'I Didn’t Know How They Would Gel': What Mizzou's Season has Taught Eli Drinkwitz

There were many unknowns about the 2024 Missouri Football team coming out of Fall Camp, but the main discovery is the bond that they have.

Amber Winkler | Oct 23, 2024

Oct 19, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers running back Marcus Carroll (9) celebrates with offensive lineman Mitchell Walters (75) after scoring a touchdown during the second half against the Auburn Tigers at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

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Missouri Tigers

There is a lot that is revealed about a team once the season starts. What is revealed may be negative or positive. For the Missouri Tigers, it has been the latter.

According to head coach Eli Drinkwitz, the team hasn't revealed anything skill related since the start of the season. He already knew the talent of his roster.

“I didn’t know how they would gel,” Drinkwitz said in the press conference ahead of the Alabama game. “I didn’t know how hard they would play with each other and for each other.”

As the season has gone on, the Tigers have been challenged again and again. Each time, they have rose to the challenge and found a was to stick together through it all.

"I didn’t know if they would be able to bounce back from adversity," Drinkwitz said.

Their first real adversity of the season came in their matchup against Boston College. The Tigers were down for the first time of the season, Boston College had scored two touchdowns in the game before Missouri was able to get one. Slowly they fought back, Missouri took an interception and turned it into a touchdown just three plays later after facing a 14-3 deficit to open the game.

The interception inspired the Tigers to score 24 unanswered points in the 27-21 win.

"You can add talent to a roster, into a culture," Drinkwitz said. "But until you get tested, you really don’t know what you got."

It wasn't until the Texas A&M game that Missouri truly got tested and saw adversity that they didn't quite overcome. The Tigers were down by 34 at the worst point of the game and were only to get as close as a 31-point margin to end the game. Morale was at an all time low following the match.

They may have not been able to fight back for a win, but they found ways to put it behind them and prepare for their next game. There was very few good things that came from their game against the Aggies, but what they found out was quite valuable.

"I think that was a real positive for us after A&M and being tested and seeing kind of what we had," Drinkwitz said.

What they have is a group of guys that are committed to the team and the brotherhood that they have at Missouri.

"The brotherhood, that's a real thing," defensive end Eddie Kelly Jr. said following the win over Auburn. "We all sacrifice blood, sweat and tears. From doing the stadiums together in the summer to everything we did, it all goes back to the brotherhood of Coach Drink, how he wants the team to be. I love the brotherhood and I'd do anything for the brotherhood."

There was one thing Drinkwitz said that the team seems to live by this season, especially for their upcoming game against the Alabama Crimson Tide. It has been proven a couple of times for Missouri this season already.

"If you believe in yourself and you believe in each other, than you're never out of the fight."

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