Accountability, Third Downs Focus for Mizzou, Eli Drinkwitz During Bye Week

The Missouri Tigers head coach spoke to the media on a conference call Wednesday during the team's bye week.

Oct 1, 2022; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz watches warm ups against the Georgia Bulldogs prior to a game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The No. 11 Missouri Tigers will be grateful that the only number that matters at the end of the year is their final record.

Even after an ugly performance against Vanderbilt in Week 4, Missouri still managed to add another tally to the win column in double overtime. Missouri failed to get off to a fast start on all three phases, but was able to make just the right amount of game-changing plays at just the right times.

"I think our our team is very resilient, very tough," head coach Eli Drinkwitz said Wednesday on a conference call with reporters. "I thought Saturday's performance, from a grit and toughness standpoint, was really as good as I've seen from a football team."

Missouri trailed 13-10 at the half, marking the first time it has faced a deficit to open the second half this season. Yet the Tigers scored 10 unanswered points to start the third quarter. After redshirt freshman Blake Craig missed two kicks in the fourth quarter, the game was brought to overtime.

During what Drinkwitz called a "much-needed" bye week, he is hoping to see his team take the proper steps and humility needed to improve from the lackluster performance.

"It's really important for our team to understand the accountability that they need for improvement this week," Drinkwitz said. "We can't be satisfied with where we're at in really any phase of the game."

Offensively, Drinkwitz highlighted the need to improve on both third downs and in the red zone. On third downs against Vanderbilt, the Tigers were a mere 7-for-17. In five red zone drives against Vanderbilt, Missouri only scored two touchdowns.

Defensively, Drinkwitz mentioned that in the last two games, the team has had 22 missed tackles and multiple coverage busts, which have led to 28 points allowed. The unit has had trouble containing explosive plays, allowed Boston College's Thomas Castellanos to throw for a 67-yard touchdown in Week 3, and Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia to throw a 65-yard score in the first quarter.

"Those are our areas of focus that we need to improve on," Drinkwitz said. "Everybody's got an individual responsibility, from our coaching staff to players, for us to collectively improve and grow."

Following the win over Vanderbilt, Drinkwitz told the media that the main, if not exclusive, focus for the bye week would be self reflection for the team. He doesn't want any fingers to be pointed, but rather for everyone on the staff and roster to recognize where they need to improve.

Drinkwitz has had no issues getting that message across.

"We have to take responsibility in that the things that we're expected to do on the field, we have to do them, and coaches have to be better in schematics," Drinkwitz said."That message has been clearly received, not disappointed in the team whatsoever, but just really, just realized that there's more work to be done."

Drinkwitz and the Tigers hope to put a much-improved product on tape in Week 6, when they travel to face Texas A&M Saturday, Oct. 5.

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