COLUMBIA, MO. • Missouri left guard Kevin Pendleton won’t apologize for all the yards and points the Tigers accumulated the last two years. Consistency was spotty, but Mizzou did lead the Southeastern Conference in yards per game each of the last two seasons under former coordinator Josh Heupel and his no-huddle spread offense. Only Alabama averaged more points a game than the Tigers during Heupel’s watch.
At the time, Pendleton and his linemates would never have dared call Heupel’s system gimmicky, but now that Heupel has shuttled off to Central Florida and Mizzou has installed a new offense, the Tigers are eager to play a different brand of football, one that, in theory, could benefit the offense and defense with a more deliberate, controlled pace.