of cheers from Woodland's teammates. Redshirt freshman TB Greg White looked quick out of the backfield when took a swing pass from senior QB Jimmy Costello, and headed upfield for a nice gain against the #2 defense. Costello made a nice find on the run to swing the ball to White under pressure.
When the #1 offense and #1 defense squared off, junior DE Brad Madison and senior DE Jacquies Smith met in the backfield to tag junior TB Kendial Lawrence for a loss, and that was followed soon with a combined sack of Franklin by Wilson and Madison. Senior WR Wes Kemp next made a great catch in traffic on the sideline as he outmaneuvered a pair of defenders for the ball and made a tough catch for a gain of around five yards. It was the kind of difficult catch that the senior leader will be depended on this season, no doubt. Franklin closed out his snaps by connecting on a big gainer of a catch-and-run to senior WR Brandon Gerau, followed by a nice timing route to Moe for a gain of around 15 yards.
Next up for Mizzou is a morning practice Friday, with the session set to begin at 7:15 a.m.
