Earlier this week, Jack Peglow, Manager at Rock M Nation, was kind enough to answer some questions about the Missouri Tigers. Jack is also one half of the duo that produces the enjoyable Rock M Radio podcast. You can follow him @jackpeglow on Twitter for all things Mizzou and panache.
Thanks to Jack for helping out. Without further ado...
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1. Missouri is 3-0, ranked, but hasn't looked especially impressive this season given offensive woes. And yet, many have learned the lesson that counting out Missouri in September is foolish. What's your reading of the Mizzou fanbase's current feelings towards the season versus the preseason?
Going into the season, I think many fans were excited about the potential that the young group of receivers had flashed during Mizzou's spring and fall scrimmages. That, uh, hasn't exactly carried over to the regular season just yet. That said, trust in Gary Pinkel and his staff is at an all-time high. After turning a putrid offense around (relatively) in the second half of last season, I think most fans expect the prospects on that side of the ball to improve.
2. Missouri's defense has been impressive so far this season. The rushing defense is 5th in the SEC, the passing defense is first, and perhaps most impressively, it's all been done with a lot of young players up front. Talk about Mizzou's defensive personnel, and the factors that have led to their output so far.
The strongest position group on the field will be Missouri's linebacking/wrecking crew. Steered by the nation's leading tackler Kentrell Brothers, they're a spike-laden death car straight out of Mad Max. They play fast and aggressive, and new Defensive Coordinator Barry Odom will have them playing up close and personal.
3. Bill C.'s advanced stats show Missouri has beaten the 76th ranked team (Arkansas State) and the 99th ranked team (Connecticut) in one-score games. At the same time, Mizzou's percentile performance shows the Tigers are improving every week. Would you agree that Missouri is getting better every week, and if so which aspects?
Missouri's defense has certainly improved each week. The young players are growing into their roles, and the team as a whole is becoming more familiar with the changes that Odom has made to the scheme.
On the offensive side of the ball, I would argue that things have regressed. A lot of that has to do with the fact that the running game has been injured for the past two games. Yes, Mizzou has technically fielded running backs, but they haven't convinced me just yet of the existence of a rushing attack outside of Russell Hansbrough. Luckily, it looks like he'll be making his return to the backfield this weekend.
If he can get things going it should help take the pressure off Missouri's receivers, who look like all your little cousins trying to sit at the adult's table on Thanksgiving.
4. Missouri returned most of their offensive line heading into the season, but the group hasn't performed well, according to the advanced metrics. Missouri's offense is 126th out of 128 teams in terms of stuff rate and 122nd in adjusted line yards. What gives with this unit?
Missouri did return a decent amount of experience on the offensive line, but they only player to start at the position he started last year has been center Evan Boehm. Connor McGovern - the only other returning player to start a large chunk of 2014 - moved from guard to tackle and seems to still be working out the kinks of the shift. The rest of the line is young. Very young. I was hoping that they would be able to gel a bit more before starting the conference slate, but that hasn't been the case.
Improvement may still be on the horizon, but this unit's ceiling might just be a lot lower than folks thought it was going into the season
5. Senior running back Russell Hansbrough (averaging 5.4 yards/carry) is returning from injury, but will play against Kentucky. What does Hansbrough mean to Missouri's offense?
How much can I say Hansbrough means to the offense without sounding like I have a shrine made out of bubblegum dedicated to him in my closet? Would making that shrine keep him healthy? I may have to look into that... ANYWAY, Russell returning and being healthy is incredibly important to Missouri. If he can take even a modicum of pressure off the passing game, it will give the day-care workers a chance to put the receivers down for a much-needed nap. It will also - hopefully - take some pressure off Maty Mauk. The less he has to put the team on his back, the better.
7. Which areas do you think Missouri can exploit Kentucky both offensively and defensively on Saturday night?
Offensively, Missouri will likely try to punt the Wildcats into a position where the defense has a good chance to return an interception/fumble for a touchdown.
8. Prediction time. What's the final score and your confidence level?
These are two good defenses, and two offenses that haven't done much of anything. Neither team is going to run away with this one. The difference here is going to be Missouri's defense, which is looking more and more like one of the best in the country every week. I see the Tigers walking away with an ugly, nigh-unwatchable 14-6 victory. On a scale of one to ten, I'd say my confidence in that pick falls right around a 6. Trench warfare is always hard to predict.