INSIDE SLANT
It’s no surprise that Missouri defensive coordinator Dave Steckel has tremendous respect for Navy. Before he broke into coaching, Steckel served in the Marines. He also grew up on the East Coast. And as a former assistant at Rutgers, he has coached against Navy many times.
But pageantry and history won’t be on his mind leading up to the Dec. 31 Texas Bowl as much as Navy’s triple-option attack, specifically, the Mids’ devastating cut blocks.
This won’t be the first offense Missouri has played that cut blocks to free space for the running game, but few teams execute it as precisely as Navy, said Steckel, who has adjusted Missouri’s practice drills to prepare for the crush of cut blocks coming the Tigers’ way.
Missouri (8-4) faces the Midshipmen (9-4) in Houston on New Year’s Eve, the schools’ first matchup since the 1961 Orange Bowl.
“You just got to anticipate it and be shocked if they don’t do it,” Steckel said. “You’ve got to bend your knees and keep your outside leg forward. The other thing is it’s going to be tough to emulate it in practice, just to see the speed and timing that they have. They do a great job.”
While hosting a busy weekend for official recruiting visits, Missouri players and coaches had the chance to watch Navy play its annual rivalry game against Army on Dec. 12, a game the Mids won 17-3 after trailing 3-0 at halftime. In between holding a morning practice and hosting recruits, Missouri coach Gary Pinkel managed to watch some of the Army-Navy showdown.
“I was very, very impressed with their quarterback,” Pinkel said of Navy’s Ricky Dobbs, who broke Tim Tebow’s NCAA record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with his 25th score. “Their scheme really causes a lot of problems for defenses.”
As for Missouri’s offense, the Tigers should find out before Christmas if they’ll have their full arsenal of wide receivers. Senior Jared Perry, the No. 2 target for quarterback Blaine Gabbert, cracked his tibia in the 10th game of the season and has been deemed questionable for the Texas Bowl.
The Tigers will face a defense that held Army’s option-based attack to just 187 yards and 3-of-16 conversions on third down.
NOTES, QUOTES
• Despite an 8-4 record and a head-to-head win over Iowa State on Nov. 21, Missouri was bypassed for the Insight Bowl in favor of the Cyclones—and, not to mention, by the Independence Bowl in favor of 6-6 Texas A&M.
Snubbed again by the Big 12’s unregulated bowl system—bowls are allowed to select any eligible team regardless of records or standings—Tigers coach Gary Pinkel took the high road.
“I think we’re proud we had the fourth-best record along with one other school in the Big 12 as we battled through it all,” Pinkel said.
“I certainly think the process in the Big 12 has been frustrating. But I also don’t think it’s really the appropriate time to discuss (the frustration.) That’s a conversation and discussion for a later point. I’m really excited about this game and feel really good about it.”
This marks the third straight year Missouri has been passed over by a bowl in favor of a Big 12 opponent that MU defeated and had an equal or lesser win total.
In 2007, the Orange Bowl made 11-1 Kansas its BCS at-large pick over 11-2 Missouri, which defeated KU in the regular-season finale. The Tigers instead headed to the Cotton Bowl. Last year, Missouri headed to the Alamo Bowl with a 9-4 record after the Gator Bowl passed on the Tigers in favor of 8-4 Nebraska. Missouri had beaten the Huskers in Lincoln, Neb., earlier in the season.
Other than the getting passed over in favor of two teams with worse records—three if you also consider the Sun Bowl selecting 7-5 Oklahoma—there were several factors for the Tigers to embrace the Dec. 31 Texas Bowl.
For one, the game is televised on ESPN, which is more widely available than the NFL Network, the broadcasting channel of the Insight Bowl. Also, Houston is fertile recruiting ground for MU and home to several of Pinkel’s current players. Plus, the Tigers will have an extra week to prepare for their opponent. That’s because Navy finished its regular season Dec. 12 against Army.
“In many, many ways this works very well for us,” Pinkel said.
Scouting The Offense: The Tigers finished the regular season on a surge, averaging 508 yards of offense in three straight wins over Kansas State, Iowa State and Kansas. The key has been the health and protection of quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who after a rocky three-game stretch where his sprained right ankle severely limited his mobility and accuracy, the sophomore finished with the Big 12’s No. 2 efficiency rating, behind only Heisman Trophy contender Colt McCoy of Texas. Speaking of the Heisman, wide receiver Danario Alexander was added to at least one ballot for the prestigious award—that of Kansas City Star reporter Mike DeArmond—and picked up a few votes for Big 12 offensive player of the year, an honor that went to McCoy. After his November flourish, Alexander leads all FBS players in receiving yards with 1,644 and ranks second in receptions with 107.
