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Mizzwho?

Nov. 5, 2009

Departures of Daniel, Maclin have Tigers searching for answers

McClatchy News Missouri's offense has been searching for a viable solution to the departure of Chase Daniel (pictured above). The Tigers have struggled offensively, but Baylor head coach Art Briles says it is still a dangerous unit.

By Chris Derrett
Sports writer

Four games into Big 12 play, it is obvious that Baylor's upcoming opponent is not the same Missouri Tigers team that remained ranked throughout all of last season.

But given the chaotic nature of the Bears' season, they cannot--and will not overlook any of the Tigers' facets in Columbia this Saturday.

The Tigers have been searching for ways to replace Heisman Trophy candidate Chase Daniel and standout wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, who has 293 receiving yards as a Philadelphia Eagles rookie.

Similar to last year's offense, they have relied heavily on the passing game. In eight games, sophomore quarterback Blaine Gabbert has racked up 1,896 yards through the air.

Prior to his team's first game against Illinois, Missouri coach Gary Pinkel addressed the challenge of youthful inexperience.

"There are several areas to look at. One is on what you're asking a young quarterback to do. Another part, I think it's more so the people around (Gabbert)," Pinkel said.

The running effort, led by Derrick Washington, has produced 1,210 total rush yards, and Danario Alexander has been Gabbert's leading target, hauling in 58 passes for 824 yards.

To stop Missouri's offense, the Bears hope to match their defensive play from the second half against Nebraska.

"At least we played how we know we are capable of playing. Everybody was doing their job; everybody was being where they were supposed to be," senior defensive end Jason Lamb said.

Although Missouri has less offensive firepower this season, it has tightened up its defense. Opponents average 325 yard of total offense against the Tigers, down from the 2008 average of 412, and the 2009 team has already recovered eight fumbles, as many as the previous year's squad collected all of last year.

Senior center J.D. Walton and the offensive unit have spent this week preparing for the many different looks it expects to see.

"(Missouri's) defense is all over the place. They're bringing a bunch of blitzes, their defense slants a lot and they're twisting up front," Walton said.

Art Briles recognizes the differences in both teams' situations between last year's and this year's game and looks for the positives his team can build on Saturday.

"At that time (the Tigers) were a pretty high-ranked team and we were a pretty hot football team; we felt pretty confident about what we were doing as a football team," Briles said.

Despite Missouri's lack in the win column, Baylor realizes that it must solve its own offensive woes to be successful. Quarterback Nick Florence will once again lead the unit, looking to move the ball more effectively and capitalize on red-zone opportunities.

"We have to be consistent and have positive plays on every down. We can't gain five, then go back three," Florence said.

At home against the Cornhuskers, Missouri's loss was similar to that of Baylor. The Tigers struggled to move the ball in wet weather and only managed three second-half points, eventually losing 27-12.

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