Join Mizzou beat writer Dave Matter for his live chat at 1 p.m. Thursday
Bring your Tigers football, basketball and recruiting questions, and talk to Dave Matter in a live chat at 1 p.m. Thursday.
-
-
-
Yes, as I reported at the time, the search committee and board of curators were focused on three coaches: Arkansas State's Blake Anderson, Army's Jeff Monken and Louisiana Tech's Skip Holtz. Monken is still doing his thing at Army and beat Missouri in the Armed Forces Bowl. Anderson moved to Utah State and went 11-3 last year. He's a very solid coach. I'm not sure how he would have recruited in the SEC but he's widely respected as a program builder. Holtz went 5-5 and 3-9 the last two years and was fired. He's now a head coach in the USFL.
-
-
-
-
There's nothing easy about what the softball team has done. It's just done it better, relatively in the SEC, than Missouri's other teams. For one, the program's had two very good coaches in Earleywine and now Anderson. Both have recruited well. Both, in their own ways, produce teams that are fundamentally sound. Also, in softball you don't have to recruit and develop and entire pitching staff. You need three arms, two decent arms and sometimes just one elite arm. In baseball you have to construct an entire staff, which Missouri has proven is incredibly challenging in a sport where you only get 11.7 full scholarships. Softball requires far fewer roster spots because of the pitching demands but gets 12 full scholarships to allocate.
-
Dave, every season is “pivotal” for a program trying to establish consistency and optimism for growth. And recruiting and transfer additions have provided some enthusiasm for 2022. But for now it’s tenuous and dependent in large part on how the season turns out. How concerned do you feel the coaching staff and administration is that a so far lukewarm NIL response, particularly if coupled with a .500 or less record will setback progress? If it becomes a incentive for prominent players to depart for better NIL earnings at other schools that would setback what MU is working to develop in addition to ginning up pressure to build the NIL program. At this point slow NIL development looks as likely to become an impediment as it will provide a boost. Better to avoid now than to have to overcome later.
-
NIL support isn't going to make or break Missouri's teams, but it's obviously something the coaches and administration will want in their favor. Now that coaches and ADs in Missouri will be allowed to interact with the NIL collectives - starting Aug. 28, provided Gov. Parson signs the bill - then that should give the coaches more control with the money that's raised.
-
-
Abraham hasn't played at a Power 5 school like the two Daniels (Jayden, JT) and Bohanon (Baylor), so he hasn't played as many games against Power 5 competition. That has to be taken into consideration when measuring his stats. He's not much of a running threat, not in the same galaxy as Jayden Daniels or Bohanon but probably more nimble than JT Daniels. Drinkwitz's stated goal is for the quarterback to get two first downs per game with his feet. In 27 games at Southern Miss, he ran for just 36 first downs. So, we're not talking about Brad Smith here.But in his second and third years in Hattiesburg, he was accurate and efficient - when he wasn't throwing interceptions. He strikes me as the type of quarterback who could be effective in a system that's full of more athletic playmakers and balanced by an elite defense. Again, though, that's only true if he cuts back on the turnovers .If so, the easy comparison is Stetson Bennett at Georgia. He had success last year because he didn't make costly mistakes and he let his receivers and defense win the game. I believe Missouri has the playmakers at receiver to win games with a limited QB - but I'm not sold on the defense yet. It's certainly not a 2021 Georgia defense.As for the one year of eligibility, yes, that's a positive for mizzou. He's not a threat to take up any space beyond 2022 or get in the way of Sam Horn, Gabarri Johnson or the QB they sign for 2024.
-
Any comment on Nick saban’s statement about the TXAM number 1 recruiting class. He said “A&M bought every player they recruited with an NIL deal. Alabama didn’t buy one player. “ saban didn’t mention that ALabama FB players made $3 million in NIL deals themselves, including the $1 million deal for their Heisman trophy winning QB
Should be an interesting Bama-A&M game this coming October. -
The back and forth between Saban and Fisher was great theater for a Thursday in may. Some context: Saban's comments came at a speaking engagement in front of business leaders in Birmingham. He was recruiting - recruiting NIL money for his players and recruits. He doesn't say anything unless he's being calculated. My hunch is he knew Fisher would be upset about the comments, but that's collateral damage. The greater good for Saban was making a pitch to potential donors who can help his program be more competitive in the NIL market. Finebaum isn't calling out A&M like that if he's appearing on the Paul Finebaum show or talking to a few local reporters.I don't blame Fisher for being upset. Until the NCAA actually cracks down on the NIL collectives, A&M is playing the game the way everyone expected the game to be played once NIL rules were lifted last summer.