Scouting The Defense: Missouri is coming off a sluggish performance against Kansas in the Border Showdown where KU’s Todd Reesing torched the Tigers for a school-record 498 passing yards. MU struggled in all phases of its pass defense, from an ineffective pass rush to shoddy tackling to poor coverage downfield. Luckily for MU, its bowl opponent couldn’t have worked out better: Navy has thrown the ball an NCAA-low 89 times entering the Army game Dec. 12.
Matchup To Watch: Navy QB Ricky Dobbs vs. Missouri OLB Sean Weatherspoon—Missouri’s tackling machine faces a dangerous runner in Dobbs, who leads Navy’s triple option attack with 913 rushing yards and 23 tackles. Weatherspoon, a unanimous All-Big 12 selection, looks to finish his celebrated career with another productive night. One of the best games of his career came in last year’s Alamo Bowl when he won the game’s Defensive MVP award. His play will be pivotal in containing Navy’s run-oriented attack.
Other Key Matchups
• Missouri’s offensive line vs. Navy’s defensive line.
The Tigers haven’t played many defenses that employ a base three-man front like Navy’s, but MU figures to have an advantage in size and strength against a Navy line that averages just 262 pounds. The Mids average just 1.4 sacks per game, which ranks 102nd nationally. The Tigers, meanwhile, have given up just one sack over their final three games.
• Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert and WR Danario Alexander vs. Navy DB Wyatt Middleton.
Middleton, a 6-2, 208-pound junior, plays the rover position and is the most productive playmaker for the Mids’ pass defense, racking up six pass break-ups, three interceptions and 65 tackles. As the biggest player in the Navy secondary, Middleton could find himself matching up against Alexander, MU’s brilliant playmaking receiver who leads the country in receiving yards and ranks second in catches. Snubbed for All-American honors and Biletnikoff Award consideration, Alexander is motivated to end his college career with one last prolific game, in his home state, no less.
• Missouri P Jake Harry vs. Navy P Kyle Delahooke.
If this one turns into a battle for field position, two of the country’s best punters could play a pivotal role. Harry helped the Tigers lead the Big 12 in net punting, often using rugby style kicks out of what MU calls its shield punt formation. Harry is coming off the best game of his career, when he landed all five of his punts inside Kansas’ 20 yard-line, including three inside the 5, on Nov. 28. Delahooke ranks 25th nationally with a 43.1-yard average.
Quote To Note: “Obviously the academies are representing our armed services and training officers. The discipline that goes along with that, the character that goes along with that, it’s all very impressive. I think it’s a great honor for us. They’ll play a great game. I guarantee you that.”—Missouri coach Gary Pinkel on facing Navy.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
Bowl Breakdown: Missouri vs. Navy, Texas Bowl, Dec. 31, Houston—The Tigers are 2-0 all-time against the Midshipmen and last played them in the 1961 Orange Bowl when Dan Devine’s MU team held off Navy and Heisman Trophy winner Joe Bellino 21-14. This time around, the Tigers might not be thrilled playing in the Big 12’s last bowl slot, but they’ll be tested against one of the country’s most electric running teams.
Players To Watch:
WR Jerrell Jackson—The sophomore has emerged as the passing game’s second-most productive weapon behind All-American candidate Danario Alexander. The Tigers have found ways to get Jackson involved in the running game and the quick passing game on screens and reverses. With defenses expected to focus their attention on Alexander, Jackson becomes a pivotal playmaker for QB Blaine Gabbert.
MLB Will Ebner—Missouri’s most explosive tackler other than OLB Sean Weatherspoon, Ebner figures to be busy against Navy’s triple option. The sophomore can set the tone for the Tigers with a quick start against the run-first attack that will be coming his way.
FS Jasper Simmons—After an eventful day trying to keep pace with Kansas’ wide receivers, Simmons shouldn’t have to cover too many pass routes against Navy, but he’ll figure prominently into the run defense as MU’s best tackler in the secondary. Simmons leads all MU safeties and corners with 67 tackles.
QB Blaine Gabbert—The sophomore has a chance to end a promising debut season with another big game against a defense that’s struggled against potent pass offenses. With a big day, Gabbert can establish himself as one of the Big 12’s best quarterbacks for 2010, especially with the exodus of veterans Todd Reesing, Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford and Zac Robinson.
Roster Report:
• Coach Gary Pinkel was unsure if senior WR Jared Perry will be healthy in time to play in the Texas Bowl. MU’s No. 2 receiver suffered a fracture of his right tibia in MU’s victory at Kansas State. “I know he’s excited about getting back,” Pinkel said of Perry. “I hope he gets back. He’s done so much for this football program. His teammates certainly do, too. If there’s anyone who can do it, he certainly can.”
• Three Missouri players earned first-team honors for the All-Big 12 teams voted on by the media and the league coaches: Weatherspoon, Alexander and kicker Grant Ressel. Offensive guard Kurtis Gregory, defensive end Aldon Smith and nose tackle Jaron Baston were second-team selections.
