Missouri reloads after big losses

~ The Tigers lost their biggest offensive weapons to the NFL

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Sean Weatherspoon might be getting the feeling he's the last man standing.

Missouri's unanimous all-Big 12 linebacker is among the handful of standouts back from a team that won its second straight North division title while reaching double figures in victories for the first time. Gone are quarterback Chase Daniel, receiver Jeremy Maclin and star tight end Chase Coffman.

The talent exodus, including a conference-high six NFL draftees, is a big reason for lowered expectations this year, with Missouri (10-4) picked by media to finish third in the division behind Nebraska and Kansas.

Weatherspoon, however, said he anticipates little if any dropoff heading into the Sept. 5 opener against Illinois in St. Louis.

"I didn't come back to Columbia just to get some more tackles and try to break a tackle record," Weatherspoon said. "I came back to win."

Missouri must replace six starters on offense and seven on defense plus prolific kicker Jeff Wolfert. There are new offensive and defensive coordinators, too.

Coach Gary Pinkel has transformed the downtrodden program into a consistent winner, going 59-41 in eight seasons. He relishes the challenge of producing another successful team.

"We're losing good players, good athletes," Pinkel said. "As you build respect in your program and you lose those numbers, people expect you to be good, anyway.

"But you know what? You earn that, and that's kind of where we're at."

Offensive tackle Kurtis Gregory, who has made 28 consecutive starts, considers Missouri the team to beat in the North.

"You never think about losing people off a team like that and then it happens and you're just like, 'Oh they're gone, you've got to fill in,'" Gregory said. "Right now we're the defending Big 12 North champions and you have the mindset we're going to do it again."

Pinkel is doing his best to make sure the newcomers don't automatically expect big success.

"When you get a lot of young players, you worry about entitlement a little bit," he said. "The other guys got dirty, they went through a lot of struggles to help build this program. There will never, ever be complacency or a 'We've arrived' attitude in my organization."

The biggest question entering 2009 is at quarterback where former national recruit Blaine Gabbert of Parkway West High School in suburban St. Louis gets the first shot at succeeding the prolific Daniel. Gabbert, more of a stationary thrower than Daniel, played sparingly last season as a freshman and seized the job in spring practice.

Pinkel said Gabbert could become a star like Oklahoma's Sam Bradford.

"It wasn't given to him," Pinkel said. "We have his back, no matter what. If he has a great season or a bad season, Mizzou is behind him 100 percent because he worked for it and he deserves it."

Top skill players back on offense are junior tailback Derrick Washington, who rushed for 1,078 yards and 17 touchdowns, and senior wide receiver Jared Perry, who had 41 catches and four touchdowns.

On defense, defensive end Jacquies Smith played in all 14 games as a freshman and junior cornerback Carl Gettis is heading into his third year as a starter. Weatherspoon is the standout. He had 155 tackles last year, second most in school history. He was a finalist for the Butkus Award, a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award and defensive MVP at the Alamo Bowl.

The pre-Big 12 schedule is conducive to a fast start, with Illinois a slight favorite in the opener but Bowling Green, Furman and Nevada-Reno to follow heading into the conference opener against Nebraska at home.

"We don't want anybody on our side right now," senior defensive lineman Jaron Baston said. "But you best believe Mizzou is going to fight to get that respect."