-
-
Assuming all the players on both rosters show up, I'm leaning toward Team Bowers. Here are the rosters, as announced today:
I'll go with the team that's in the better shape.Carroll was in the NBA last season; Paulding, even though he's pushing 40, just recently retired from a long international career; Geist is young and still playing pro ball in Europe. I'm not sure about Peeler's fitness level these days, but even at 52, I'm guessing he can hit some shots.But then on Team Bowers, you've got Denmon and Phil Pressey, who still play professionally. Booker is close to 50 and might have lost his shooter's legs, but I bet he can still get some buckets. Doug Smith is no longer the svelte big man he was in 1990, but he's still a presence inside. Bowers can still get up and down the court.I'll go with Team Bowers with Denmon as the game MVP. -
Finally in his fourth offer to a QB in the FB tranfer portal, Eli gOt Jack Abraham to commit to MU. Is Abraham the best of the four who Eli pursued. Passing for 3400 yards at Southern Miss in 2019 is impressive, but that was in the AAC league and not the SEC. i assume Abraham is ready to compete and completely over his 2021 injury issues? I was more intrigued with Bohannon because he started 10 games at Baylor last year and seemingly would have more experience than Cook and Macon.
-
I don't consider Abraham the best of the four by any measure. JT Daniels is the best pure passer when healthy. Jayden Daniels probably has the most electric arm and figures to be the most dangerous runner. Bohanon is a true dual threat who's both a competent passer and runner and by all accounts a great leader.Abraham has had at least a couple concussions. I'm not aware of any other injury issues.
-
-
-
-
Javon Foster quietly put together a solid year at left tackle. He allowed two sacks and 19 pressures on 514 pass blocking snaps. Losing Hyrin White - if in fact he's out extensively into 2022 - is a blow at right tackle. They have experience at the two guard spots whether it's Delgado, Griffin, Wood or someone else. Center figures to be a competition between Polgar and Tollison. Right tackle should be up for grabs too with White out. I'm not sure Mizzou will have an elite O-line by any means, but it's been solid the last two years in Drinkwitz's system. I'd expect the same.
-
-
The staffs would have to work out a compromise so he can get enough work in both sports during the spring. It might not be possible to be present for every baseball game/practice early in the season. This year's spring game fell on March 19, and at that time, baseball team was playing its first of 10 SEC series. So, it won't be easy to jump from football to baseball but not impossible. If he becomes the starting quarterback, I suspect you'll see him dabble in baseball and not be fully committed to playing every game.
-
When I lived in Columbia a bunch of years ago (most of the 1980s) it was still very much a college town that got a big sleepy in the summers. What's the vibe like there, these days, and what degree do you sense it plays into whether players want to be at that school? (I realize it varies from kid to kid).
-
There's a lot to do in Columbia outside of the university. Golf. Lots of youth sports. Great music venues. A cool arts scene. In the fall, Roots n Blues has become one of the best music festivals in the country. True/False is a major film festival every spring. There are countless fun places away from campus to spend a summer day. Logboat. Rose Music Hall. Cooper's Landing. Pierpont.
-
I hope the media is thrilled with how NIL and transfer portal has left college football. I know you and every other member of the media doesn’t think this is a bad thing but for most college football fans it’s terrible we don’t want players just going to the highest bidders. And please don’t use the lazy crutch that it was happening already before so it’s no big deal now. That is incorrect, there’re may have been some cheating going on but now everyone is going to the highest bidder. I would love the post to do a poll on what fans actually think and not the media providing the narrative.
-
Hate to disappoint you, but the portal/immediate eligibility/NIL makes my job more interesting. Would some roster continuity be better for the sport? Maybe, but not at the expense of punishing athletes for wanting to change schools. They're just students, not employees, right? Then why should they be locked into one school over four years?You think college football TV ratings will drop off or attendance will decrease this year? If so that would indicate fan interest is down. My guess is you won't see that happen - or in the case of attendance no more than what we've already seen trending the last decade or so.Also, not every player who transfers or every high school recruit who picks a school is getting NIL money for making that decision. Dennis Gates wasn't using NIL promises to add players from Cleveland State or Milwaukee or Northern Iowa.
