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Missouri Tigers

SEC rank: 7

2014 Record: 11-3 SEC record: 7-1 (1st, East)

Stadium: Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field (71,168)

LOCATION: Columbia, Mo.

COACH: Gary Pinkel — At Missouri: 113-66, 14 years; overall: 186-103-3, 24 years

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Josh Henson

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Barry Odom

LAST LEAGUE TITLE: 1969, Big 8 co-champions

LAST TIME DIDN’T GO BOWLING: 2012

RETURNING STARTERS: 13; 6 offense, 6 defense, kicker

PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Maty Mauk, RB Russell Hansbrough, C Evan Boehm, DT, Josh Augusta, DE Charles Harris, LB Kentrell Brothers, LB Michael Scherer, CB Kenya Dennis

PRIMARY STRENGTHS: Missouri has one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the league, working behind a veteran line. That’s usually a winning combination. The defensive line reloads with the emergence of edge rushers Harris and Marcus Loud

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS: The Tigers don’t return a wide receiver who has caught more than five passes in a season. There’s not much depth behind Hansbrough at tailback. The passing game can’t afford another midseason lull like Mauk suffered through last season. An injury or two along the defensive line would test the depth. Someone will need to emerge at DT after Harold Brantley was lost for the year this summer after he suffered several major injuries in a car accident.

OFFENSE

Junior quarterback Maty Mauk has started more games (18) than all but two SEC quarterbacks and knows he must improve on last year’s completion percentage (53.4) while throwing to new starters at all three receiver positions.

After shedding his body fat percentage nearly in half to 11 percent, Mauk was more nimble in and out of the pocket this spring and worked on stepping up to deliver passes downfield.

No returning wide receiver caught more than five passes last year, which means Mauk will work with anuntested cast of wideouts in J’Mon Moore, Wesley Leftwich, Nate Brown and another six or seven freshmen.

Russell Hansbrough isn’t the most durable tailback, but he’s quietly coming off a 1,084-yard season. The Tigers need depth at the position, and junior college transfer Chase Abbington, a slasher who can catch the ball, could be the ideal complement.

They’ll run behind a line that returns five seniors with starting experience, including center Evan Boehm and Connor McGovern, who can play guard or tackle.

DEFENSE

New coordinator Barry Odom knows better than to fix something that isn’t broken.

The Tigers lost several key pieces to last year’s defense along with coordinator Dave Steckel. But Odom — although he used a 3-4 defense at Memphis the last three years — hasn’t overhauled the 4-3-based system Steckel built into one of the SEC’s best.

Missouri must replace the most productive tandem of ends in team history in Markus Golden and All-American Shane Ray, who combined for 24.5 sacks after replacing All-SEC standouts Kony Ealy and Michael Sam. But sophomores Charles Harris and Marcus Loud are up to the challenge.

They would’ve flanked the team’s most-accomplished lineman in tackle Harold Brantley, a matchup nightmare for slower guards and centers, but Brantley was seriously injured in a car accident this summer and will miss the season while recovering from his wounds. Josh Augusta is in line to step in for Brantley. A.J. Logan is another guy that will likely see action at defensive tackle as well. Coach Gary Pinkel compared Brantley to former All-SEC tackle and 2013 NFL Rookie of the Year Sheldon Richardson so his loss is a big blow to the Tigers.

Missouri features the top two returning tacklers in the SEC in linebackers Kentrell Brothers and Michael Scherer, plus veteran cornerbacks Aarion Penton and Kenya Dennis.

SPECIAL TEAMS

The most difficult player for Missouri to replace might not be Ray, but all-purpose dynamo Marcus Murphy, last year’s SEC leader in all-purpose yards and a constant threat to return punts and kickoffs for touchdowns. Safeties Ian Simon and Anthony Sherrils, and receivers Raymond Wingo and J’Mon Moore, could all get looks in the return game in camp.

Senior Andrew Baggett is back to handle all the kicking duties. He should finish his career as the program’s career leader for points and field goals.

OVERVIEW

The Tigers have won consecutive SEC East titles but are hungry for more after losing the league championship game the last two years.

Things could get shaky if Mauk doesn’t have trusty receivers in the passing game, but Hansbrough’s return, a seasoned offensive line and another strong defense could offset a middling passing game and repave the path to Atlanta.

Top Newcomer:

DT Terry Beckner Jr.: Widely rated a five-star prospect, the East St. Louis, Ill., native was the crown jewel of Mizzou’s 2015 recruiting class, picking MU over Auburn, Florida State and Ohio State. The 6-4, 300-pounder is expected to contribute immediately at the tackle rotation, especially with the loss of Brantley there.

Check out Missouri’s projected depth chart, schedule and three-year stats on our team page here: https://www.lindyssports.com/college-football/sec/missouri Team news (will activate before season; right beside team photo), game recaps and results will be updated throughout the football season.