Whitlock is in love with Gabbert

[Hammock Parties]

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/col...y/1427127.html

ST. LOUIS | Oh. My. God. Not since I first laid eyes on an 11-year-old Jeff George has a quarterback captured my football imagination the way Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert did Saturday afternoon with his destruction of the Illinois Fighting Illini.

OMG. A second soulmate, this late in my football fascination, could it really be?

More important, how does Gabbert’s spectacular debut as the Tigers’ starting quarterback impact the Big 12 North race?

I say we recalculate. By Oct. 8, when the Nebraska Cornhuskers arrive in Columbia, Gabbert should be every bit as effective as Chase Daniel was last season. By Nov. 28, the date the Tigers collide with the Kansas Jayhawks inside Arrowhead Stadium, Gabbert has a chance to be as good as any quarterback in the country.

It was just one game, against poor-throwing Juice Williams and poor-coaching Ron Zook. I know.

But Gabbert’s tools are undeniable. In Mizzou’s 37-9 romp, Gabbert took turns impersonating Dan Marino, Tim Tebow and Big Ben Roethlisberger.

Gabbert connected on 25 of 33 passes for 319 yards and three TDs. He ran the ball 10 times for 39 yards and a score. The kid from the St. Louis suburbs, the kid who missed most of his high school senior season and sat patiently behind Daniel as a Missouri freshman, exuded the kind of poise, confidence and star quality you’d expect from Tim Tebow.

Oh. My. God. I’m leaving Jeff George. I’ve found another quarterback who gives me pregame butterflies and makes my heart pound every time he drops to pass.

In my postgame giddiness, I accidentally used the name John Elway, the greatest player in the history of the NFL, in a question to Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel.

“He’s very, very gifted,” Pinkel said of Gabbert before stressing that intangibles such as heart, competitiveness, work ethic and mental toughness will determine Gabbert’s level of success.

For the moment, let’s just forget about the intangibles and focus on what everyone inside the Edward Jones Dome could clearly see.

Blaine Gabbert is the bizness. He’s built like former All-American tight end Chase Coffman, moves in the pocket like Big Ben, runs as fluidly as Elway, releases the football like Tom Brady and makes comparisons to Chase Daniel and Brad Smith seem rather silly.

We’ve never seen Blaine Gabbert before. Not in a Missouri, Kansas or Kansas State uniform in the last 30 years.

Michael Bishop nearly won the Heisman Trophy and dragged the K-State Wildcats within a fourth-quarter meltdown of the national championship. Bishop was no Blaine Gabbert.

I mention Bishop solely for the purpose of referencing the kind of aspirations Pinkel and the Tigers should have for the remainder of Gabbert’s college career, which will likely end after the 2010 season.

Before he departs for the NFL, Gabbert should be in the Heisman race, and Mizzou should be in the national-title hunt.

“Big Blaine” is that good, and his supporting cast is that good, too. Danario Alexander (10 catches for 132 yards), Jared Perry (four for 93 yards and a TD) and Wes Kemp (four for 77 and a TD) may not be as explosive as Jeremy Maclin, as indefensible as Coffman or as reliable as Tommy Saunders, but Maclin, Coffman and Saunders never worked with a passer as physically gifted as Big Blaine.

Mizzou’s offense will be just fine. Mizzou’s defense could be significantly improved from a year ago.

Aldon Smith, Missouri’s redshirt freshman defensive end, isn’t likely to be a four-year letterman, either. If not for Gabbert’s display, we might be writing about Smith today. He clowned the Illini, recording a sack and three tackles for loss.

Smith made a play on Juice Williams in the red zone that will make scouts drool. The 6-foot-5, 255-pounder, with an Illinois blocker seemingly glued to his midsection, stopped Williams from turning the corner and picking up a first down.

Even without Ziggy Hood and Brock Christopher, Missouri’s front seven is quicker, more athletic and better than a year ago. The Tigers won’t have to blitz to pressure the quarterback. And Sean Weatherspoon, Andrew Gachkar and Luke Lambert can slow the run.

Watching Gabbert and Smith dominate Illinois made me think of Pinkel’s primary goal when he took over at Missouri nine years ago. In terms of recruiting, he wanted to lock up the state of Missouri. He envisioned building a top-flight program around a handful of the top players produced in the Show Me State.

Gabbert is from St. Louis. Smith is from Kansas City (Raytown). Talentwise, they’re two of the best football players to ever enroll at Mizzou.

“Why would you live in Missouri and not go to Mizzou?” Pinkel joked with the media.

It’s a good question. Gabbert and Smith are about to become celebrated legends in their home state.

“Hey, bro,” Gabbert said to defensive tackle Jaron Baston as they walked out of the dome, “I’ve got 51 text messages.”

It’s just the beginning. Wait until Jeff George calls to complain about Gabbert stealing George’s football soulmate.