COLUMBIA, MO. • The punt sails high into the thick swamp of August humidity, plops in the hands of Aarion Penton and instantly the head coach swarms the return man. Barry Odom swings a black leather pad and smacks Penton as he dashes upfield. Another punt blasts in the air for the next set of hands, and Odom’s pad goes flailing after another returner.
“Come on now, hang onto that ball,” Odom warns.
And there you have the first major difference between Missouri’s new head coach and the guy he replaced.
Gary Pinkel was nothing if not stoic on the practice field.