If Missouri Tigers football fans were looking for more reasons to excited about the 2015 season, the surely got it on Saturday as Mizzou Nation gathered in Columbia for the Black and Gold game, the annual spring game, in Columbia.
Mizzou impressed over the weekend in front of a record spring game crowd and gave optimists more reason to have high expectations and critics a little more incentive to back down a bit. The Tigers’ two squads (Mizzou1 and Mizzou2) played a hotly contested match, with both sides exchanging leads, hits, big plays and scores.
It was Mizzou1—the starting units for the Tigers—that scored 10 unanswered points in the latter moments before halftime, but Tigers2—the reserve players, were able to stand tall in the second half defensively to earn a 17-10 victory.
It was a positive feeling for Missouri fans to see the team’s second and third tier players have such a resounding game. That’s a sign of the younger guys playing with grit and tenacity and the drive to bring Mizzou a good feeling about the future, as well as show off their talents in the highest moment thus far in their very green careers.
And for those wondering, the first unit taking a loss in this game is in no way a bad thing. They did what they needed to do to get themselves acquainted to success on the football field without taking any unnecessary risks.
Tigers starting quarterback, the second most experienced quarterback in the SEC looked sharp in his moments calling signals for Mizzou1. Add some big plays from key role players, especially on the defensive side, and you have a really optimistic outlook turning into an actual formidable squad for 2015.
Missouri Tigers football has strong leadership in 2015 from one of the SEC’s most experienced quarterbacks in Maty Mauk. Mandatory Credit: Dak Dillon-USA TODAY Sports
What just as uplifting was the play of the reserve players. The Mizzou backups and youngsters looked right at home putting their talents on display to show us a glimpse of potentially on the rise players and also provide Missouri fans with solace that the guys coming off the bench can more than hold their own.
Tigers2 actually got the scoring started in the games early goings and held it as the first half progressed, jumping off to a 14-0 lead.
In the middle part of the second quarter, the trailing starters got a much-needed big sack from defensive lineman Marcus Loud, forcing the reserves into a three-and-out. Loud, looks to be a force for MU in 2015 and it was good to see the Tigers’ defensive line—who some have been highly skeptical about whether or not they can replace their defensive line production from a season ago.
Mizzou1 got the first scoring of their own from the leg of Andrew Baggett, who kicked a 31-yard field goal with just over 4 minutes to go in the first half to put the first squad on the board.
The starters then forced a turnover-on-downs shortly before the half and the team leader Mauk got into the swing of things, marching down the field through the air and on the ground. He sprinted for a pair of 12-yard scampers which bookended big completions to wide receiver Wesley Leftwich (14-yards) and running back Russell Hansbrough (12 yards).
After Mauk’s legs got them inside the five-yard-line, he found redshirt sophomore receiver J’mon Moore in the endzone for a 3-yard touchdown pass. It was an impressive drive that gave us all a good feeling about the state of things for this offense, despite many fears about the kind of production it can have without a very stout receiving core.
Mauk finished the day 9 for 15 passing, 68 yards and a touchdown before the starters were pulled at half time.
Tigers2 quarterback and second-in-line Eddie Printzwas effective from the pocket, going 5-of-6 passing for 23 yards, and he looked poised while doing so. That’s good news for the potential future of the Missouri Tigers quarterbacks and, heave forbid if Mauk gets injured.
Mizzou players looked good in the second half too, the reserves defense held strong—a really good sign. Offensively, Missouri’s youngsters looked good as well. Redshirt freshman quarterback Marvin Zanders proved his worth via his big arm with multiples 25+-yard throws, followed by a 23-yard strike to Raymond Wingo.
Interesting to see Wingo make some catches in this scrimmage, as he was moved from defensive secondary to wide receiver last week. The move may prove to be helpful in the Mizzou’s trek to find wide receiver production.
In the end, the reserves held strong, but the first and second stringers looked as good as one could have hoped for, giving Missouri Tigers football fans a lot to look forward to in 2015.
With that, Mizzou’s done for the spring. As they get set for what looks to be another successful 2015 season, it was good to see a very impressive spring football conclude with a feel-good performance in the annual Black and Gold game. Missouri Tigers football appears to be in prime position to defend their two-time SEC East division championships.
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