SB Nation - Aaron O'Neal

Mizzou Links, 8-7-09

Bill C. — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 10:54:00 -0000

I think I've figured out the two prettiest words in the English language: PRACTICE REPORT!!!!!!!1!!!! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!1!!!1!!!!!!!!!!!!

DAVE...excuse me, forgot to take caps lock off...Dave Matter, take it away.

The players have gone with "Beast M.O.D.E." as their official team slogan for the season. But they’re not sharing its secret meaning. "We can’t talk about it," Weatherspoon said. "It’s a team motto. It’s just a place you want to go, kind of like the Incredible Hulk. You get on the field, you just have to transform into something else besides just a regular guy. I won’t get into the acronym, but you can know it stands for something. We’ll talk about it later. When the season’s over, you and I’ll talk about it." Fair enough, Capt. Spoon.

...

There’s certainly a new defensive boss running the show. That much was obvious midway through practice when defensive coordinator Dave Steckel chewed out safety Kenji Jackson after what looked like a blown coverage on a deep pass to Alexander. "Get me a free safety!" Stec shouted as Del Howard replaced Jackson. "Are you kidding me?"

Other reports...and there are quite a few (WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!)...

PowerMizzou: Camp Is Open
Speaking of freshmen, the first one I noticed when I walked out to the practice fields was Donovan Bonner. On signing day, Bruce Walker told me Bonner was "a sandwich away from being a linebacker." He must have stopped at Subway on his way to Columbia. He looks good. His big brother in camp is Sean Weatherspoon. It's too early to speculate which youngsters might play, but I've got my eye on No. 8.
PowerMizzou: Freshman Q&A: TJ Moe
PM: Coming in, people were speculating what position you'd play. Safety, running back, even quarterback were all mentioned. Do you feel like you can best utilize your talent as a receiver?

MOE (laughing): That's what they think. It's fine with me. I've been put in the position where I can do a lot of things. I've really been blessed. When I was a little kid I played fullback, running back, I even played nose guard. I've been playing all over the place. I played receiver when I was a sophomore in high school, so I'm just getting re-adjusted to it a little bit. It's not really a difficult thing. I know what's going on, and like I said, the older guys are doing a great job to make sure we know what's going on. It's really not a hard transition. Either way, I've got some learning to do - everyone does. I mean, we're going to college now.
Mutigers.com: Football Practice Report

Highlights from the day came from linebackers Will Ebner and Andrew Gachkar early on, as they both grabbed interceptions in passing game drill work. Later on, when it came down to 11-on-11 scrimmaging, QB Blaine Gabbert looked good in his few plays as he hooked up with TE Andrew Jones on a mid-range gainer, before showing good speed on the next play when he tucked the ball after finding no-one open downfield. He got about five yards downfield in a hurry, before he was met by Sean Weatherspoon, who could only touch Gabbert down. Spoon closed in a hurry and he most definitely would have laid a big hit on the QB were it a live game situation.
KC Star: As practice begins, Tigers aren't talking like Big 12 also-rans

So what if Nebraska has been picked to win the Big 12 North? Or Kansas? Frankly, most Missouri players don’t take issue with those who champion Kansas.

"Kansas, they’ve got a lot of guys coming back," said linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, another senior captain. "Everybody knows it. It’s understood. "I won’t get into Nebraska. It’s Nebraska. They’re going to get their respect. Good luck to those guys."
Post-Dispatch: New era begins at MU

So, on his first official day as the frontrunner to become the Tigers' 2009 starter, Gabbert wasn't afraid to use a little hyperbole when asked how he gauges a good performance in practice.

"Score on every pass,'' he said. "You have to expect the best out of yourself, so I'm trying to complete every pass, make something happen and eliminate the mental errors."
The Missourian: Cornerback enjoys return to field as Missouri football practices start

"Today, day one, (they) have a tendency not to run to the ball. We were on top of everybody trying to get them to run to the football. Having pride of what you do on the field, that no coach questions your effort on the field — that's what we're trying to get done today," Ford said.

"I just want playmakers at that position. That's a position where guys have to produce, be fundamentally sound, and make plays for our defense. If we can get that out of our corners, we're going to be very successful."

The Trib has video as well.

Gary Pinkel, Aug. 6 from Dave Matter on Vimeo.

And in case you missed the comments from yesterday, the team's plans for continuously honoring Aaron O'Neal are freaking great.

Another "in case you missed it": Preseason Depth Chart.

Photo galleries!

Rivals.com has made a list of the nation's biggest shoes to fill. Guess who makes the list.

Mailbags!

Since it's still K-State Week, I'm including this "Are K-State fans expecting too much?" link (via BOTC). And because Illinois is first up on the docket, here's a summer look at UI from Rivalry, Esq.

Feel like continuing the Big 12 vs SEC debate? Bruce Feldman's your man!

Finally, nothing to do with Mizzou, but Stewart Mandel takes a look at the 25th anniversary of BYU's national title and asks, can it ever happen again? I say yes...if it's a case with circumstances a lot like 1984:

1) It needs to be a team who has been good for a while (like Boise State) and can get a head start on the polls. Heading into 1984, BYU had finished 1983 ranked 7th in the country and though they weren't ranked in the 1984 preseason (they had lost Steve Young), the name recognition bumped them up the list pretty quickly. They were 8th by Week Three and 4th heading into November.

2) Everything has to break right. In 1984, everybody who got to the top of the polls lost. Auburn started at #1 and lost their first game. Miami-FL made it to #1, then immediately ceded the spot to Nebraska, who lasted three weeks. Texas took over for two, then Washington laid claim to 1st place for a month. They lost, and Nebraska jumped back to #1, but only for a week. They lost to OU, and BYU took #1. Here's the final pre-bowl AP poll. BYU had not played much of a tough schedule (they did try--they played preseason #3 Pittsburgh in the first week of the season and beat them, but Pitt crashed and burned at 3-7-1, which didn't help), but I think at #1 in the AP Poll with everybody else having suffered losses, BYU would have played OU in the BCS title game that year. It's certainly possible that Washington would have snuck ahead of them, but they had only played one team better than 7-5 themselves (USC), and they lost that game. I think BYU would have snuck in.

Oh yeah, and...

Mizzou-KSU (and the rest of the Big 12): Beyond the Box Score

Bill C. — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:00:05 -0000

Alright, as with last week's piece, I'll start with KSU-MU analysis, then drop in all of last week's Big 12 BTBS box scores...and as always, the most interesting stuff is bolded...

