Burn Baby Burn
Editors Note: Phenomenal Smith of the soon to be re-launched Atomic Teeth blog sent us a few notes about callow Mizzou signal caller Blaine Gabbert’s redshirt getting torched and the gnashing of teeth by the Tiger faithful. - SR
Like a copy of Slaughterhouse-Five in Wasilla, Blaine Gabbert’s redshirt went up in smoke Saturday. Gabbert, an Elite 11 alum and arguably the top recruit in the Pinkel years, played much like you’d expect a true freshman to play, gunning 100 MPH fastballs over receivers’ heads and at their feet. Some might wonder why Pinkel would pull the redshirt, but it was unquestionably the smart thing to do.
When the Era of Chases (Daniel and Patton) comes to an end this year, Mizzou will be left with three scholarship QBs, Blaine Gabbert, and two incoming freshmen named Other Blaine and Ashton (there is no truth to the rumor that Abercrombie & Fitch are walking on). Much like Pinkel got Chase Daniel snaps as a true freshman even though Brad Smith didn’t need help, Gabbert is learning on the job while Daniel is around. Hey, Gabbert admitted he was nervous playing against SEMO. Imagine the nerves if he first lined up under center September 5, 2009 against a veteran Illini team looking to exact its revenge for four straight losses at the Ed. Yikes. Pinkel won’t admit he pulled the redshirt with an eye toward next year, but he will certainly rest more easily now that he did. Tiger fans, let the flames from the redshirt warm your heart and ease your mind.
September 12, 2008 at 8:23 am
Unlike the Smith/Daniel split in 2005, I’m afraid this ménage à trois is going to make it difficult for Gabbert to get enough snaps to make it meaningful.
September 12, 2008 at 9:42 am
I think it is more about getting a little game atmosphere and practice reps, and being part of the game planning. I would bet that if Daniel were to go down to some sort of Persistant Dwarf Parasitic Syndrome, Patton, and not Gabbert, would inherit the reigns.
September 12, 2008 at 11:16 am
As you suggest, if Daniel goes down with an injury, Patton comes in. In his slight slate of work, Patton has shown decent vision and a very good arm.
Getting Gabbert snaps is just to let him know he isn’t in high school anymore, and the big kids are fast and strong. Evrything he does this year will be locked into his brain.
September 12, 2008 at 12:06 pm
Great reference to Disco Inferno with the best chorus ever.
September 12, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Well when Cheston Wesley Eltensen and Brayden Worthington Jr. get onto campus, I predict a HUGE quarterback controversy.
September 12, 2008 at 3:01 pm
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3584636
figure i should be the first one to post it. thoughts?
September 12, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Blaine Gabbert is Vince Young’s therapist?
September 12, 2008 at 4:42 pm
There’s a joke here about scott derry being a second slow and in the wrong place but I won’t make it because I love everyone who bled for the program.
I am also picturing Michael Caine in Dressed To Kill.
September 12, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Any of you Missouri guys think anyone other than Gabbert starts next year?
September 12, 2008 at 7:53 pm
Right now I’d be surprised if Gabbert doesn’t start next year. The other candidates are:
Blaine Dalton, big time recruit (#15 in the country by some), may have a shot. I’ve watched him play a few times (he’s a KC kid) and he looks pretty far from being a capable college QB. His team doesn’t throw much, and while he’s got a great arm, he doesn’t seem to make the best decisions. He was on ESPN earlier this year and the first two passes I saw him complete were to the opposing team.
The other kid is Ashton Glaser. He’s got a website, http://www.ashtonglaserqb16.com/, so he can’t be all bad. From Springdale, Arkansas. 2 stars, if that matters, last I saw.
For all I know Pinkel’s hot on the trail of some stud JUCO QB. I sort of doubt it. That hasn’t been his MO.
Last week I would have said I was 99% sure Gabbert is the starter next year. However, this week a rumor is floating around that Other Blaine and Ashton are enrolling in January. They might have a fighting chance. Whoever it is, it won’t be Chase Daniel, and that is not good for the Tigers.
September 12, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Springdale, Arkansas is all I needed to hear.
September 13, 2008 at 3:41 am
It’s all made more difficult with two backup QBs leaving during the offseason. JP Tilman is now starting at Grambling and Dominic Grooms is backing up at Tennessee State. Not world beaters, but depth.
September 13, 2008 at 5:24 am
Rumor is that Chase Daniel will undergo an extreme makeover, lose a few pounds sport a fake mustache and come back incognito as a JUCO transfer by the name of Chance Danielson purported nephew of Gary Danielson. We can only hope
September 14, 2008 at 6:28 am
Tiger Fan: You blew the rumor mill wide open when you mentioned “lose a few pounds”! Ha!
Couple inches taller and Chase would be round.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that! He’d still magically fling those long balls onto the fingertips of his receivers.
September 15, 2008 at 4:54 am
Dalton was supposedly supposed to challenge Gabert for the starting job, but I wasn’t at all impressed with his showing on ESPN against Rockherst. Then again, it didn’t look like he had much talent around him.
November 4, 2008 at 8:13 pm
I heard that Glaser kid is pretty good. he has posted some huge stats this year with an unexperienced team. there offence averages 43 points a game, on the other hand their defence allows an average thats more than 43. But i think he has a really good chance of playing. i heard he is really competitve and thirves off it
January 4, 2009 at 5:55 pm
[…] was made early in the season when we learned that Gabbert’s redshirt was getting burned. I declared it a great idea over at Barking Carnival, and while I’m not quite as confident now about the decision, I still believe it was a good […]