April 19, 2008
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -
Missouri basked in the glow of its first 12-win season on Saturday, with the Black and Gold intersquad scrimmage that concluded spring workouts nationally televised and drawing a crowd about twice as large as previous years.
Attendance was announced at 26,322 despite damp conditions and temperatures in the 50s, with countless fans attaching Tiger tails to their bumpers for the drive and then tailgating in the parking lot just as they would before a big game.
It was just another payoff for a school that finished No. 4 - its highest ever - and with 16 returning starters expecting to begin the fall in the top 10.
"That's awesome," quarterback Chase Daniel said after going 22-for-28 for 195 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. "There should be even more next year. The weather wasn't great, so that really says something about our fan base, that they're out here to support us."
Coach Gary Pinkel spent a good portion of the scrimmage in the ESPNU broadcast booth discussing aspirations for one of the country's rising programs. Missouri opens Aug. 30 against Illinois in St. Louis.
"People all over the country were watching and certainly a lot of kids in high school who are choosing schools, and see this kind of environment," Pinkel said. "And on really a day weatherwise that was one of the worst for a spring game that I've had. I think they're excited."
The scrimmage also served as a send-off for departing stars from the school's first Big 12 North championship team and first to play in a Jan. 1 bowl game since 1966. Seniors received oversized platinum-based Cotton Bowl rings from their 38-7 rout of Arkansas during a halftime ceremony.
"Those guys, look what they did for Mizzou football," Pinkel said. "Certainly, they had as good a stretch as anybody and it was tough, they went through a lot of adversity to get there. I'm so proud of those guys."
All-American tight end Martin Rucker, among a handful of the school's NFL draft hopefuls next weekend, was impressed with the turnout. Last year, about 10,000 showed up to watch Missouri coming off an 8-5 season and a Sun Bowl berth.
Now, expectations are soaring.
"This is why we came here, to get all these people excited about Mizzou football," Rucker said. "Different teams around the country have this times two or three at their spring game and that's what we want to do.
"This was the dream that Coach Pinkel sold us when he was recruiting us."
Pinkel said there's plenty of hard work yet to go, and has pushed players throughout the spring to keep challenging themselves. The goal is a repeat Big 12 North title.
"There's more of an air of confidence around us," Daniel said. "That's good. It's not cockiness, it's confidence."
Pinkel judged the No. 1 offense and defense even, despite the first string's success moving the ball in the first half. Jeremy Maclin caught a 15-yard touchdown pass on the opening drive and Jared Perry had an 11-yarder, and kicker Jeff Wolfert showed off a strong leg with field goals of 53 and 51 yards although he did not have to contend with a rush.
Missouri has 10 starters back on defense, needing only to replace nose tackle Lorenzo Williams, but has some health concerns. Safety William Moore missed spring workouts recovering from shoulder surgery, linebacker Van Alexander tore a knee ligament and linebacker Sean Weatherspoon will undergo surgery for a torn labrum on Monday.