K-State (24)		Mizzou (41)
	% Close = 41.8%
34.6%	Field Position %	65.4%
59.5%	Leverage %	67.1%

	TOTAL
74	Plays	79
21.60	EqPts	35.52
32.4%	Success Rate	41.8%
0.29	Points Per Play (PPP)	0.45
.616	S&P (Success + PPP)	0.867

	CLOSE GAME ONLY
32	Plays	32
2.53	EqPts	13.78
25.0%	Success Rate	43.8%
0.08	PPP	0.43
0.329	S&P	0.868

	RUSHING
12.86	EqPts	17.05
38.7%	Success Rate	42.1%
0.41	PPP	0.45
0.802	S&P	0.870
2.84	Line Yards/carry	2.97

	PASSING
8.74	EqPts	18.47
27.9%	Success Rate	41.5%
0.20	PPP	0.45
0.483	S&P	0.865

	NON-PASSING DOWNS
40.9%	Success Rate	45.3%
0.42	PPP	0.56
0.830	S&P	1.014

	PASSING DOWNS
20.0%	Success Rate	34.6%
0.10	PPP	0.22
0.304	S&P	0.568

	TURNOVERS
2	Number	2
2.71	Points Lost	6.15
6.87	Points Given	2.41
9.58	Total T/O Pts	8.56
-1.02	Turnover Pts Margin	+1.02

0.315	Q1 S&P	0.824
0.320	Q2 S&P	1.145
0.931	Q3 S&P	0.453
1.163	Q4 S&P	1.039

0.771	1st Down S&P	1.008
0.545	2nd Down S&P	0.810
0.451	3rd Down S&P	0.535

The Mizzou offense sputtered all night, as Chase Daniel seemed to have misplaced what arm strength he has in the locker-room before the game. The defense, however, never gave K-State even a millisecond to breathe. These are about the best close-game defensive stats that you'll ever see from a Mizzou defense. Mizzou's 0.868 close-game S&P was a big disappointment considering the opponent, but K-State's 0.329 close-game S&P was amazingly low.
Mizzou's biggest defensive problems in '08: occasional Passing Down lapses, Passing PPP. K-State's Passing Downs S&P: 0.304. K-State's Passing PPP: 0.20. The fact that KSU only managed an overall 0.29 PPP despite a 93-yard run against the Mizzou scrubs tells you all you need to know, really. We're all quick to unleash fury when Mizzou's defense doesn't live up to standards (as against Baylor), but we should be just as quick to throw praise in their direction when they're this dominant. K-State's problem hasn't been offense this year (they don't have a great offense, but it's certainly been solid, especially in the passing game), but Mizzou completely and totally shut them down.
Mizzou was as big an overachiever as you could find in the first half of the season when it came to success on Passing Downs. But Chase Daniel has lost his mojo in this regard, and he knows it. We can win the North even if he doesn't rediscover the magic, but we sure as hell won't have a chance in the Big 12 title game without it.

And now, a review of last week's "key players"...

Key Players: Kansas State

WRs Deon Murphy and Aubrey Quarles

While Josh Freeman was in the game (i.e. while the game was still technically a game), Deon Murphy had 3 catches for 32 yards and 0.90 EqPts. Aubrey Quarles? A big fat goose egg. I mentioned that Banks was the #1 threat, and he would likely get the Carl Gettis Treatment, and he did indeed. With Freeman at QB, Banks had 7 catches...for 24 yards and a 28.5% success rate, which is just awful. Granted, Banks was still in the game late and predictably did much better against Mizzou's 2nd- and 3rd-stringers, scoring two TDs and putting up 103 yards in the last two minutes. Congrats for that, Brandon. FAIL.

QB Josh Freeman

I'll say this much: Freeman's instincts running the ball have improved. He rushed 13 times for 69 yards and a 54% success rate, infinitely better than the 32 yards (on 12 carries) and 17% success rate of Lamark Brown. However, he does not even appear to be a 1% better passer than he was when he stepped onto Faurot Field two years ago as a true freshman. His BTBS passing line: 29 pass attempts, 27.6% success rate, 4.02 EqPts (0.14 PPP), 0.415 S&P. That's horrid. SEMO's QB did better than that against Mizzou. EPIC FAIL.

DE Brandon Harold

Harold's line: 2.0 tackles (both successful), 2 personal foul penalties worth 30 yards and 0.93 EqPts. Yeah...that's a FAIL.

CB Joshua Moore

Moore's line: 6.0 tackles (3.0 successful...not bad for a CB), 1.5 tackles for loss. He didn't have one of KSU's INTs, but he played relatively well. I'll give him a MARGINAL PASS.

Key Players: Mizzou

LB Aaron O'Neal

Senior Day wasn't quite as big a production as I thought it would be, though seeing the pictures, it looks like it was as emotional as ever on the field. Chase Daniel and others weren't all that sharp, but it was an easy 41-10 (+14 junk points) win, and I'd say that alone makes it an EPIC PASS.

MU-KSU Summary

It would have been a lot more fun, I guess, if Mizzou had been clicking on all cylinders for their Faurot Field finale, but that's life. The fact that so many fans can be this annoyed by what was for all intents and purposes a 31-point conference win shows how far this program has come (and at the same time, how far K-State has fallen). Despite lackluster play at times, yesterday's BTBS rankings remind you that Mizzou still has the best defense and by far the best offense in the Big 12 North, and they should (SHOULD) rather easily win out and take the North title going away.

I know this isn't the season we had in mind (six more points against OSU, and we'd still be in the title hunt despite the Texas debacle), but as we cruise toward hopefully another 10-win season, we should still be thankful for just how much this staff and these players (particularly the senior class) have raised our expectations. The 20 wins we've put together in not even two full seasons represents the win output of the last three years of both Brad Smith and Corby Jones, and those were considered high marks for the program.

And beyond that...the battle cry is still firmly intact: 2003 KANSAS STATE. Chase Daniel has two more games to find his rhythm, and then it's time to make life complete hell for an opponent shooting for the BCS Championship game. Our dreams were shot a year ago, and while this isn't the scenario we dreamed of back in August, shooting somebody else's dreams and making the Fiesta Bowl would still be pretty nice, no?

Other Big 12 Games

Okla St (20)		Tech (56)
	% Close = 64.8%
32.8%	Field Position %	67.2%
71.0%	Leverage %	86.3%

	TOTAL
62	Plays	80
21.73	EqPts	46.65
48.4%	Success Rate	70.0%
0.35	Points Per Play (PPP)	0.58
0.834	S&P (Success + PPP)	1.283

	CLOSE GAME ONLY
34	Plays	58
11.73	EqPts	33.59
44.1%	Success Rate	65.5%
0.34	PPP	0.58
0.786	S&P	1.234

	RUSHING
13.80	EqPts	6.84
56.3%	Success Rate	60.0%
0.43	PPP	0.27
0.994	S&P	0.874
*4.09*	Line Yards/carry	2.78

	PASSING
7.93	EqPts	39.81
40.0%	Success Rate	74.6%
0.26	PPP	0.72
0.664	S&P	1.469

	NON-PASSING DOWNS
52.3%	Success Rate	65.2%
0.41	PPP	0.55
0.931	S&P	1.207

	PASSING DOWNS
38.9%	Success Rate	100.0%
0.21	PPP	0.76
0.599	S&P	1.763

	TURNOVERS
2	Number	2
5.35	Points Lost	5.13
3.05	Points Given	4.82
8.40	Total T/O Pts	9.95
+1.55	Turnover Pts Margin	-1.55

0.721	Q1 S&P	1.092
0.844	Q2 S&P	1.418
1.223	Q3 S&P	1.271
0.420	Q4 S&P	1.412

0.854	1st Down S&P	1.395
0.887	2nd Down S&P	1.140
0.661	3rd Down S&P	1.135

Most amazing stat of the year: Texas Tech was 11-for-11 on Passing Downs on Saturday night. ELEVEN FOR ELEVEN. ON PASSING DOWNS. Okie State beat Mizzou because they were actually able to shut Mizzou down in those opportunities, but Tech was having none of it. They could not be stopped.
Really, this one almost qualifies for second most amazing stat of the year: Tech only faced 11 Passing Downs in 80 plays. Their leverage rate of 86% is, I think, the highest I've seen. There's efficiency, and then there's efficiency.
This is the perfect example of how Tech's offense puts pressure on the other team's offense to succeed. OSU was able to run the ball very effectively (4.09 line yards per carry is quite high, and a 0.994 S&P is good), but they failed in the big-play moments early on, failure begot more failure, and suddenly they were down big. You have to hit the ground running against Tech, and you can't let up. I'll use my old "It's like playing Pete Sampras--he breaks your serve once, and you're toast" analogy here... only (*sniff*) I don't get to use it in reference to Mizzou anymore.

