MIZ-ZOOM: Fall Practice #1

Mizzou Football is Back (For Now)

COLUMBIA, MO- On Monday, the University of Missouri’s Head Football Coach, Eli Drinkwitz, along with a handful of players spoke to the press via zoom.

Mizzou Football is back! Coach Eli Drinkwitz seemed very excited to be back out on the field with the team, but reported that there is lots of work to be done for the coming future. “It was a good first day”, Drinkwitz said. “Lot’s of mistakes were made but that’s completely normal for where we’re at. We’re going to get better.” Coach Drinkwitz stressed that he and his staff plan to lay down a long-term foundation here at the University of Missouri.

Coach didn’t fail to mention that some of the guys were, “not in football shape quite yet” but reassured everyone that it would be corrected in due time. Additionally, the production he’s seen at the wide receiver position has been disappointing thus far. “Bottom line is our receivers need to get open and catch the football... they did not do that well today”.

A lot was asked about the quarterback position — specifically who would be taking the snaps week one — which, by the way, we just found out is going to be against the Alabama Crimson Tide (you may have heard of them). Coach Drinkwitz said that he still is unsure of who would get the starting job but was adamant that the starting positions would be revealed as soon as they were earned by the player. “...I don’t make the depth charts”, Drinkwitz explained. “My players determine it. You get what you earn.” Perhaps we’ll see a combination of quarterbacks week one; only time will tell.

Speaking of the players, we caught up with RB Larry Rountree III. Rountree is going to be a true senior this season, which for him means a huge shift in responsibility. Rountree explained that this season is going to be different than anything anyone’s every seen. “This is an all-SEC schedule; there aren’t any Sun-Belt games this year.” Both Rountree and Tyler Badie have been in the Tigers’ backfield now for some time, and Badie thinks this is why the two share such a strong chemistry with one another. “Getting everyone on the same page is what’s most important right now,” Badie said. Both he and Rountree are excited to bring a spark to this year’s (hopefully) high-powered Tiger offense.

It’s going to be a battle this year for a lot of guys to get playing time with an all-conference schedule, however that puts a lot the focus on competition in practice, which Drinkwitz loves. We’ll just have to wait and see how things play out.

M-I-Z...