Mizzou football holds news conference ahead of Week 2 game against Buffalo

their safeties in the in the Run game and in the pass game and then obviously coach limbo's uh fingerprints are all over the Special Teams he's a a tremendous special teams coordinator has always giv us fits uh going against him you can always expect the unexpected with Coach limbo on that side so you know really got a tough challenge uh ahead of us and um you know looking forward to that challenge on Saturday so with that I'll open up for questions you mention that not first yeah that's going to be the challenge this week um obviously we've got to do a good job in the read game um they try to get on your edges through Zone reads plus one run schemes and option um so you know we're going to have to be disciplined in multiple and in in the way we're challenging um those read schemes I think you guys played more than 70 guys offensively or defensively were were there any of those kids especially maybe kids who were getting out there for the first time that that really you know caught your eye and and might have earned a little longer look um I mean honestly I was I was impressed with the way our all of our defense played from start to finish you know I looked back up there at the last um I think it was you know I know our freshman linebackers got eight reps and watching those reps uh Jeremiah and Nick I thought did an excellent job we know TR and greo was playing you know both on special teams and in the secondary um so I think there was a lot of people that earned opportunities to continue to to play um and to find their way into the rotation um we made some changes on the Special Teams depth chart to reflect that to try to get those guys in the game this week so we'll see how it plays out um you know you don't take anything for granted um but um you know I've been really impressed with that freshman class El you mentioned you know more consistency on third down of the passing game you know how do you go about attacking it with those guys this week practice yeah fundamentals it starts with fundamentals route depth timing quarterback feet uh quarterback setting his feet when he makes throws um you know not drifting after he throws the ball to get ready to go do a celebration like finish the throw have your feet set in the pocket um you know wide receivers got to run their routes at the correct depth they got to explode out of them the quarterbacks got to make the throws so uh just really things that we can do um it starts in routes versus Air um we we we did that yesterday um and it's going to continue in RVA today and in Skelly and and in team so you know just back to the basics of execution and you know kind of pushing the limits in practice don't practice just to practice practice to improve and uh you know that's really going to be the message that I have with the with the uh skill guys with the defense it looks like some of those third and Longs coach between was trying out a 317 type setup just what does that do why does that work in that situation yeah it's a carryover from the pack package we've had in the past um obviously we we've got some new fingerprints to it but uh it's something that our guys are familiar with it was the base uh third down package that we carried last the past two years um and then and now Corey and the rest of the defensive staff have added you know kind of their fingerprints to it it's it's a way to get utilize the the most speed and also versatility that we can get on the field also with our pass rush so um yeah that's what it was how important is it to have three corners that you can trust when call that well I mean it allows you to play manto man and put somebody on the slot which typically when you you know your slot ends up becoming um the position that they match up on a safety who's not used to playing manto man quite as well so you know for us we slide Dal back to the boundary safety and and moved Nick into that or Toriano I think slid into the slot um so yeah something we did last year in a slid into the slot um so it's just something we've done before um obviously coach um Po's done a really good job training up those uh Corners in order for us to have confidence in it to play the whole game I mean I I didn't have any plan I mean I don't know what the opponent's going to do the opponent has a say in everything that we do so I didn't going to the game without you know we have a plan to win and until the game is uh in hand our starters are going to play so my anticipation a really good buffalo team they scored 30 something points um had 200 yards rushing 200 yards passing um would have been a lot worse but they had you know had two special teams Mis cues that allowed the other team back in the game um so my anticipation is that it's going to be a dog fight um and we're going to have to prepare that way so uh as far as you know what ultimately led to the decision you know at halftime it was 35 nothing um and I felt like at that point it wasn't you know I'd seen what we needed to see out of out of um Brady um and and then didn't really want to put um you know Theo was already kind of dinged up so didn't want to put him in any more Jeopardy and you know Conor Tolson has had plenty of snaps so there wasn't anything we needed to see out of those guys well we didn't sustain blocks as well as we wanted to on the outside Zone I don't think our counter scheme was as clean as we wanted it to as far as our kickout um you know I think we were were um light a little bit on our inside Zone double teams so uh there's there's plenty of of opportunities for us to continue to improve um you know specifically with those young guys you know we we got down into inside the 10 and weren't able to score uh running you know inside Zone behind you know we have two guards in there that are 300 you know 40 340 pounds a piece and we were getting knocked back in the a gap so that's got to improve if if we want to have a shot in this league that first quarter alone there was a lot of rotation in the front seven specifically even when you still had most of the starters in you feel like diversity of skill set in that group to really just play players where they're best suited are you talking about defensively yeah front seven on the defense yeah you know the front seven on the