Kansas (35)		Nebraska (45)
	% Close = 93.5%
31.9%	Field Position %	68.1%
63.8%	Leverage %	68.6%

	TOTAL
69	Plays	70
29.83	EqPts	37.41
46.4%	Success Rate	54.3%
0.43	Points Per Play (PPP)	0.53
0.896	S&P (Success + PPP)	1.077

	CLOSE GAME ONLY
60	Plays	70
24.07	EqPts	37.41
46.7%	Success Rate	54.3%
0.40	PPP	0.53
0.868	S&P	1.077

	RUSHING
10.23	EqPts	14.44
52.9%	Success Rate	50.0%
0.30	PPP	0.48
0.830	S&P	0.981
3.41	Line Yards/carry	3.14

	PASSING
19.60	EqPts	22.97
40.0%	Success Rate	57.5%
0.56	PPP	0.57
0.960	S&P	1.149

	NON-PASSING DOWNS
52.3%	Success Rate	58.3%
0.41	PPP	0.52
0.932	S&P	1.100

	PASSING DOWNS
36.0%	Success Rate	45.5%
0.47	PPP	0.57
0.833	S&P	1.028

	TURNOVERS
1	Number	3
1.18	Points Lost	9.13
3.84	Points Given	6.34
5.02	Total T/O Pts	15.47
*+10.45*	*Turnover Pts Margin*	*-10.45*

1.091	Q1 S&P	1.000
0.743	Q2 S&P	0.937
0.878	Q3 S&P	1.029
0.931	Q4 S&P	1.421

1.054	1st Down S&P	1.084
0.970	2nd Down S&P	0.936
0.388	3rd Down S&P	1.299

Turnovers almost did Nebraska in big-time here. Without turnovers, this was a blowout.
Really, this game came down to two things: success rates and 3rd downs. Both teams had equal big-play ability in the passing game, but KU's 40.0% success rate throwing the ball hurt them...and NU's 57.5% success rate passing allowed the Huskers to control the ball. That, and NU was beyond dominant on 3rd downs.
These pass defense numbers from KU have to have Colt McCoy and Chase Daniel licking their lips.
I'm glad we played Nebraska when we did. Not saying we couldn't still beat them, but there's no question that they're playing better and we're playing worse than we were on October 4.

OU (62)		ATM (28)
	% Close = 20.5%
62.1%	Field Position %	37.9%
63.4%	Leverage %	65.0%

	TOTAL
71	Plays	80
48.92	EqPts	18.56
47.9%	Success Rate	30.0%
0.69	Points Per Play (PPP)	0.23
1.168	S&P (Success + PPP)	0.532

	CLOSE GAME ONLY
25	Plays	6
22.15	EqPts	0.02
64.0%	Success Rate	16.7%
0.89	PPP	0.00
1.526	S&P	0.170

	RUSHING
24.66	EqPts	5.24
44.4%	Success Rate	36.0%
0.68	PPP	0.21
1.129	S&P	0.570
3.76	Line Yards/carry	1.82

	PASSING
24.26	EqPts	13.32
51.4%	Success Rate	27.3%
0.69	PPP	0.24
1.207	S&P	0.515

	NON-PASSING DOWNS
48.9%	Success Rate	32.7%
0.58	PPP	0.29
1.065	S&P	0.619

	PASSING DOWNS
46.2%	Success Rate	25.0%
0.89	PPP	0.12
1.347	S&P	0.370

	TURNOVERS
0	Number	4
0.00	Points Lost	6.58
0.00	Points Given	15.19
0.00	Total T/O Pts	21.77
*+21.77*	*Turnover Pts Margin*	*-21.77*

1.329	Q1 S&P	0.185
1.274	Q2 S&P	0.730
1.291	Q3 S&P	0.418
0.574	Q4 S&P	0.702

1.023	1st Down S&P	0.540
1.423	2nd Down S&P	0.401
1.147	3rd Down S&P	0.465

Once again, it's hard to get a read on how OU will respond to a close game because once again, they made ridiculously short work of an inferior opponent. A&M ran 6 plays, and the game was over.
Note to ATM: if you're going to give up a 30-point deficit in EqPts, it's not a good idea to also give up a 22-point deficit in turnover points. Good god...they're lucky to have only lost by 34. Lucky for them, OU can't cover kickoffs to save their lives, and ATM got some cheap points that way.

Baylor (21)		Texas (45)
	% Close = 63.2%
33.8%	Field Position %	66.2%
55.1%	Leverage %	77.4%

	TOTAL
49	Plays	84
17.97	EqPts	36.02
16.3%	Success Rate	52.4%
0.37	Points Per Play (PPP)	0.43
0.530	S&P (Success + PPP)	0.953

	CLOSE GAME ONLY
36	Plays	48
10.25	EqPts	25.09
16.7%	Success Rate	52.1%
0.28	PPP	0.52
0.451	S&P	1.044

	RUSHING
13.85	EqPts	11.88
26.9%	Success Rate	54.4%
0.53	PPP	0.26
0.802	S&P	0.802
2.54	Line Yards/carry	3.10

	PASSING
4.12	EqPts	24.14
4.4%	Success Rate	50.0%
0.18	PPP	0.64
0.223	S&P	1.135

	NON-PASSING DOWNS
25.9%	Success Rate	52.3%
0.60	PPP	0.35
0.861	S&P	0.876

	PASSING DOWNS
4.6%	Success Rate	52.6%
0.08	PPP	0.69
0.125	S&P	1.214

	TURNOVERS
1	Number	2
1.31	Points Lost	3.38
7.00	Points Given	7.67
8.31	Total T/O Pts	11.05
+2.74	Turnover Pts Margin	-2.74

0.316	Q1 S&P	1.030
0.612	Q2 S&P	0.862
0.415	Q3 S&P	1.154
1.072	Q4 S&P	0.699

0.404	1st Down S&P	0.983
0.574	2nd Down S&P	0.946
0.555	3rd Down S&P	0.861

Power to Baylor for figuring out how to keep this one relatively respectable without being able to complete a worthwhile pass (other than the one to Kendall Wright to tie the game at 14-14...that was literally their only even medium-sized pass play. It's actually pretty hard to manage a 4.4% passing success rate. You'd have figured they'd have gotten 2-3 decent passes just by accident.
The 4.6% success rate on Passing Downs is almost as impressive.
Not too sure what else to say about this one. Robert Griffin is to the point where he's as good as he's going to be this year. Mizzou's defense isn't as fast as Texas', and Baylor moved the ball with the thinnest of margins for error against the Tigers last weekend. Against UT, the short passing just isn't going to work.

