Omaha World-Herald writer likes Chase & the Tigers.
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pag...u_sid=10432763
COLUMBIA, Mo. — OK, sixth-ranked Missouri, here's the deal.
As a brand-new member of college football's Big Boys Club, certain lessons need to be learned.
Even when you smash a lesser opponent — like in Saturday's 69-17 win over four-touchdown underdog Nevada — people usually want to know more about what you didn't do than what you did.
With that in mind, I came to Faurot Field to dissect the Tigers' surprisingly wobbly defense.
More questions arose Saturday after Missouri gave up first-half scoring drives of 81, 62 and 66 yards. In the first three games, a defense with 10 returning starters has allowed nine scoring drives of more than 50 yards.
But writing about that today would only be nitpicking in light of the performance of senior quarterback Chase Daniel.
At his current success rate, the Tigers may not even need to field a defense.
Daniel, who is in his ninth consecutive year of operating the spread offense, looked Saturday like he was sitting on his living room couch manipulating a control panel.
In 2½ quarters, he completed 82.1 percent of his passes (23 of 28) for 405 yards with four touchdowns. There were no interceptions and no sacks. It would have been no sweat, too, except for the brutally humid conditions between downpours.
During the past two games, Daniel has led 13 offensive possessions. The result: 12 touchdowns and one field goal.
"We want to score every time we touch the ball," he said.
Every time?
"We know that's probably not going to happen," Daniel said. "But there is like a 25 percent chance we can."
Daniel even has hopes of playing an entire game without an incompletion.
"We talk about that all the time," he said. "There have been multiple practices where we haven't had the ball touch the ground in group work or 11-on-11 work.
"Last game was fairly close (he hit 16 of 17 in 1½ quarters). Today, I had some throwaways. We're doing the right things we want with the football right now. But that would be the perfect game."
Of Saturday's five incompletions, two were dropped. On another, pass interference easily could have been called.
On the only pass of the day Daniel shouldn't have thrown — a swing toss that a Nevada defender nearly intercepted — MU receiver Jared Perry grabbed the tipped ball for a 5-yard gain.
It's not like Nevada's defense was a bunch of stumblebums.
Last week, the Wolf Pack held Texas Tech's Graham Harrell, last year's national passing yardage leader, to a 41 percent completion rate and less than 300 yards while intercepting two passes.
None of that is good news for any future Missouri foes, especially those in the North Division forced to start walk-ons in the secondary.
The MU media relations staff on Saturday passed out old-time Viewfinders — those of you from the Internet generation can look it up — as the start of a $25,000 Heisman Trophy campaign to promote Daniel. He finished fourth in the voting last season and was part of the awards ceremony.
All-America wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, who caught touchdown passes of 80, 14 and 49 yards from Daniel, smiled when asked if he felt overlooked in the Heisman promotion.
"I'm doing everything I can to get Chase back to New York," Maclin said. "That guy deserved it last year, and he deserves it so far this year.
"He's the best quarterback in the country. By far."
Is Missouri closing in on becoming the best team in the country?
MU coach Gary Pinkel said he is pressing his players to perform at a championship level.
"This is about us winning championships," he said. "That's how we're grading our players."
But which championship, Gary?
"The Big 12 North. That's our focus," Pinkel said, before deadpanning: "Nice try."
OK, so the head coach won't bite. He doesn't need to. If his quarterback keeps playing like this and the under-achieving defense gets its act together, Missouri will be in the hunt for No. 1 to the end.