Gabbert, offense earn big win in second fall scrimmage
The Missouri Tigers football team held its second major scrimmage of fall camp Thursday morning at Faurot. The offense came away with a commanding 41-19 win over the defense in the detailed scrimmage scoring system.
Junior quarterback Blaine Gabbert led the way for the "No. 1 team" offense with 208 passing yards and three touchdowns. Although the returning starting threw an efficient 16-for-21, those numbers were not the most accurate of the quarterback crew. Redshirt freshman quarterback Ashton Glaser went 9-9 for 98 yards, and fellow first-year James Franklin was 9-10 with a touchdown.
The backup slingers also got it done on the ground, as Glaser led all rushers with 49 yards on 4 rushes. The Arkansas-native showed his ability to scramble as he racked up three big gains and one rushing touchdown. Franklin also notched a touchdown on a one-yard plunge late in the scrimmage. Senior running back Derrick Washington had just 35 yards on 7 carries.
Washington did a little better through the air with 68 yards on three catches, including a 31-yard catch-and-run early. Freshman wide receiver Marcus Lucas edged out the senior with 70 receiving yards on six receptions to lead the team.
On the defensive side of the ball, the first string had a strong showing, allowing just one score on a 29-yard touchdown pass from Glaser. The first defense also finished the scrimmage strong, ending the two-minute drill with an interception by redshirt sophomore linebacker Zaviar Gooden. Fellow redshirt sophomore and defensive end Marcus Malbrough led the D-line with a pair of sacks.
While Coach Gary Pinkel saw promise on both sides of the ball, the number of penalties was disappointing. Penalty yards were a problem for the team last year and Pinkel hopes they can reverse the trend.
The Tigers are now two full weeks into fall camp and are almost two weeks away from their season opener. The Tigers will take on Illinois on Sep. 4 at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.