Pinkel tries to get his rebuilding task on track

Missouri has a rallying cry for what the school hopes is a return to prominence: Remember Aaron O'Neal.

"One thing they are going to do, without question, is dedicate this season to Aaron," Tigers coach Gary Pinkel said. "That kind of just changes everything.

"I think it's a little bit bigger and more important than it has ever been, for obvious reasons."

O'Neal, a redshirt freshman linebacker, collapsed and died after a preseason conditioning workout on July 12.

"Well, we don't want it to be that he didn't die for anything," safety Jason Simpson said. "He died on the field, he made the ultimate sacrifice, he was giving his all. ... It's a tragic thing but you just have to get through this and respect him and that's what we are trying to do."

Last season was a huge step backward for the program: a 5-6 finish marked by second-half collapses. Three blown double-digit leads -- against Troy, Oklahoma State and Kansas State -- took the Tigers from an early season ranking of 18th to out of the bowl picture.

The previous season, Missouri went to the Independence Bowl and appeared to be a program on the upswing.

"In the first three years of our program, we slowly started building respect within the Big 12 and nationally, and a year ago this time we had done quite a bit, and our players know it can go fast," Pinkel said. "We have a chance to earn respect back, and that's a huge motivation to me."

Now, Pinkel is feeling the heat. Besides the losing, Pinkel came under fire last season for his abrupt manner with boosters and media.

His biggest perception problem is that he's viewed as having put shackles on quarterback Brad Smith, who was not nearly as creative last season as he was his first two years.

An attack that was too conservative deserves much of the blame, but Smith also blames himself for not living up to expectations that had him on many preseason Heisman Trophy watch lists.

"It did kind of just affect me a little bit, the expectation factor, and not really knowing how to handle it," Smith said. "If I could go back, I would change it."

For his senior year, Smith will be operating a new offense patterned on the successful Utah attack. Pinkel also said Smith has been working to improve his throwing, footwork and all the other things that make a good quarterback.

"We have to throw and catch and rock and roll with it," Smith said. "As a quarterback, it's my responsibility to get everybody to play at a high level by playing at a very high level myself. That's what I'm working at, that's where my focus is."

The Tigers were slow to pick up the new system in spring practice, but with more time Pinkel expects dramatic improvements.

The schedule is conducive to a fast start with five of the first seven games at home and a sixth, the opener against Arkansas State on Sept. 3, in Kansas City.