Iowa St (24)		Colorado (28)
	% Close = 100.0%
49.3%	Field Position %	50.7%
71.8%	Leverage %	72.6%

	TOTAL
71	Plays	73
26.17	EqPts	39.98
40.9%	Success Rate	45.2%
0.37	Points Per Play (PPP)	0.55
0.777	S&P (Success + PPP)	1.000

	CLOSE GAME ONLY
same	Plays	same
same	EqPts	same
same	Success Rate	same
same	PPP	same
same	S&P	same

	RUSHING
15.61	EqPts	15.64
40.5%	Success Rate	41.9%
0.37	PPP	0.50
0.777	S&P	0.924
2.86	Line Yards/carry	3.17

	PASSING
10.56	EqPts	24.35
41.4%	Success Rate	47.6%
0.36	PPP	0.58
0.778	S&P	1.056

	NON-PASSING DOWNS
49.0%	Success Rate	49.1%
0.43	PPP	0.67
0.920	S&P	1.158

	PASSING DOWNS
20.0%	Success Rate	35.0%
0.21	PPP	0.23
0.412	S&P	0.580

	TURNOVERS
0	Number	1
0.00	Points Lost	4.41
0.00	Points Given	1.58
0.00	Total T/O Pts	5.99
+5.99	Turnover Pts Margin	-5.99

0.524	Q1 S&P	0.708
0.710	Q2 S&P	0.430
0.917	Q3 S&P	1.238
0.962	Q4 S&P	1.347

0.944	1st Down S&P	0.986
0.669	2nd Down S&P	0.832
0.540	3rd Down S&P	1.058

I am still having trouble believing that this game was on (regular cable) TV, and KU-NU was not. Not sure the thought process on that one, but I can say that the first half of this game was horrendous. Lucky for CU, Cody Nolte-Hawkins is good for at least one rescue per season. Against the Cyclones' putrid secondary, Coach's Son Hawkins was able to sub in in the second half and move the ball at will after Tyler "Don't Call Me Taylor" Hansen was unable to find a rhythm in the first 30 minutes.
This was another game that came down to third downs, and the fact that CU managed to almost lose this game despite dominating 3rd downs to this level is just absurd. Every single one of Colorado's six penalties, however, seemed to come at ridiculously inopportune times (including a Q2 ISU drive where CU ran into or roughed the kicker not once, but twice...), and ISU was able to hold on to the lead for dear life much longer than they deserved.
If Chase Daniel doesn't rediscover his rhythm at Jack Trice Stadium this weekend, he may never find it.

Poll

Who was the statistical MVP from Mizzou-Kansas State?

Jeremy Maclin (16.26 EqPts, 2.105 S&P)

63 votes

Derrick Washington (a tempo-setting 5.31 EqPts rushing, 5.87 overall)

0 votes

Sean Weatherspoon (8.5 tackles, 2.0 TFL, an outstanding 0.736 Defensive S&P)

0 votes

Carl Gettis (4.5 tackles, a complete shutdown of Brandon Banks)

6 votes

69 votes | Poll has closed

Mizzou-KSU: Beyond the Box Score PREVIEW

Bill C. — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 19:00:06 -0000

Well...between Senior Day and Ron Prince, there has been very little talk (or motivation to talk) about the actual game taking place this weekend. And while I'm not finding a ton of motivation either, the numbers will do the talking!

KSU	Opp.		Mizzou	Opp.
53.7%		% Close	55.7%
47.6%	52.4%	Field Position %	55.5%	44.5%
66.1%	68.3%	Leverage %	77.2%	68.6%

		Total
632	682	Plays	624	684
255.78	269.74	EqPts	323.25	217.16
42.9%	44.6%	Success Rate	57.9%	42.3%
0.40	0.40	PPP	0.52	0.32
0.831	0.841	S&P	1.097	0.740

		Close Games
319	387	Plays	389	340
132.16	157.36	EqPts	198.12	114.10
45.8%	46.0%	Success Rate	58.6%	44.1%
0.41	0.41	PPP	0.51	0.34
0.872	0.867	S&P	1.095	0.777

		Rushing
96.97	135.21	EqPts	112.57	73.13
43.4%	44.8%	Success Rate	51.7%	39.9%
0.33	0.38	PPP	0.43	0.23
0.761	0.825	S&P	0.949	0.630
2.72	3.14	Line Yds/carry	3.12	2.39

		Passing
158.81	134.53	EqPts	200.69	144.03
42.4%	44.3%	Success Rate	62.3%	44.3%
0.47	0.42	PPP	0.55	0.40
0.898	0.859	S&P	1.175	0.845
2.7%	4.6%	Sack Rate	2.2%	6.5%

		Non-Passing Downs
51.0%	49.6%	Success Rate	62.9%	47.3%
0.44	0.42	PPP	0.53	0.32
0.950	0.920	S&P	1.162	0.790
2.2%	4.8%	Sack Rate	1.6%	5.1%
56.5%	59.7%	Run Rate	47.3%	54.4%

		Passing Downs
27.1%	33.8%	Success Rate	40.8%	31.2%
0.33	0.33	PPP	0.47	0.32
0.605	0.671	S&P	0.874	0.631
3.3%	4.4%	Sack Rate	3.7%	8.4%
28.5%	37.5%	Run Rate	23.2%	28.4%

		Turnovers
20	10	Total	13	15
48.82	23.23	Points Lost	35.58	36.87
55.77	24.80	Points Given	30.00	56.55
104.59	48.03	Total T/O Pts	65.58	93.42
-56.56	+56.56	T/O Pts Margin/Gm	+37.84	-37.84

Thoughts after the jump.

KSU's offensive numbers really aren't too bad, but their Leverage % (% of their plays that are Non-Passing Downs) is gawdawful. One of every three plays is in a Passing Down situation, and one look at their Passing Down #'s tells you that's not a good thing.
While the success rate allowed by the K-State defense (44.6%) is clearly too high, success rate isn't the main problem--it's Points Per Play allowed (0.40). Of course, if the success rate is too high, offenses are staying in comfortable situations and are more likely to make a big play. It's all connected!!
Mizzou is +0.318 in S&P difference in close games. That's very good. KSU is +0.005. Not as good.
KSU is allowing 3.14 line yards per carry. That's QUITE bad, and Missouri is crazy if Derrick Washington doesn't get at least 15-20 carries. Then again, KSU's allowing 0.42 PPP passing, so that works too. They're probably fine either way.
I have to applaud Josh Freeman for KSU's low sack rate allowed. Their O-line isn't terrible, but those are very low numbers...it's hard to bring that big guy down.
Looking at the Run Rate on Passing Downs is a good way to see how conservative a team (or its opponent) is. For instance, Mizzou's run rate of 23.2% shows that they think they can convert long pass plays most of the time. Heading into the Mizzou game, Colorado had a Run Rate of 39.3%, which suggested that they pretty much give up any time they have a 2nd- or 3rd-and-long situation because they want to avoid disaster. KSU throws most of the time, which suggests they do trust Josh Freeman. But a) their Passing Downs S&P is awful, and b) their turnover #'s are awful...so maybe they should run more in those situations.
It's also worth noting that Mizzou's opponents have a Passing Downs run rate of 28.4%...which suggests that they think they can exploit Mizzou's occasional lapses in pass defense. Mizzou stops most Passing Downs just fine (in fact, their sack rate on Passing Downs is quite high), but it does show the mindset involved.
Meanwhile, KSU opponents run about 60% of the time in Non-Passing Downs...which suggests they think they can run all day and dictate the tempo against KSU's front seven.
Look at those Turnover numbers. Despite losing the Turnover battle against Baylor, Mizzou is still on average about +4.2 points per game in the turnover department. K-State is -6.3 points per game in the turnover department. OUCH. That's a suggested advantage of 10.5 points for Mizzou.

Let's see what the situational stats tell us...

