The Missouri Tigers may have lost in a bad way to Alabama last Saturday. But the football program in a bigger picture is flying high right now.
In just their third season as a member of the Southeastern Conference, the Tigers have vaulted on to the map as a true contender after reaching two consecutive SEC Championship games and qualifying for its second high-quality New Years-Or Later bowl game in as many seasons.
Oct 18, 2014; Gainesville, FL, USA; Missouri Tigers running back Marcus Murphy (6) catches the punt during the first half against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Despite some struggles this year– like losing badly to Georgia or falling to a Big Ten team at home, Mizzou football was a bright spot in the SEC in 2014. And they were rewarded accordingly by the conference.
Yesterday, defensive end Shane Ray, running back and kick returner Marcus Murphy and head coach Gary Pinkel were each recognized by the SEC as being the best at what they do. In the annual SEC awards, Mizzou individuals brought home the defensive player of the year, special teams player of the year and head coach of the year, respectively.
Of course, it’s quite the high praise to have the conference vote three members in one year, seeing that happens none too often.
Pinkel is perhaps the biggest story here. Competing with a number of “celebrity” head coaches, the Tigers head coach quietly guided his undervalued and under-experienced team to 10 wins and its second straight SEC title berth.
For Ray and Murphy, these honors are more icing on the cake. They’ve impressed this season, enough for the NFL to possibly come calling. We’ll wait on speculation there. But is worth noting is whether or not these three individuals actually deserved these awards. Obviously all three of them have very successful this year. But are they the best of the best in the SEC? Let’s find out:
Shane Ray– Defensive Player of the Year: YES.
What more can you say about defensive end Shane Ray? What an absolute monster. Ray destroyed opponents, both inside and outside of the line of scrimmage. He was a terror to every offensive lineman that stood in his way. His pure strength and surprising quickness complimented his agility and his football smarts to the tune of 13 solo sacks and 21 tackles for a loss. In this day and age, you can’t ask for much more from a defensive lineman.
Nov 1, 2014; Columbia, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Patrick Towles (14) is sacked by Missouri Tigers defensive lineman Shane Ray (56) during the second half at Faurot Field. Missouri won 20-10. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Ray follows in the footsteps of former Tiger defensive end Michael Sam who won the honor of defensive player of the year in the SEC in 2013. The Tigers owe much of their success this season to the junior who hasn’t yet declared whether or not he will return for his senior season. But there’s one thing for sure, Ray– who swept the SEC’s voting for the award– was the Tigers’ most valuable player in 2014.
Marcus Murphy– Special Teams Player of the Year: YES.
Murphy will watch the final season of an outstanding career come to a close in the Citrus Bowl on January 1. But his success on the field and committed four-year tenure for the Tigers will not soon be forgotten.
Murphy deserves this award. While his running back counterpart Russell Hansbrough became the quasi-first stringer in the backfield over the course of the season, Murphy was a huge X-factor for the Tigers. His speed and incredible vision led him to becoming the most consistent player on the MU offense and allowed him to be the best special teams performer in the conference.
Nov 22, 2014; Knoxville, TN, USA; Missouri Tigers running back Marcus Murphy (6) runs for a touchdown against the Tennessee Volunteers in the first quarter at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
The Tigers owe at least three of their wins almost solely to Murphy. We all know there is no such thing as a one-man show in football. But in the Florida, Vanderbilt and Arkansas games, he was a menace in the kick return game and broke out some pretty awesome rushes as well, all of which were reasons Mizzou won.
All teams dreaded kicking to Murphy. And when they did, he often punished them. 1,714 all purpose yards for the graduating Murphy is well-deserving of an award from the SEC. He got it here as the special teams player of the year, and rightfully so.
Gary Pinkel– Head Coach of the Year: NO.
The Tiger head coach has earned his stripes. Credit must be given to Pinkel who turned a bevy of young players into mature football players who played beyond their years. With that, the 13th-season coach put Mizzou on the map by leading the Tigers to their second consecutive SEC championship appearance.
Dec 6, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Gary Pinkel on the field prior to the 2014 SEC Championship Game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
He did so with a first-year starting quarterback, a badly beat up offensive line, a smorgasbord of young receivers, off the field issues and a defensive core that was talented but undersized and very young.
Thus, I’m in no way discrediting Pinkel for the wizardry that he concocted in 2014. However, is he the SEC’s coach of the year? No.
Perhaps the SEC felt it was too obvious of a pick to go with Nick Saban, even if he did lead the Alabama Crimson Tide to a No. 1 overall ranking and a bid in the College Football Playoff. But Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen and Ole Miss’ Hugh Freeze are just worthy, if not more than, as Pinkel is.
While Pinkel deserves recognition for turning the Tigers into contenders these past two years, one could also argue that he and his coaching staff did make the occasional costly mistake.
South Bound & Down
In fact, more than once did the Tigers win in spite of some poor decision making from the coaches. Pinkel’s squad showed an extreme lack of discipline as the regular season went on, being the most penalized team in the SEC. The Tigers were penalized 10+ times five of their final six games of the year.
While some of that is on the players, it’s reflective of the coaching. Thus Pinkel must take the fall for this. Also, twice did the Tigers players bail the coaching staff out after terrible game planning (against Texas A&M and Arkansas). Thus one has to think Pinkel has work to do as an in-game manager.
Still, his ability to build the talent, recruiting and success on the field must be recognized. And the SEC decided the best way to do it was give him a coach of the year award. Tiger fans for sure won’t complain. It’s almost unheard for one program to walk away with three of these awards. Mizzou Nation will take a feat that big any day.
Oct 18, 2014; Gainesville, FL, USA; Missouri Tigers defensive lineman Shane Ray (56) rushes against the Florida Gators during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Missouri Tigers defeated the Florida Gators 42-13. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
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