Greg McElroy praises Missouri, Eli Drinkwitz for 'rock solid' season
Like many, ESPN analyst Greg McElroy came away extremely impressed with the job Eli Drinkwitz did at Missouri this season. In his fourth year at the helm, Drinkwitz led the Tigers to a 10-2 finish in the regular season, their first year with double digit victories since 2014 and their first winning record since 2018.
Mizzou came in at No. 9 in the penultimate College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday, staying put at the same spot as the previous two weeks. That would be good enough to compete in the Playoff next season when it expands to 12 teams, but for now the Tigers will have to likely settle for a New Year’s Six Bowl.
McElroy made sure to give Missouri its props on the CFP rankings reveal show, highlighting two of their biggest wins this season.
“Really important for Kansas State to stay in the top 25 to prop up Missouri’s resume,” he said. “Tennessee also gets back on track against Vanderbilt this weekend, another feather in Missouri’s cap. So two ranked wins and a rock solid 10-win season for Eli Drinkwitz and the Tigers.”
Missouri announced its arrival on the scene in Week 3 with a 30-27 victory against Kansas State. The Tigers handed the Wildcats a 30-27 loss after kicker Harrison Mevis nailed an SEC record 61-yard field goal as time expired.
Mizzou’s only losses this season came against LSU and Georgia, and both were hard-fought games. The game against the undefeated, two-time defending national champion Bulldogs was even tied heading into halftime before the Tigers lost 30-21. They responded with a dominant 36-7 win the following week against a Tennessee team that then ranked No. 13.
The season also saw several stars emerge for Missouri. Cody Schrader, who was previously a walk-on from a Division II school, finished as the SEC’s leading rusher and second in the country with 1,499 yards and 13 touchdowns. Luther Burden, the Saint Louis native and former five-star recruit, lived up to his hype with 83 catches for 1,197 yards and eight touchdowns. Brady Cook threw for 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns.
It was the best season Missouri has had since Eli Drinkwitz took over in 2020. Now the Tigers are projected to go to the Peach Bowl, according to ESPN. It will be interesting to see whether Mizzou can build on this going forward, but there’s already plenty of reason to celebrate in the present.