Column: On the fence about our defense
Published April 20, 2010
How much is an individual player worth in a team sport?
In the case of Missouri football next season, approximately 15,000 fans got a spring preview Saturday in the Black & Gold Game, where the projected starters matched up against the reserves.
Junior quarterback Blaine Gabbert will shoulder fans' increased expectations for a team one year after an eight-win season with 34 underclassmen compiling the top 44 players.
But is it too much of a reach to assume Gabbert's Tigers will compete with Nebraska for a Big 12 North title next season?
Gabbert is a great quarterback; his physical characteristics have pro scouts (and girls) going cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. A high ankle sprain marred his first season as a starter, but he showed flashes of brilliance in the early going against Illinois.
There's reason to believe he might become the Big 12's most prominent (and hopefully, successful) quarterback. The Sporting News branded Gabbert as "college football's next great star."
But of what quality are the pieces around Gabbert?
Senior tailback Derrick Washington leads a certified ground game, which leaves what — the receiving corps? I didn't anticipate the receivers being a question mark here at Missouri, but with Danario Alexander's departure, the backbone of the Tiger offense needs someone to step up.
The good news is there are plenty of qualified candidates.
Juniors Jerrell Jackson and Wes Kemp played extensively last season, albeit inconsistently. Perhaps this had something to do with the vast majority of passes being thrown to Alexander, but it's safe to say another year of experience can't hurt.
Perhaps sophomore T.J. Moe could be the next breakout star for the Tigers; he led the Tigers on Saturday with 85 yards off 12 receptions.
As much as we get wrapped up in covering the offense, I believe the cliché "defense wins championships" still applies to Missouri. The Tigers have participated in some high-scoring affairs the past few years, half of the reasoning being the porous defense.
With the graduation of All-American linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, the defense represents Missouri's biggest question mark.
The defense certainly upstaged its counterparts Saturday. Led by returning Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year Aldon Smith at defensive end, the defense "outscored" the offense 34-6. Smith led the way, causing a forced fumble that was returned for a touchdown.
The oft-maligned pass coverage even registered four interceptions on the day against Missouri's sophisticated offense.
It's a shame we won't know much about this team until Oct. 9 when it starts conference play. As for the first three home games, I'd be disappointed if the Tigers didn't walk away with double-digit victories each time.
I can't blame the athletics department for scheduling those schools because in the BCS era that's what you need to do to secure victories and bowl berths. But Missouri still needs to go out and send a message.
This Tiger team is still young, lest we all forget. Another inconsistent season is possible, if not probable. Missouri follows up the patsy non-conference season with a brutal four-game stretch, including Homecoming against Oklahoma followed by a road trip to Lincoln, Neb., to face the Cornhuskers.
Last year's squad faced minimal expectations following the departure of Chase Daniel and Co. How will this year's team respond? There's only 137 days until kickoff to ponder. But hey, who's counting?