Mizzou Mic’d Up: Mike Fairchild

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Mike Fairchild is a 6-foot-4, 275-pound freshman offensive lineman from Overland Park, Kan. His work ethic, aggressiveness and ability to finish blocks have coaches excited about his future at Mizzou.

Fairchild was one of the top lineman from the state of Kansas’ class of 2014, earning multiple first team all-state honors. He graduated early from Blue Valley North high school with a 4.0 GPA and enrolled at Mizzou in January.

So far, he’s loving college life.

The offensive lineman was mic’d up in practice today, and veterans Mitch Morse and Conner McGovern interviewed him about his time in Columbia so far and how he’s adjusted to the college game in the past four months.

When asked about living in the dorms, Fairchild summed it up with one word: freedom. But although he does enjoy not having a curfew and being able to eat whatever he wants, he does miss his parents at times. When homesickness strikes, his roommate, fellow freshman offensive lineman Clay Rhodes, is there to help him get through it.

On the football field, Fairchild feels that he’s already grown tremendously as a player in his short time at Mizzou. Offensive line coaches Josh Henson and Bruce Walker have helped him improve his game, and Morse, McGovern and the other members of the offensive front have welcomed him with open arms into the Mizzou Football Family.

And in addition to growing as a player, Fairchild has apparently grown as a jokester, too. He told Morse, to his face, that his hairline isn’t receding. We all know that isn’t true.

Well done, Mike. Welcome to the family.

The Power of Hard Work

Hard work is what separates the best from the greats. Talent alone is no assurance of success. The only way to reach the top in athletics is through long hours of hard work. If you can put in the hard work, you will blow open a huge gap in the field of competition, giving yourself a head start. Very few are willing to put forth an all-out effort to succeed, and they probably won’t either.

The most impressive point in a man’s life is when he has worked his heart out for a good cause and lies exhausted but victorious on the field of battle. This is the man you want to be, the one who puts in all of himself in his work. As a result of the strenuous practice, he gets everything out of it. Everyday you fail to practice, you practice to fail, and you miss an opportunity for improvement. Practice the things you cannot do three times longer than the things you can do. Convert your weaknesses into strong points. Go all the way through. Doing a thing entirely right and doing it exactly right is often the difference between winning and losing.

There might be areas where your opponent has an advantage over you, but he should never be in a better condition than you. Never let your defeat come at your own hands—over something you can control. The only real way for you to get in good condition is to never get out of it.

Anything you can do that will harm your body is going to reduce your physical condition and cut down your chances for success. Stay fit. Stay prepared. Stay practicing.

Mizzou Offense

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The Mizzou Football Team’s offensive line is fast-paced, uptempo and heavy on the snaps: all things that translate into scoring points. During the 2013 season, Mizzou had the second-most plays on offense in the Southeastern Conference.

The team is using its spring practices as an opportunity to work on getting even faster, snapping more, and balancing runs and passes.

“Here at Mizzou, we really take pride in the tempo that we have and how fast we’re going, and we honestly don’t think that we were fast enough last year,” offensive lineman Evan Boehm said. “One of our goals in spring ball is to get faster.”

Meanwhile, offensive coordinator Josh Henson is focused on getting the team to snap as much as possible so they can continue drives, convert third downs, and score.

“When we look at our numbers of snaps, not only does it mean our tempo but it means the success we had at executing our plays and continuing drives,” he said.

Running back Morgan Steward said that on offense, balance is key.

“We pass a lot, but it’s a really good balance as far as running,” Steward said. “And then with the pass attack that we also have, I think that does a lot for the scheme as far as the defense not knowing what we’re going to be doing.”

Quarterback Maty Mauk agrees that a balanced offense helps keep the other team’s defense surprised.

“We’re pretty balanced, and that’s harder for the defense because everything that we do is kind of the same formation, so it puts so much stress on the defense to know exactly what we’re doing,” Mauk said.

Henson says he looks for players that can help contribute to this balance.

“I feel like we want to be able to attack teams with both the run and the pass, we want that to complement each other, so that’s really what we’re looking for on our offense,” Henson said.