KSU	Opp.		Mizzou	Opp.
		Q1
49.3%	46.3%	Success Rate	59.6%	49.7%
0.48	0.41	PPP	0.57	0.30
0.971	0.873	S&P	1.170	0.800

		Q2
45.4%	45.5%	Success Rate	59.7%	42.0%
0.47	0.42	PPP	0.48	0.29
0.921	0.878	S&P	1.077	0.712

		Q3
38.6%	47.2%	Success Rate	60.0%	39.5%
0.33	0.42	PPP	0.61	0.36
0.715	0.889	S&P	1.207	0.751

		Q4
38.9%	38.4%	Success Rate	50.8%	38.9%
0.35	0.32	PPP	0.40	0.32
0.741	0.706	S&P	0.909	0.708

		1st Downs
45.0%	47.2%	Success Rate	59.7%	43.6%
0.41	0.41	PPP	0.54	0.32
0.862	0.878	S&P	1.137	0.754

		2nd Downs
37.2%	40.8%	Success Rate	58.8%	39.1%
0.34	0.35	PPP	0.47	0.32
0.709	0.759	S&P	1.062	0.714

		3rd Downs
42.7%	44.4%	Success Rate	52.1%	42.4%
0.49	0.45	PPP	0.55	0.30
0.915	0.898	S&P	1.070	0.719

If Mizzou is up 10 or 14 after Q1, this game is going to be a massive blowout. Mizzou's worst defensive quarter is Q1...and KSU's best offensive quarter is Q1. If Mizzou does indeed come out emotionally drained after the Senior Day ceremony (a distinct possibility), KSU could move the ball early, and this could remain a game for a while. However, look at KSU's 2nd-half offensive stats. There's a considerable drop-off. Mizzou will pull away. And the surge could very well happen in Q3, where (despite the Q3 debacle in Waco) Mizzou has been pretty damn good overall.
Meanwhile, KSU's defense is pretty consistently bad, and Mizzou's offense is pretty consistently good. Just sayin'.
Looking at per-down stats, KSU is the anti-Baylor. Baylor thrived on 2nd downs while being average or so on 1st and 3rd downs. KSU is the opposite. They're decent on 1st downs, quite bad on 2nd downs, and good on 3rd downs. For what that's worth. The Mizzou defense, meanwhile, is remarkably consistent by down.

Key Players: Kansas State

WRs Deon Murphy and Aubrey Quarles

Though tiny, KSU's leading WR Brandon Banks is a pretty solid WR, with 48 catches, 773 yards and 7 TD's on the season. However, Carl Gettis will be on him, so Josh Freeman will need somewhere else to turn. Murphy's a big-play threat, averaging 14.7 yards per catch. Unfortunately for K-State, he's also averaging less than three catches per game. He's a great return man, but an iffy receiver, and either he or Quarles (or TE Jeron Mastrud) will need to provide a good target for Freeman...or Murphy will need to have at least a couple of really good returns...else this will be a pretty disastrous day for K-State.

QB Josh Freeman

I hate it when I make the obvious choice, but a) nobody else on this offense can even remotely put this team on his back and win this game (unless Lamark Brown has a career day against his home-state school), and b) this is Freeman's team--with the soap opera that has taken place on the sidelines the last 24 hours or so, leadership will have to come from some place other than the head coach. He's going to have to be amazing for K-State to have a chance, and I doubt he has it in him.

DE Brandon Harold

The freshman from East St. Louis, aside from being one of the only high school recruits in last year's class (and I'm barely exagerrating) has been one of the few defensive standouts this year. He leads KSU in tackles for loss, and he's second in sacks to Ian Campbell. Harold and Campbell could conceivably put together a decent pass rush, which would conceivably allow KSU to get in Chase Daniel's face without blitzing, conceivably allowing KSU to conceivably create some big plays on defense. No, I don't believe it will happen either, but Harold and Campbell are as good as it gets on that side of the ball for KSU.

CB Joshua Moore

Since the boocoos of JUCO players haven't contributed much of anything (Blair Irvin is a JUCO transfer and the other starter at CB, but he doesn't exactly strike fear in my heart), the sophomore Moore has become the secondary's only playmaker. He is the only Wildcat with more than 1 INT on the year. Plus, he has a very respectable 9 pass breakups and 11 passes defended (not totally sure the difference, but whatever). If a big INT is made, Moore's probably the one making it.

Key Players: Mizzou

LB Aaron O'Neal

Sorry. I'm going to go cheesy with this one. For the last four seasons (the most successful 4-year span Missouri has ever had), Mizzou's play has been dedicated to the kid who died at 19 without ever having seen the field for his home-state Tigers. If you listen to Mizzou players talking about him, it's like he's been built into a god at this point. The name "Aaron O'Neal" now reflects everything that is good and right about playing for the Missouri Tigers. His dad will be wearing his jersey on Saturday during what will certainly be one of the more emotional moments in the history of Faurot Field (sans anything that happens during Promise Keepers rallies anyway, natch). He and his memory will have a more direct impact on this game than on any other Mizzou has played. If Mizzou comes out flat or aflame, it's because of the emotion of the moment.

Conclusion

I'll be honest--my finger is nowhere near the pulse of this team right now. I thought the Colorado game would be a sloppy, boring 31-14 win...and it was a 58-0 massacre. I thought Mizzou would easily score 45+ on Baylor, and if not for a field goal that took them a hair over 30, they'd have lost (something of which my colleague rptgwb is more than happy to remind you, ahem). My gut says this one's a blowout, but...well, I'm wrong a lot. So we'll go to the numbers.

This week's projections said Mizzou 42, K-State 22. Taking into account a projected 10-point advantage for Mizzou in turnovers, and that becomes something like 47-17, Mizzou. Which is about what I'd have predicted on my own, but now that it's backed up by SCIENCE!!!, we'll go with that.

Poll

What scares you the most about the Mizzou-KSU game?

Josh Freeman looks great in a uniform

7 votes

We don't have a history of playing well against teams with lame duck coaches

13 votes

There's no way Mizzou will be sharp after the emotion of the Senior Day ceremonies

8 votes

Nothing

43 votes

71 votes | Poll has closed

Rock M Roundtable!

Bill C. — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 22:00:05 -0000

1 - In preparation of the most emotional Senior Day EVER at Mizzou, what is your favorite unsung moment (i.e. not just "beating Kansas at Arrowhead", but something not everybody thinks or talks about) involving this year's Mizzou senior class? Doug, if you want you can just say "Chase Daniel eating boogers."

2 - If NU beats Kansas and Missouri beats KSU and ISU, the North title is Missouri's before Armageddon at Arrowhead II even takes place. How likely is this?

3 - Quick: one reason Missouri fans should be scared of the KSU game.

4 - Big 12 picks!

* Kansas State at Missouri
* Kansas at Nebraska
* Oklahoma State at Texas Tech
* Oklahoma at Texas A&M
* Baylor at Texas
* Iowa State at Colorado

5 - Finally, who will be Kansas State's head coach in 2009?

The Beef: 1 - There was a run during the NU game last season that crystallized it all pretty well for me. I don’t remember the exact play, but Chase ended up scrambling out (as he did for a good number of yards in that game) and gained a number of yards running down the east sideline. He was eventually forced out of bounds, but kept his feet and momentum (hey…I’m a fat guy and know how hard it is to stop sometimes) and continued to run down the sidelines. He started to jump up and down and waive his hands, even I believe trying to give someone five as he went by them. That sort of passion has certainly been displayed before on our field, but he (Chase) just seemed to connect so well with the crowd at that moment. All the more interesting to me because this was a kid coming from TX who had no ties to our state or school and who gave (or was giving at the time) everything for us to change us…and he did.

