Game Closer Than the Final Score
By Adam Bendiksen
Game Notes:
Almost in spite of the final score, Missouri had a number of chances to win this game. They piled up 313 yards of offense in the first half, but trailed 24 -17. An 88 yard kick return was called back, a pick-six went right through WR Wes Kemp’s hands, and another touchdown bomb was dropped, all in the first half. Then, like they did against Nebraska, the Tigers really imploded in the second half, accounting for less than 100yds of offense. Granted, QB Blaine Gabbert played on a severely sprained ankle and it showed, but blame can’t be solely place on him. Missouri just can’t seem to finish games.
College: Missouri -- Conference: Big 12
LB - Sean Weatherspoon, #12 - 6' 0.5" - 245 - 4.75 - 2010: Butkus finalist in ’08 had another typical game for him, featuring multiple tackles and several vicious hits. NFL body and athleticism, and when he’s focused, can be dominant. Not always the case though, as he tends to take series off. Can run sideline to sideline and stone a back in the hole. Explosive, powerful tackler. Plays off blocks and keeps his feet, but can be tied up by big linemen. Handles FB’s and TE’s. Great range, but sometimes is overaggressive and overruns a play or blows a coverage. Fluid in space, and displays good functional speed. GRADE: Very Positive
WR - Jared Perry, #4 - 6' 0.5" - 180 - 4.40 - 2010: Lean, athletic receiver with good hands and body control. Willingly goes over the middle despite his frame and will catch the ball in traffic. Smooth and adjusts well to poorly thrown balls. Solid speed and quickness and can get deep. Runs well after the catch. Needs to put on strength/muscle as he may have trouble escaping the jam at the next level. Must learn to sell his routes and run his patterns more crisply. GRADE: Positive
WR - Danario Alexander, #81 - 6' 4.0" - 210 - 4.50 - 2010: Missouri’s leading receiver had a career game in this contest (178 yards, TD). Was once ahead of Jeremy Maclin on the depth chart, but three knee surgeries set him back. Still wears a brace which affects his initial quickness, but moves well and has good long speed and acceleration. Huge target with long arms and a reported 46” vertical leap. Goes over the middle, fights for the ball, and runs very well after the catch. Great body control and snares poorly thrown passes. Great hands and is a reliable target. Very tough; will take a shot and fight for yardage. Key will be how his knee checks out; has NFL tools. GRADE: Positive
OT - Kurtis Gregory, #78 - 6' 4.0" - 305 - 5.30 - 2010: Most underrated prospect on the Tigers appears as though he’d be a good swing lineman in the NFL, maybe more. Lines up primarily at RG, but shifts to RT in goal line and short yardage situations. NFL body with decent athleticism, strength and quickness. Plays with leverage and displays fine technique as both a run and pass blocker. Quick off the ball and into his sets; consistently keeps a wide, low base. Can pull & run some and blocks pretty well on the second level. Gets some push and can handle power and quickness in pass sets. Extremely smart, as his second-year grad-student status can attest. Not flashy, just consistently effective. GRADE: Positive
C - Tim Barnes, #62 - 6' 4.0" - 305 - 0.00 - 2011: Tough, scrappy overachiever who’s somewhat limited athletically, but gets by with smarts and technique. Solid quickness off the ball, and plays with leverage and a good base. Mirrors and slides. Uses his hands well. Can be overpowered by huge DT’s, and can be beaten by double moves and quickness inside. Works well in combination. Position/seal run blocker. Not special, but solid. GRADE: Neutral
NT - Jaron Baston, #96 - 6' 0.1" - 305 - 5.20 - 2010: Squat DT with long arms and a huge lower unit. Plays with natural leverage and does a good job of tying up blockers inside. Decent athlete who keeps his feet, shows some power and gets some penetration on occasion. Not a great pass rusher, but put a painful hit on Zac Robinson in the endzone in this game. Smart player who understands what offenses are trying to do. Reads screens and has enough speed to make the tackle. Solid backup/rotation type DT. GRADE: Somewhat Positive
College: Oklahoma State -- Conference: Big 12
OG - Andrew Lewis, #54 - 6' 4.0" - 295 - 5.10 - 2010: Athletic lineman with long arms who is now starting at center. Good quickness off the ball and into pass sets. Can run and blocks well on the second level. Not the biggest guy, but displays functional strength and plays with leverage. More of a position/seal run blocker, but gets some push. Strong hands and is hard to shed once he locks on. Good balance and adjusts well to a defender’s second move. Scrapper who can play multiple positions. GRADE: Positive
OT - Russell Okung, #76 - 6' 4.0" - 290 - 5.00 - 2010: Premier LT prospect in the nation who possesses all the necessary tools. Great athlete with balance, agility, quickness and great feet. Very quick into his pass sets and adjusts well to second moves. Plays with a strong base and leverage, and can handle both power and speed. Quick, strong hands and sticks like glue to blocks. More of a position/seal run blocker but gets into his man so quickly he usually dictates the action. Runs very well and excels blocking in space. Will never be huge, but will start at LT for many years and play at a pro bowl level. Probable top-ten pick, maybe top-five. GRADE: Very Positive