Mizzou Football Spring Game Preview

On March 12, Mizzou Football held its first spring practice and began its pursuit of the SEC Championship. Here we are, a month later, and less than a week a way from the Tigers’ annual Black and Gold Spring Game.

On Saturday, April 19, fans will be able to get their first look at the 2014 Mizzou Tigers. A barrage of rising stars are ready for the season to start. A solid mix of proven veterans, experienced underclassmen and talented newcomers will look to keep the momentum rolling.

Mizzou returns 11 starters in 2014: four on offense, five on defense, and both specialists. Overall, there are 19 Tigers with starting experience, so this squad has a seasoned feel to it.

Here’s what fans have to look forward to from the defending Cotton Bowl Champions.

Offense:

Mizzou had one of the most explosive offensive attacks in the nation in 2013. The Tigers ranked 13th nationally in scoring at 39.1 points per game, and 16th nationally in total offense, averaging 490.7 yards per game.

The four starters that are returning, coupled with the talented mix of newcomers and experienced veterans, will provide plenty of offensive firepower.

Sophomore Maty Mauk will take over as quarterback. Mauk helped secure a win at Georgia last season when James Franklin was forced to leave the game with a separated shoulder. He then started the next four games, leading Mizzou to a 3-1 mark in that span. In those five games, Mauk had an outstanding 11-to-2 TD-to-INT ratio, including a school-record tying five TD tosses in the win at Kentucky.

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Junior all-SEC candidate center Evan Boehm, senior Mitch Morse and junior Connor McGovern return in 2014 to protect Mauk up front. Boehm will be in his third year as a starter, Morse has started all but one game in the past two seasons, and McGovern started all 14 games in 2013.

Senior Anthony Gatti and junior Brad McNulty also have starting experience. Other names to watch out for include junior tackle Taylor Chappell, sophomore guard Jordan Williams, redshirt freshman tackle Clay Rhodes, and true freshman Mike Fairchild.

Much of Mizzou’s explosive offense in 2013 came from its three-man tailback crew. NFL-bound Henry Josey led the way, rushing for 1,166 yards and 16 touchdowns, but senior Marcus Murphy and junior Russell Hansbrough packed a formidable punch as well. Both rushed for more than 600 yards and averaged more than 6.0 yards per attempt while also finding the end zone 13 times between them. In 2014, the veterans will be joined in the backfield by talented sophomore Morgan Steward.

Mizzou also has plenty of seasoned veteran weapons who are ready to step up and take over right where they left off. Seniors Bud Sasser and Jimmie Hunt, who each had more than 20 catches last season, are big play threats and will provide leadership to a group of youngsters looking to make their mark as well.

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Senior Darius White, a former Texas transfer, is also ready to make an impact. He played in all 14 games in 2013, and is a prime contender to start in 2014. Others who could see significant playing time include junior Wesley Leftwich, sophomore Levi Copelin and redshirt freshman J’Mon Moore.

At tight end, Mizzou returns sophomore Sean Culkin, who appeared in all 14 games a year ago, making one start. He wasn’t used much in the passing game in 2013, but look for his role in the downfield attack to increase in 2014.

Defense:

As spectacular as Mizzou’s offense was in 2013, the defense was equally stellar. Perhaps most importantly was the ball-hawking aspect of the defense, which led to 32 takeaways (20 interceptions, 12 fumbles) that helped MU rank 5th in the nation (1st in the SEC) in turnover margin (+1.10 per game). Mizzou will enter the 2014 season with an active streak of 44 games with a takeaway, the longest in the nation.

Mizzou is quickly becoming known as Defensive Lineman U, and they lived up to that reputation yet again in 2013. Michael Sam and Kony Ealy both earned 1st-Team All-SEC honors, and Sam won unanimous 1st-Team All-American honors and was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year.