defense um we feel really good about uh the depth and the quality of depth that we have and and the ability to keep guys fresh um and so that I think that rotation is going to continue because we just don't see a drop off I mean I think uh Cory flag might end up being our leading tackler in the game and and he he didn't he didn't doesn't play on third Downs as of now and and rotates so you know I think we feel really good about When Corey and and khil come in with Chuck and Tristan who've played a lot of football for us and then obviously in the D tackle room um with Chris Christian you know last year we played four guys really in the defensive tackle this year we feel like we've got six with you know the emergence of Maris graciel obviously Sterling has played a lot of football and and really played well Chris played well Jaylen Marshall's come in and played well and and Sam Williams has earned a spot too I mean he's he's done a really good job going against our guys so and we feel like we've got six guys that can really play at a high level in that that room and um that's only an advantage for us U as we prepare you know for this week's opponent and moving forward come uh last year in Fall Camp when uh Harrison wasn't kicking as well as we wanted him to and so I put Blake with the ones just to send a message that there is no secured positions um and we had to do that with Blake this year in Fall Camp there was a couple days where he wasn't kicking as good as he you know we we wanted him to so we put Nick in there so I mean at the end of the day every position's up for grabs and competition I mean you see that throughout college football there there's no sure things so if you're not producing then next guys got to be ready and that's that's the always compete mindset that our program is built on so if you're not at your best somebody else in this building is and they're going to take your spot coach to digest now talking with Brady and maybe Chuck on defense too how do you think you guys utilize the helmet communication tablets on the sideline as well how was that in game one and what would you guys like to do moving forward with that yeah it was fine I thought we utilized them well utilize them to our advantage um utilize the the headset communication system well um you know I don't I I don't I don't know that we'll change anything really coach you mentioned that uh Brad norley and theast were more precautionary now to play in the second half after the game um what have you seen from have they been practicing what can we expect for Saturday yeah I think those are great questions we the SEC has issued a new injury protocol we're going to start following that I think we started on Wednesday so we'll update our injury reports um on Wednesday and then we'll you'll get a Wednesday update a Thursday update a Friday update and a Saturday morning update so if you're not a gambler it won't help you is be kind of boring if you are a gambler you can really watch that money line you expain inv rebuilding and investing in it um I mean in order for you to be good offensively you you're going to have to have five guys working cohesively as a unit they have to do probably the toughest job in college football in my opinion because they have to be able to move immovable objects and then they have to be able to work backwards and protect a quarterback versus somebody who is by evaluation quicker faster and more sudden than they are um and that's a really really difficult challenge um and then they have to be selfless you know it can't be about them it's got to be about the team and everybody else and they got to kind kind of work together so it's a really important uh part of any successful football team I don't think there's ever been a successful football team that didn't have five selfless men and really it usually ends up being seven to eight that you have to play throughout the year um so for us you know former offensive line coach in GA that's always going to be a a position of emphasis for us I think you know in order for you to have success in this league you have to have uh an o line and dline that is competitive and has got the prerequisite size um and so for us when we lost Jaylen or sorry uh um Jaylen Marshall when we lost uh Javon Foster and zavier Delgato who combined you know had almost 40 starts I think uh just both guys Mr are consistent we knew that that left side was going to be uh really important for us to fix uh in provide competition um so we went out and look for the you know what was best available on the portal and uh we're able to to get them so you the the played Luther fumbled on on Bulldog Thursday okay Bulldog uh yeah was that a was that a hand off suppos to be a Pitch supposed to be a Pitch did some get messed up in the execution or was that a challeng thing if you thought it was a so I asked him because we we thought it was a a uh there the way the play is originally designed it is supposed to be a Pitch so that if that was to occur it would be be an incomplete pass but after reviewing the tape um there was a uh Luther went through the hands of the quarterback instead of you know the necessary one yard in front um So based on what I was asking the official if they were going to review it and they cleared it in the booth that's the process we ask hey are they going to look at it and if he says they're going to clear it that means you either have to challenge but they didn't see anything in the booth but when you watch it you know it's it would be really hard to dis to decipher because the way he went through his hands you wouldn't be able to see whether or not he pitched it or not and there is no such thing as control because it's a backward snap so at that process it's everything's a fumble until the ball is controlled and then pushed forward so I don't think it would have been overturned yeah really good player guy that pops all over the tape was injured last year uh was um I think I know was an allconference player the year before I think L LED their team in tackles and was really high up there in the country um you can tell he studies tape um you can tell he's very smart physical player at the point of contact um they utilize him in the Box out of the box um they pressure with him so he's a really good player um it's going to be a real challenge