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FOOTBALL QUICK 1ST QUARTER THOUGHTS VS. WAKE FOREST

WF wins the toss and elects to defer. MIZ receives the ball first.

Starters for offense
OL: Javon Foster, Xavier Delgado, Connor Tollison, Connor Wood, Armand Membou
TE: Tyler Stephens
WR: Luther Burden III, Tauskie Dove, Barrett Banister
RB: Cody Schrader
QB: Brady Cook

Starters for defense
DL: Tyrone Hopper, Darius Robinson, Kristian Williams, Johnny Walker
LB: Ty'Ron "Lil Hop" Hopper, Chad Bailey
DB: Ennis Rakestraw, Daylan Carnell, Jaylon Carlies, Joe Charleston, Kris Abrams-Draine

First Series for offense: So, a kickoff out of bounds to start. Missouri gets the ball on the 35-yard line to start. So, a little bit of trickery with a flea flicker to start the game and I’m not mad at Mizzou for trying this very mediocre pass defense. Third and one and Schrader gets stuffed. That pistol singleback doesn’t work and yet it's game 13 and they’re still running it. They punt.

First Series for defense: Big gain on second and 10 for a gain of 28. If the wide receivers get into space it’s going to be a problem. The arm tackles aren’t going to bring down Wake Forest running back Justice Ellison. They’ve got to wrap up. Safety Joseph Charleston called for pass interference (cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine is the correct person) on All-ACC first-team wide receiver AT Perry. Sam Hartman passes to Taylor Morin from two yards out for the touchdown. Hartman now has the ACC career passing touchdowns record with 108. Wake Forest walked Missouri down on that drive pretty easily. Besides that incompletion that was reviewed for a fumble, there wasn’t too much pressure forced by Missouri on that drive. Eleven plays for 85 yards in a little less than four minutes. WF 7, MIZ 0

Second Series for offense: Luther Burden with a couple of quick receptions with the last one being for a gain of 14 after breaking a couple of tackles. Mekhi with another third down reception on third and five for a gain of 14. He looks like the new Barrett Banister on third downs more and more. Peanut Houston sighting with a quick pass for a gain of four. A really good pass on the run by Brady Cook to Mookie Cooper for a gain of eight and a first down. You can tell the game has slowed down for him more and more. Barrett Banister gets called with a false start. Another third down conversion with Burden getting a reception for 13 yards. He has four catches already and five touches on this drive overall. The gameplan is obvious. Four first downs on this drive, but they run a stretch play on third and 11 for a gain of two yards and settle for a field goal. Harrison Mevis makes it from 35 yards out. That was a 13-play drive for 58 yards and it took up seven minutes and 57 seconds. Burden already has four receptions for 49 yards off of that drive alone. Apparently, that was the longest scoring drive in Gasparilla Bowl history. Marshall had a six-minute and 15-second drive in 2015. WF 7, MIZ 3

Second Series for defense: Mizzou forced a three-and-out so fast I couldn’t get my thoughts together. A nice stop on third and one by Johnny Walker and Abrams-Draine.

Second Series for the offense: Mitchell Walters with a false start. Cook rushes for a gain of 10 on first and 15. WF 7, MIZ 3.

Watching Wake Florida State game now

We will have our hands full tonight…their QB # 10 Hartman is gutsy and throws a good ball.. he is their all time passing leader with 107 TD passes…their defense gave Seminoles fits…but after starting 6-1 wilted a bit…without our 3 best defensive players and our best receiver we will be challenged in potentially a higher scoring game…they hung 45 on Vandy in Nashville…yikes…we “crushed” Vandy 17-14 in Columbia…
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I’m sure Brady Cook knows…

This is somewhat of an audition for 2023. This isn’t the end-all, be-all for who our quarterback is in 23, but Brady has to know this is his last chance to impress the staff. I’m gonna keep an eye on how aggressive he is or if he continues to play within himself like he has in the last half of the season. Looking forward to seeing the young receivers without Lovett as well.

Let’s win a damn bowl game! M I Z

FOOTBALL It’s all relative

Here in St. Pete, locals are apologizing, because it is quite a bit cooler, wetter, and windier than usual. It was forecast to be a high of 70 today, but at 1:45 it’s 59. During the game it will be in the high 40s.
Not ideal, but I suspect in Missouri, and most of the Midwest, people would give a king’s ransom for such weather conditions.

