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Everything Mizzou coach Eliah Drinkwitz said ahead of Auburn

Kyle McAreavyby: Kyle McAreavy10/14/25Kyle_mcareavy

Missouri Tiger coach Eliah Drinkwitz met with local media Tuesday ahead of the Tigers’ first road trip of the year. The Tigers will play at Auburn on Saturday.

Here is a full video and a transcript of everything Drinkwitz said.

Opening statement

Drinkwitz: “Yeah, good afternoon. Everybody’s excited to get back to work, face a challenge of going on the road in the SEC versus a very good, steady, very good team at night. Really awesome venue. So, we got to be focused and ready to go. I know our staff and players had great energy so far in the building.

“Yesterday was Mindset Monday. So, excited about what we’re doing and getting ready. To recap last week, really proud of the physicality that our team played with and the effort. Our guys fought really hard and had the ball with the chance to win at the end of the game, but we got to find that winning play, and that’s really on me as the head football coach, to find that winning play for us in this program. And we got to keep working on it.

“You know, there was a couple of questions in the post game press conference that I didn’t have great answers to, and I said I’d get back to you. So I want to follow up on those questions. No. 1, somebody asked why we didn’t run the ball. I think when you watch the overall totality of the game, it comes down to our inability to stay on the field. You know, we have 10 third downs in that game. We were one-for-10. It’s hard to establish any type of rhythm or consistency on offense. We had three, three-and-outs and a four-play drive in there.

“The third downs were not extremely long. It wasn’t like we were behind the chains. We just didn’t convert the way we needed to, which also swayed the time of possession and allowed them to have the ball too much.

“The second question was, why we didn’t execute on third downs, why it was lacking. You know, and that really is, after watching the tape, it’s all of us. It’s me organizing and making sure that we’re practicing it the right way, making sure we’re getting the right looks, making sure we have the right plan. It’s the plan we place, put in place, it’s the calls, it’s the design of the scheme, it’s the protection, it’s the routes, it’s the decision making, all that has to improve, and that’s something that we’ll work on this week.

“So hopefully that answers those questions and we’re pressing afterwards. But for us, our mindset is improvement and moving on to our next target.

“You know, Auburn is a really good football team. They’ve lost three really difficult games, two of them on the road, one at home, under some unusual circumstances. But they have a lot of fight. They’re always in those games. They’re a very good defensive football team, which allows them to always have an opportunity to be in the game. I think all three phases are well coached, well designed and well schemed.

“You know, offensively, obviously, Coach Hugh Freeze has done an outstanding job with that offense. It hasn’t clicked the way they all want it, but you can tell each week it’s a little bit closer. It’s a little bit closer. You know, their offensive linemen have five NFL caliber players on the offensive line. Two of them are returning starters from last year. You know, they went out and got two really good players out of the portal at their tackle positions, some of the highest-ranked portal additions in the country.

“You know, again, going into the season, they were talking about those five guys being NFL prospects and being some of the best offensive linemen, and it shows up on tape. That’s why they’re able to run the ball. They run the ball very well versus Auburn, and versus Baylor.

“And then obviously, last game, wide receivers and tight ends, obviously an elite player with Cam Coleman, just elite ball skills. Really good player, can get open, fast, big catch radius. Obviously, Eric Singleton Jr. was one of the most dynamic players in the portal that they got, does a really good job with their slot position. They utilize them in a lot of different ways.

Malcolm Simmons, the punt returner. Also plays that position, the running back, Jeremiah Cobb’s a really good player. They utilize their quarterback as a plus-one in the run game, he does a really good job on that. And then they’re tight end, Brandon Frazier, very physical player with great length that they can move around and utilize.

“So offensively, all the skill weapons, an O-line that’s really talented, so that we’ve got our challenges there.