This year, senior Markus Golden and junior Shane Ray return to build off their impressive 2013 campaigns. Golden led all Mizzou linemen with 55 tackles last season, including 13 TFLs, 6.5 sacks and 8 QB pressures. Ray was second on the team with 11 QB pressures, and got loose for nine TFLs and 4.5 sacks.

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While Golden and Ray will be manning the outside, seniors Matt Hoch and Lucas Vincent will be plugging the middle. Hoch had 41 tackles, four TFLs and three sacks in 13 games a year ago, and Vincent had 34 tackles, 5 TFLs and 1.5 sacks of his own in 14 games (nine starts). Sophomores Harold Brantley (30 tackles, five TFLs) and Josh Augusta (nine tackles, including three TFLs and two sacks) also gained valuable playing time a year ago and will see more in the 2014 season.

The linebacker core was extremely solid behind the defensive line in 2013, led by graduated three-year starter Andrew Wilson. Junior Kentrell Brothers is back though, and is looking to build on a standout 2013 season in which he ranked fourth on the team with a career-high 70 tackles and three interceptions. Senior Darvin Ruise, who had 44 tackles and an interception a season ago, is the only other upperclassmen in the mix for playing time. Sophomore Michael Scherer, who appeared in all 14 games in 2013, is in line to challenge for a starting job at the strongside spot, while Ruise is working to win the starting weakside role. Sophomore Donavin Newsom, junior Clarence Green, and redshirt freshmen Joey Burkett and Eric Beisel will also factor into the depth, and are hoping to establish themselves as playmakers who can be counted on.

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At cornerback, there are some very talented youngsters who are waiting to step in and make their mark. Sophomores Aarion Penton and John Gibson are battle-tested, as they both got extensive snaps in 2013. Penton started two games in place of the injured Gaines and appeared in 14 games overall, making 16 tackles and snagging an interception. Gibson had 14 tackles in 12 games, and added an interception and three pass break ups of his own. They’ll be joined by newcomers Kenya Dennis, Anthony Sherrils and Logan Cheadle.

The last line of defense in the Mizzou secondary will be led by senior all-SEC candidate Braylon Webb. Webb enjoyed a breakout year in 2013, putting up career-best numbers with 89 tackles and three interceptions. Junior Ian Simon will be looking to lock down the starting job at strong safety. He started eight games a season ago, making 42 tackles, grabbing one interception and breaking up five passes in all. Senior Duron Singleton, who made 23 tackles in 12 games last season, will help out at the position as well.

The special teams unit is intact from a year ago with the return of starting junior placekicker Andrew Baggett, senior punter Christian Brinser, and sophomore snapper Jake Hurrell.

Baggett finished the 2013 season 18-of-25 in field goals, including 6-of-8 from 40 yards and further, 66-of-69 in extra points, and his 120 points scored were the 4th-most in Mizzou single-season history. He also was a huge weapon in the field position battle. His 62 touchbacks were the second-most in the nation. Brinser was solid in his first year as a starter, averaging 41.0 yards per punt, while placing 26 of them inside the opponents’ 20-yardline.

Game Day Details:

The 2014 Black & Gold Spring Game will start at 1 p.m. Admission is $3 or three canned food items, which will benefit the Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri. Tailgating space is available on a first-come, first-served basis, and parking is free all around the stadium.

In addition, fans can pick up one of 5,000 commemorative 2013 Mizzou Football posters on the way to the exits at the end of the game.

Find more details and a full schedule of spring game activities here.

Spring Game Activities:

Football isn’t the only thing on the agenda for April 19. Check out the Tiger Team Store/Equipment Room Spring Sale from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the north parking lot of Memorial Stadium, where you can pick up Mizzou gear for 25-75 percent off normal prices. Plus, check out the SEC Tennis Championships happening April 16-20 at the Mizzou Tennis Complex, the softball doubleheader vs. Ole Miss on Friday night, or the baseball series vs. Mississippi State on April 18-20.

