Everything Eli Drinkwitz Said After Mizzou Football's Victory Over Arkansas

Here are all the words the Tigers head coach had for the media after the last game at Faurot Field for the 2024 season.

Nov 30, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz watches play against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the first half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The No. 21 Missouri Tigers secured another close, ugly and gritty victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks, leaving Faurot Field on senior night with a 28-21 win to its record.

Nothing about the senior night battle was easy, as Arkansas pushed the Tigers to the limit for the Battle Line rivalry trophy. Ultimately, the toughness of the Eli Drinkwitz-led Tigers prevailed and somehow, for the fourth, miraculous time, walked away with a fourth-quarter win. Missouri improved to 9-3 after the win and could move up more in the College Football Playoff rankings, among other polls, after the victory.

Here's everything Drinkwitz said to the media after Missouri's victory.

Opening Statement

“Extremely proud of the fan base, for them to sell out seven straight home games, or 13, whatever total is, but for this year, to sell it out, to show up in the snow and cold weather, in tough conditions and be loud and be boisterous and the students to come back is an incredible step in the right direction. Just really, really appreciative of our fan base, to our players and coaching staff. Somebody was just telling me, I guess in our four home SEC home games, we had to win in double overtime, had to come back in the fourth quarter versus Auburn, Oklahoma and now Arkansas.”

“Resiliency, never quit, believing in each other, trusting each other. Just tremendous, all the way around. A lot of things that we can work to improve, from a coaching staff standpoint, player standpoint, but this senior class is leaving a heck of a legacy of toughness and grit, determination. Never quit, never given up and you for Brady to have that quarterback draw for a walk-off, I think is pretty special.”

On Missouri winning the way they did

“Our defense's ability to force turnovers, I think what's the difference in the game. The two takeaways that resulted in 14 points were the difference in the game and for them to prefer our guys to play complimentary football like that, which is what we've done best all year, is pretty good and key to our success.”

On what his moment with Brady Cook postgame meant

“I don't know yet. I don't know. It's going to be hard to be the head coach without him. I'm appreciative that I got one more game with him because you knew what you were getting. You knew the toughness that you were going to get, determination and preparation and incredible will to win.”

On what nine wins means for the football program

“I told our staff the difference between a good year and a great year was the ability to win this last game and get nine wins and put ourselves in a position to do something that hasn't been done with back-to-back 10-win seasons. I figure we'll finish the season ranked, which is a step in the right direction. We want to be a top-25 program that contends for championships and to be able to do that back-to-back season tells you that you're not a flash in the pan. You're moving in the right direction. The best lead the legacy and you're not going to just get over the hump the first time you charge the hill, you got to be resilient and keep going.”

“The past two years, we've had opportunities we haven't quite got it done, but that doesn't mean you give up. Just find ways to continue to improve and keep charging that hill and when we do finally get across, we'll look back and we'll remember the seniors, whether it's Cody Schrader, Darius Robinson and Kris Abrams-Draine, or this year's group with Brady Cook and Theo Wease [Jr.] and Johnny Walker and all those guys that have left a legacy here.”

On finishing 7-0 at home this season

“Core value number one is always compete and do it better than it's ever been done before.So we're always searching for things that we can accomplish, that haven't been accomplished before and for us to be able to do something like that this year is a really remarkable thing and something that will just continue to knock off the list.”

On Marcus Carroll’s performance

One of those games where you had to really want to tackle somebody. It's cold out there and you land on the snow and ice and it was pretty icy and his ability just to continue to gain positive yards [and] get his shoulders downhill was really impressive.”

On whether the snow was a factor

"Yeah, it was a factor. It was a factor. Hard to run routes, hard to get a grip on the ball, hard to have footing.”

On the Arkansas gameplan

“[I] actually thought coach [Bobby] Petrino had a great plan. He ran a lot of crossing routes to keep his guys on free-flowing movements, which was a really good plan as far as throwing the football and utilizing tempo. I thought they did a really nice job defensively. I thought Travis [Williams] did a really good job of keeping us off balance, playing multiple defensive fronts against us and multiple coverages. So they did a nice job. It's just the two turnovers, and our guys will to win.”

On Joseph Charleston’s performance and season

“Joseph comes over the top. I thought he picked it, but just the ball went out of pounds. We were playing a version of cover two. Joe's just been very consistent. I think one of the things that goes undervalued [is] Joseph's broken both of his hands this year and had to have surgery on both thumbs. Played with a cast pretty much all year and shows up every day.”

On senior day emotions

One of the things that we talked about is this play mentality and that was really what I said in pre-game and reminded our team. This is not the last time you're going to be in Faurot Field. This is the last time you're going to play a game. So what you need to do is focus on the moment. Play in the moment, play the play, you'll be back and all these memories will flood back again. But what you have to do is, when you score, look up and enjoy it. When you make a play, look up and enjoy but then focus on this moment and this play. I thought they did a really nice job of doing that. These guys mean a lot to us. Went from tears to now they're smoking cigars, so not a bad day.”