for us um he's consistent with what you see in our league so you know he's a guy that U you know that as we work off combo blocks we're going to have to make sure we can get to him otherwise he'll make the tackle and we're going to have to to know where he is in in pass coverage um and not make a mistake with the ball because he's got really good hands coach Cody flag what was your pitch to him coach Baker left and just to keep him bed and want to be part of this program yeah honestly um there really wasn't a pitch uh he he chose His Place um coach Baker had a lot to do with it obviously previous relationship and knowing the scheme but you know he chose this place for the guys in the locker room and has reiterated that throughout the process that that this was a place for him and his brother because of the men in the locker room um and obviously that we kept the scheme very similar uh with Coach baton so he had familiarity with the calls from the coaching staff perspective how does it work when a player comes in and then he says here's my brother and his brother up coming over to you how does that happen they say I have a brother he's a really good player would you watch his tape and we watch his tape and say he's a really good player would he like to come here and they go yeah we would like for him to come here and we would say okay well he can come here last week that State very difficult new players we easier person it's a little bit e easier because you have all their players on tape with a week one game that that went four quarters so you're able to um assess Personnel you know there's still a lot of question marks related to scheme um their defensive coordinator you know was was a part of a staff but but has not called defenses before so you're not quite sure exactly what his DNA is because you you don't see but one game there's not a consistent approach to it so that's been challenging um you go back and make the best guesses that you can based off his um his training um you know special teams I feel pretty good about knowing you know some of the things that he can do it's just a matter of when he's going to do it offensively you know uh coach did not call plays last year so he's been a year removed you know we've gone back and watched him at different areas and different spots to kind of see okay this match is more you know they're running a lot more Tempo which reminds us more of his time at Coastal um than say at Georgia Tech where they were not as much uh Tempo and more ball control so you know again we're going to have to utilize our coaching ability we're going to have to utilize the iPads in game to figure out how exactly they're planed to attack us is on both in both phases but um we have a little bit better idea of what the Personnel is and at the end of the day you know schemes are important and they're they're they're part of it but at the end of the day it's it's a it's a people-based game you know and so we got to we got to win our one-on ones you know we got to attack defensive weaknesses offensive weaknesses based on Personnel too and try to isolate the mismatches and I think uh teams that can figure that out the quickest usually have the most success you I think there were four or five 60 point games in the leag last year or last week have to lead one by at least 48 do you think that there's a different approach with expanded playoff and stuff do you think you know margin of Victory things like that come into play in man early in the season no I think uh my take on it is is twofold I think one um with the ability of the portal to to take top tier Talent from lower class lower divisions I think you're seeing some of that result I think some of the schools that in the past would have had you know have developed some of those players no longer have those guys they're they're playing up at different schools and then I think the next thing you're seeing is uh the need for us as coaches to see as many guys play as possible as long as possible and so you know I saw where coach kein talked about that he didn't even consider reducing the quarters and I'm with him 100% I mean we we got to to have our guys play and we've got to get as many quality reps because that's how you develop you know and so I think you're seeing guys who need to let their twos and threes Play and play at a high level and when you play you play to win the game you play to score you play to stop people and you want to see him compete at the very best so I think those two factors are are going to lend to some of the mismatches you know on the field um but that wasn't the whole story I mean there's other schools that I mean go toe to- toe you know there there's some games out west that games were in doubt in the fourth quarter so you know every game's a little bit different uh but I I do think some of that in our conference is the ability for us to to attract some of the top end Talent from the lower divisions change St last STS no I haven't I I don't I don't even know what you're referring to honestly I mean that's football and I mean you can't control you can't control that stuff uh you know so there's no like master plan or there's there's nothing like that I me we're playing to win the game when the game's in doubt um you know for us I I'd seen what we needed to see out of Brady but what I haven't seen was I haven't seen Drew Pine play um in a crowd in a a stadium and and needed to see him operate with um a lot of guys that if he's called upon with the ones he's going to have to to be able to work with and there's only so many reps you can get in practice like that so you know for us it was about doing that um and really the same thing on defense like you know as these games get going weeks seven through 12 it's about the competitive depth that you have in order to to win and that competitive depth may show up on special teams units it may show up um on third down you know packages it may show up on first and second down I mean crud last year we we played uh really the first five games you know with three linebackers just because we didn't have a lot of quality depth and then we were kind of when hop got hurt we were forced into to really just two we we had two linebackers last year um that played you know and that just can't happen if you wanna if you want to play a long time