April 19 special events: 

10:30 to 11:15 a.m. — Big Brothers.Big Sisters Football Clinic at Faurot Field

11:30 a.m. — Former Football Player Reunion in Devine Pavilion

11:30 a.m. — Stadium gates (1, 2W, 3W) open to general public (admission $3 or 3 canned/boxed food items benefiting the Food Bank of Central and Northeast Missouri)

11:30 a.m. — Family Fun Zone, including inflatable games, face painting, a balloon artists, photo ops with the Cotton Bowl trophy, live DJ, KTGR radio remote, and more in the north concourse of Memorial Stadium.

Mizzou Network Highlights: Spring Scrimmage #2

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Like Mizzou’s first scrimmage a week ago, the final tune-up before the Black and Gold game came down to the last series.

Sophomore cornerback Aarion Penton (St. Louis, Mo.) continued his good spring with two interceptions, including the game-winner, and sophomore linebacker Eric Beisel, from Fenton, Mo., collected a game-high nine tackles. The defense topped the offense 18-16 despite nice days from quarterbacks Maty Mauk (Kenton, Ohio) and Corbin Berkstresser (Lee’s Summit, Mo.).

Penton’s interception at the goal line broke a tie and gave the defense the win.

“It seems like every practice we have and every scrimmage we have, it goes down to one play at the end,” Head Coach Gary Pinkel said. “I think that was really good. It’s very, very competitive. The defense has won more. But there are a lot of good things. There are things we need to improve on obviously, in all areas. Some of the younger players are getting more experience. You see them growing a little bit. That’s what you want to see. You want to see them get better.”

One of the young players that is improving this spring is sophomore wide receiver Levi Copelin (Broken Arrow, Okla.). Copelin caught two passes for 29 yards Saturday, including a 24-yard catch on a beautifully thrown ball from Mauk over his right shoulder.

The catch was highlight-reel worthy, but Copelin turned even more heads during a late red zone drill, when he threw a huge block into safety Chaston Ward (Cleburne, Texas) that allowed Mauk to scamper towards the goal line for a gain.

Copelin selflessly threw his body in front of the play and leaped into the air until his body was horizontal to the ground.

“I saw Levi coming, and obviously if he nixed me, I’m down,” Mauk said.  “Levi did a great job. That was a football play. He did a tremendous job. If we don’t have that block I’m heading down and the clocks running out. He did a really great job.”

Also impressive was the play of redshirt freshman J’Mon Moore (Missouri City, Texas), who led the receiving core with seven catches for 58 yards. Eric Laurent (Ballwin, Mo.) caught six passes for 66 yards. Senior receiver Bud Sasser (Denton, Texas) had 55 yards on five catches. Coach Pinkel was also impressed with senior Jimmie Hunt (Cahokia, Ill.), who totaled 54 yards on just four catches.

“They all can play,” Mauk said. “Everyone can do something different. Bud looked good. And obviously it was good to have Murph back.”

All those completions set up senior running back Marcus Murphy (DeSoto, Texas), who scored three touchdowns. Murphy totaled 58 yards on nine plays, scoring twice from 9 yards out and another time from 3 yards out.

“I think we did good today as an offense,” Murphy said. “We have a lot of things to work on. It’s springtime. We’re trying to get back into the groove of playing. We have to work on the small details, the fundamentals, and then we’ll be ready.”

Mauk was 16 for 26 for 153 yards playing with the first team offense, which he led to a pair of touchdowns during two-minute drill work. Mauk connected with Hunt for 31 yards and Copelin for 24 yards on one of the drives.

Berkstresser went 13 for 22 with the second offense. Both quarterbacks were sacked just once combined—by junior defensive end Shane Ray (Kansas City, Mo.)—which is a testament to the play of the offensive line.

“Main thing was the offensive line,” said Mauk, who has improved the quickness of his release this spring. “You didn’t see me scrambling. I might have rolled out once or twice. They did a great job.”

Both sides played hard, but in the end, the day belonged to the defense.

Four defensive players totaled five tackles or more. Penton’s interception at the goal line with less than 20 seconds left sealed the win. This was the second week in a row Penton made an impact play. He had a sack in last Saturday’s first spring scrimmage.

