Welcome to Four Down Territory which is a spin-off of Ten Thoughts.
So, I’ll give you three thoughts on Missouri football or college football in general. Then, the last thought will be whatever I want it to be.
1. The indoor facility is sweet. The Tigers held their first couple of fall camp practices at the new Stephens Indoor Facility due to the weather the past couple of days, and I’m all for it.
For one, it’s 30 yards longer and it seems like it’s wider. It’s an actual football field compared to the other facility which only had a 70-yard field.
There’s a catwalk with nice chairs for the media to observe practice, and I think it has air conditioning. This is all I need considering the heat the past month or so has been sweltering.
We were back outside on Wednesday because the rain had subsided but selfishly, I wished it came back so that every practice could be held there.
2. I got to talk to Brady Cook, Sam Horn, and Jake Garcia on Sunday, and it was interesting to see the personality of the players seep through a bit as I asked them how they approached the quarterback competition.
Cook, who is fully healthy for the first time since early in the second quarter versus Kansas State back in week two of last season, was in a really positive and confident mood.
It was nice to see Cook have a smile on his face and be in an upbeat mood after the season he had.
Combine the shoulder injury with his on-the-field struggles and the ridicule that he got, deservedly or undeservedly, and you could tell it weighed on him a bit.
At least when he was in front of the media.
Horn was chill and composed, but he was confident in a different way. He said he’s a winner, and that’s what he does.
It was genuine confidence and not arrogance.
He said spring ball was about learning the game more and now in fall camp he wants to be more of a leader and keep the team together.
That shouldn’t go under the radar because in the coming days and weeks, some people will win starting jobs and some won’t, including himself.
Some will have solidified a place in the rotation and others won’t.
So, if Horn is serious about keeping the team together that’s a mature thing for him to do. Especially, since he’s vying for a spot where one person plays and Drinkwitz mentioned how Horn was struggling a little bit off of the field last year adjusting to college life.
Garcia was probably the most direct.
His deal was he came to Missouri to win a job and that’s what he plans to do.
It felt authentic because it was closer to what most outsiders assume a player is thinking but will not actually say.
He looked at the elephant in the room and acknowledged it instead of turning his back on it. He wasn’t awkward about the position battle and didn’t dance around it (none of them did).
He was actually complimentary of his fellow quarterbacks and talked about wanting to see his teammates win at the end of the day, even if the result is someone else being named the starter.
Here’s what each of the players said on Sunday.
So, I’ll give you three thoughts on Missouri football or college football in general. Then, the last thought will be whatever I want it to be.
1. The indoor facility is sweet. The Tigers held their first couple of fall camp practices at the new Stephens Indoor Facility due to the weather the past couple of days, and I’m all for it.
For one, it’s 30 yards longer and it seems like it’s wider. It’s an actual football field compared to the other facility which only had a 70-yard field.
There’s a catwalk with nice chairs for the media to observe practice, and I think it has air conditioning. This is all I need considering the heat the past month or so has been sweltering.
We were back outside on Wednesday because the rain had subsided but selfishly, I wished it came back so that every practice could be held there.
2. I got to talk to Brady Cook, Sam Horn, and Jake Garcia on Sunday, and it was interesting to see the personality of the players seep through a bit as I asked them how they approached the quarterback competition.
Cook, who is fully healthy for the first time since early in the second quarter versus Kansas State back in week two of last season, was in a really positive and confident mood.
It was nice to see Cook have a smile on his face and be in an upbeat mood after the season he had.
Combine the shoulder injury with his on-the-field struggles and the ridicule that he got, deservedly or undeservedly, and you could tell it weighed on him a bit.
At least when he was in front of the media.
Horn was chill and composed, but he was confident in a different way. He said he’s a winner, and that’s what he does.
It was genuine confidence and not arrogance.
He said spring ball was about learning the game more and now in fall camp he wants to be more of a leader and keep the team together.
That shouldn’t go under the radar because in the coming days and weeks, some people will win starting jobs and some won’t, including himself.
Some will have solidified a place in the rotation and others won’t.
So, if Horn is serious about keeping the team together that’s a mature thing for him to do. Especially, since he’s vying for a spot where one person plays and Drinkwitz mentioned how Horn was struggling a little bit off of the field last year adjusting to college life.
Garcia was probably the most direct.
His deal was he came to Missouri to win a job and that’s what he plans to do.
It felt authentic because it was closer to what most outsiders assume a player is thinking but will not actually say.
He looked at the elephant in the room and acknowledged it instead of turning his back on it. He wasn’t awkward about the position battle and didn’t dance around it (none of them did).
He was actually complimentary of his fellow quarterbacks and talked about wanting to see his teammates win at the end of the day, even if the result is someone else being named the starter.
Here’s what each of the players said on Sunday.
