COLUMBIA, Mo. • Gary Pinkel has no idea who will replace him as Missouri’s football coach in 2016, but he believes he’s handing off a talented offense to his successor.
You read that right.
The statistics and national rankings might suggest otherwise — the Tigers, by most measures, have one of the worst offenses among major conference teams — but Pinkel sees hope scattered across the collection of stuffed runs, dropped passes and three-and-out possessions.
“I think they’ll be outstanding (next year),” he said Monday as the Tigers (5-6, 1-6 Southeastern Conference) prepared for Friday’s regular-season finale at Arkansas (6-5, 4-3), which could be Pinkel’s final game on the sideline before he steps into retirement.