Overall, the number one defense was stout. They stopped the number two offense on two straight four-and-outs during two-minute drill work. Junior safety Ian Simon (Mansfield, Texas) and senior defensive tackle Lucas Vincent (Olathe, Kan.) both broke up passes during these drives.

Pinkel was pleased that his team stayed healthy and that all the players competed. Saturday the final scrimmage before the annual Black and Gold Spring game, which will be played at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 19 at The ZOU. Each fan can bring 3 cans of food or $3 to enter the game.

ZOU Unit: Mizzou Dining Hall Chat

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Zou Unit is your source for the inside scoop on Mizzou Football. Each week, Zou Unit will give you a behind-the-scenes look at a different aspect of the football program, from facility tours to exclusive interviews. On April 10, junior offensive lineman Evan Boehm chatted with two MATC chefs, Bernard and Mr. Hill, over breakfast.

Bernard has been working at the MATC dining hall for six years. His favorite part of the job is interacting with all the athletes, especially football players, as he himself played football in high school.

Mr. Hill has been around a little longer. He started cooking for the athletic department in the 1960s, and in the 50+ years that have passed, he’s seen quite a few student-athletes pass through the doors. His favorite part of the job is watching them mature throughout their time at Mizzou.

Football players aren’t small. They love food, and they love a lot of it. To satisfy their gargantuan appetites, Bernard and Mr. Hill often have to go to extreme measures.

One day, former offensive lineman Elvis Fisher asked Bernard to make him the biggest omelet possible. When Bernard presented him with the enormous bundle of eggs, he said Fisher’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. It’s unknown whether Fisher finished the giant concoction, but we’re sure the 6-foot-5 295-pounder found room somewhere.

While Bernard takes care of the omelets, Mr. Hill’s specialty is pancakes. A couple weeks ago, he made one the size of a 16-inch pizza — needless to say, the football players were impressed.

Wide receiver Levi Copelin had a non-food related question for the two men: Batman or Superman? Both prefer Superman, much to the delight of quarterback Maty Mauk.

Boehm is a Batman fan, so he quickly changed the subject and asked the two who their all-time favorite football player is. Bernard is a Terry Bradshaw fan, while Mr. Hill showed his Kansas City pride and went with former Chiefs receiver Henry Marshall.

Make sure to check back next Thursday to see the Mizzou Football Family go on an Easter egg hunt in the third episode of Zou Unit. And pay attention to Darius “Money” White’s shoes — if he repeats a pair, he has to do “up-downs.” 

Mizzou Mic’d Up: Kenya Dennis

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We mic’d up defensive back Kenya Dennis this week during spring practice to give fans an exclusive behind-the-scenes view of this junior college transfer from Leland, Miss.

Dennis previously played for Hinds Community College in Raymond, Miss., where he earned an NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American during his sophomore season. He finished the 2013 season with 25 solo tackles, two fumble recoveries, two pass breakups, one tackle-for-loss and one interception.

With several weeks of spring practices already behind him, Dennis says he’s enjoyed his time at Mizzou so far.

“It’s been a great experience to come in, do spring and get better everyday,” he told safety Ian Simon after practice this week. “It’s been a gradual success for me.”

Looking ahead to next season, Denis said he’s looking forward to playing in the “big games” and making plays for the Missouri Tigers.

Mizzou’s Team First Mindset

We can never reiterate it enough. To be a member of the Missouri Tiger team, you have to care about winning. However, anyone can care about winning. It’s what you do to win that matters. Not everyone will take the steps required to be a winner. You must be committed to being a great player. Likewise, you must be accountable to your teammates. All great organizations are marked by a desire to achieve. Nothing can compare with the thrill of a team pulling together for one common goal: winning. We live as a team, and we lose as a team. There are absolutely no divisions in wins or losses. Winning as a team is what makes football worthwhile, and it is something everyone on the team must contribute to.

A good team player gives 100 percent. He shows courage on and off the field. He makes no mental mistakes. He cares about the team above all else. In doing so, he demonstrates loyalty to all.

