Thanks to Jason from InsideMizzou.com for returning the favor and answering some of our questions about Mizzou!

Ay-ziggy-zoomba.com: What’s your name and affiliation with Mizzou?

Jason Brynsvold: My name is Jason Brynsvold and I am currently a sophomore in the greatest journalism school in the world (Mizzou of course).

AZZ.COM: 1.) How does Missouri anticipate replacing Jeremy Maclin? Both in terms of the offense and in the return game, who do you expect to step up?

JB: It is obviously impossible to replace the speed and playmaking ability of a guy like Jeremy Maclin, but we do have a guy that actually beat him out for a starting job when they were both freshman, Danario Alexander. He has battled injuries throughout his career, but when healthy his combination of size and speed is tough to handle for any team. He showed what he is capable of doing in our first game this season by catching 10 balls for over 130 yards. Looking towards the return game, there will be no one this year that will do anything spectacular like J-Mac did. That’s is a huge weakness for us this year.

AZZ.COM: 2.) What are the strengths & weaknesses of your young QB Gabbert? How did he handle his first start against Illinois (beyond the stat sheet).

JB: He obviously looked good on the stat sheet, but he also passed the eye test with flying colors. He made the right reads, didn’t try to force any throws and even took the ball down and ran when he needed to (I think he rushed for 3 or 4 first downs). He has a cannon arm and was a 5-star recruit, so he obviously has all the tools. His weakness has to be his inexperience because I’m sure there will be times this year where Mizzou fans are left scratching their head after a poor decision, but I’m sure he will improve throughout the season in that aspect.

AZZ.COM: 3.) Will Mizzou be counting on the sophomore QB to carry the team, or do you have a running game to balance him out?

JB: Even though they didn’t show up against Illinios, our running backs are very good and very versitile. As a sophomore last year, Derrick Washington rushed for over 1,000 yards while battling an injury. This year could be a ridiculous year for him because the Tigers figure to rely more on the rushing game because it the players there have more experience than the guys in the passing game.

AZZ.COM: 4.) Defensively, how will Missouri counter the versatility of Freddie Barnes?

JB: He obviously had a spectacular game last Saturday, and if the Falcons decide to go to him through the air a lot on this Saturday, it could be a long day for the Mizzou secondary. For the last couple of seasons, the weak link of the entire team has been the secondary, and I don’t think that is going to change this year. Defensive coordinator Dave Steckel went with more of a passive game plan in the first game, allowing receivers to have 6 yard cushions on nearly every play. #1 corner Carl Gettis is a good player, but if Bowling Green tells Barnes to just run 5 yard in routes, it could be a long day for the Tigers.

AZZ.COM: 5.) Will the front 7 be able to get pressure on BG quarterback Tyler Sheehan, or will he have a lot of time to sit back in the pocket and make an easy throw?

JB: I believe the front 7 of the Tigers is the most athletic part of the team. Mizzou features 3 excellent pass rushers (Aldon Smith, Brian Coulter, Jacquies Smith) and the linebacking corps is one of the fastest in the Big XII. If the Tigers decide not to rush Sheehan and instead make him beat them with a high accuracy mark (like they did against Illinois), there wont be much pressure put on him. However, if they want to force hurried throws and instead risk giving up the big play, there could be a lot of sacks recorded by the 3 pass rushers mentioned above.

AZZ.COM: 6.) This series has been mostly dominated by Bowling Green in the past. Why do you think that is the case?

JB: Beats me. This team is much more talented than the Mizzou teams Bowling Green has faced in the past, but maybe it has been a mental thing all along. Maybe the players saw a MAC school on the schedule and scratched a W by it without even thinking about it. This year is different because the players are very focused.

AZZ.COM: 7.) What type of crowd do you expect at Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field on Saturday?

JB: Head coach gary Pinkel has been pleading for 70,000 Mizzou fans to come out to “The Zou” on Saturday, and it looks like we are approaching that number. If I recall, the non-conference crowds last season didn’t come close to approaching that number, so the Falcons could be in for a raucous atmosphere.

AZZ.COM: 8.) What do you think the final score of the game will be?

JB: I think Bowling Green is a lot more talented that some Tiger fans are giving them credit for. With that said, this is Mizzou’s first home game and with how impressive they looked against Illinois, I think they will pull out the W. Something like 41-21.