Thursday, July 17, 2014

Re: [gatortalk] Re: [gatornews] [SUN]: 7/16 - SEC: Pinkel, Missouri carrying momentum

When you have accomplished as little as Mizzou football has, you celebrate anything...


From: Shane Ford <goufgators@bellsouth.net>
To: "gatortalk@googlegroups.com" <gatortalk@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2014 9:10 AM
Subject: Re: [gatortalk] Re: [gatornews] [SUN]: 7/16 - SEC: Pinkel, Missouri carrying momentum

It looks like it!  We won so many SEC Champs that our players we're probably ashamed to be runner up the few times it happened?  ;-)

Sent From Shane's iPhone
Go Gators!   &   Skål Vikes!




On Jul 17, 2014, at 8:07 AM, Woody Bass <gatorrrrrr@gmail.com> wrote:

Wait. They get rings for being SEC divisional champs?

Woody (via iPhone)

On Jul 17, 2014, at 8:53 AM, Shane Ford <goufgators@bellsouth.net> wrote:


SEC: Pinkel, Missouri carrying momentum


 
Missouri quarterback Maty Mauk shows off his SEC Eastern Division ring on Wednesday at SEC Media Days.
Doug Finger/The Gainesville Sun
By Robbie Andreu
GAINESVILLE SUN Staff writer
Published: Wednesday, July 16, 2014 at 1:42 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, July 16, 2014 at 6:42 p.m.
 
 
HOOVER, Ala. — Only a year ago at SEC Media Days, Missouri's Gary Pinkel was in the same place Florida's Will Muschamp found himself earlier this week, on the sizzling hot seat.
But it was a little bit more severe for Pinkel. It wasn't just a coach on the hot seat, it was an entire team, the entire Missouri football program.
Coming off a humbling and injury-riddled 5-7 first season in the SEC, the Tigers were being questioned about whether they even belonged in this rugged conference, where only the strong survive. Had they stepped out of their league when they went from the Big 12 to the SEC in 2012?
Many were wondering.
Well, a year later, those troubling questions have evaporated. And as for that hot seat, Pinkel and Missouri could not be further from it.
Pinkel has a new contract that will keep him at Missouri through the 2020 season and pay him $3.1 million a year. And the Tigers are now considered strong contenders (and feeling right at home) in the nation's strongest football conference.
One magical, remarkable turnaround season in 2013 has changed everything, including perceptions.
Pinkel and the Tigers returned to SEC Media Days on Wednesday as the defending champions of the Eastern Division.
"It's been tremendously positive, especially coming off the year we had before," Pinkel said when asked what impact going 11-2 and winning the division has had on the Missouri program. "It was not the injuries. It was not all the other things. It was just we weren't very good, we shouldn't be in the SEC.
"We stay healthy, it gives us a chance. I'll go back to that year. If I would have coached better, we could have won one more game, could have gone on to a bowl.
"(Coming back and winning the division last season) has been very positive in terms of recruiting in every way. But this is a new year. Great challenge. We want to continue to compete at a high level. That's our challenge as we go into year number three (in the SEC)."
The Tigers no longer have to prove they belong in the SEC. They did that last season. The question now is: Can they continue to be contenders in the league?
Missouri has momentum heading into the season, despite the fact it returns only eight starters.
"First of all, you keep it going by winning. That's real simple," Pinkel said. "When I became the head coach at Missouri, I wanted to be respected in the Big 12, and now it's the SEC, and nationally. Not only do you have responsibility to your school, but to this league. I just wanted to be respected.
"You do that not just (by) winning football games. Our graduation rate is one of the best in the country and our APR rankings are in the top 10. Not only in just that, but in other ways too."
Winning, of course, is what everyone notices. And that's what the Tigers did last season.
With a number of injured stars returning, including quarterback James Franklin, the rejuvenated Tigers made an early and stunning statement, winning at Georgia on Oct. 12, then thrashing Florida 36-17 a week later.
With those two victories, the Tigers earned the respect around the league that they did not have in their first season.
They followed that up by going 7-1 in conference play to win the division and advance to the SEC Championship Game against Auburn.
"In the first year, we had a bunch of injuries, but last year we were healthy, so it's about being healthy and competing," senior standout defensive end Markus Golden said. "At Mizzou, we believe we can compete against anybody, and that's what we were able to do last year. We're going to try and do the same thing this year."
Injuries hit the Tigers hard two years ago. This year, it's been graduation, along with the dismissal of star wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham, who is now at Oklahoma.
Missouri will have eight new starters on offense, including quarterback Maty Mauk, and six on defense.
The good news, from an offensive standpoint, is that Mauk has already proven himself. He started four games last season. In his first, he led the Tigers to their big win over Florida.
"He's a winner. Players know it," Pinkel said of Mauk. "He's a remarkable competitor. They know it. They respect the way he leads. That's why he did so well last year when we threw him in there as a freshman. We're very fortunate to have him.
"Certainly, if you ask him, he's got a lot of things to prove too. He's the guy now. I guarantee there's no one more excited about getting going and playing than that guy."
It's an excitement that seems to be running through the entire team.
"We're excited about the year," Pinkel said. "We've worked very hard. We're honored to be in the SEC. I tell people all the time, it's like being in the NFL.
"We focus pretty much at Mizzou on ourselves and us playing our best football game, which gives us an opportunity to win. We're going to continue to do that."
 
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1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions
2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions
2008 National Football Champions |
Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996),
Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us
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