so for us it's about getting as many players ready that have the talent as possible thank you coach yep thank you we will have Conor Tolson next we got Conor TS I think we did some good things as like a unit you know being the first time that we've had live action together and like a real game but I think there's always things to get better at and I think there's a lot of things we moove on you know going into week two so I'm excited I'd say like pad level and maybe uh a little bit of footwork along with just like running to the ball you know uh being there when the running back falls down to pick him up and just just covering on pass plays was strange seeing someone last oh yeah a little different but uh you know we've had Marcus and Nate here all camp and so it's been good yeah oh it's been great I mean to be honest you don't even really know who's in there at times so it's really not until they get past you who you sees in the game but it's good I think they both bring you know their own Specialties but I think together they're even better Conor I think the starting offensive line play about 5055 snaps I mean how valuable does that become later on in you know when you get to week n or 10 that that you can have a week where you had a quarter and a half off yeah I think it's going to you know definitely help you stay fresh as the year goes on um Ely your body really does take a toll especially playing offensive line so I think just a limited wear and tear is only going to be better you know just to stay fresh and have your legs underneath you as the year goes on but can you tell a difference on even Sunday and Monday versus say again where you were out there for for 80 snaps in an SEC game yeah definitely I think you can tell um you know deep in the fourth quarter I think you really start to tell like how good your treatment was during the week how good your preparation was I didn't get really tell and you know coming back on Monday it wasn't as bad as it been before how did it feel finally getting into a game with you know Kon and Marcus and how you think they played on Thursday I think they did some good things out there together um being their first time uh I think they'll have things they need to improve on but you know I think you find the biggest Improvement from week one to two so I think it'll be all right um I don't I don't know to be honest with you that's a interesting question I don't know maybe as the year goes on I'll find more Conor for you getting to PFS team of the week week one what was that like for you in just getting recognition this early in the24 I think it's good um but I just want to keep playing and hopefully play better you know just as the year goes on I think it's early still too so to I just think um to get those guys in a game too you know I don't know if any of them some of them have never been in a game so they have some real live action there's nothing like game experience so that was probably good for them and I think they did a good job still just running the ball you know I don't know if they passed much but I think they kept doing good in the Run game what are some of the things you like starting off um I don't think we gave up any sacks and maybe few tackles for a loss and I'd say those are two stats that you know have more per on how an offensive line did throughout a game so I'd say those were two categories we did good in gameon team for the come out as loud as they did was that for you guys you guys that it was great um it kind of carried off of what the fans had created last year you know and uh maybe the surge in the fan base from previous years so I think for them to just carry that on and this year I think it'll only get better in the atmosphere so uh like just nerves and comfortability you know being out there I would say the biggest things some confidence in yourself you know feeling like you've been in this moment before this is nothing new and biggest last year seemed to be at times a little bit of miscommunication with time some snap likey say would you say another year in the offense that's kind of been ired out by this point now yeah I think uh I think most that was on me and my fault so I think just have to take responsibility for that and then just working over the off seon you know and then throughout fall Camp to help you know eliminate those else for next up we got Toro Pride J to start your um Zoo career you know like you you were able to that the opening game you know what was that moment like for you you back home as well um it felt amazing for one being my first College touchdown um that's really all I was thinking about I had to score and two I'm at home doing it first game debut back at the crib so I was happy um you get a lot for me like um I'm a I'm a playful I'm a very if you know me I'm a playful person I like to have fun I like to talk trash I just I just like to swarm around the ball play defense football I mean you're just going to get the real me I don't really know how to explain it but you goingon to get like my real personality some those corn there look like you in the slot a little more how how does your Ro change in those places um yeah a slot different than corner so it's kind of like they got a two-way go but um yeah it's a lot different you got to have a lot like a different technique for it um but it's not really too much different for me is it something you had to learn um no i' I've played a little I played slot at Clemson I didn't rep it in the game though but we practiced it and my coach taught me oh I feel like communication as a whole was good like defense I mean DBS linebackers um safeties even DN so like I feel like last game we communed very well as a defense what's it like playing in this defensive back that's loaded with talent and how how is it jumping it's fun um we all like brothers so like we all out there having fun I'm out there you I got Marvin behind me we we played since we was young so it's like it's a lot of chemistry I got Dre Norwood on the other side I was I was with him like my sophomore year when he first committed to Arkansas like I know I know all these dudes you got Jay Wayne everybody Nick deloi from Illinois so I feel like everybody just like locked in with each other Rihanna One play that stuck out it's in the second quarter they try and set up