Tuesdays top Tigers
Each Tuesday throughout the season, PowerMizzou.com will present its top 11 players for that week. These are the Tigers who had the best effort in the game the previous weekend. It doesn't carry over from week to week. Being on last week's list gives you no better shot to stay there than if you weren't on it. On to the top Tigers from the game against Troy on Saturday afternoon.
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TUESDAY'S TOP TIGERS
Rank
Player
The Analysis
Last Week
1
As Brad Smith said, "he does everything." Woods ran for 62 yards, caught a couple passes, ran back a punt for 73 yards. He's not the flashy one in the backfield, but he's awfully dependable. Woods is the only player to have been in our rankings every week we've had them, which should say something for him.
3
2
Three field goals, solid kickoffs (except one) and nearly 39 yards a punt. Maybe they're not breathtaking numbers, but then you haven't been watching the Tigers' special teams for most of the last decade.
8
3
Smith had 3.5 tackles, but he's here because 2.5 of those went for a loss. He had a sack and a half and was generally disruptive to Troy, something the rest of the defensive line could not claim.
NR
4
Rucker made two great catches to help Daniel out on his touchdown drive. For the day, Rucker had four catches for 52 yards, with a long of 24. Even though Chase Coffman has gotten a lot of the hype, this kid is still a fantastic tight end.
4
5
Johnson had a very good day on special teams, good enough that Pinkel singled him out afterwards. The most important play came on Woods' punt return. 70 yards downfield, Johnson was still blocking his man as Woods made his final cut and crossed the goal line. That's the kind of thing it takes to bring one back.
NR
6
After going through a junior season that even he admitted was hard, Wade found a way to contribute against the Trojans. He blocked and recovered a Troy punt, setting the Tiger offense up with a short field. Wade is just a guy who always seems to find a way to get noticed. He had 1.5 tackles in addition to the block.
NR
7
Temple showed why he has to get at least ten carries a game. He opened the scoring with a 59-yard burst in which he just ran away from Troy. He has home run power and is a threat to go the distance every time he touches the ball.
NR
8
After a rough opener, the true freshman scored his first collegiate TD on a third down run. Along the way, he hit Rucker for two nice conversions and made a couple of slick throws.
NR
9
Christopher has exceeded our expectations as a linebacker. He looks like he could be a very good sideline to sideline player. He and Van Alexander have made a few freshman mistakes, but they're good enough, we'd consider starting them now.
NR
10
Jackson had 80 yards in total offense and only touched the ball seven times. He had the longest catch of the day and averaged six yards per carry. Jackson may never be the feature back at Mizzou, but we like what we see.
NR
11
Overstreet officially was fourth on the team with four tackles. He was also credited with two passes broken up. This is kind of a "feel" pick. He seems to be the Tiger having the best year on defense so far. That may not be saying a ton, but he seems to make a few plays every week, something that has been lacking from his teammates.
NR
PowerMizzou.com will be your most comprehensive source for coverage of the Tigers throughout the 2005 season. Each Monday, we will provide you with a transcript of coach Pinkel's press conference in its entirety. Throughout the week, we will provide audio interviews, feature stories and analysis of the upcoming game. During the game, we will provide Instant Analysis of the contest and will continue with complete post-game coverage throughout the weekend. To talk about it with other Tiger fans, visit our premium forum, The Tigers' Lair.