NEW STORY CLOSING THOUGHTS FROM THE ENTERPRISE CENTER

*The first 28 minutes of that game were the best 28 minutes I can remember seeing a Missouri team play in a LONG time. Maybe since Frank Haith's first team. I'm sure there's a game or two in there I'm missing, but I honestly don't remember one off the top of my head.

*I've seen every game Kobe Brown has played at Mizzou. This one was the best. He had a career high in points, assists and rebounds. He was aggressive. And oh by the way, everything was going in. I promise you he heard all the talk after the Kansas game that he disappears in big games. And I don't think it was totally unfair at that point. But damn did he show up tonight.

*D'Moi Hodge is fun as hell to watch. That dude will shoot the ball from anywhere. He will go 1 on 4. He will put up a 26 footer. It doesn't matter. There are probably going to be a couple times you cringe when he does it, but that's his game. I love it.

*I said ten minutes into this game that I wasn't sure what Ronnie DeGray really gave Missouri. My God, was I wrong. He had ten points, but that wasn't it. It's the defense and the toughness and the dogged determination. He's far from the most talented guy on the floor. But he was really, really good tonight even though he only made three shots and missed at least two layups. He was a team best +32 in 33 minutes.

*I'll venture a guess that if Tre Gomillion dunks twice in a game Missouri will almost always win that game.

*I think Mizzou gets some top 25 votes next week. I'm not sure they'll get in.

*Illinois is bad right now and they're a team that doesn't really appear to like each other. That played a part in this game. But it was at least as much about Mizzou being good as it was about Illinois being bad. Both things can be true. Missouri was the better team tonight by a long shot. Even if Illinois had played well, Mizzou might have been the better team. But Illinois did not play well.

*This changes the way we look at the rest of the season. As I wrote in my column, you can start talking about the NCAA Tournament and hoping for it. I'm not positive this team's going to make it, but I think it's going to have a real shot in late February. That'll be fun.

*Just had a friend who covers Illinois come over and say "For a guy who I didn't really know who he was when they hired him, Dennis Gates is a really impressive dude." He said someone with Illinois told him when Mizzou hired Gates "This is gonna be a problem." I'm telling you guys, basketball people loved the hire. And I think you're all starting to agree.

*Hell of a win. I know Christmas is always a little better for you guys when Mizzou wins this one. If the football team can make it two in a row, it ought to maybe allow everyone to be happy enough we can take the weekend off and not moderate the board. Jarod will have full coverage from Tampa tomorrow and we'll have follow ups over the weekend, but we're probably going to be a little less present on the board Saturday and Sunday than usual. Enjoy the win and whatever you are doing for whatever holiday it is you celebrate.

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BASKETBALL UCF Buzzer Beater= ‘93 3OT Illini Game?

When Gholston hit the game winner last Saturday and seeing the team reaction, it reminded me of the triple overtime win over the Illini in 1993.

In 1993, we lost by 50 to Arky and everyone said our season was over. This year, the air was let out of the 9-0 balloon with ku debacle.

In ‘93, that improbable Illini win propelled us to arguably our greatest season. Will last weekend’s UCF have the same affect? If last night’s effort is any indication, it is possible to at least dream!

MIZ!

Gholston

Brown and Hodge got all the accolades last night (and 100% deservedly so) but I'm really loving the development of Gholston. Dude looks like he is really settling into his role and it's paying huge dividends. Toward the start of the season, he was chucking all kinds of 3's, open or not. Backdoor cuts, driving the lane, and mid-range jumpers are where he shines. In a game last night where we didn't need him to take over like we did against UCF, he was able to pull it back and have a very good, efficient game, playing his role perfectly.

Another example, IMO, of great coaching from Gates and company. And how refreshing it is.

Television/National Exposure wise, this football game tonight is pretty perfect.

No competing CFB/CBN/NFL/Sports in general on.

Friday before Xmas break, people are looking for beer and sports. Worked out okay.

Liberty bowl would have been worse time slot in the middle of the week when people are still working.

And remember the PR disaster that almost sunk the Football program when Mizzou “dodged” kU? No one else does.
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