Analysis: Veteran Missouri defense starts season strong

The Tigers shut out the Illini in the second half of the season opener.

By John Montesantos

Published Sept. 10, 2010

Missouri football began the 2010 season in St. Louis last weekend against border rival Illinois. Though the Tigers seemed to struggle on both sides of the ball early, the veteran defense shut out the Illini in the second half to put the offense in a position to win.

After allowing a touchdown and two field goals in the first half, Missouri locked it down after halftime and forced multiple three-and-outs from Illinois. They also racked up four takeaways on the day to the Illini's one.

"The defense were the ones who really set the tone," coach Gary Pinkel said. "Football is hugely a momentum game, and we had a lot of momentum for a good portion of the second half."

The momentum gained by the Missouri defense in game one may have rolled over from last season, as the 2010 defense returns eight of 11 starters. Almost the entire defensive line and backfield were starters, and the remaining three have all started in their careers.

After recording just eight interceptions for 102 yards last season, the returning backfield nabbed three picks with 34 return yards in the season opener.

Senior cornerback and four-year starter Carl Gettis made a one-handed grab on an under-thrown pass in the fourth quarter. Junior strong safety Kenji Jackson and senior free safety Jasper Simmons joined him in the interception category. Both Gettis and Jackson had not made an interception since 2008, and it was only the third career pick for Gettis.

"He's a four-year starter for us," Pinkel said. "He really took his game to another level. I think that says an awful lot about him."

Simmons went down with a knee injury later in the contest. He underwent meniscus surgery Tuesday and is expected to miss one to two weeks.

The fourth turnover forced by the Missouri defense was a fumble scooped up by sophomore defensive end Brad Madison. The first-year starter saw the big picture in the Tiger's takeaway story, crediting the trust and understanding between the defensive line and the secondary.

"We know how good we are, and we trust each other," Madison said. "I trust the secondary to make plays. We believe in them."

Although Madison is third on the depth chart at the defensive end position, he saw significant reps as the Tiger's employed three and four defensive ends on the line at one time throughout the game.

"It's a good way to use our speed in passing situations," Madison said. "We put that in to get a little more speed when we know they're throwing."

Headlining Missouri's defensive end crew is redshirt sophomore Aldon Smith. Last year's Big 12 Freshman of the Year led the team with a career-high 10 tackles and two sacks in the Illinois game. The standout performance earned him Big 12 co-Defensive Player of the Week honors.

The Raytown native will be a force to be reckoned with for Missouri opponents this year, likely filling the void left by graduated linebacker Sean Weatherspoon as the new defensive leader.

Pinkel admires Smith's versatility, using the 6-foot-5-inch sack leader to speed rush the edge, spy on the quarterback, and even line up on the inside.

"He does all those things," Pinkel said. "A guy like that can break everything down. When he breaks them down, it's over. He's so athletic."

Smith hopes to improve upon last season by bringing more strength than speed to his 2010 play.

"Speed is one thing, but I think I'm developing some strength to supplement that," Smith said.

Next up for the Tigers is the home opener against McNeese State at 6 p.m Saturday. The match-up will be the first of a four-game home stand for Missouri.