Guzman: Drew Pyne, Playing Himself, Thrived Behind '12 Strong' Mizzou

The Missouri Tigers relied on some second-half magic from Drew Pyne to overcome the visiting Oklahoma Sooners. On paper, he's the backup quarterback, but Saturday evening, he was the captain.

Nov 9, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Drew Pyne (6) throws a pass against Oklahoma Sooners defensive lineman Ethan Downs (40) during the second half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

COLUMBIA, Mo. — The night before Faurot Field was set to be packed for the first time in nearly a month, Eli Drinkwitz sat his team down for a screening of Nicolai Fuglsig's "12 Strong."

The movie, released in 2018, centers around Captain Mitch Nelson as he leads a United States Special Forces team into Afghanistan on a revenge mission following the Sept. 11 attacks. Twenty-three days and plenty of adversity later — spoiler alert — all 12 survived and returned home.

Perhaps it was a strong choice by Drinkwitz to pick a movie with a good ending the night before a renewed rivalry with the Oklahoma Sooners. Or perhaps he had a bigger point to prove.

The No. 24 Missouri Tigers weren't headed to war, but the coach wanted to emphasize that they certainly had a captain to follow, even with Brady Cook sidelined with both a wrist and ankle injury.

So, around the room he went.

"You've got Drew's back" he said to the offensive line.

"You've got Drew's back" he repeated to the wide receivers.

Drinkwitz repeated the phrase until he'd made it to each position group. When all said and done, he'd said it 12 times, for "12 Strong."

"The whole room went nuts," said Drew Pyne, who was set to fill in for Cook. "After that, (it was like) I was going out there with an army."

With Faurot Field blacked-out, he just about did. Pyne played the role of Captain Nelson, and the Tigers were his army.

Like the movie, they all survived.

Nov 9, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; The Missouri Tigers take the field prior to a game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

After a six-point deficit made up only of field goals, the Tigers went to halftime completely stagnant on paper, yet full of confidence. The game plan was to establish the run game enough in the first two quarters to let the passing game breathe in the latter two.

That's where Pyne came in. And he executed perfectly.

"He stepped up," Tigers defensive end Zion Young said. "Drew did his thing. Man, Drew did his thing."

On the night, the Tigers' quarterback was 14-for-27 for 143 yards, three touchdowns and zero turnovers. One of the passing scores went to Brett Norfleet, two went to Theo Wease Jr. and all three came in the second half.

"I just can't say how proud I am of Drew Pyne," Drinkwitz said following the game. "He had a great two weeks of practice. We had a game plan that fit exactly who he was, (and) he was excellent. Stepping up in the pocket, making big-time throws."

Despite the dark attire, Memorial Stadium lit up brighter with every score — it was "sick," as Pyne put it. In the first half, the loudest it got was when the quarterback completed a rare seven-yard pass.

The second half? That was a different story.

Between the reinvigorated offense, the four recovered fumbles and a scoop-and-score from Zion Young that ultimately sealed the game, the Tigers pulled off a victory, and Pyne got his signature moment in a Missouri jersey.

"To come back and help win this game is something I'll be proud of for the rest of my life," he said. "I was doing it for this team, doing it for Brady, for Coach Drink and for every fan of Missouri's."

The latter was generous, given the treatment Pyne had received after struggling on the road against the Alabama Crimson Tide. The former was a given, especially after Friday's movie screening.

But the second option meant the most to the quarterback of the options.

Cook, after all, is his "best friend."

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After Drinkwitz's inspiring declamation — the Tigers' "12 Strong" — Cook and Pyne headed to their room for the night.

When the morning came, they sat next to each other on the bus. During warm ups, they were near each other running drills, and on the sideline, Cook was in Pyne's ear as much as he could be.

"He comes up and tells me exactly what he thinks will help," Pyne explained.

No. 6 might have been the one taking snaps under center when the lights came on, but he'd have been remiss to glance over the impact that No. 12 had, not only on him, but on Missouri's faithful.

"It's amazing what he's done for this program," Pyne said of Cook. "We're both kind of the same age. We've been through a lot of the same stuff ... I'm so thankful to be in a room with him."

Before the contest, that was the sentiment. Pyne knew how much Cook was looking forward to playing against Oklahoma — it was his phone background for a while, as he explained — but also knew that winning wasn't going to be in Cook's hands, rather his.

But there was something else at play. Facing the Sooners, Missouri didn't need Pyne to be like Brady Cook, despite the field-level fans calling for him to be throughout the game.

It needed Pyne to be himself.

"Whatever it takes to win the game," Pyne said. "I really don't care about anything other than winning. I just went out there and I was me. I did everything I could."

Nov 9, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Drew Pyne (6) drops back to pass during the first half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Drinkwitz concurred.

"It's going to be really important for Drew to be himself," he began, "and play to his strengths and us as a team to build an offense around his strengths."

There was no difference in fight from Missouri Saturday evening. There was no difference in the way the ball spun leaving Pyne's hands. And as far as game plan went, there was no difference between the first and second halves.

It simply came down to the Tigers' ability to lean on one another.

"That's the thing I love about this team," Drinkwitz said. "We're ready. We're really, really ready. It's the brotherhood of this team that is so special."

Leaving the field after a seven-point victory, Missouri relished in one of the biggest wins of its season. Cook was the first to congratulate Pyne and the job he'd done leading the Tigers past the Sooners, and Wease made sure to catch up with some old friends on Oklahoma's roster.

The dwindling fans might have seen a football team leaving the field, but when the team looked at itself, it saw an army. One which Pyne captained.

The Tigers had, once again, emerged victorious. They was battered and bruised, yes, but not defeated.

And they stood "12 Strong."

"I'd be willing to die out there," Pyne said. "I don't care. I love these guys on this team. They've given me such a great opportunity to lead ... I'm thankful of it, and I tried to do whatever I could to win."