Missouri Football: What You Need to Know About Tigers' WR T.J. Moe

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The Missouri Tigers are now officially a part of the SEC, the most powerful conference in all of college football.

In order to be successful in the new conference, they’ll need to see some improvement in their passing game.

James Franklin now has one year of starting experience and will look to improve as a quarterback in 2012.

He’ll have a trusty weapon to lean on in wide receiver T.J. Moe, who is already one of the best wide receivers in the SEC.

Here are five things you need to know about the Tigers’ star receiver.

James Franklin Needs to Get Him the Ball More

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Moe only had 54 catches for 649 yards and four touchdowns in 2011.

In 2010, when Blaine Gabbert was quarterbacking the Tigers, Moe had 92 catches for 1,045 yards and six touchdowns.

Franklin needs to utilize Moe more often in 2012 if the Tigers are going to be successful in their new conference.

The passing game needs to step up and be just as effective as the running game was in 2011.

He Used to Be a Quarterback

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During Moe’s senior year at Fort Zumwalt West High School in 2008, he threw for 2,557 yards and 31 touchdowns and ran for 2,029 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns.

That’s a whopping 61 touchdowns he accounted for during his senior season.

That experience as a quarterback really helps him see the openings in the defense and get in sync with his quarterback.

He knows where he needs to be on every play, so Franklin won’t have to worry about Moe making too many mistakes on offense.

He's Small, but He Doesn't Let That Hold Him Back

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Moe is undersized at 6’0”, but he doesn’t let that stop him from being a reliable wide receiver.

He compensates with intelligence, speed and courage. He’s not afraid of anything on the field and knows where to be at all times.

He’ll be a great teacher this season for the Missouri wide receivers.

He's Not Afraid to Go Across the Middle

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Moe may be small, but he’s fearless on the football field.

Not a lot of football players enjoy going across the middle of the field, but Moe doesn’t seem to have a problem with it.

He’s too fast for linebackers to cover, so he can exploit that part of the field.

If Franklin can put some more touch on his passes this season, Moe should return to 2010 form.

He's Surprisingly Fast

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Moe doesn’t often get a chance to show off his wheels, but he’s fast when he’s in the open field.

He’s usually catching passes in tight spaces and going over the middle of the field, limiting his chances to get to top speed.

Get him the ball in space, though, and he’s likely to find his way to the end zone.

Missouri should try to utilize his speed more this season and get him the ball on a few deeper routes.