Tag: Drinkwitzs

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — After what seems like an eternity since Missouri football (9-3) played its last game, it’s only been a month, it’ll face Iowa (8-4) in the Music City Bowl on Monday. 

With a win, the Tigers would have won their second straight bowl game and clinched a 10-win season for the second straight season, making it just the third time in program history the team has had consecutive double-digit win seasons. 

Since the team lost to South Carolina in Week 12, effectively ending its College Football Playoff hopes, it has rallied around the new goal of winning 10 games. 

However, during Sunday’s presser, head coach Eliah Drinkwitz let it be known that winning this particular game is more of a bonus than anything else because it isn’t like a regular season game. To him, it’s an “exhibition.” 

While winning is the No. 1 goal in this game, Drinkwitz knows this game is about more than that. 

“I’m not really caught up in the outcome of that (winning 10 games),” Drinkwitz said. “I think for us, it’s an opportunity for us to play for a championship and that’s the singular focus for us — to play for the Music City Bowl championship. … This is really a standalone game and it’s really different than what you had at the end of the season because of the free agency period that occurs. So for us, this is, I hate to be like this but it’s an exhibition game. It’s an opportunity to thank our players (and) play one last time together and if you’re fortunate enough to win, it catapults you into next year. And if you don’t and come up short, you fly back home, you celebrate the new year and we start all over. So, I don’t know if it has more significance than that.”

Some guys like quarterback Brady Cook, defensive end Johnny Walker and defensive tackle Kristian Williams will be donning the Mizzou uniform for the last time. 

Linebacker Triston Newson is a part of that list for now but he doesn’t have to be. 

Earlier this month, the NCAA granted blanket waivers for the 2025-26 season to former JUCO players who used a season of eligibility playing outside the NCAA. 

That means Newson, who spent his first two seasons at Northwest Mississippi Community College could be eligible to play for MU in 2025, and Drinkwitz would welcome Newson back. 

“We’ve had conversations with Triston. It’s up to him. We would love to have him back. We’d welcome him back with open arms,” Drinkwitz said. “Obviously, it affects a lot of different people. (It) affects our roster account. To do that (the NCAA ruling) after the portal has been opened and after people have signed and all that is a little bit tricky. But he’s one of us. He’s always welcomed.” 

It’s also important to note that the Tigers have already added two linebackers in former West Virginia and Big Ten Freshman Defensive Player of the Year Josiah Trotter and former Nebraska Cornhusker Mikai Gbayor. 

This season, Newson stepped into the starting WILL role and recorded 64 tackles, five tackles for loss, a sack and a pass deflection. In two seasons with the Tigers, he’s registered 115 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and four pass deflections. 

Despite Drinkwitz being willing to keep Newson in the fold, he didn’t seem thrilled about the ruling. 

“I’ve come to the point that I realized my opinion doesn’t matter and until there’s somebody actually in charge of college football, our opinions are just a waste of breath, and people take those opinions and twist them and turn them however they want to,” Drinkwitz said. “They either use it against the coach or use it to prove their point on social media. It’s really a waste of time. I think, for me and our program, it’s about utilizing the new rule changes to try (and) benefit your program the best way possible and be adaptive.”

Kirby Moore and Corey Batoon review the season and talk about who will see more playing time

Offensive coordinator Kirby Moore and defensive coordinator Corey Batoon also spoke to the media for the first time since fall camp. 

Moore finished his second year leading the offense while Batoon wrapped up his first season. 

The offense returned eight starters but struggled to get in a rhythm for most of the season and finished with the 62nd-ranked offense at 390.7 yards per game, 57th-ranked rushing attack at 170.8 yards per game, 77th-ranked passing offense at 219.9 yards per game, T-59th-ranked scoring offense at 29.1 points per game, T-17th-best red zone offense at 43-of-47 (91%) with 28 touchdowns and the 16th-best third-down offense at 46%. 

Despite losing five starters to the NFL, the defense was the nation’s 23rd-best at 319.2 yards per game, 26th-best pass defense at 185.5 yards per game, 41st-ranked run defense at 133.8 yards per game, T-22nd-best scoring defense at 20.08 points per game, T-60th-ranked red zone defense at 27-of-33 (81%) with 18 touchdowns and fourth-best third-down defense at 28%. 

In their joint presser, each coordinator talked about their appreciation for their respective side of the ball and how they kept fighting every week. 