2 - Obviously I think it is pretty likely Mizzou defeats ISU and kSU…am not as sure about kU losing to NU. Yes the game is in Lincoln, but I would suspect kU got a little healthy last week against kSU coming off of their tough few weeks. It is a big game for both teams, but I still see kU having more talent on the field and on the sidelines so I am thinking they go up to NU and pull off the win.

3 - Because last week happened I guess…but that is the best I can come up with. I suppose we should be a little trepidatious (not sure that it is a word) about our emotions early in the game giving kSU any sort of hope. And while I do not believe they can do anything on defense to stop us, our pass rush does need to get to Freeman.

4 - Big 12 picks!

* Kansas State at Missouri – Mizzou by a whole bunch

* Kansas at Nebraska – kU by 10-14 in the end

* Oklahoma State at Texas Tech – ooooh….good one. My first thought is let down by TTech…so I will go with that. Okie State eeks one out.

* Oklahoma at Texas A&M – Can someone tell OU the white flags being waved by the folks down there are because they are surrendering? Seriously though, good for aTm for showing some signs of life the past couple of weeks…it gets beaten out of them this week by an OU team that needs to start positioning itself in possible hopes of stealing a BCS berth should other national teams start to falter (like they have in the past).

* Baylor at Texas –I refuse to comment on this game since it appears to be this game which pushed us to the ridiculous 6:00 p.m. start time.

* Iowa State at Colorado – I refuse to comment on this game because it might set football back 75 years.

5 - The only name I have heard/seen mentioned so far would be a run at Patterson from TCU, who I think would be a great get for them (especially since he would not have to replace most of his tie collection). However, I have also seen that name floated for the Tenn opening…and let’s face it…they have more money. Seems to be a strange year for coaching openings…so it will be interesting to see how it plays out. But…if it is Ron Prince, someone better find TB and put him on suicide watch…or buy him a bunch of Mizzou apparel and a season ticket and start the conversion

The Boy: 1 - As the 2004 season was finishing its collapse, and we found ourselves down 28-0 to Kansas in the second half, I more or less stopped watching the game and started watching this cluster of players on the sidelines. Every time Mizzou did anything good at all, this group started jumping up and down and chanting and cheering...Mizzou scored to make it 28-7...then 28-14...and the cluster of players started growing. I started recognizing jersey numbers and names...#14 Patton...#5 Alexander...it was basically the entire group of redshirting freshmen. For a split second, it looked like we'd come all the way back and win that game, but when it didn't happen, I found myself thinking "If it is ever going to turn around for Gary Pinkel here, it's going to be that group of players that does it." Now...that was only half-right. Some of the biggest reasons for the turnaround--Daniel, Coffman, Hood, Christopher--didn't show up on campus until the next summer, but in that cluster of chanting freshman were guys like Tommy Saunders, and Stryker Sulak, and William Moore, and Steve Redmond, and, of course, Aaron O'Neal...a bunch of guys who made significant contributions (intended and unintended) to the program on and off the field...and without those contributions, Gary Pinkel would not be coaching in Columbia right now.

2 - Before last week, I'd have said hell yeah to the idea of NU beating KU. But now I'm not so sure. KU's defense is porous enough that NU could be able to move the ball, especially if the Fightin' Pelini's are fired up after embarrassing themselves last weekend--but I think the run-pass threat that KU has going on right now will be too much. Man oh MAN would I love to see NU knock the 'Hawks off, though.

3 - I'm just going to assume that Mizzou is going to be emotionally drained and flat for most of the first quarter, and if KSU starts the game off like they did in '06 (getting a fumble return TD on the first play and moving the ball well on the ground), then they'll at least have a fighting chance of staying in the game for a while. But...no. We're not losing this game. We're just not.

4 - Mizzou 52, KSU 16
Kansas 41, Nebraska 31
Texas Tech 35, Oklahoma State 28
Oklahoma 49, Texas A&M 27
Texas 44, Baylor 10
Colorado 1, Iowa State -1

5 - Honestly, for the long-term it might make more sense to let Ron Prince sink with the "18 senior starters, about 3 of whom are talented" ship next year and bring in a new coach with a new batch of scholarships to start from scratch in 2010. And it certainly sounds like the KSU higher-ups are (the only ones) in Prince's corner. I don't know what to think about this one. It might come down to whether they win another game this year or not...if they show well against NU and ISU, maybe he sticks around...but if they humiliate themselves again in those two games, they'll have no choice but to can him.

Doug: 1 - Chase... Daniel... eating... boogers. Yeah, yeah, that'll work quite nicely.

2 - It's a road game for Kansas this weekend, and they're 1-1 in conference road games this season... but, it happened for Missouri this season, I don't see why Kansas can't win at Nebraska on Saturday. I think KU is back on track (Thanks K-State!) and now it's a question of which Nebraska team shows up, the one that played Texas Tech tough, or the one that rolled over against Oklahoma. I have no idea. That said, I think the Big 12 North title will come down to Arrowhead.

3 - Because crazier things have happened? I don't know what it is, but Kansas is like Josh Freeman's kryptonite. I've never seen a guy be that bad against one team... especially if that one team is KU. That said, he wasn't that awful against Missouri last year, 256 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception. A lot depends on how well Lemark Brown can run the ball and take some pressure off of the throwing game, though I think KU was willing to sacrifice 3 meaningless rushing touchdowns to constantly be in Freeman's face. No matter what the school says, part of Ron Prince has to think his job is on the line, and maybe that'll change the way he preps the Wildcats for this game. They've got nothing to lose... and that's when a foe is at their most dangerous. (Or is that wounded and backed into a corner? I can never remember.)

4 - Missouri - And, after all that, I'll still go with the safe pick.
Kansas - I don't know if the game only being on pay-per-view is because NU isn't very good, or because the conference knows the entire state of Nebraska will shell out the $30 for the broadcast.
Oklahoma State - Why should anything be easy for the BCS?
Oklahoma - Seriously, this game is on TV? National TV?
Texas - I don't know if the Longhorns and Mac Brown ever get pissed off... but I still wouldn't want to be Baylor on Saturday.
Colorado - Because it's in Boulder... and because I had to pick a winner.

5 - Bob Krause. At this point, he's about as qualified to be head coach as he was to be Athletic Director for a Division I school

rptgwb: 1. Rather than just giving a blanket statement, I'll note some of my favorite moments for each player just going down the list:

Daniel - How do you choose just one?
Patton - Hearing the students explode every time Patton came on the field as a way of saying "thank you" for staying at Mizzou
Coffman - Which is YOUR favorite nunchuck?
Willy Mo - The pick at Arrowhead was huge, but I'll always remember the image of WillyMo standing up and flexing after picking off Juice in 2007
Jackson - Hearing Mike Kelly call him "the kid form Caruthersville" 900 times
Saunders - No defining moment for Mr. Dependable
Bridges - Without a doubt, the one-handed spinning pick of Reesing

There are obviously others, but that's where I'll cut the list for now.

2. Depending on which Nebraska and Kansas teams show up, it could be very likely. But Kansas appears to be getting its act together at least a little bit, while Nebraska can't exactly be overflowing with confidence right now. I think if they played 10 times, KU would win 6 or 7 times. Can NU play one of the 3 or 4 games this weekend? I don't know.

