The media obtained its first take a look at switch cornerback Marcus Clarke partaking in drills at observe Tuesday. Beforehand a Miami Hurricane, Clarke was recruited and coached by defensive coordinator Blake Baker in 2019-2020.
“(Clarke) can actually run,” Baker stated. “He’s acquired an awesome talent set; actually, actually good ball expertise … I feel he’ll simply be capable to carry a calmness to the group. You bought Ennis (Rakestraw), you’ve got (Kris Abrams-Draine) which have performed numerous soccer, and I feel he type of suits in that wheelhouse, most likely from a skill-wise set as effectively.”
Baker doesn’t know the place Clarke’s eligibility stands for the season. The defensive workers is ensuring Clarke is in form and labored into the defensive scheme, hoping he’s accessible quickly.
Security Jaylon Carlies grew up taking part in towards Clarke in Pop Warner youth soccer in Florida. Carlies famous Clarke may also help bolster Missouri’s protection with what he can carry from his expertise at Miami.
The Tigers look to construct off stifling run protection in Manhattan
Whereas unattainable to make any sweeping judgments after one week, it’s troublesome to disregard one stat from Missouri’s 52-24 win towards Louisiana Tech on Sept. 1: 11 dashing yards.
Of their first sport underneath Baker, the Tigers’ protection bottled up every little thing the Bulldogs wished to do on the bottom, a swift enchancment after a season during which they gave up 227.3 yards a sport underneath former DC Steve Wilks.
Bettering its rush protection was one of many protection’s factors of emphasis over the offseason, and the unit delivered Week 1. That even goes for gamers who weren’t part of Missouri’s roster final season. Baker has the buy-in of everybody on the defensive facet of the ball no matter the place they spent 2021.
“The file wasn’t what we wished to have it as for dashing yards,” switch Jayden Jernigan stated. “That was the very first thing we talked about and tried to cease (towards Louisiana Tech).”
The Tigers know they’ve one other large take a look at on the bottom this weekend towards Kansas State, which rushed for 297 yards and 4 touchdowns in its season-opening 34-0 win towards South Dakota final Saturday. Extra particularly, Missouri must be ready for Deuce Vaughn— who began his season with a 126 yard, one landing efficiency.
This weekend, the Tigers hope to neutralize the Wildcats’ dashing assault by staying in gaps, concentrate on taking totally different tackling angles and most significantly, forcing the host’s assault to be one-dimensional. For Missouri, that defensive buy-in and energy begins with gamers on the workforce final 12 months and trickles down even to the latest additions.
“I’m right here now,” Jernigan stated. “I’m a Mizzou Tiger now, so no matter occurred final 12 months, we watched the movie and we see. We’re all constructing on how we are able to make this the perfect protection that Mizzou has had. No matter issues we had final 12 months, even transfers take that and we put that on our shoulders.”
Expertise drives defensive position
Final week, Darius Robinson joked about getting into the Missouri program with veterans in entrance of him and nearing the tip of his profession with skilled gamers nonetheless filling out the defensive position.
The Tigers added a number of transfers to their entrance seven, together with Jernigan from Oklahoma State and Kristian Williams from Oregon. The 2 touched on how expertise trumped early challenges Tuesday after transferring.
“It wasn’t an excessive amount of of a troublesome activity to study,” Williams stated concerning Baker’s protection. “However it was fascinating, since you come from elsewhere (with) numerous strategies that is likely to be totally different and whatnot.”
Jernigan has additionally seen the transfers and tenured Missouri defensive linemen mesh effectively from the spring to now.
“I really feel prefer it actually helped within the spring, within the fall when all people actually began getting right here, and all of us began taking part in with one another,” Jernigan stated. “After which there’s the sport, all people’s going to be collectively. We’re one workforce, that’s the way it goes.”
Missouri’s protection led faculty soccer with the least dashing yards allowed with 11 towards Louisiana Tech on Thursday. However now, the Tigers enter Manhattan, Kansas, dealing with a Wildcats workforce that rushed for the fourth-most yards in faculty soccer final week.
Martez optimistic to not put on brace Saturday
Security Martez Manuel practiced final week and performed Thursday towards Louisiana Tech in a brace on his proper hand. The senior has continued to put on the membership, even breaking it on a sort out throughout Tuesday’s observe.
“Fortunately, I play at a stage the place they’re actually good at getting me stuff after I want it,” Manuel stated. “Hopefully, I don’t acquired to place it on (Saturday).”
Manuel stated he doesn’t know when he’ll cease needing to put on the membership, however he wouldn’t be stunned if he needed to put on it Saturday at Kansas State. Baker additionally couldn’t supply a timetable on when to count on Manuel with out the brace, but it surely could possibly be off late this week or subsequent.
“It hasn’t restricted him,” Baker stated. “It is likely to be a game-time choice if he’s out of it. I don’t need to say a technique or one other, however he’s coming to tail finish of that.”