By Brett Hudson
Tim Jamieson owes Gary Pinkel a beer. Or at least a profuse thank you.
In front of a crowd of over 1,200 media members collected together for SEC Media Days, Pinkel, Missouri’s head football coach, gave Jamieson’s Missouri baseball program a glowing review.
“Max Scerzer, a Mizzou guy, is going to start for the American League (as a pitcher in the MLB All-Star Game),” Pinkel said, cracking a smile. “Very proud of him. We wish him a lot of luck.
Unlike anything else…
It takes quite the feat to surprise a man who has been a collegiate head football coach for 23 years now, plus another six as an offensive coordinator. Missouri quarterback James Franklin found a way to do so to Pinkel.
“Last year was different than any time since I’ve been coaching,” Pinkel said. “Ever since I’ve coached, I never lost a starting quarterback for a game or two at all. That was very unusual for us. Our last three quarterbacks are playing in the NFL.
“James had more injuries than I think I’ve ever had combined.”
Having seen Franklin recover from the injuries, he is confident in his ability to bounce back from them for the 2013 season.
“Remarkably tough kid, remarkably competitive,” Pinkel said. “I think he’s driven, like we all are, to get back to winning, because that’s what we are here to do at Missouri.”
…but seen it before
The year is 2004. Missouri football has yet to see its glory days of Chase Daniels at the quarterback spot and winning 12 games, and the Southeastern Conference is just not getting accustomed to having 12 teams, much less adding two more.
It is in this almost unrecognizable state of college football that Missouri was last coming off of a losing season like it will do for the 2013 campaign.
Pinkel, back then entering his fifth season with the Tigers, can see similarities in his situation leading into season No. 13.
“I think they’re a little bit parallel,” Pinkel said. “I’ve been a head football coach for 23 years. This isn’t the first time it’s happened. You don’t like it, but you certainly deal with it.”
Freshman phenom
Missouri’s biggest statement heading into its debut season in the SEC was the signing of wide receiver Dorial Green-Backham, widely considered the best player in his class and expected to make a large impact immediately.
Green-Beckham ended the season fourth on the team with in receptions with 28 and in receiving yards with 395, below the national expectation for him.
“I think for all of our perimeter players, it was a difficult year last year because of our offensive line problems and our quarterback problems,” Pinkel said. “Jeremy Maclin starts for the Philadelphia Eagles, a first-round pick. Jeremy is 6-feet, 200 pounds. This guy is 6-feet-6, 227, and runs the same speed. He’s very talented.”
“We got to get the football to him. He’s got to touch the ball.”
