All we heard last week before the Colorado game from the Missouri Tigers was 5:30 on Saturday. Everyone’s focus had to be on the start of that game. Now, one week later the story is the same, 2:00 on Saturday.
Head coach Gary Pinkel says it’s not a gimmick. He said after two tough back to back losses to Oklahoma State and Texas, Pinkel wanted to stop the talk of how his team would be alright if they would just win the rest of their games.
Now, with a test coming up on the road at Baylor, Pinkel and the players are preaching the same thing. Nothing else matters but 2:00 on Saturday. Pinkel explains why this is not a gimmick.
Also, Tyrone Willingham said he will step aside as head coach of Washington after the season. With that announcement came the speculation of would Pinkel or offensive coordinator Dave Christensen be considered for the Huskies’ head coaching position?
Pinkel played for highly regarded former Washington coach Don James at Kent State and served as his assistant at Washington for 12 years. Christensen played for James at Washington and also worked for him.
Pinkel would not comment on the Washington situation other than saying that would just be another distraction. I understand that Pinkel has a soft spot in his heart for Washington and while it’s possible that Christensen could leave for his own head coaching position, I doubt Pinkel will leave.
He’s been building a great program here are Missouri, and I couldn’t see him wanting to take on the same type of task in Washington that he had to take on at Missouri seven years ago.