Moving in for ‘The Mouth’ no easy task

By Dave Matter

Never during a Missouri football practice will the Devine Pavilion be compared to MU’s Ellis Library, but as the Tigers gathered for their first spring workout Tuesday, an occasional hush fell over the field. One familiar voice was conspicuously muted.

Focus is on the Future

By Dave Matter

Gary Pinkel is about to embark on his 10th season as Missouri’s football coach, and with 18 starters back from last year’s 8-5 team, the Tigers should field one of the more experienced lineups in the Big 12. Still, there will be plenty of questions to resolve when spring practices begin Tuesday. Last week, Pinkel sat down with the Tribune’s Dave Matter to discuss a range of topics, including Pinkel’s thoughts on one of the hottest topics in college athletics, Big Ten expansion. 6 comments

Can this Tiger measure up?

By Dave Matter

Sean Weatherspoon has met with dozens of NFL coaches, scouts and executives over the last few weeks, but one conversation especially resonated with the former Missouri linebacker. And when an anonymous team source recently told a media outlet that Weatherspoon was too loud for his taste — “It’s all about himself,” the unnamed executive told Pro Football Weekly. “I don’t want him in my locker room.” — Weatherspoon remembered what Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham told him at the Senior Bowl. 3 comments

3 players involved in fight

By Dave Matter

In a scene that ended with three Missouri football players wearing handcuffs, freshman quarterback Tyler Gabbert suffered a broken nose early Saturday morning when he was punched by another patron at a downtown restaurant. 57 comments

MU fills in football schedules

By Dave Matter

In December, Missouri’s football team couldn’t lobby its way into Sun Devil Stadium. Two months later, the Tigers have scheduled their way in. 1 comment

Moye leaves Missouri football team

By Dave Matter

With 67 returning scholarship players and another 23 newcomers who just signed letters of intent, the Missouri football team has a roster puzzle to solve this offseason: How do you dish out scholarships to more players than the 85 the NCAA allows? 6 comments

Rite of passage

By Dave Matter

Midway through his football career at Missouri, former Tiger Marcus James had a sit-down with assistant coach Andy Hill, a conversation James still recalls vividly. 6 comments

MISSOURI FOOTBALL RECRUITS

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Tigers get shopping done early

By Dave Matter

College football national signing day — perhaps the one day that keeps the fax machine industry alive — was wrapped up at Missouri’s football facility shortly after 9 a.m. Wednesday. What’s normally a stressful day on the recruiting calendar barely raised a Tiger’s pulse. 12 comments

Leftwich commits to Tigers

By Dave Matter

Wesley Leftwich isn’t one to take his time. The Hickman junior is known for his speed on the football field and has decided to burn through the recruiting trail, too. 3 comments

Tigers set to unveil Pinkel’s ‘best’ class yet

By Dave Matter

Tomorrow afternoon Missouri will officially unwrap what’s almost universally regarded as the school’s best football recruiting class under Gary Pinkel, who’s into his 10th season at MU. 24 comments

New crop of DBs for Tigers carries ‘orgasmic’?! label

By Dave Matter

Ninety-six, 117, 104. Those numbers represent Missouri’s national pass defense rankings from 2007-09. Reminder: Up until this past season there were only 119 Football Bowl Subdivision teams. With the addition of Western Kentucky to the national statistics, there are now 120. 9 comments

Tigers show they can come up big

By Dave Matter

If there’s one common element among the elite defenses in the Big 12 Conference, or the entire country for that matter, it’s the presence of hulking yet nimble men among boys in the trenches, athletic defensive linemen who create chaos in opposing backfields. Last week, Texas continued another sterling recruiting class with a commitment from one of the country’s top-rated defensive ends, Plano, Texas, native Jackson Jeffcoat.

Happy to wait for Richardson

By Dave Matter

A year ago this week, the Missouri football team celebrated the signature of perhaps the state’s best defensive lineman of his generation, all while knowing Sheldon Richardson could be years away from arriving in Columbia. 1 comment

Two elite prospects, one position

By Dave Matter

Signing two quarterbacks in one recruiting class is a calculated risk the Missouri Tigers know well. With only so many precious snaps available for two quarterbacks of the same age, it’s sometimes unlikely that both players finish their careers at the same school. In fact, in MU’s recent history, it hasn’t happened. 2 comments

Josey is a running back by any other name

By Dave Matter

When a football prospect doesn’t fit neatly into one position group, the national recruiting networks like to slap the label “athlete” on him. Former Arkansas running backs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones were tagged “athletes” by Rivals.com in 2005, as were Texas Tech wideout Michael Crabtree and USC safety Taylor Mays a year later. 2 comments

MU receiving class No. 8 in NCAA

By Dave Matter

For the second year in a row, Missouri has gone on a shopping spree for receivers and come up with a stash to replenish its depth chart. But there’s a difference this year: The Tigers steered clear of the low-hanging fruit. 5 comments

Missouri will add beef to line

By Dave Matter

Two quarterbacks and a wide receiver will headline Missouri’s 2010 football recruiting class, but Gary Pinkel made sure to acquire some protection for the skill players, too. High school players begin signing their national letters of intent next Wednesday, and among those headed for Columbia will be three offensive linemen, including one of the country’s most coveted. 11 comments

Alexander has what the NFL wants

By Dave Matter

Chase Daniel didn’t have the luxury of playing with a healthy Danario Alexander in 2008, but the former Missouri teammates worked out together last summer, long enough for Daniel to be convinced something big was about to happen. 4 comments

MU football recruits on campus

By Dave Matter

Three newcomers to the Missouri football program, including two quarterbacks, began classes Tuesday and will be eligible to participate in spring practices. Fresh out of high school, quarterbacks Tyler Gabbert and James Franklin and receiver/tight end Eric Waters have enrolled at MU a semester early, team spokesman Chad Moller confirmed Tuesday. 8 comments