3. Because we just SURVIVED BAYLOR BY ONLY THREE POINTS.

4. Picks:
Mizzou over Kansas State by 35
Kansas over Nebraska by 10
Oklahoma over Texas A&M by 20
Texas over Baylor by 24
Colorado over Iowa State by 7
*Upset special: Oklahoma State over Texas Tech by 4

5. Jon Wee-fald? Weff-ald?

rptgwb: By the way, Kansas State this week = Homer Simpson in this clip:

Michael Atchison: 1 - Chase Daniel, as a freshman, relieving Brad Smith in a lost-cause game against Iowa State, and rallying the Tigers to victory. Think of the ripples. They lose that game (as they surely would have), they probably don’t go to a bowl game, Gary Pinkel likely gets fired, there’s turmoil in the program, and the last two years never happen.

2 - I think the odds of Nebraska beating Kansas are about one in four, making the odds of hypothetical outcome one in four point five.

3 - There is no reason for Missouri fans to be scared. In the parlance of this political season, I just can’t see KSU’s path to victory.

4 - Mizzou by 23.
Kansas by 6.
Tech by 2.
Oklahoma by 31.
Texas by 24.
Colorado by 4.

5 - I’ll say Ron Prince is the head coach in 2009, because if it’s not him, I have absolutely no idea who takes the job. Perhaps they should make a run at Phil Fulmer.

ZouDave: 1 - It's a virtual collage of greatness in my mind. From Stryker Sulak's pick 6 against Texas Tech in 2007, to Willy Mo's steamrolling of Marlon Lucky in 2007, to Tommy Saunders' raised finger in salute to his Grandfather, to Jimmy Jackson's GREAT performance in place of Temple against Texas Tech in 2007, to Ziggy Hood's mere presence, to Brock Christopher's INT against Nebraska this season, to Colin Brown destroying defenders all day long in the Cotton Bowl.....to Chase Daniel. I am going to miss that pudgy little bastard.

2 - Let's say 35%. kansas has been a bit more bipolar this year than even Mizzou has in that sometimes they look really good and sometimes they look really bad. Nebraska has looked better since we caved their faces in a few weeks ago, and I think they were a lot more pissed about the loss to ku last year than the loss to Mizzou. I think *this* is the game they've had circled all year. They're going to be pumped, both players and fans, and if ku starts slow again (which they've done on the road a couple of times) I'm not sure Nebraska gives them a window to come back. If kansas just plays their game, though, the Huskers can't keep up.

3 - Injury.

4 - Missouri by 42. I think we're going to rape this team.

kansas by 7. I think NU closes late but cannot make it happen.

Texas Tech by 14. Everyone is going to be looking for a letdown game for Tech, but I don't think OSU is quite as good as the rest of the South (their win over us not withstanding).

Oklahoma by as much as they want. I think OU ends up the South champion but they're going to keep getting style points just in case.

Texas by 24. They'll right the ship.

Iowa State by 10. 13-3.

5 - Honestly I think it will be Ron Prince, but I think he'll have brand new coordinators. Once 2010 is also a flop, they'll all be gone.

rptgwb: One moment I'd forgotten was the pick-six by WillyMo in Lubbock in 2006, one play after the Xzavie Jackson pick-six. That has to be one of my favorite moments of all time for vindictive reasons, leading into the depressing shot of the Tech girls with the "What the hell just happened... but, we're Texas Tech!" look on their faces.

That was a great night - I was at the American Airlines Center watching the Stars open the home season by beating Beef's Devils while catching glances at luxury boxes to keep up with MU/TTU.

ZouDave: Well maybe it's just me, but I'm much happier with a 6:00pm kickoff than I would have been with a 11:00am kickoff (or 11:30am). Not that I wouldn't have been there, early, and ready to go but I hate leaving KC at 6:30am to get to a football game. I find it difficult to get any kind of meaningful buzz going prior to the game when it's that early in the morning. And no, that's not my only concern, but it's nice when I can take my time during the day, leave KC around noon, have a solid few hours of tailgating time and then get to enjoy the game. I love Faurot Field at night (despite the OSU game this year).

2:30pm would have been the best, but KSU isn't a good enough opponent for us to have hoped for that.

The Beef: Personally, the 6:00 pm game time changed some of our plans and plans of friends visiting from out of town...but that is what it is. However, the fact it will be back into the 30's (very likely) during the game is going to kind of suck, and will keep some folks at home (which is always too bad)

ZouDave: I have faith in the Missouri fans. A year ago we though there was NO WAY we'd get a sellout against A&M on Senior Day with the early kickoff vs deer season but the fanbase stepped up and made that day great.

It's easy to dress warmly for games. Especially with it being Blackout Day, because everyone has black Mizzou sweatshirts already. I expect the fans to be packed starting the game, but the crowd will taper faster since we'll be up huge and it will be late and cold.

I just hope everyone that is there gets their asses into the stadium earlier than normal to see all of the Senior Day stuff. This is one we won't soon forget. I'm going to be openly weeping, there's simply no chance I won't be. I will probably hug a stranger.

The Beef: You are a bit of a crier....

ZouDave: You have no proof.

The Beef: Hmmm...I bet I could find some...

Doug: Will Dave's sister be there?

I'll hug her.

Michael Atchison: I don't mean to intrude on the festival of weeping over guys named "Chase," but would it be fair for me to note that basketball season starts with exhibitions this week, and that since we last convened, Marcus Denmon played the role of a white-hot Clarence Gilbert in the Black and Gold game?

The Beef: It is a fair note...so who is going to be present at the first exhibition game of the season tomorrow? Who plans to watch the proceedings on TV?

Michael Atchison: I forwarded my tickets to the nerdy guy on this site who does all those statistical pieces that no one reads. As soon as I'm back from Family Math Night at my daughter's school, I'll be settling in front of the TV.

The Beef: Boy...sure hope the nerdy guy goes to the game with those tickets

ZouDave: I will not be remotely present, and while it's on I will probably be working on the Baylor game highlights. I think some of you will be happy with the music choice...

ZouDave: I think I've cracked your code....

The Boy: Let's just say that the nerdy guy hasn't actually received the tickets in the mail yet, therefore the nerdy guy has no obligation just yet.

And the nerdy guy prefers this picture instead:

Michael Atchison: Nerdy guy need not fret. The tickets were placed in the U.S. Mail in Kansas City on Monday. They should arrive in Columbia today, or tomorrow at the absolute latest.

The Boy: And by the way...what the hell is Family Math Night???

ZouDave: In Independence it would be Family Meth Night

Michael Atchison: It’s where families from the elementary school gather to eat hot dogs and play math games to stimulate the young people’s interest in the subject. Tell me how much you want to trade lives with me.

The Beef: Does not sound all bad…I mean…I like hot dogs…what kind of condiments are we talking about though? Anything fancy? (cheese? Onions?)

Michael Atchison: Little packets of mustard and relish.

The Beef: Eh…I’ve been to worse outings…

Doug: How are the hot dogs prepared? On the rollers? Or boiled?

Try to hold out for the rollers.

ZouDave: Worst. Topic. Ever.

Michael Atchison: You guys asked. I never indicated it would be interesting.

The Beef:

ZouDave:

(An hour later...)

The Boy: I'd just like to remind everybody that the last time we had a Roundtable this lackluster, Mizzou lost. LOST!

rptgwb: You guys have no idea how scared I get on Roundtable days when I'm in class and I click an email with the "paper clip" attachment graphic next to it.

It's not easy to explain to people why I just opened an email with a huge picture of Rupaul in the middle of a lecture. Or any other time for that matter.

Doug: Oh, well now you're just going to encourage them.

The Boy: This could get ugly.