“Defensively, again, very, very good defensively. DJ Durkin does an excellent job. Very multiple, very aggressive plays. I don’t even know what he plays. That plays a lot of defenses. I mean, four-down, three-down, odd, bear, three-safety, man, four-man two, invert. Blitz is pressured.

“They got two NFL defensive ends that line up all over the field, with (Keyron) Crawford and with Keldric Faulk. There are two interiors. They rotate a ton of guys. They play a lot of different players. Linebackers fit downhill. Corners are as good as anywhere in the country. Lot of safeties.

“So, really good football team just hasn’t caught a few breaks for whatever reason. Just hasn’t gone their way. So, I’m sure that they’re very anxious and ready to get after us. We got our hands full, and that’s where our focus is. So with that I’ll open up for questions.

Question: Just going on the road, talked a few times with not being happy with how that first road game went last year. Is there anything you’re doing different, maybe logistically going into the first road game this year?

Drinkwitz: “Yeah, this isn’t the first road game. We took our road game in August. So we’re prepared for it. We went on the road in August. We know what to expect. So, yeah, we’re not gonna have that as an excuse.”

Question: Are you comfortable with the amount of downfield throws you guys have attempted through six weeks? And is that something that has been open or are teams trying to take that away?

Drinkwitz: “You know, I think that’s something that you’re always looking at. Are we taking enough shots? Do we push the ball vertically enough down the field? Have we been efficient at it? You know, in the game, we obviously Donovan (Olugbode) caught too big vertical throws. Had a few missed opportunities there. So something to look at. But again, it comes down to one-for-10 on third down.

“You can’t design verticals if you can’t convert third down. So, it really comes down to those execution numbers as much as anything.”

Question: Through the first six weeks, how would you asses Beau (Pribula’s) ability to go through his progressions and read what’s in front of him?

Drinkwitz: “Yeah, I think Beau (Pribula) has done some really, really good things, and I think there’s things that Beau is continuing to grow and develop. I think, again, playing quarterback in this league and playing quarterback in general is a growth process. And every rep is an opportunity to improve, and that’s what he’s doing. He’s played well enough for us to win five games, and we had the ball last drive of the game with an opportunity. There’s always going to be growing pains with a first-year starting quarterback.

“And so, the expectation for Beau to be perfect is unrealistic. And regardless of what anybody else’s expectations are, I’m very proud of the way he’s played, very proud of the composure that he’s shown. I’m very proud of the toughness that he’s displayed, and I think he’s only getting better and better.

“And I think about, (I) shared with him last week or not last week, yesterday. You know, there was a lot of questions about Brady Cook’s ability to late lead late game drives. I think he put all of those to bed his final two seasons as a starting quarterback. So you kind of got to allow guys to grow into it and not expect that the first time anybody shows up to anything, they’re going to be perfect.”

Drinkwitz: “Last drive, obviously a really good play and decision on the fourth-and-seven. Gave Donovan a chance, made a play, got us to first down. Inefficiency on first, second down, forces us into a third down. I think we had a pre-snap read that we thought the seam was going to be open. The seam got knocked off target. That was our first read. We didn’t really react to the post-snap disruption of the read. And put a throw in there a little bit high.

“Can clearly see what he was thinking pre snap. And anybody in the world can coach it after the snap or after the fact, but that doesn’t do anybody any good. So, learn from it.”

Drinkwitz: “Yeah, like I said in the opening press conference, we got to find the winning play. We just didn’t have the winning play. We had opportunities. Now, I think there were a couple of critical moments in the game that we didn’t have the composure that we needed to make the winning play. Whether we’re talking about penalties, whether we’re talking about allowing them to be four-for-six on third downs, four-point plays in the red zone. We had one before half that didn’t convert.

“They had one in the second quarter on a third-and-12 they converted. You know, we had two fourth downs on the last drive of the game. Defensively, we weren’t able to get off the field. We had two turnovers in the fourth quarter. You know, those are things that aren’t going to win you a game. And yet, with all that, we had the ball with a chance to win the game.

