The MizzouToday Show: TaxSlayer Gator Bowl preview
On the latest episode of The MizzouToday Show, Kyle McAreavy and Kenny Van Doren dive into Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz’s comments on minimal opt-outs and Virginia’s offense ahead of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl later this month. The guys pivot to men’s basketball to address shooting struggles against Notre Dame and Kansas and how the Tigers need to improve against Alabama State and Bethune-Cookman before Braggin’ Rights and SEC play.
The bowl
“My initial takeaway, this rocks,” Van Doren said. “I think this is a fun bowl matchup. Two teams that have played each other once. … I think this is a cool matchup to have.”
“I think this is a really fun matchup. This is kind of what bowl season is supposed to be about,” McAreavy said. “… This is all just supposed to be fun and a culmination of and reward for good seasons.”
Opt outs
“Drinkwitz has done a pretty good job, especially these last few years, of kind of convincing guys not to opt out of the bowl game. Convincing them of the importance of the bowl game. Even if it’s Music City or the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl,” McAreavy said. “And Virginia is a slightly different situation. Because it’s group of seniors who have been there the whole time have never experienced a bowl. They’ve never experienced a winning season. Now they get to experience an ACC Championship game, which did not go the way they wanted it to, but also a bowl game for the first time. And that’s what this is supposed to be about.”
“Neither of these teams are really expecting any,” McAreavy said of opt outs. “I think Mizzou might end up with a few just from NFL Draft decisions. But generally I think these teams are going to be at relatively full strength. Which is not something you can say about everybody come bowl season.”