Missouri entered 2006 with a MAJOR question mark hanging over the quarterback position - and for good reason. Mizzou parted ways with four-year starter Brad Smith, a Missouri legend and keeper of 69 different records. Smith's tremendous athleticism is currently making New York Jets coaches turn giddy like 5-year-old's on Christmas morning.
But the question was not without an answer. Throughout Chase Daniel's freshman year, coaches hinted about the kind of leader Daniel was becoming, in addition to his knowledge of offense. Daniel was wildly successful in high school running the same offense leading most Mizzou fans to be cautiously optimistic about his future. That optimism was confirmed as legit when Daniel entered the 2005 Iowa State game for an injured Smith, leading the Tigers to a come-from-behind victory. As the Columbia Tribune noted before the 2006 season, the torch was being passed.Daniel took it and ran with it. He broke the school record for TD passes in one game in his first start, throwing for 5 TD against Murray State (a powerhouse, I know). Daniel orchestrated wins over Ole Miss, Ohio, New Mexico, Colorado and Texas Tech, all the while quieting concerns about his size and creeping Mizzou into the national conscience.
The Tigers struggled down the stretch, but it's hard to fault Daniel for most of it. The inability to protect the football, inability to stop the run and poor playcalling hamstrung the Tigers in the second half of the season, directly contributing to losses against Texas A&M, Nebraska, Iowa State and Oregon State. Only Oklahoma truly outmanned and outclassed Daniel and the Tigers, and Mizzou even had a shot at the Sooners for a large portion of the game. Only Oklahoma and Nebraska had Daniel the least bit flustered.When all was done, he finished the year with 28 touchdown passes, 3,527 passing yards and 3,906 total yards - all school records. Entering 2007, the only question at quarterback is depth.
Daniel is the man unless, God forbid, he gets hurt. Sitting behind Daniel is senior QB Chase Patton, who may be the only player on the roster hurt by what Daniel's done for the program. Patton seemed to be the heir apparent to Smith. Patton was a 4-star, hometown hero who passed up the likes of Tennessee and UCLA to stay in CoMo. Coaches have expressed how comfortable and confident they feel with Patton as the No. 2, but it's hard not to feel somewhat bad for the one Mizzou didn't let get away.
After Patton, the questions pick up - perhaps not for 2007, but as a backup in 2008 and a starter in 2009. The two redshirt freshmen each bring a different style - with Dominic Grooms able to make some plays with his feet and J.P. Tillman able to make more plays from the pocket. If neither can prove they are up to the task in two years, the amount of pressure on Pinkel and Co. to recruit a top quarterback will only continue to compound - especially after losing in-state QB Blaine Gabbert to Nebraska. But if any lesson has been learned from the Daniel era at QB, it shows that size and recruiting stars don't win ball games, and here's to hoping Mizzou pulls another diamond from the rough in the future.
But for 2007: In Chase We Trust.
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