“And my challenge to the team and everybody is refuse self-pity, and I would encourage everybody else to refuse blame. All right, it doesn’t do any good to be seedy at all. If I can get it done, we move on.”

Question: How much can you measure and gain from your team response?

Drinkwitz: “Yeah, either win or grow. Either win or grow. And that’s been our mindset, win or grow. That’s it. Win or grow. A warrior knows there’s always more battles to fight. And if we sit here and worry about this stuff, like all these questions, ask me about Auburn. We can’t do anything about last game. All right, we’re focused on all, we’re focused on Auburn.

“And all these questions are just assigned blame to somebody so we can feel better about, ‘Oh, we identified why we lost.’ We lost because I didn’t get it done as the head coach. I couldn’t find that winning moment for our team. That’s my responsibility. My job is to make sure our focus and everything else is on the next opponent, which starts with toughness Tuesday, today and inside drill.”

Question: You’ve mentioned Donovan’s catches late in the game a couple of times. How do you see his role continuing to develop and grow throughout the rest of the season?

Drinkwitz: “Yeah, keep taking advantage of the opportunity that he has. We have really good wide receivers. Again, the rep distribution in that game, I mean, there was one point we had 36 offensive plays. That’s our fault, because we didn’t convert third downs. So, we want to get more plays. We want to get more touches. We want to do all that well. Convert third downs.”

Question: You’ve said a few times, ‘Learn the lesson, leave the event.’ Just curious, where did you get that from and why did you think it was important to implement here?

Drinkwitz: “I think it was the Cleveland Guardians’ manager. I don’t know if it was two seasons ago or something. He talked, he referred to it after a game that they had. And I thought it was incredibly important as a competitor to understand that. I think too many times we let the weights of outside influences, especially now more than ever, with social media, it gets you in just this revolving door of seeing the same things, and you got to move on.

“There’s nothing you can do about the past. You can only learn from it. So learn the lesson. Leave the event. And keep moving forward. You know, again, can’t wallow in self-pity. No one’s coming to save us. Nobody feels sorry for us. Auburn sure don’t give a damn about us losing the game. They would prefer that we sat here and answer questions about it. They want to know, you know, keeps us from being distracted or not focused on them.”

Question: Going forward with the offense, you talk about getting that more in rhythm. What goes into that for both play calling and execution?

Drinkwitz: “Yeah, practice. We got to practice it better. We got to make sure that the schemes that we’re designing that our quarterback is comfortable with, and our players understand the details of it. You know, we obviously had a miscommunication between the wide receiver and the quarterback on the first interception. That can’t happen.

“And if that wasn’t clearly coached throughout the week, then that’s on me as the head football coach. So, making sure that the scheme is clearly communicated, taught and practiced and we understand all the different variables. You know, football is an interesting game because you got 22 people on the field with free will. And so, all the designs, best laid plans and mice and men. As soon as that ball snaps, you got 22 people that can do whatever they actually want to do. And if they don’t all work in sync, I mean, it’s a complete clown show.

“And you got one guy that does something different, you know, there’s a lot of adjustment, and that one variable isn’t just between the quarterback and the wide receiver. That variable can be between, hey the nickel does something different than you thought or the defensive tackle drops. I mean, it’s a, it’s a hell of a tough game.

“But it’s real easy to do it after the fact. It’s really easy to be an armchair quarterback. You know, we don’t, unfortunately, we don’t get redoes or do overs. You just got to keep practicing.”

Question: Is there anything different you’re seeing from Jackson Arnold this year in a different uniform? And following up, is there anything different planning wise for him in that uniform?

Drinkwitz: “Yeah, man, I’ll say this. I mean, what Jackson Arnold’s gone through it’s been very impressive to watch him play and perform. He’s doing a great job taking care of the football. He’s got the second longest streak in the SEC for, you know, about attempts without throwing an interception, he’s an incredibly tough runner. Does a great job escaping the pocket, pushing vertical.