-
Piggy Backing on Aetiger's point ... in today's SEC world, it will be a tall order to play QB and baseball. Phil Bradley did it back in my day at Mizzou (and worked an off-season job at the record store next to the Shack on Conley (where the alumni center is, now). But that was a different football world. Deion and Bo did it, too, but they weren't playing QB. Obviously he thinks he can do it but it has to hurt his progress in both, wouldn't you think?
-
I don't think it's worth worrying about now. If he realizes he has a professional future in one of the two, he'll likely focus on that sport. He wants to play both now. He's also a high school senior. Once he gets to campus, gets immersed in both programs the challenges of playing both sports full-time will become apparent. If he's intent on spending time with both teams at some capacity, it's in the coaches' best interest to cooperate and make it work.
-
-
-
-
-
What are your thoughts on QB Macon? He seems like a strong team leader type, dual threat, 4 star out of HS. Can Eli help him improve his passing game (accuracy, arm strength, etc.) to the point he can compete for the starting QB job this year, especially if Horn signs an MLB contract? If he doesn't get a chance will there be negative impact on recruiting East StL HS that consistently produce high level FB talent?
-
To this point he's still developing as a passer and I'm not sure he has the arm to beat out Cook or Abraham for the job. He can make plays with his legs, but so can Cook.Here's what QBs coach Bush Hamdan said when I asked him about Macon a couple months ago: “Everything is just really coming down to his consistency as a thrower, because certainly every day, he makes about three or four plays that a lot of guys don't make. For him, it’s just doing the easy things over and over and over again at a high level. It certainly starts with accuracy.""I certainly think from a release standpoint, from an accuracy standpoint, (his throwing motion has) got to be repeatable. I don't think you're ever going into a direction where you're completely changing a guy's mechanics. But you're certainly watching it with him and going like, eight out of nine or nine out of 10 times we’ve got to be hitting the spots we need to hit."If Drinkwitz doesn't believe Macon gives Missouri the best chance to win games, why would his hometown hold that against him? Would a community rather see Missouri win games or their quarterback be the starter? I've never understood that reasoning or the fear from fans/media.II Cook doesn't win the job will there be a negative impact on St. Louis county and the Catholic high schools?
-
How does Sam Horn compare to Drew Lock? They seem to have similar multi-sport athlete backgrounds, vocal leaders, can wing the pigskin around, but we saw how Drew struggled when thrown into starting as a freshman. Are we potentially looking at Deja vu all over again?
-
I'd be cautious in comparing the two in terms of how Horn would handle the job as a true freshman. Lock's circumstances were pretty unique. No one ever thought he'd start as a freshman - but no one thought the veteran QB would leave the program like he did, or that a campus protest would disrupt the season, or the head coach would announce his retirement with three games left in the season. There was a lot thrown on Lock's plate all at once - and he was under constant duress in the pocket.I've interviewed Horn, never met him in person, so I'm not going to pretend to know how he''d be able the job as a freshman and all that adversity that comes with being a starting QB in the SEC. He's obviously a talented athlete and won at a high level at his high school.
-
-
-
-
Missouri should win and maybe sweep through the tourney. This is not vintage Arizona. The Wildcats went 0-6 against the two best teams in the Pac-12 - UCLA and Arizona State - and were outscored 43-2.The Tigers have beaten Illinois twice this season - and that was before MU was playing well.
-
-
I don't think it's a must-win. Mizzou could lose at Kansas State by a field goal, bounce back and beat Abilene Christian and then a shaky Auburn team and still be 3-1 going into the Georgia game. That's a decent start for a team that's going to be picked fifth or sixth in the SEC East. When you're just an OK team and playing evenly matched opponents most weeks, there's not a whole lot of momentum from one week to the next in college football. I've seen decent teams struggle to put away an FCS opponent one week then go soundly beat a good Power 5 team the next week - and the other way around. The 2014 Missouri team got embarrassed at home by Indiana then a week later beat No. 13 South Carolina on the road. Or the 2020 team. Barely competitive one week at Tennessee, damn good the next week over LSU.Mizzou could lose at Kansas State and still put together a very respectable season. On the flip side, Mizzou could win at K-State and still a very disappointing season.
-
-