Turnovers and dropped passes plagued Missouri’s scrimmage Saturday.
The erratic play of Missouri running back Tony Temple exemplified the Tiger offense at the team’s scrimmage Saturday.
One offensive series, the sophomore fumbled a pitch from quarterback Brad Smith. The next, he broke multiple tackles on his way to a 25-yard touchdown run.
“There was inconsistency,” coach Gary Pinkel said. “We need to be focused and play at a high level on every play.”
Temple is playing with the first-team offense while starter Marcus Woods rehabs from a strained lateral collateral ligament. Temple appeared in one game for the Tigers last season and his inexperience shows at times. When Temple looked confused after lining up for a play, safety Jason Simpson yelled, “Do you know where you’re supposed to be?” Temple then shifted his alignment.
Pinkel said he isn’t worried about Temple. He said Temple is learning what it takes to be a tailback at the college level.
“Sometimes he tries to make the big plays too much and goes sideways instead of going vertical,” Pinkel said. “He’s a big-play back, so he’s always trying to get outside and make that big play, but there’s a point where you’ve just got to go.”
Pinkel said Temple is also improving his receiving ability.
“There’s a lot to learn. Running backs don’t just have the running back part of it, they have the receiving part of it as well,” he said. “They pretty much have to learn two positions.”
Temple said a strenuous weight room session earlier this week was a factor in his play on the field.
“I didn’t feel like my legs were completely there,” he said. “They felt a little heavy.”
Temple wasn’t the only one turning the ball over. Tight ends DeQincy Howard and Brian Barmann fumbled and quarterback Chase Patton threw an interception.
“Turnovers and turnover ratios are the name of the game,” Pinkel said. “We have to protect the ball. There are tons of tiny detailed things we’re not doing right on offense.”
Dropped passes were also a problem at times. Senior Chris Crosby dropped two passes, including one in the end zone. Redshirt freshman Jerrill Humphrey was unable to catch a 40-yard pass thrown in desperation at the end of a two-minute drill. Earlier, Humphrey looked impressive, catching a touchdown pass on a curl route.
Another bright spot for the offense was the play of running backs Earl Goldsmith, Jimmy Jackson and John Ruth. Jackson and Goldsmith caught several passes out of the backfield for big gains, and Ruth had consecutive gains of around 10 and 20 yards, the second going for a touchdown.
“There was a lot of consistent play by those guys,” Pinkel said. “They’re all good athletes, and they are all taking advantage of the extra playing time. There is a lot of competition, and that is good.”