MIZ-ZOOM

COLUMBIA, Mo- On Tuesday, the University of Missouri’s Head Football Coach, Eli Drinkwitz, addressed the press via zoom call.

The last two or three weeks have gone by in a blur but even still, there are two more weeks until the Crimson Tide come to town. Speaking of which, let’s briefly talk about our week one matchup. There is certainly no chance Mizzou heads into that game favored to beat Alabama. That’s just not going to happen. This is a Mizzou team comprised of new and old faces, with a shiny new coaching staff. There’s certainly a buzz of excitement around this year’s team, but even with all the potential talent in the locker room, success has to be proven on the field, on game day. Frankly, if I were a first year head coach in the SEC and I had to play a top tier school such as Alabama, I would feed off all the doubt and turn it into a source of positive energy to go out there and prove the college football world wrong. I can’t stress enough how important week one is. Win or lose, Mizzou fans just want to see the Tigers put up a fight. Hell, if Mizzou loses by 10 points I think most would take that as a small victory. You win that game, you offer Drinkwitz a 5-year extension on the spot. But none of that happens if this pandemic keeps interfering.

The newest Covid update has positive tests up to 4, with a total of 14 players on the roster who are not permitted at practice due to contact tracing. Drinkwitz had very little to say regarding the small outbreak other than the fact that it was anticipated. He’s under the impression that the guys on his team, most of whom live together, are taking the right steps to stay safe. Besides Covid, the only other thing keeping players on the sideline are the injuries. For the time being, the O-line seems to be falling apart. Coach Drinkwitz described that part of the team being, “...solid on the right side.” Hyrin White suffered an undisclosed injury this week and will miss this Saturday’s scrimmage. Drinkwitz was unclear on when White will be able to make his return. Rutgers transfer, Mike Maietti, briefly discussed the O-line during today’s zoom call. “No matter who’s there, we gotta go to work,” Maietti explained. Maietti said the best way to build chemistry comes from repetition. “When the ball goes forward, we’re doing our job right.”

Lastly from today’s zoom call was the highly energized Tyler Badie. Badie blessed everyone on today’s zoom chat and then with a smile on his face said that he was “...the most versatile running back in the SEC this year.” Badie made it clear that despite his confidence, he’s a team player and is willing to do whatever it takes to find success this year. Before he left, Badie looked into the camera and said, “...we have something special and were excited for ya’ll to see it.” Tiger Nation will be eagerly waiting on the edge of their seats for the next two weeks. Until then, MIZ.