“It’s a different scheme than what they were utilizing last year. I think there’s a lot more comfort in watching him play. He understands, I think they know what their offensive identity is. You know, again, they were on the road for two games, I think that was a little bit tough, but those first three or four, I mean, he was, he was really good.

“I thought really, really good in the first half versus Auburn, you know, they got the tough break on the goal line. Kind of changed momentum. But no, I think he’s a really good player, yet the way you defend, it’s a lot different, just because the scheme design is totally different. You know, last year, there were some holes in what they were doing schematically that we were able to kind of take advantage of. Those holes aren’t the same.”

Question: We’re learning recently that Auburn is now going to be without one of their senior captains at running back for the rest of the season. How do you approach that in terms of you posting one of the best rushing defenses in the league right now?

Drinkwitz: “Yeah, I got problems of my own. And I’m not worried about anything going on with their team. I’m worried about the issues I got, which are, you know, third downs and vertical throws and all the other stuff y’all pointed out to me today that I had no idea I had to go back and worry about.”

Question: Nine fumbles this year, that’s a lot. You’ve only lost one, but maybe, what’s the message in terms of ball security?

Drinkwitz: “Yeah, unacceptable. Again, it goes back to we were one play away. But when you watch the game, man, like we didn’t play our best, and that’s on me. We had balls out on the ground all over the place.
“So, we got to clean it up. We focus on it, but it’s got to translate. It’s got to translate. You can be as good as you want to be yards after contact and making the first guy miss, but if the ball comes out, you ain’t touching it no more. On the road. You can’t, can’t turn the ball over.”

Question: Keagen Trost was someone who established himself early in the spring at tackle. Now through six games, how would you evaluate his performance?

Drinkwitz: “Yeah, so far so good. So far so good.”

Question: You talk weekly about blocking out distractions, both for you and your team. With coaching moves happening earlier and earlier, how do you compartmentalize all the rumors and all the talk and the fact that your name will pop up various places?

Drinkwitz: “Yeah, you know, I kind of referenced it this. I got problems of my own, and I think the No. 1 issue right now amongst college football is the noise that’s associated with people’s programs at all points of the season. Whether good, bad or indifferent. There’s no such thing as journalistic integrity on social media. There’s just wild, outlandish reporting and anybody’s name, I’ll bet every sitting head coach has been listed as a candidate for some job so far. And it, you know, as a team, as a coach, we got to ignore the noise and focus on the things that we can control, which is winning and losing football games.

“You know, last week, it was really unfortunate that (offensive coordinator) Kirby (Moore’s) name got associated to something that was a complete lie. He’d never interviewed, didn’t talk to anybody at Arkansas. It’s a bunch of bull crap put out there to try to create distractions in a narrative that then comes over after the fact, after the game, and it’s really disappointing.

“All right, this stuff happens because, again, Twitter ain’t real, and it’s just a bunch of bull crap thrown on message boards. So how do I block it out? I ignore it, and I get mad about it when people ask me about it.

“As far as my name associated with everything that’s awesome for the University of Missouri means we’re doing something really good. Means that our administration is committed to excellence. It means all the investment that the people here have been made has resulted in our success. And, you know, yeah, that’s what I’d say.

“So, it’s a tip of the hat to the University of Missouri. Has nothing to do with me, has everything to do with the players and the support staff. And (sports info director) Josh trying to cut off the questions … So he’s telling me, quit rambling.

“But, but I would just say that, yeah, it’s a tip of the hat to the University of Missouri. But I would encourage all the fans and everybody else, it’s October 14, is that what today is, only thing that matters for us is 1-0 this week, and anything outside of that is a distraction that you shouldn’t even worry about. Don’t, don’t even let it cross your mind because, man, I have no idea. Lose three games a row. You may get fired, so I wouldn’t worry about MIZ.”


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