that screen b side you come right through the slot receiver yeah what did you see there and kind of just talk me through that play I just seen the receiver was my size so I was like I know he's not as strong as me and you a smaller receiver so you're not you're not going to block me um stopped the quarterback one hit the quarterback um really just everything stopped the Run don't let them throw the easy access throws and just play physical really make make them not want to throw it no more everything how do you feel that it's not no pressure I don't really care who came before me I just want to do what's best for me I'm happy for inis and K though I've been I just talked to Andis um he was there Thursday uh he he played with uh some of my team one of my old teammates at Detroit so I'm still I'm happy for them they they balling out in the league I think they both made the 53 man roster KD been doing good at um the Broncos but like stuff like that I don't I can care less who came before me I I didn't come here for them that interception it's obviously not a great pass from the but looks like you just make that decision quickly behind the wide receiver the point where you end up jumping and taking it do you feel like we a point now with this defense and just your confidence with your to be able to play freely play fast and just be able to make those mind reads instantly and go for it without thinking yeah you're asking D is it easy for me to do that yeah just how Comfort com uh I feel it all start out in practice like I'm going against Luther Theo all all the other receivers so it's like I have no choice but to play fast and I'm I'm 100% positive I'm not playing nobody on my schedule better than our receiver core or so like really just practice going against the best uh giving it all so I can make them type of plays in the game how the Oh yeah yeah for sure I feel like it made it should make it easy for all the all our Corners honestly really anybody going against our wide receiver Court like you can't you can't ask for nobody better from the slot to the outside like yeah you can't ask for nobody better to get work from Tor what's kind of the the moment like when on that particular route where you get the interception I mean you know there's nothing between you and the end zone right about to hit your hand what's kind of going through your head most I was really worried about cuz he threw it high I was really worried about like I have to catch it but I knew it was a touchdown like if I caught it but yeah I was worried about staying on my feet after yeah yeah I been I'm going work on I'm going work on it this week people don't know that that was my first touchdown so I wouldn't even think about no celebration anything else app thank you thank thank you trer question couple of days to to watch film and all that just kind of overall assessment especially the Game On th you um I think we can get better um that's what we're going to do this week well we just got to execute simple plays at a high level um that's one of the main things and um just be explosive and be us after we get the ball rookie second year with this receiver group all together with Brady cook what has kind of that of growing chemistry and what is the potential of this group here in year two versus last year I think the biggest thing is um we're able to communicate better with each other with things we're seeing on the field and things we need to get better at um we all take coaching well from each other so I feel like that's been the biggest um improvement from year one to year two what you saw um I saw they had internal pressure um I knew it was going come to me pretty quick so um yeah just kind of instincts kicked in and I just tried to go make a play I got a question simple straight how do you feel um I feel blessed um it's my last one I got a big life things going on outside of football so um I'm just trying to really take in every month moment and um enjoy it to the best that I can and honestly you know I'm just trying to take it one practice at a time one game at a time and just stay levelheaded that was that was good to see blood get active um we knew he had it in him um he he did it all Camp whenever his name was called upon so it was just good for him to be able to go out there on a Saturday in front of FOH fans and put it all on tape were you guys utilizing the at all on the sideline talking through some of the stuff you seeing uh yeah we we use the tablets um BR was also giving his comments but like that's kind of where you you get the comments from like you see it on tape and then he can say something but it's always better to be able to see it and um visually be able to learn from it communication was doing that um honestly I don't I don't know how the helmet proc uh I feel like it's really pretty much the same as far as him communicating with us the receivers um I don't know really how that process really is for him I don't think nothing really changed for us involving the helmets um I feel like it's more of him and what he's seeing out there and just like certain keys that he may get from Kirby but for us receivers there's not really much of a difference so yeah you guys does um it just shows like you know anybody can be on the field and make a play so um you know you can't take a play off as a defense knowing that certain guys are on the on the field so it really just shows how versatile we are and that anybody yeah like I said can make a play I know you there have been from the outside a lot of people wonder how the defense replaces what it's loost what it lost from last year how gratifying was for you guys a shut out and hold somebody I mean there no more defense in the country right now yeah you know it just showed really that we had a standard outside of you know whatever coaches are here I feel like the defense just has a standard of how they want to play and um it felt good to go put it out on tape and you know it's just week one but that's just a stepping stone for where we going to go from here on out uh I feel like we got a a great cricker in Blake and U you know he'll continue to grow and he'll continue to excite fans whenever we need him and U you know he's going to come through he came through a lot in Fall Camp so I just can't wait to see those big moments happen for him for