Mizzou Calls Him Aldini

Missouri teammates - thanks to linebacker Sean Weatherspoon - call him Aldini.

And not for the reason you might think.

"I guess Houdini could do anything and get away from anything," the namesake, defensive end Aldon Smith said.

Fellow defensive end Brian Coulter explains it best.

"Even when he does the wrong thing he still makes the play," Coulter said.

"Sometimes he may rush the wrong gap. There are two guys in front of him and he just throws them out of the away and makes the play."

Problems with the NCAA clearinghouse limited Smith to scout team play last season. But even then Missouri knew what it had.

"I heard about him from the offensive guys last year when he was playing on the scout team," Weatherspoon said. "They're going, `Y'all got to watch out for this guy. He's going to be starting next year.'"

Actually, Smith has been most adept at finishing.

His nine unassisted tackles for loss are two better more than Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh, a player many contend - and deservedly so - will be an All-American defensive tackle.

TV commentators have been calling Suh "Mister Suh" most of the year.

"I don't even know what "Mister" is supposed to mean," Smith said. "But he's a good player, so hopefully that's something good."

As for living up to his nickname, Aldini said:

"I can do better. Some of those balls I've been batting down I feel like I should have picked off."

Given Colorado has given up 20 sacks this season, Aldini may be in for a monster game on Saturday in Boulder.