The Beef: So…um…does this change things? From GoPowerCat.com

Kansas State football coach Ron Prince is expected to announce his resignation during a 4 p.m. teleconference Wednesday sources have told GoPowercat.com. More news as this story develops. Prince was hired as K-State head prior to the 2006 season, and collected a record of 16-18 during his tenure as head coach. K-State is scheduled to play at Missouri on Saturday

Doug: Holy f...

The Beef: Yeah…that ought to spice things up

Doug: It ain't exactly Fulmer... but I never expected Prince to throw himself on his own sword like this.

The Beef: Or be pushed onto the sword bolstered by some nice compensation?

Doug: I don't know. K-State isn't exactly over-loaded with big money donors. I imagine he was offered the buy-out money and maybe next year's salary on top of that, but I highly doubt there's some comically large check with a comically large dollar figure sitting by his door right now.

The Beef: I thought there was one name I remember reading that they needed to get on board…maybe something with a V? I could be making that up though

Doug: Are you thinking of Varney's Bookstore?

Seriously though, I just pulled up the list of $50,000+ donors for the K-State Athletic Scholarship fund. There is a Dennis Von Waaden on there. Ring any bells?

The Beef: No…let me go back and try to find it…was probably on TB’s site

The Beef: From TB…

He needs to get the big boosters, primarily the Vaniers, on his side.

Doug: Oh yeah, I think that's the name on their football complex that's attached to the stadium.

The Beef: Ah…then yes…you would want to get those folks in your boat

ZouDave: Just finally able to jump in here...this is crazy! Was this his secret plan?

rptgwb: Did anyone else notice that this is two years in a row that the opposing coach has been put on the "resignation" block a few days before the Mizzou senior day game?

First Franchione in 2007, now Prince in 2008. Gene Chizik better watch himself in 2009.

ZouDave: That goes in line with us playing against what's-his-nuts up at ISU in 2006 for his last game, and against Bill Snyder in 2005 in his last game. Neither of those went well for us.

Doug: Otherwise known as Dan "What's-his-nuts" McCarney.

ZouDave: That's him

rptgwb: By the way, to refer back to my favorite Willy Mo moment from the 2006 Tech game, I finally got around to grabbing a (low-res) screenshot:

THAT is what Mizzou football does.

The Boy: The best thing about that game was, Graham Harrell had the exact same look on his face after Moore's pick. Leach had to take him out of the game for a series because he was so shell-shocked.

ZouDave: for what it's worth, I like these Texas Tech girls better:

The Beef: Good lord the one on the bottom right is a whore….

ZouDave: you know her?

The Beef: Nope….just guessing…it would be like passing Jenna Haze on the street…I might not know it was her…but I would draw the same conclusion…

And with that…we should probably wrap this up

ZouDave: especially if you're gonna be with Jenna Haze....

The Boy: He's here all week, folks.

Rock M Nation: Postgame Podcast #2

Bill C. — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 04:00:51 -0000

We're back with Week Two of the Postgame Podcast. This time with twice the content! Listen to rptgwb, The Beef, Uribe Auction, and me talk about Mizzou's take-the-foot-off-the-gas-25-minutes-in 52-3 win over SEMO!

Mizzou pounds SEMO, 52-3

RPT — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 03:51:16 -0000

via images.pictopia.com.edgesuite.net (Joel Kowsky, MUTigers.com)

Overflow thread for immediate reaction. Analysis to come in the form of the postgame podcast some time in the next 24 hours.

**SUNDAY MORNING UPDATE, by rptgwb: Good, Bad, and Indifferent now added after the jump. And I promise it doesn't just say "Good: Mizzou, Bad: SEMO."

GOOD

Football's back in CoMo: The clouds loomed, rain threatened a bit, and the opponent wasn't exactly a top draw, but it was football time in Columbia, damn it.
The tribute to AO: Arguably the coolest thing we saw all night was the debut of the tribute to fallen linebacker Aaron O'Neal, who would be in the midst of his senior year if not for his tragic death. The idea to have a senior wear an unnamed No. 25 jersey in his honor at home games this year is a fantastic idea. Brock Christopher shed his name and his No. 34 on his jersey to honor AO last night, and he represented No. 25 well.
Chase Daniel: He lacked some velocity and he forced a lot of throws that would have been picked by better competition, but 16-of-17 for 240+ in less than two quarters of play gets you in the "Good."
The RB trio: We all know how much I love Derrick Washington and how effective of a battering ram Jimmy Jackson is. But Gabe DeArmond and Dave Matter told us all offseason about De'Vion Moore and, boy, were they right. Shifty, shifty, shifty.
Health: Outside of Tru Vaughns and Brock Christopher getting a little banged up, most everyone came out healthy. Jeremy "Cheat Code" Maclin kept all his ankle ligaments intact.
The backup linebackers: OK, we REALLY need a nickname for the duo of Will Ebner and Andrew Gachkar involving the word "pursuit." Ebner and Gachkar were FLYING to the ball, and SEMO didn't run a play in the second half that these two didn't seem to have a hand in.
Other freshmen: Jerrell Jackson and Jacquies Smith announced their presence with very solid performances, and Kenji Jackson saw a large amount of playing time.

BAD

Trick plays... Really? As much as I loved seeing the double pass form Maclin to Daniel to Washington, did we really need it to knock off SEMO?
Four years of eligibility: So, those snaps against SEMO are going to have Blaine Gabbert ready for Illinois next year? That's what I'm being told?

INDIFFERENT

Tinkering: Eberflus continued to fiddle with the blitz and the coverage schemes, as we saw more of the bend-and-don't-break D from early in 2007 last night. As The Beef noted in the podcast, that happy medium is still out there waiting to be found.
The backup QBs: It was hard to judge Patton and Gabbert because no one seemed to want to run up the score. Patton seemed to move the ball fine, but I was a little concerned with Gabbert. His scramble was impressive, but his accuracy was a little off, missing a lot of targets, especially high where he was hanging his receivers out to dry.

SB Nation - Aaron O'Neal

Mizzou Links, 8-7-09

Mizzou-KSU (and the rest of the Big 12): Beyond the Box Score

K-State(24)

Mizzou(41)

Key Players: Kansas State

Key Players: Mizzou

MU-KSU Summary

Other Big 12 Games

Okla St(20)

Tech(56)

Kansas(35)

Nebraska(45)

OU(62)

ATM(28)

Baylor(21)

Texas(45)

Iowa St(24)

Colorado(28)

Who was the statistical MVP from Mizzou-Kansas State?

Jeremy Maclin (16.26 EqPts, 2.105 S&P)

Derrick Washington (a tempo-setting 5.31 EqPts rushing, 5.87 overall)

Sean Weatherspoon (8.5 tackles, 2.0 TFL, an outstanding 0.736 Defensive S&P)

Carl Gettis (4.5 tackles, a complete shutdown of Brandon Banks)

Mizzou-KSU: Beyond the Box Score PREVIEW

KSU

Opp.

Mizzou

Opp.

KSU

Opp.

Mizzou

Opp.

What scares you the most about the Mizzou-KSU game?

Josh Freeman looks great in a uniform

We don't have a history of playing well against teams with lame duck coaches

There's no way Mizzou will be sharp after the emotion of the Senior Day ceremonies

Nothing

Rock M Roundtable!

Rock M Nation: Postgame Podcast #2

Mizzou pounds SEMO, 52-3

K-State
(24)

Mizzou
(41)

Okla St
(20)

Tech
(56)

Kansas
(35)

Nebraska
(45)

OU
(62)

ATM
(28)

Baylor
(21)

Texas
(45)

Iowa St
(24)

Colorado
(28)