There is no formula to being committed, but there are ingredients to become better. Here are the ingredients:

–       Academically responsible, even for your teammates

–       Great work ethic, even for your teammates

–       Positive attitude, even for your teammates

–       Unselfish, especially toward your teammates

–       Totally committed to all that we do, obviously to and for your teammates

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When you or your teammates don’t perform, you can expect a lot to happen. You can expect responsibility on all accounts. But what should you do if a teammate continually fails to meet expectations, even after receiving training, encouragement, and opportunities to grow? Well, you need to give that person an opportunity to find his or her own level somewhere else.

If you are a team leader, you cannot avoid dealing with team links. It comes with the territory. Team members who do not carry their own weight not only slow down the team, but they also impact your leadership. Here are some of the things that happen when a weak link remains on the team.

1. The stronger members identify the weak one

A weak link cannot hide (except in a group of weak people). If you have strong people on your team, they always know who is not performing up to the level of everyone else. Remember this, a weak link always eventually robs the team of momentum and potential.

2. The stronger members have to help the weak one

If your people must work together as a team in order to do their work, then they have two choices when it comes to a weak teammate. They can ignore the person and allow the team to suffer, or they can help him or her and make the team more successful. If they are team players, they will help.

3. The stronger members come to resent the weak one

Whether strong team members help, the result will always be the same: resentment. No one likes to lose or fall behind because of the same person.

If your team has a weak link that cannot or will not rise to the level of the team, and you have done everything you can to help the person to improve, then you’ve got to take action. Take the advice of authors Danny Cox and John Hoover. If you need to remove somebody from the team, be discreet, be clear, be honest, and be brief. If you start to have second thoughts before or afterward, remember this: As long as weak link is a part of the team, everyone else on the team will suffer.

2014 Mizzou Cheerleading Competition

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The Mizzou Cheerleaders are an important part of the spirit and atmosphere at Mizzou, and April 9 they’ll be taking their talents to Daytona Beach, Fla., to compete in the 2014 National Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championships.

On Tuesday, they held their final tune-up in Mizzou Arena before heading east.

From April 9-13, almost 7,000 student athletes from 35 states, Japan, Canada, and Costa Rica will compete for the coveted titles of NCA or NDA Collegiate Champion at the largest college cheer and dance championship in the world. Both the Golden Girls and Mizzou Cheerleaders are looking to defend the top 10 positions they earned at last year’s competition.

Truman the Tiger will also be competing after he was selected as one of the top 11 mascots from across the country to qualify for the National Mascot Competition.

The competition will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network and will be streamed live on Varsity.com.

Want to be the next Mizzou Cheerleader? Preliminary tryouts for the 2014-2015 Cheer Squad begin May 1!

Chase Daniel and Mizzou Offer Exclusive T-Shirt

Get your official Chase Daniel t-shirt today! Daniel is a Mizzou Made record-setting quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist who has teamed up with Mizzou to offer a unique, exclusive shirt for campus retailers only.

After graduating from the University of Missouri in 2008 with a degree in finance, Daniel founded 10Star Apparel, an online custom clothing design and printing shop. This is Daniels’s first MU-related clothing item licensed by Mizzou. The company is based in Arlington, Texas and provides design, printing, embroidery services as well as promotional items for companies, trade shows and conferences. Follow them on Twitter at @10StarApparel.

Pre-order your shirts now for just $19.99, and expect to receive your exclusive shirt by April 11, 2014. They are black with a silver tiger design and say, “Mizzou Football.” Order your shirts online at MUTigers.com by clicking here for men and here for women. Shirts will also be available for purchase at the Tiger Team Store at The ZOU, just in time for the Mizzou Black & Gold spring game on April 19.

Daniel, of Southlake, Texas, was a star quarterback for the Mizzou Football team from 2005-2008. He broke multiple passing and total offense records during his time playing as a Tiger. Now he plays for the Kansas City Chiefs, where he’s achieved a total of 303 yards passing during the last five seasons, 248 of which were in 2013. Follow Daniel on Twitter at @ChaseDaniel.