[CBFF] Behind The Stripes | Spring football around the corner - Sent Using Google Toolbar

[Tom Shannon]

Behind The Stripes | Spring football around the corner

February 21, 2008


 Spring football around the corner









 Nick King photo
Chase Daniel and the Missouri football team return to the field in 19
days for spring practices.
 The sun wasn't up, but pulses were pumping inside the Devine Pavilion
early this morning. While you were still sleeping, your Missouri
football team was running. And summersaulting. And crawling. And
sweating.

"This is the most important thing we do," Gary Pinkel told me a little
after 6 a.m. this morning as we watched his team go through one of its
twice-weekly morning bootcamp sessions that Pinkel dubs the "Winning
Edge Program." The grueling hour-long full-squad workouts include a
variety of non-ball drills that teach running fundamentals,
explosiveness, agility, endurance and, perhaps most important, mental
toughness. (And yes, much to the disappointment of Pinkel, quarterback
Chase Daniel and assistant coach Dave Steckel, I was just a casual
observer today. Grading on the sportswriter's curve, I'd consider
myself in above average shape for my profession, but last night's
dinner would have carpeted Pinkel's FieldTurf had I tried a drill or
two. I'll save my workout for after dawn, thank you.)

It's during these brutally early run-'til-you-puke sessions where team
bonds are formed and leaders emerge, and upon this first glance of the
2008 Tigers, here's my early read on this team: It's hungry for more.
After a few mat drills, you'd have never known it was 6:30 a.m. in the
middle of February, on a school day, no less. It almost looked like
fun — almost.

 I've been wondering which returning players will fill the huge
leadership voids left by '07 captains Lorenzo Williams, Martin Rucker
and Pig Brown, but a few caught my eye today: wideout Tommy Saunders,
defensive tackle Ziggy Hood and free safety William Moore.


Moore
 Speaking of Moore, he wasn't running with his teammates, nor will he
for a while. The All-American candidate will miss all spring practices
after recently undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum, Pinkel
said. Moore is wearing a bulky sling but is expected to fully recover
by the summer. This could be a blessing for the Tigers' secondary
considering that Moore's starting position is as safe as any player's
other than maybe Daniel. With Moore sidelined during spring ball,
backups Del Howard, Gilbert Moye and perhaps Kevin Rutland should
benefit from the extra playing time.

Also, defensive end Stryker Sulak underwent minor knee surgery to
repair some damaged cartilage. He could be back practicing for the
second half of spring practices after the team returns from spring
break. … Coming off December surgery for a torn ACL, wide receiver
Danario Alexander was running lightly and could get some minimal work
after spring break, too. … After January ankle surgery, tight end
Chase Coffman appeared to be running at full strength and should be
ready for spring, Pinkel said.

….

Speaking of spring football …

Missouri's Cotton Bowl trophy is barely collecting dust, but spring is
nearly here — though you wouldn't know it with another layering of ice
blanketing Columbia this morning. Leading up to the opening of spring
practices on March 11, we'll preview each position group and tell you
what we'll be watching as the Tigers hold 15 practices over 40 days.
We start, as usual, behind center.

Here's how good the Tigers have it at QUARTERBACK: There could be
three viable candidates for the backup job this fall, between senior
Chase Patton, redshirt sophomore Dominic Grooms and true freshman
Blaine Gabbert. (Of course, Pinkel will say all jobs are open for
competition, but let's assume you can pencil in that Heisman finalist
as your starter.)

Either way, I can't imagine a team having a better depth scenario at
quarterback, other than having a backup with significant game
experience. I'd like to look this up, but I doubt there will be many
teams with three Elite 11 QB Camp quarterbacks on their roster this
fall. Granted, Patton's career never took off, but you can't knock his
talent. Even Daniel has told me he's amazed by Patton's arm strength.
(And in case you're still wondering about those January rumors that
Patton wasn't coming back for his senior season, he was putting
himself through the same torturous drills his teammates grinded
through this morning.)

So, what to watch this spring? My eyes will be on Grooms, the
forgotten man in the backup conversation. Can he close the gap on
Patton for the backup job? Becoming No. 2 job requires consistency,
poise, some sense of leadership and production. The top candidate
can't just show flashes of big-play ability; he's got to avoid
turnovers and lead scoring drives. Essentially, he has to earn one
thing from his coaches and teammates: trust. Can they place the ball
in his hands — and the fate of the program — should the unthinkable
injury happen to the starter? That's exactly what Patton earned last
spring and summer. Now, it's Grooms' opportunity to do the same. If he
wants to win the No. 2 job — and leave an impression for 2009 when
he'll be a candidate for the top job — he better show something this
spring, before Gabbert arrives for fall camp. I suspect Daniel will
get the quick hook during spring scrimmages, giving Patton and Grooms
plenty of chances to audition for the job. At this point, it might
take a huge breakthrough from Grooms to unseat Patton.

This entry will inevitably lead to questions about the other
quarterback who came to MU with Grooms in 2006, J.P. Tillman. As I've
written before, I just haven't seen enough production or consistency
from Tillman in two years of practice to consider him a legit horse in
the race. Perhaps he'll have a nice spring, but he's clearly No. 4
going into March. There's some skill in that big body of his, but he
just hasn't shown much steady play the last two years. In his defense,
though, he's mostly worked behind walk-on and freshman offensive
linemen.




 Posted by Dave Matter at 01:47 PM