Behind Enemy Lines: Missouri

WVSports.com goes behind Enemy Lines to get some perspective on the upcoming opponent by speaking with those on the ground covering those teams. We caught up with PowerMizzou.com Publisher Gabe DeArmond for an in-depth look at the Tigers and what West Virginia can expect in the season opener this weekend.

1-- Obviously there is a new coaching staff at Missouri. What's the offense look like after a rough season last year? From what you've seen what are that units strengths and weaknesses? Is there reason to think that group could see a major improvement?

It's tough to say much about Missouri's offense (or defense) at this point. Our viewing of practice is limited mostly to the non-contact positional stuff. So we haven't actually seen the team in a live action situation. There are a lot of new bodies and obviously a new offensive coordinator (and entirely different position coaches) so we go into this season opener with less knowledge than we've ever had.

What is known is that this offense almost has to be better because it's tough to get any worse. Mizzou was 127th (out of 128) in points per game and 125th in yards per game last year. There's nowhere to go but up, right? The offensive line has four new starters (none of whom have started a game before) and the only "returning starter" has three career starts. The backfield is going to look far different as is the receiving corps. Missouri has a lot of new names. We just don't know what to expect out of them yet.

2-- The defensive line is a considered a strength but there have been some departures for a variety of reasons. How good is this group and what's the depth like there?

The depth is still good. Charles Harris is a 2nd team all-SEC guy and is on pretty much every watch list in America. The big loss from last year is Walter Brady, who was a freshman all-American but was kicked off the team this summer for a violation of team policy (that's the extent of the publicly available information so far). In his place, Missouri has three guys who could take the first snap on Saturday: second-year player (and former juco transfer) Marcell Frazier, redshirt sophomore Spencer Williams (he's my guess to start) and walk-on Jordan Harold who has been a huge surprise in camp.

Inside, the staff has raved about senior Rickey Hatley. The other starter will be either A.J. Logan, a rotational guy last year, or sophomore Terry Beckner Jr. (my bet) who was a top-30 recruit and a star as a freshman before blowing out his knee late in the season. Josh Augusta will also figure in there. Of all the question marks on this team, defensive line really isn't one. It may not be quite as dominant as it has been in recent years, but it should be plenty good.

3-- How is the rest of the Tigers defense? How do you think this unit stacks up? What type of scheme do they run and how do you expect them to attack West Virginia?

The defense is the strength of the team. Despite being put in awful situations over and over last year, the Tigers were sixth in the country in total defense and among the nation's best in tackles for loss. Michael Scherer is at middle linebacker and was 2nd in the SEC in tackles. The guy who was first, Kentrell Brothers, is now playing for the Minnesota Vikings and will be the biggest loss from last season. Joey Burkett and sophomore Terez Hall are the candidates to start in his place.

In the secondary, Aarion Penton is entrenched as one starter at corner and could hear his name called in the NFL Draft next year, but the other side is still in question. TJ Warren was the starter when camp opened, but has been sidelined with a hamstring injury, so senior John Gibson may start in his place. At safety, Anthony Sherrils will start at one spot and we expect Thomas Wilson to start at the other. Missouri has five or six guys who could see time at safety, so that's a position of strength. We expect the defense to be strong again this season under DeMontie Cross, who was at TCU last year when the Frogs held the Mountaineers to ten points.

4 -- Any major injuries or other issues that will keep players out of the opener? If so who steps in to replace them on the depth chart?

Missouri remained relatively healthy throughout fall camp. Even the players who missed time, Barry Odom largely told us if it was game week, they'd have played. To our knowledge, it's all hands on deck this weekend.

5 -- What were the biggest concerns or questions coming into fall camp and were those answered?

Offense, offense and offense. The entire question about whether this team can improve is about how much the offense can improve. And honestly, they aren't questions that could be answered in camp. They won't fully be answered this weekend by any means, but we could get some indications if this unit can be significantly better than the one that went 47 consecutive drives (not a typo) at one point without scoring a touchdown.

6--How do you see this game playing out and what are your keys for Missouri to come out with a win? What are three things they must do on either side of the ball to be successful?

West Virginia is favored by about ten and I think that's fair. There's just so much we don't know about Missouri offensively. Maybe they've got a huge surprise up their sleeve, but until we see it, it's only fair to be skeptical Mizzou can move the ball against a legitimate defense (or even a mediocre one).

My three keys would be this:

*Ball control on offense. Whether it's the running game or short passing, Missouri just needs to move the chains. This isn't a team we expect to come out and hang 40 on anybody. The Tigers need to keep the defense fresh and keep this game in the 20s to have the best shot.

*Win the turnover battle. This should be a key to pretty much every game.

*Keep their poise. A road game in a rowdy environment against a Power Five team is something that Missouri has almost never faced in the opener. With a still young starting quarterback and a relatively inexperienced offensive line, Missouri can't win the game in the first quarter, but the Tigers could sure lose it then.