Missouri DE Marcell Frazier Rips Josh Heupel, Says He Left Team in Bad Position

Missouri defensive end Marcell Frazier blasted former offensive coordinator Josh Heupel on Wednesday for leaving the team after accepting the head coaching position at Central Florida.

The Tigers fell 33-16 to Texas in the Texas Bowl, and Frazier expressed his belief that Heupel's declining to stay with the team through the bowl game played a major role in the defeat, according to ESPN.com:

"Realistically, Heupel left us in a bad position. It is what it is. And [offensive line coach Glen] Elarbee left us in a bad position. As men they have to look in the mirror. They let a whole bunch of teenage boys down, 18 and 19-year-olds. They left and they have to do what's best for their family, but I think it showed up a little bit today. We were doing things [on offense] we haven't done since maybe the Auburn game. It showed up.

"We practiced for almost a whole month without an O coordinator or an O-line coach after having one of the most dominating offenses in the nation. It's tough. I believe they let some guys down. They had to do what's best for them. I don't quite understand it."

Heupel accepted the head position at UCF and took Elarbee with him after Scott Frost agreed to leave the Knights in favor of the head coaching job at Nebraska.

Frazier praised Frost for deciding to coach UCF in the Peach Bowl despite leaving for Nebraska and added, "I don't quite understand all the politics," with regard to the Heupel situation.

The Mizzou offense struggled mightily against Texas without Heupel calling the plays, turning the ball over four times in the loss.

Prior to Heupel's departure, the Tigers were enjoying a strong year offensively with 39.3 points per game, which ranked ninth in the nation.

Heupel spent two seasons as Missouri's offensive coordinator after previously serving as an assistant at Oklahoma, Arizona and Utah State.

The 39-year-old enjoyed an excellent collegiate career as a quarterback at Oklahoma, which included a national title and an Associated Press Player of the Year award.

Next season, he will take over a UCF team that is currently 12-0 entering a Peach Bowl clash against the Auburn Tigers.