It’s been an exciting past few weeks for Missouri Tigers football. As they’ve gone through this developing stretch of spring football, Mizzou has started to fit the pieces together for what is sure to be another hyped up season in 2015-16.
Mizzou Pro days are giving way to the spring scrimmages, the first of which is this Saturday. All will culminate to the much-anticipated Black and Gold game on April 19, which will give Mizzou fans the first real picture at what this team is.
Yes, this is as exciting as the off season can get. And Mizzou fans are amped up for another potentially epic year on the gridiron.
Jan 1, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Missouri Tigers offensive lineman Evan Boehm (77) during the second half in the 2015 Citrus Bowl at Florida Citrus Bowl. Missouri wins 33-17 over Minnesota. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
But with the many questions still being asked about this team and how it will fill the missing parts, one can’t help but wonder just how this team will compare to last year’s edition. All of those questions lead to this: will this team continue that mojo from the past two seasons?
Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to say with any degree of certainty right now. We still don’t know this team’s new players well enough. But we can use the performance in spring football as a measuring stick and make an educated guess as to how well this team can do next season.
Here are a few pillars of success to compare with last season and a hypothesis on how things will go next fall.
The Defense Is a Bit of a Mystery
So much talent gone—it’s true. So where does this team turn to in wake of a new defensive coordinator? Well, they still have a lot to work with, but that isn’t really the biggest question mark. The mystery here is, what will this defense look like under Odom. We know that Odom’s defenses looked different from Mizzou’s under Dave Steckel. He uses more tight gaps, less space, and puts heavier emphasis on the linebackers and defensive backs.
We will know more on how the team will look when we see these scrimmages play out. But early indications are that Odom is a formidable replacement for the departed Steckel
The other question is: how will they replace talent lost. The big x-factor is if the young players like freshman DE Terry Beckner will live up to expectations in a supporting role.
The probable conclusion here is, the defense will not be nearly as good as 2014’s edition. But it will be strong, nevertheless.
The Young Wide Receivers: can they repeat last year’s players’ success?
This is by far the most glaring weakness on this team. For the third straight season, Mizzou is forced to scramble together to fill the voids, and this time it is with much less fire power.
Nate Brown is a beast of a slot-position player, and he is by all accounts, ready to emerge as the big time playmaker the Tigers need. But he is roughed up, spending much time this spring sidelined. And even then, one guy can’t do it all.
The Tigers only two other returning receivers, Wesley Leftwitch and J’Mon Moore– had a combined five catches last season. The team will piece together a true band of misfits in the wide receiver position next year, no doubt.
Which Position is Sure to improve?
The easy answer here is offensive line. And that’s the right answer.
But this is important for Missouri fans to take note of. If the last comments about the state of the wide receiver position concerned you, take comfort in the rest of the offense being ready to make a run next season.
This is especially the case for the guys in the trenches, which look to be one of the better offensive lines in the SEC in 2015.
Last season, the Tigers allowed their bright young quarterback, Maty Mauk, spend most of the season running for his life. It was a huge crutch for the team all season long, and it honestly very likely affected the QB’s play.
I don’t foresee that being the case this year. With center Evan Boehm and right guard Connon McGovern returning to anchor the offensive line, and a bevy of talent making up the starters and the back ups, the Tigers can expect this to be a huge impacting position on the field for Mizzou.
Combine that with the improvement of Mauk and the exceptional depth in the running back position, Mizzou can expect the offense to make up for the lack of wide receivers just as they did a season ago, and leverage the other three positions on the field in a way that creates a contender next season.
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