Reflecting on Johnny Walker’s career

“Johnny's just been a guy that you can look back on and say, this is what our program continues to be built on. He didn't really play much for three years. He came in at 198-pounds and now he's developed into a 255-pound player that’s had five sacks in five games. I don't think he got one tonight, but obviously should have had one on that intentional grounding and just an unbelievable effort. Leader, shows up every day. He doesn't get as much credit as maybe Kristian [Williams] and Brady [Cook], but every bit the leader and super proud of Johnny Walker.”

On the weather stylistically changing the game

“When you're down one score you just want to continue to get positive plays and not get behind the chains. We came out, the first drive was a complete atrocity of offense, those first three plays. [I] just told them to settle down. Let's get back to what we were doing, running the football and I thought Kirby [Moore[] did a nice job. But once we get into a rhythm similar to what we did last week, once we get into a rhythm running the ball, let's not get cute, get away from it. Let's stick with it. Make them stop us.”

On the culture shift since the senior class arrived

“It wasn't a 180 but it's probably a 160 and I think you'll see it too when very few, if any, of our seniors, opt out. There's something about playing for each other and playing for Missouri that's special to these guys. Not there wasn't before, It's just you have to build trust and respect and the coaching. For me specifically, I think one of the things that I didn't do a great job in my first years was really building that with these guys. But over time, this group of men and the transfers that have come in, we really learned to trust and respect our staff and trust and respect each other, and that's the foundation for great brotherhood. And these guys led the way, for sure, and there's some unsung heroes to it. Jack Meyer and Chris Kreh, who had to take a medical redshirt this year, still shows up every day, works in the weight room and coaches on special teams. Those guys, it means something to play football and be committed to them. I think Ryan Russell had a huge part of that too. Getting him after my first year was a huge part of our success and turnaround.”

On the decision-making process of opting out of a bowl game

“I think it all comes down to what the projection is from potentially the NFL and there's no guarantees in this game. There's no guarantees in the game of football and you don't ever know when the last time you're gonna put your pads on. So you have one more guaranteed opportunity. The NFL is not given. It's not guaranteed for anybody, except for Luther, not for the rest of us.” 

“Don't walk away prematurely. I think there's been guys in the past that you know have opted out in the bowl game and maybe didn't get the shot they thought they were going to get. So [they] didn't get the shot they thought they were gonna get. So [it’s] been a hard lesson.”

On if the Battle Line rivalry is growing

“It’s growing, I’d say. For not thinking they were too much of a rival it sure is growing a lot. There's a better part of two hours on sports radio getting after me because I mispronounced the quarterback's name. That was me being genuine. I literally didn't mean anything. He's a heck of a player. He's a great player, great quarterback and by no means was I being disrespectful.”

“There's a lot of people that don't like me down in that state for whatever reason, which is good. I mean, it builds the rivalry. Which is good. We need this and it was chippy out there tonight. But I hope they all understand there's a lot of mutual respect. I respect the crud out of Arkansas and their program and what they've built. Coach [Sam] Pittman, I'm sad he couldn't be out there tonight because of his hip, but I really respect the way his team fought. He's got great coordinators. He's got great players. They've done a really good job this year. Got a lot of respect for those guys. I mean, [Andrew] Armstrong is a heck of a player. That play, that Taylen Green made that throw. That was right in front. The throw and, the catch were unbelievable. But at the end of the day, our will to win was stronger.”

On Luther Burden III’s performance and legacy at Missouri

“It was just the game. We had a whole array of ways that we wanted to get involved. But at the end of the day, in that style of game, some of it was trick stuff, some of it was unique and new stuff. We just didn't feel comfortable trying to get it in.”

“The story of Luther Burden is not going to be the one catch that if he doesn't make today, we don't win. It's going to be the monumental decision he made to come to the University of Missouri. Nobody else thought he should and his trajectory in turn changed the program as much as these seniors. For Luther Burden to choose to come here, for him to work, to prove that he's the best player on the team, to make the play versus Oklahoma on third and 16, or the first play to overtime versus Vanderbilt, or the fourth down catch versus South Carolina, or the fourth and 17 versus Florida. There are numerous plays. He's one of the best players, if not the best player, to ever come to the University of Missouri and for him to make that decision changed the trajectory of my career in our program.” 

“So that's what's going to be remembered about Luther Burden. I'm not worried about today's game. This is a legacy deal. Same thing with with a lot of different players. There were six inches of snow today, you're not always going to be able to figure out how to do some of those things. So, that's not the story, the story is the legacy that he leaves at the University of Missouri by choosing to come here and I'm super proud of him.”

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