(TSX / STATS) COLUMBIA, Mo. — A 4-8 record in the 2016 may be nothing to celebrate, even in the Southeastern Conference, but two wins in the final three games gives coach Barry Odom something to build on at Missouri for 2017.
The Tigers return 10 offensive starters and get some welcome returnees on a defense that sorely needs a boost with the return from injury of defensive end Terry Beckner Jr. The Tigers allowed nearly 247 yards a game to opposing rushers and gave up over 50 points in two different games last year, one of which was a 63-37 loss at Tennessee that came between wins over Vanderbilt and Arkansas to close the season.
Brian Odom, the head coach’s younger brother, takes over the linebackers. Brick Haley, who spent the last two years at Texas and has SEC experience after a stint a LSU, comes in to coach the defensive line.
He expressed confidence in the group he inherited.
“My confidence on the defensive end is high,” Haley said after a recent scrimmage. “We’ve got enough bodies to find a few guys to get us some help, maybe some younger guys.
One of the younger guys is sophomore Franklin Agbasimere, who is moving to end.
“Frank had a good week last week, then had a great scrimmage on Saturday,” Haley said. “I tell the guys all the time, I don’t make the depth chart every week, they do. It’s all based on performance.”
Offensively, Damarea Crockett and Ish Witter give the Tigers a one-two punch at running back, and quarterback Drew Lock is entering his third year as the starter. Lock has been inconsistent at times, especially in some of the bigger games, but he still ranked first in the SEC at the end of the regular season in passing yards with 3,339.
He is enjoying a solid fall and earned Odom’s praise after the scrimmage along with Beckner and linebacker Cale Garrett.
“I thought Drew Lock did a really nice job of getting guys in the right position a couple of times,” Odom said. “He took control of that, which was really nice to see.
“Beckner did a couple of really nice things defensively, Cale Garrett did some nice things also, defensively. We’ve got a lot of playmakers and they consistently caught the football, which was really fun to see.”
Missouri gets a break to start the season with four consecutive home games in September. The Tigers open against Missouri State, then get South Carolina in an SEC East matchup followed by Purdue and Auburn.
Their first road game comes after an open date, Oct. 7 at Kentucky.
MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER: RB Damarea Crockett — Crockett got only two carries in the opener and missed the finale while serving a one-game suspension, but in between he set a program freshman rushing record with 1,062 yards, which included a single-game freshman record 225 yards against Tennessee along with 10 rushing touchdowns. His four rushing touchdowns against Middle Tennessee tied a school record. He has the power to run inside and the speed to capitalize once he breaks through. Crockett credits running backs coach Cornell Ford with his development. “Coach Ford and the rest of the staff deserves the rest of the credit,” he said. “They kept my head into it mentally and showed me all the little things it takes to take my game to the next level.”
BREAKOUT STAR: WR J’Mon Moore — Moore is the only returning 1,000-yard receiver in the SEC, and he has the opportunity to increase his numbers (62 receptions, 1,012 yards) if he can overcome the drops that seem to plague him from time to time. He earned a starting job as a junior and finished No. 1 in catches and yards, though with only 29 for 250 yards. He has 103 receptions for 1,395 yards in his career.
NEWCOMER TO WATCH: DT Rashad Brandon — Brandon finally got to practice after a 10-wait for clearance over issues on his transcript from junior college. He was a second team junior college All-American at ASA College in Brooklyn, New York, and was a standout in the spring after enrolling early. He should provide valuable depth if not compete for a starting position this fall.
–Suspended DE Nate Howard was already facing a felony drug charge when he was arrested in Columbia on an out of county warrant. Howard failed to pay a speeding ticket in Montgomery County, Missouri, and subsequently failed to appear in court. His court date on the drug case is Aug. 24. He is not currently on the roster with his suspension.
–C Jonah Dubinski, who started two games after walking on, is now on scholarship.
–RB Nate Strong is competing for a backup spot behind Damarea Crockett and Ish Witter in the backfield after serving a suspension that cost him some days in the spring.
–DT A.J. Logan, a returning starter, has missed time after sustaining a concussion in early camp.
–DT Terry Beckner Jr., who 2016 season was cut short by a knee injury, looks to lock down a starting spot after his standout performance in the first major scrimmage.
–DE Marcell Frazier, who finished the 2016 season strong (6.5 sacks over the final three games) and looks to be recovered from the broken forearm he sustained in the spring.
