Missouri head coach Eliah Drinkwitz "excited" to face Wake Forest in Gasparilla Bowl
Following yesterday’s announcement of Wake Forest traveling to Tampa to take on Missouri in the Gasparilla Bowl, Tigers’ head coach Eliah Drinkwitz spoke to the media Monday. Despite the team’s annual goal of participating in the SEC Championship and going to the College Football Playoff, Drinkwitz is excited for the opportunity to play Wake Forest in Florida.
“When you think about a bowl game, I think first about the location,” Drinkwitz said. “I think it was 81 degrees yesterday in Tampa. That’s pretty exciting. The second thing you think about is your matchup, playing an ACC opponent. I have a ton of respect for Dave Clawson and Wake Forest and the job that he's done there.”
Those factors, which benefit both Missouri and Wake Forest, combine with a perfectly timed game in Drinkwitz’s opinion. After each team played during Thanksgiving weekend, the Gasparilla presents an opportunity for players to travel home for much needed time with family after.
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“It puts a strain on our players to miss the holidays with their families,” Drinkwitz said. “It's an awesome opportunity for our guys to play in the bowl game before Christmas, and be able to get home and spend the holidays with their family.”
One less than desired part of bowl season is the rumors, which hit Drinkwitz and the Missouri program over the weekend. Per reports from several sources, the Tigers declined an opportunity to play Kansas in a bowl.
“I realize the bowl selection process is different from conference to conference,” Drinkwitz said. “We submit preferences to the conference, based on a lot of different factors. What's best for our university, what's best for our fan base, what's best for our student athletes, and we don't really factor anybody else in that. If I got to pick, I’d pick the national championship.”
In terms of Missouri’s opponent, this will be the first time the Tigers play Wake Forest. The same can not be said for Drinkwitz. As an assistant in North Carolina for four years — three at NC State and one with Appalachian State — Drinkwitz faced the Demon Deacons three times, going 2-1.
“I've been tasked with going against Dave and [offensive coordinator] Warren Ruggiero several times when I was at NC State,” Drinkwitz said. “I've seen this offense up close and personal. They do a tremendous job of using the RPO, playing to their players' strengths. Sam [Hartman] is a tremendous quarterback. It'll be a great challenge.”
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Something that will aid each teams’ preparation is film from a common opponent. Missouri and Wake Forest both played Vanderbilt earlier this season — The Deacs defeated the Commodores 45-25, while the Tigers fought for a three-point win.
Without watching the film, Drinkwitz already knows some of the qualities he’ll see from the Deacs.
“Dave’s football teams are always well coached,” he said. “They don't beat themselves, they don't turn the football over. They're very much attacking on the defensive side of the ball, but do not give up big plays. They keep everything in front of [them]. You got to really work to sustain drives.”
But, several wrinkles present themselves leading into the game on Dec. 23. For both teams, the ever-growing transfer portal will shorten the roster significantly during the postseason.
With the announcement of running back Christian Turner entering the portal early Monday morning, Wake Forest now has eight players set to leave Winston-Salem, three of whom saw significant playing time during the regular season. Seven players, not including walk-ons, plan to depart from Missouri at the time of Drinkwitz’s press conference. Injuries will certainly play a role as well.
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In time, more will become clear for both teams in terms of injuries and the portal. For now, it’s bowl season, and that’s something to be excited about.
“Man, I don't know about y'all, but to be able to go to the city of Tampa for a bowl game, that's a pretty good deal,” Drinkwitz said. “That's a pretty good deal.”
Kickoff is set for 6:30 ET, Dec. 23 on ESPN.
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Essex is the lead football writer and a managing editor for Deacons Daily. Essex served as the Sports Editor for the Old Gold & Black for two years, in addition to roles as a beat and feature writer.