Tigers will have depth up front on defense

~ Missouri should have the personnel to stay fresh on the line.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri's senior defensive ends Brian Smith and Xzavie Jackson have a simple plan this season to improve the Tigers' rushing defense, which ranked ninth in the Big 12 last year.

"Me and Xzavie have been talking about going out with a bang," said Smith, a possible NFL prospect who already owns the school record for sacks.

"Let's meet at the quarterback," he said. "That's our saying this year. But first we have to stop the dives up the middle; they really hurt us last year."

The Tigers' defensive line allowed 151 rushing yards per game in 2005 but return this season as the most experienced and deepest part of the team. Four starters are back, including Smith and Jackson, along with Jamar Smith at nose guard and Lorenzo Williams at the other tackle spot.

Matt Eberflus, Missouri defensive coordinator, compared the depth of his defensive line to that of 2004, which featured current pros C.J. Mosley, Atiyyah Ellison and Zach Ville.

"We had a real deep group. We had a couple of guys that were real special," Eberflus said of the 2004 squad. "In terms of depth, it is comparable to that year."

Despite a 5-6 record in 2004, the Tigers had the second-best overall defense in the Big 12 and finished 14th in the country.

"The depth has really solidified itself, which will help us to rotate some guys and keep those guys fresh," Eberflus said. "One of our main philosophies is keeping our d-line fresh and keeping them running to the ball."

Eberflus said he doesn't expect too many bumps in rotating the line, which features five players that have starting experience.

"There's a lot of competition there. They are all competing for spots and playing time," Eberflus said. "How many plays they are going to be playing and all that stuff, that's an ongoing battle."

Jackson is suspended for the season opener on Saturday against Murray State for academic reasons. Stryker Sulak, who started seven games as a freshman last year, will play in his place and is considered the future of the Tiger's line.

At defensive tackle, Williams, a junior, is the clear-cut No. 1, but sophomore Jaron Baston should play often as well. The 6-foot-1 redshirt freshman has added 25 pounds since last season and, like Williams, is just short of the 300-pound club.

The nose guard position has prompted one of the most intense battles in camp.

Jamar Smith started nine games last year and began camp as the top guy, but Ziggy Hood added more than 40 pounds since his freshman season last year and appears to have taken the job for now, Eberflus said.

Hood said he was surprised both by his surpassing the senior on the depth chart and how fast he gained weight.

"Playing in the trenches you have to weigh a lot. I didn't know I was going to put on at least 40 pounds. My goal was to put on 15," said Hood.

Smith said the demotion was for discipline reasons, not his performance.

"I had to look at it like this," Smith said, "I know people that are in a worse situation than I am. I just had to suck it up. It made me play harder."

The linemen say they've bonded this year more than ever before. They spend a lot of their free time together at barbecues, on holidays and hanging out at Williams' house.

"Things are clicking. I know how these guys play so well. On the d-line we critique each other and we get better with that every day," Brian Smith said. "If everything goes as planned, we stop the running game like never before this year. When teams start passing, then it's like I said, 'Meet me at the quarterback."'