Quarterbacking at Missouri Requires Team-First Mentality James Franklin is one in a long line of Missouri passers who have been taught not to hurt their team by trying to do too much. ATLANTA - Missouri quarterbacks have been burdened with the dreaded "system guy" tag for years. They are hoarders of statistics, passing for 3,000 yards a season while completing 60 percent of their throws in Coach Gary Pinkel's offense. Brad Smith, Chase Daniel, Blaine Gabbert and the current starter, James Franklin, have not escaped ridicule by critics. However, before a Missouri quarterback can compile statistics worthy of backslapping, he is required to be prudent, not bold. "You can't throw the ball to the other team; you can't take delay-of-game penalties; you have to hand the ball off correctly," Pinkel said. We make them do all those things first before we think about how to make them Peyton Manning. In the year of the quarterback in the Southeastern Conference, which features Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel, Alabama's A J McCarron, Auburn's Nick Marshall, Louisiana State's Zach Mettenberger and Georgia's Aaron Murray, Franklin has completed 67 percent of his passes, with 16 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. He has also led the No. 5 Tigers (11-1) to Saturday's SEC championship game against No. 3 Auburn (11-1) at the Georgia Dome. "James is playing as good as anybody in the country," Pinkel said. This is Missouri, and success is expected of the quarterback next in line. Smith, who is a kick returner and wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, set 69 team, Big 12 or N.C.A.A. records. Daniel, who is a backup quarterback with the Kansas City Chiefs, holds the team record with 101 touchdown passes, in three seasons as a starter. Gabbert, who is playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars, had two 400-yard passing games. But the Missouri quarterback who plays for Pinkel knows better than to chase statistics with risky throws, Smith said. The Tigers led the SEC in turnover margin (plus 15) this season, and it was not an accident. "We are all taught not to make bad plays, to think about the team first and the program - don't hurt the team trying to do too much," Smith said Friday in a telephone interview. Coach always stressed that the system was putting the program first, not one guy. The careful nurturing of quarterbacks by Pinkel is a significant reason Missouri survived Franklin's shoulder injury Oct. 12 during a 41-26 win at Georgia. The redshirt freshman Maty Mauk jumped in as starter and led the Tigers to a 3-1 record. The only loss was in overtime to South Carolina after Missouri blew a 17-0, fourth-quarter lead. The trust between Pinkel and his quarterbacks begins in the recruiting process. Pinkel said Missouri will not overrecruit the position. When Pinkel settles on a ringleader for his four-wide offense, he sticks with him. Mauk understood he was the next guy up. "What that does for the team is that it shows, "This is the guy," and that radiates throughout the team," Smith said. Players see the coach trust this one quarterback and stick with one guy, and it builds up on the team and within the program. Missouri averages 38.8 points per game, tying for second in the SEC with Alabama, behind Texas A&M (43.6). No team in the conference balanced the run (236.9 yards per game) and the pass (252.6) better. It was a changeup from when Daniel and Gabbert ran a pass-first scheme out of an empty-set backfield. That is the other endearing part of the system. Pinkel has adapted. He used to have tight ends lined up in the slot or split out in space for one-on-one matchups. Now he has tall wide receivers, such as 6-foot-6 Dorial Green-Beckham, 6-4 L'Damian Washington and 6-5 Marcus Lucas. The Tigers were well-known for their wide splits on the offensive line and their empty backfields. Now the splits are tighter, and the junior running back Henry Josey (988 yards) is usually standing in the backfield with Franklin. What has not changed is the reliance on a quarterback who knows when to pull the ball down and take a sack rather than throw a foolish pass. "I don't care if you can throw the ball from here back to Columbia," Pinkel said of the University of Missouri's home. If you aren't mentally and physically tough, you're not a tenacious competitor, we won't recruit you.