Analysis: Gabbert and company falling out-of-sync
The Tigers fell to 7-2 on the year with the loss.
Published Nov. 9, 2010
Missouri football dropped its second straight game Saturday at Texas Tech, bringing it to 7-2 on the year. Although the Tigers rushed for season-best numbers, the passing game was at season-worst in nearly every category.
Junior quarterback Blaine Gabbert went 12-for-30 through the air, his worst percentage of 2010 and also his lowest number of completions.
Even more shocking were Missouri’s 95 net passing yards for the game, making the loss the first game it hasn’t reached the century mark in passing yards since its blowout loss to Texas last October.
Coach Gary Pinkel knows there are a myriad of reasons why the passing attack can fail.
“If your passing game is out-of-sync, there are different parts to it,” Pinkel said. “It’s protections, it’s routes, it’s catching, it’s throwing, it’s timing. It’s all of the above.”
Sophomore wide receiver T.J. Moe leads the team in receiving yards and touchdown catches. The rising star knows how much goes into every passing play.
“There are three things that have to happen on each play,” Moe said. “The line has to get their job done, Blaine has to deliver the ball and we have to be open. A lot of times its two-out-of-three and the receivers aren’t getting it done.”
A team can recover from one dismal performance from the quarterback and receivers. But games like these are slowly becoming a trend for a Tiger pass offense that looked so promising early in Big 12 play.
In Missouri’s two wins over Texas A&M and Oklahoma, it threw for 669 yards, 61 completions and four touchdowns combined. In the last two losses to Nebraska and Texas Tech, its combined numbers are 294 yards, 30 completions and one touchdown.
Also taking a hit are the Tigers' deep routes. The longest passing plays have decreased rapidly over the past four games, from a 45-yard reception at Texas A&M to a game-long pass of 14 yards at Texas Tech.
Pinkel is not discouraged by his team’s troubles with the deep ball. Although a missed long pass is detrimental, the benefits of a big play make it more than worth the risk.
“The last thing you want to do is go for it deep and be second and 10,” Pinkel said. “That’s the last thing you want. But you still have to throw deep sometimes. You need those big plays.”
One of the reasons the deep ball, as well as many of the Tigers bread-and-butter passing plays, has not been open is opponents’ use of man-to-man coverage. After Nebraska held Missouri to 199 passing yards with a lot of man-to-man work, Texas Tech followed suit.
“Anything you struggle with on either side of the football, your next opponent is going to do it within their system,” Pinkel said. “That’s coaching 101. You don’t fix something, you’ll see it.”
Moe puts little stock in the criticism he and his fellow receivers have gotten.
“I’m not worried about the criticism," Moe said. "I’m worried about getting it fixed. We’re working hard, staying after practice catching balls, talk to Blaine and get more in-sync.”
Gabbert knows his teammates are owning up to mistakes and doing all they can to fix them.
“Everybody is being accountable,” Gabbert said. “Everybody is being responsible for their own actions. We all have to get our jobs done.”
Next up for Missouri is 6-3 Kansas State at 11:30 a.m. Saturday. Gabbert and the Tigers return to Faurot Field for their 2010 home finale.