Kick-Off Countdown: 5 days

It's officially game week. Let's get to the stories:

Coach Gary Pinkel (above, in a St. Louis Post-Dispatch picture) is ready for a breakthrough season. Story.

Let's hear it for the O-Line. Link.

Did you hear Mizzou has a couple of studs at tight end? Link.

Mike D's biggest questions facing the Tigers can be found here.

Graham breaks down the entertainment options in the STL for the Mizzou-Illinois game here and talks about the Post-Dispatch's coverage plan for the Tigers in 2007 here.

Kick-Off Countdown: 16 days

Originally from yesterday's Star, Mike D. stirs the anti-Nebraska pot with this story of one man's crusade to keep the Cornhusker fans out of Memorial Stadium on October 6. The NU messageboard didn't take too kindly to the gesture. Link.

Matter has his usual good stuff in The Tribune. He delves into the defensive depth-chart in this story. Read the Behind the Stripes Wednesday practice report here and the Thursday report here.

Power Mizzou's Gabe DeArmond posted a free photo gallery with practice pics taken by photog Daniel Turner a couple of days ago. Link.

The Missourian ran this feature on team comedian and budding star receiver Greg Bracey (above).

Mizzou's official FootBlog updates can be found here.

Last but certainly not least, Graham Watson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has been hard at work, posting this blog entry on Thursday's practices, the last day of two-a-days.

Temple, Ricks injured

Bad news out of Mizzou camp from Mike D. today, who reports tailback Tony Temple (above) and starting corner Hardy Ricks were both injured. Temple bumped knees with somebody and Ricks separated his shoulder.

These are two guys we need this year. We'll post more details as they emerge.

Read the Star story.

Read Dave Matter's blog entry about the incident.

The Missourian got a quote from Chase Daniel in it's story.

“It’s Tony. He’ll be fine,” Daniel said. “He’ll be back out here tomorrow, maybe in a red (injury) pullover.” Read.

Kick-Off Countdown: 27 Days

Mizzou officially opened practice for the 2007 season on Saturday in Columbia. Pretty good coverage all-around from the local media outlets.

The Columbia Daily Tribune's coverage begins with a recap of QB Chase Daniel's experience as an instructor at the Elite 11 quarterback camp in California, where Chase was a teammate of Joe Montana. Read.

Dave Matter, the Trib's Mizzou football writer, also keeps a blog with daily practice reports. Matter reports that the team has elected its captains: Martin Rucker, Jason Ray, Lorenzo Williams and Pig Brown. Link.

The Kansas City Star's Mike DeArmond finds a Kansas City angle for his first practice report, writing this feature on running back Derrick Washington. Washington, a freshman from Peculiar, is trying to show the coaches that he has what it takes to back up starter Tony Temple.

Graham Watson of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote what may have been the best story on the opening practice, with a great lead:

There was a different atmosphere surrounding the Missouri football team as it opened its fall camp on Saturday.

Instead of the awkward orientation that usually comes with the first few days of a new season, the Tigers took to the field with the business-like confidence of a team that knows this could be one of the greatest seasons in the school's history.

Read the whole story. The picture of Pinkel leading the team out onto the field is from the Post-Dispatch.

Columbia Missourian coverage was good, too. Read. The pic of Chase Daniel below is from the Missourian.