Tigers to take on Illini in final Border Showdown

The Tigers enter their final Arch Rivalry game with a perfect record against the Illini.

By John Montesantos

Published Sept. 3, 2010

The Missouri football team will play Illinois on Saturday morning in the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis to begin its regular season.

The 2010 Arch Rivalry game will be the sixth and final border contest for the two teams. Missouri has yet to take a loss in the five season-opener matchups, winning each game by at least a touchdown.

Although the Tigers will have 14 returning starters this year, youth and lack of game experience is a growing issue on the offense. The permanent suspension of senior tailback Derrick Washington has put sophomore Kendial Lawrence and junior De'Vion Moore in charge of the running game. The backups-turned-starters boast just one college start between them, but Coach Gary Pinkel is confident in their ability to step up.

"We have Kendial Lawrence, who's doing a great job, and De'Vion Moore," Pinkel said in a previous Maneater article. "They are excited about the opportunity and also feel responsibility and accountability for their team. They want to produce to help their team."

The receiving core is nearly as fresh as the running game since Missouri's top receivers of 2009 both graduated. Danario Alexander and Jared Perry led the team in nearly every receiving category last year. The new targets include junior Jerrell Jackson at the X, junior Wes Kemp at the Z and sophomore T.J. Moe at the H spot.

Kemp started in all but one game in 2009 as the No. 3 wide receiver, and Jackson was third in receiving yards behind the two graduates. The two will now play starring roles in the passing game, and Moe will look to impress in his first college start.

Although the backfield and wideouts are low on experience, the offensive line and quarterback spots are all field-tested. The Tiger offensive line returns four starters to the 2010 squad, and junior quarterback Blaine Gabbert returns for his second year as a starter.

Gabbert's monster performance in last year's Illinois game bodes well for the Tigers. Then a sophomore, Gabbert threw for more than 300 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for one more in his starting debut.

Whatever youth and inexperience the offense has to work through, a veteran group on the defense should balance it out. Of the 11 starters listed for Saturday, eight are returning. Virtually the entire defensive line and defensive backfield started in 2009, and the three other players have at least one career start under their belt.

The loss of linebacker and defensive leader Sean Weatherspoon to the NFL Draft has been answered by the return of redshirt sophomore defensive end Aldon Smith. The freshman sack leader of 2008 hopes to return to top form after redshirting the 2009 season. Senior cornerback Carl Gettis and senior free safety Jasper Simmons are also returning, who both placed top in tackles and work as the kick and punt returners for the Tigers.

One part of Missouri's game the team hopes to leave behind is high penalty yardage. The Tigers averaged more than 55 penalty yards per game last season and more than 65 in conference play, which was eighth in the Big 12. Pinkel pushed his players to reverse the trend in their fall scrimmages.

"We're focusing on the little things, trying to be as perfect as possible in regards to penalties and the little things," Gabbert said.

The team has been working to perfect the "little things" for the season opener throughout training camp. Back in August, Kemp was asked which game, of all 12 this regular season, he is looking forward to the most.

"Sept. 4," he said immediately. "Illinois. My hometown."

Although the location of the season opener might bias the St. Louis-native Kemp toward game one, most of his teammates from across the country would agree. It's all about the Illinois game.

"We're extremely close," Gabbert said. "We're preparing every day to play Illinois."