#MIZCamp18 Day 1 - Hall Calls Team Meeting, Offense Adjusts to New Scheme
8/3/2018 4:09:00 PM | Football
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Before #MIZCAMP18 kicked off Friday morning, senior LB Terez Hall organized a players-only meeting to comb over the footage from Mizzou's 72-43 victory over Missouri State which kicked off the 2017 football campaign. Contrary to what the score reflects, the Sept. 2 matchup in Columbia featured a tumultuous outing that ultimately led to a five-game losing streak.
"That's the worst we played all season," said Hall. "We just can't let that happen this year. You have to see how bad you were to see where you're going to go."
While acknowledging the team's previous shortcomings, Hall made sure to point out the benefits of fall camp and the rigor the coaching staff presents.
"Coach Odom puts us through the best practices to get us prepared," said Hall. "They give us the road map; it's on us to go out and take advantage of that."
On the other side of the ball, redshirt senior OL Kevin Pendleton displayed his feelings regarding the start of camp.
"Football's back, basically," said Pendleton with a grin. "My heart is warm right now."
Pendleton mentioned the progress from spring to fall by pointing out the importance of momentum.
"We're rolling, it's time to go," said Pendleton. "We're trying to do something great this year, today was the first day of that."
As new offensive coordinator Derek Dooley makes his mark in Columbia the transition between offensive schemes has been relatively smooth for Pendleton and other offensive players.
"It's just about learning what we have to do," said Pendleton. "Different scheme, different names, different concepts as well. Football's still football at the end of the day. It's just the little nuances. But those little details matter in the game. That separates the teams who go 7-6 or go to the national championship. So that's what we're really focusing on – the little stuff."
The man Pendleton and the rest of the offensive line are protecting — a quarterback who is coming off a record-breaking season and is entering yet another season with lofty expectations — is none other than senior QB Drew Lock. Lock enters his final season at Mizzou with a myriad of versatile, experienced weapons at his disposal in the passing game.
One of those weapons, senior WR Emanuel Hall, had high praise for both his own ability to adapt to the new offensive look and also that of the remainder of the Tiger offense.
"It's been really good to have these two months over the offseason to really get used to running a full route tree," said Hall. "I think we're really confident in what we're doing right now. I think the offense has done really well."
Wrapping up day one of fall camp, Pendleton made sure to point out where the team's mindset lies ahead of their season opener against UT Martin.
"We don't care what other people think," said Pendleton. "We're going to do what we have to do to win games."
Stay tuned to #MIZCAMP18 by following Mizzou Football on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @MizzouFootball. Tickets are available for the season by calling 1-800-CAT-PAWS (884-PAWS locally) or visiting MUTigers.com/FBTix.