LB - Andre Sexton, #20 - 6' 0.5" - 217 - 4.60 - 2010: Former safety still learning the ropes as a LB, but displays far too much natural talent and athleticism to not get a shot in the pros. Might be the best pass coverage ‘backer in the nation. In this contest, he repeatedly lined up one-on-one against receivers in the slot, and was not beaten for one completion even though he was targeted. Was called on an interference, but it was close. Runs very well and has great agility. Makes plays all over the field. Will need to be shielded from blockers due to his size, but does not shy from contact. Tries to slip blocks, but if the play comes right at him and there’s no way around, he’ll submarine the blocker and cut him down. Good open field tackler. Could move back to safety, be a 4-3 Will backer, or make an excellent nickel LB at the next level. Nice upside. GRADE: Positive
LB - Patrick Lavine, #4 - 6' 2.0" - 225 - 4.60 - 2010: Sexton’s counterpart on the outside had a nice game in this contest. Plays on the weakside and does a little of everything. Moves well in coverage (not as well as Sexton), and is a good open field tackler. Brings some heat off the corner on the blitz. Active vs. the run and makes many tackles, but can be handled one-on-one when blockers get into his body. Protects his legs and keeps his feet. Plays sideline to sideline. Disruptive player who frequently penetrates the backfield. GRADE: Somewhat Positive
HB - Keith Toston, #5 - 6' 0.5" - 210 - 4.50 - 2010: Backup to Kendall Hunter, has shined since he’s gotten his opportunity. Complete back who’s not flashy but does everything well. Best attribute might be as a pass blocker. Makes the right reads and sticks his blocks. Very good receiver who can line up wide, in the slot, release into the flat or burn defenses on the screen. Smooth, patient runner ideally suited for a zone-blocking scheme. Not much wiggle, but patiently follows his blocks and hits the hole hard at the right moment. Good vision and senses the soft spots. Lowers his shoulders and breaks tackles. Finishes his runs going forward. Prefers to run between the tackles, but has enough speed to get outside. Sleeper. GRADE: Positive
QB - Zac Robinson, #11 - 6' 2.0" - 205 - 4.60 - 2010: Competitive, athletic project. Loose mechanics and a long delivery, but can stick all the throws when given time and his feet are set. Moves well in the pocket and keeps his eyes downfield. Strong but somewhat erratic arm. Long strider who’s faster than he looks and is dangerous running with the ball. Has the ability to improvise, but needs to be tempered to smooth out the rough spots and to play within the offense. Has upside. GRADE: Somewhat Positive
CB - Perrish Cox, #16 - 6' 0.5" - 190 - 4.50 - 2010: Best DB on the roster and a definite pro prospect. Physical, well built corner who can deliver a shot, though is an erratic tackler in the open field. Will take bad angles on occasion, but closes hard on action in front of him. Attacks the run. Prefers tight coverage and can stay hip-pocket when in bump-and-run. Doesn’t seem to be comfortable in zones. Can sky to break up passes, but won’t always high-point the ball. Will surrender completions. Very tough and is playing his way through a serious shoulder separation. Plays on coverage units and is a dynamic kick returner capable of going the distance. Inconsistency is his worst enemy, but has nice upside. GRADE: Positive
DE - Derek Burton, #98 - 6' 4.0" - 265 - 4.80 - 2010: Versatile linemen who lines up at DT in the 4-3 and DE in the 3-4. Has some quickness. Shows some speed on the rush and in pursuit. Huge lower body but thin up top; needs to put on size and muscle. Gets rooted out straight ahead, but gets some penetration and can be disruptive. Solid pass rusher. Must hit the weights hard if he’s to have a chance. GRADE: Neutral
WR - Dez Bryant, #1 - 6' 2.0" - 210 - 4.45 - 2011: Superstar suspended for the season and will go pro in 2010. First-rounder for sure. Best of luck. GRADE: Very Positive, despite excessive punishment.
LB - Orie Lemon, #41 - 6' 0.5" - 249 - 4.80 - 2010: Big, physical MLB. Injured and out of action in this contest. Status uncertain. GRADE: Incomplete
HB - Kendall Hunter, #24 - 5' 7.5" -190 - 4.50 - 2011: Electric All-American. Injured but will return later in season. Probable 2nd-3rd round pick in 2011. GRADE: Incomplete
Other Players of Note: Sophomore Blaine Gabbert has the makings of a star at QB for the Missouri Tigers, and defensively they appear to have a bright future. Freshman DE Aldon Smith was born to rush the passer, and junior DB’s Carl Gettis (CB) and Jasper Simmons (S/KR) lead a young secondary laden with potential. In the absence of Dez Bryant, OSU sophomore WR Hubert Anyium had his first 100yd. outing, and looks like an impending beast. Junior DE Ugo Chinasa displays play-making ability and seniors Donald Booker (MLB) and Lucien Antoine (S) might finally have done enough to register on pro radars.
