The Missouri Tigers defense has been one of the better units in the country which came as a surprise to some folks. With Blaine Gabbert and that offense you'd expect them to be getting the headlines but it was the defense that was worthy of the most praise this year.
Mizzou faces the Iowa Hawkeyes in the 2010 Insight Bowl Tuesday evening and talked about that defense of Missouri's and even compared them to one of his fellow Big Ten foes in Ohio State.
First thing that jumps into my mind is just their athleticism, speed and athleticism. They are very aggressive with their scheme, which makes sense based on the way they're built. They are a very athletic group. Probably the most athletic group we have seen. I'm talking about all 11 guys, not just a couple guys here and there.
The defensive ends led by Aldon Smith may be a group he's talking about here. Sometimes the Tigers will get an entire defensive line of defensive ends.
They are really a speed oriented group. They rush the pass extremely well. They do a good job in coverage and they can take some chances because they have good guys in the back end, and their linebackers are extremely versatile and fluid.
They can get to the passer with the defensive ends he mentioned. It's all about creating pressure on the quarterback. That's a game changer in how you prepare your defense.
I compare them a little bit they are a different style of defense than Ohio State, but they are like Ohio State. And it is really hard to get clean plays. It is hard to keep things open for long. They really close it down quick and do a great job of keeping you out of the end zone. It will really be a challenge for our offensive football team.
Good comparison for the Tigers. We'll see just how good they are on ESPN Tuesday night when the Tigers face the Hawkeyes in Tempe, Arizona.
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