September 12, 2012

2012 Tiger Mailbag: 32nd Edition

Each Wednesday, PowerMizzou.com publisher Gabe DeArmond will answer questions from subscribers in our Tiger Mailbag. This feature will allow for longer, more in-depth answers than you may get on the message board on a daily basis. To have your question in next week's mailbag, send an email to Gabe at powermizzou@gmail.com. On to this week's inquiries:

Zoufan27 asks: Depth and speed clearly are the premiums in the SEC. Do you see Yost making significant changes to the scheme to allow for faster play execution as well as changes to the line personnel?

GD: I don't think the speed of the play execution is an issue. I mean, Missouri was going plenty up-tempo against Georgia until one of their defensive linemen got "cramps" (yes, I put it in quote marks). If Missouri's going to make significant changes to the scheme, it's not going to happen during the season. This is the offense the Tigers will run this year. If they get to the end of the year and it consistently has been stopped, they'll look at what they need to do differently. But understand, they have an entire team that has been recruited to play in this system. You don't just change based on one bad half. Plus, I'd argue execution wasn't the Missouri offense's problem. They outgained Georgia. The problem was handing the ball to the other team and putting your defense in terrible positions over and over...and that doesn't have anything to do with the scheme.

Jay0864 asks: Several of the most recent recruits PM has interviewed have mentioned that they want to see how the Tigers perform.  Was this one game enough to give a solid enough impression of the atmosphere and team performance to increase that interest?  Or do you have the impression it might take 5 or 6 games for a recruit to see more?

GD: It seems like Donovahn Jones had seen enough. Honestly, I think it just depends on the kid. And more important than how the team performs is getting the kids to campus for visits to let them see everything for themselves. Very few kids are going to commit to a school they haven't visited and felt comfortable at. A 10-2 season or a 2-10 season could change that, but since I'm assuming Missouri will be somewhere between those numbers, it's more about getting some of the out-of-state kids up for visits to Columbia.

bandg4ver asks: Several posters have alluded to coaches being on the hot seat this year.   I'm guessing that the OC and DC aren't going anywhere unless Steck leaves for a head coaching gig. What are your thoughts on the likelihood of staff changes after this season?  What are your thoughts on the likelihood of changes in scheme and recruiting after this year (type of players is what I mean -- up until now all our players are recruited to play in a spread offense, for example)?

GD: The next time Internet posters get a coach fired will be, to my knowledge, the first. No assistant coach is on the hot seat for a team's performance two games into the season (except the OL coach at Wisconsin apparently). And I'm not going to speculate on anyone's job security. If there are changes, we'll know about them when the time comes, but I don't see any reason to start worrying about it right now.

rryan33862 asks: The truth is that he runs the ball much better than he passes it. Once we got so far behind in the fourth quarter was there any chance that Pinkel would put Corbin Berkstresser in because of the way he passes? I know Pinkel is stubborn about this but I think he knows that CB can hit the receivers like he has all summer and even against SELA. If it gives us a better chance to win could he give CB a chance? Is Pinkel drawing a line in the sand and saying he will not make that move. We all saw that Franklin was not having his best game at that point when he fumbled twice and threw the interception to Jones. I understand that the fumbles were not all on him but he handles the ball every time.

GD: I know ahead of time this isn't the answer you want. But it's the way I feel. Reading your question makes it seem as if Corbin has proved on any sort of a consistent basis that he gives Missouri a better chance to win than Franklin. He hasn't. He completed five passes and had two or three nice runs against Southeastern Louisiana in a five-touchdown game. And you're ready to put him in in the fourth quarter against Georgia? I'm sorry, but that's nuts.

Franklin put up 3800 yards and 36 touchdowns (I think) last season. He played very well against Oklahoma and North Carolina and Baylor and a lot of other teams that would beat Southeastern Louisiana with their fourth string guys in the game.

The backup quarterback is the most popular guy on every single team. I've seen fans say Brad Smith should be benched for Chase Daniel, Daniel should be benched for Blaine Gabbert and Gabbert should be benched for Franklin. You don't earn the starting job based on five throws against an FCS team. And you don't lose it because you turned it over three times against one of the top ten defenses in America (two of which are directly the responsibility of perhaps the best defensive player in college football). If Franklin struggles for another four weeks, I'll listen to what you're saying. But no way I'll even entertain the argument as something that makes a bit of sense until at least then.



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