“I’m very appreciative of our guys’ consistency, doing the work, having belief (and) working through adversity,” Moore said. “The offensive staff being very collaborative (and) solution-oriented. There are a couple of games where we didn’t play our best but then adapted, trusted, improvised and found ways to win. Coach Drink talks a lot about having grit, and that’s one thing — over the last two years, I believe the stat is we’ve been in 11 one-score games and won 10 of them. A key part of that is believing you can get it done.”

“I spoke to some of the seniors in the last true meeting, and I’m so appreciative of their buy-in that really helped us not fall back in the transition year,” Batoon said. “But super appreciative of those guys (and) the work they put in. Things that I was really happy about this past fall, I thought, again, like Kirby said, the amount of close, one-score games talks about the camaraderie. It talks about the brotherhood. The belief in one unit to another. Those are things that I’ll cherish. … And really, you’re one possession away from really being in a great situation, but super appreciative of those seniors and what they mean to us and the program.”

Statistically, the offense was worse in total offense, run offense, pass offense and red zone offense.

Some of that had to deal with the offense not getting in a good rhythm for most of the year. Some of it was because Cook dealt with injuries that limited and him and forced him to miss a start. But Drinkwitz provided another example of Cook overcoming adversity to help his team when he suited up in Week 12 and nearly led MU to a win over South Carolina on the road despite still having a significant right wrist. 

“He’s always put the team first. He’s always tried to improve. He’s always tried to be a leader,” Drinkwitz said. “I think back to the South Carolina game. X-rays (of) his wrist still show a break. It’s his call. It’s 100% his call. Can you play? We would never put you in jeopardy. As long as it was his call, he was going to play, and that’s rare these days. For him to be out there this week with so much bright future ahead of him, he wouldn’t miss it, because it means something to play with his teammates. It means something to put that Missouri Tiger uniform on and that’s the college football that we all know, love, believe in and are excited about.”

Despite the team’s love for Cook, it knows it must move on from Cook, who is in his last year of eligibility, and they have to a degree by bringing in former Penn State quarterback Beau Pribula to compete for the starting spot in 2025. 

The jam-packed schedule that December provides every year, means the coaching staff has been trying to toe the line between focusing on the 2025 roster and the players they’re prepping to play with on Monday. 

“Yeah, that’s what we encounter in college football. Building for next season while finishing this season with a bowl game,” Moore said. “(I) really want to finish this season the right way for Brady Cook. I’m extremely appreciative of what he’s done for me. His wife watches our kids, right? So on a daily basis, helping out my wife. He’s a winner. He’s consistent, (he has) emotional consistency and just his ability to win games the last few years.”

Missouri will be without All-Southeastern Conference selections, wide receiver Luther Burden III and right tackle Armand Membou, who opted out after declaring for the NFL Draft. 

It’ll also be without linebacker Chuck Hicks who opted out to spend more time with his family. 

Tight end Brett Norfleet will also miss the game after undergoing season-ending surgery to repair an undisclosed injury. Guard Logan Reichert was wearing a boot at practice on Sunday so he’ll also be unavailable. 

Wide receiver Mookie Cooper, center Connor Tollison, defensive end Joe Moore and linebacker Khalil Jacobs were ruled out for the season midway through the regular season, so there’ll be more opportunities for other players to step up. 

“I think there is some opportunity within this game for our guys on offense — senior guys, too, up front. Mitch Walters, Drake (Heismeyer) did a great job down the stretch,” Moore said. “With the tight end group, Tyler Stephens (and) Jordon Harris. Then, our receivers Marquis Johnson, Josh Manning, Daniel Blood, James Madison is going to get some time out there and Logan Muckey. So, (I’m) really just excited to see those guys go out there and compete.”

Defensively, most of the unit is intact, but freshmen linebackers Nick Rodriguez and Jeremiah Beasley were specifically talked about as players who will see a healthy workload in this game. 

Beasley played in 11 games and recorded seven tackles while Rodriguez played in 10 and had 15 tackles. 

Iowa will have most of its players playing, but it’ll be without star running back Kaleb Johnson, starting quarterback Cade McNamara and top cornerback Jermari Harris. Head coach Kirk Ferentz said on Sunday that the Hawkeyes will also be without their starting center Logan Jones, reserve wide receiver Seth Anderson, second-string linebacker Kyler Fisher and second-string safety Koen Entringer. 

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