First off, in case you didn’t yet check out Kortay’s press conference recap, be sure to do that. While I did not attend the presser, I did check out the video, and here’s some additional highlights that stuck out to me:
Regarding QB turned safety, Shawn Robinson:
“I’ve been blown away at what he’s been able to do and how quickly he’s been able to do it,” he said. “He’s playing a lot of football for us, a lot of different positions … and he’s still making a lot of plays. … I’m extremely proud of him and what he’s doing to help our football team.”
Regarding the ongoing defensive issues:
“After watching the tape there was a lot of things that needed to be corrected, but honestly, it really started mostly with me in making sure that as the head football coach, I’ve got everybody in sync and everybody in rhythm, that I’m doing a good job of making sure that the whole thing is functioning properly. There’s some mistakes that were made, some missed tackles, but I think the biggest thing was communication and making sure we were all on the same page of what we were supposed to execute on that play. That starts with me. My challenge to our staff is let’s make sure that all 11 guys are acting as one on defense and that we can play fast. We’re four weeks into a new defensive scheme and it’s going to get better. It’s going to get better, we’re going to get better, we’re all learning it, we’re all pushing this thing in the right direction so I’m not going to hit the panic button. Nobody’s going to hit the panic button. We’re going to get our players’ confidence back, we’re going to continue to work to improve our techniques and fundamentals and we’re going to move on to Tennessee.”
But is it just the defense that’s the blame. Not so fast, Drinkwitz says:
“I think the biggest thing on this football team that everybody’s got to understand is it’s not a defensive problem. It’s every phase of that game had multiple plays that could have won the game. We got a penalty on special teams on the last drive that gave them 15 yards. For no reason. After the fact, after the whistle’s blown penalty. That’s a discipline issue that comes back to the head football coach. Offensively, we had two turnovers. We kick a field goal in the red zone because we have a negative play on a first and ten call. Those are things that got to get corrected for everybody. So this is not a defensive problem. Look, everybody can point out issues. It’s how do we find the solutions and for me that’s my job is to find out how do I get this whole organization running in the right way?”
And finally, on Harrison Mevis’ performance, given that last year he didn’t have to kick in front of full opposing stadiums:
“It’s a gut kick for me because I’m so proud of him in that moment. And really the entire field goal unit and the sidelines, we were just like, ‘Yeah, we’re gonna get it down there and we’re gonna go kick this field goal’ and we did it. So it gives you a lot of confidence that he’s gonna do it and he hit the pretty big game-winner against Arkansas last year down so we have a lot of confidence in his leg and who he is. Just disappointed that I wasn’t able to put us in a better situation to finish it off.”
On to the Links!
I was really engrossed in the Mercury game (more on that at the bottom), so my own personal writing up top here was kept to a minimum and was mostly be cut & paste. And since the next game is on Thursday, umm… sorry, not that sorry. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Yesterday at Rock M
- Kortay attended the latest press conference, where Drink talked about what the Tigers need to look out for when playing Tennessee on Saturday.
- Nate looked over the new depth chart… which looks the same as every other week.
- Nate was back with an analysis of the Boston College loss, relating it to Dynasty mode, which all you gamers out there should be familiar with. While I am not, Nate does an admirable job of explaining it all.
- Sam continued the non-con previews, taking a closer look at Eastern Illinois, who’s in reset mode.
- COMING UP: Nate’s previewing the Tennessee game and BK looks at Connor Bazelak’s deep ball passing.
More Links:
Football
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch: In a new Eye on the Tigers podcast, BenFred and Dave chatted about how Mizzou can’t afford a Boston hangover. Dave wrote a couple of pieces: The battered Mizzou defense is braced for Heupel’s Tennessee attack, and Mizzou is working on ways to get Mookie Cooper more involved. Additionally, he took an early look at the Vols matchup.
- In a Tiger Extra piece ($$), the Tribune’s Eric Blum wrote not hitting the panic button.
- The Maneater’s Jaden Lewis said that Mizzou’s inability to stop the run will be a hindrance to their performance all season long if it’s not fixed.
- PowerMizzou provided readers with a transcript and video of Drinkwitz’s press conference on Tuesday afternoon, and MUTigers.com has a video as well.
- Saturday Down South: Stacey Mickles looked at five things Missouri needs to fix… now, while Grant Bricker wrote about Trajan Jeffcoat and how Drink expects his production to increase after a slow start.
- Ben Fred was on KTRS 550 talking Cards and Mizzou defensive adjustments.
ICYMI: @Ben_Fred chats about the #stlcardinals heading into the final week of the regular season, the #Mizzou Tigers needing big defensive adjustments, and hoping the best for baseball labor negotiations in the offseason! https://t.co/O2O5Y7iDEA
— The Big 550 KTRS (@550KTRS) September 28, 2021
- The Missourian’s football beat writers sat down for a video interview with host Gerald Hopkins. Here’s a snippet.
For today's video now on the @CoMoSports page, I asked @emleiker @wilsmoore_ @C_McAndrew95 if Missouri's struggles on defense are putting an extra strain on the offense, here is what they had to say.
— Gerald Hopkins (@GeraldLHopkins1) September 28, 2021
Full episode: https://t.co/FxbI1ziFeG pic.twitter.com/AGiMQFrbJF
- Well… that’s not very nice. There might be some truth to it, sure, but yeah… not cool.
Tennessee RB Tiyon Evans: https://t.co/uFtxHKN99N
— Mitchell Forde (@Mitchell4D) September 28, 2021
Hoops
- Happy First FULL Day of Practice, y’all! Enjoy this video!
Full practice. Day 1. #ToTheFinishLine pic.twitter.com/aG8Ja1BSFD
— Mizzou Hoops (@MizzouHoops) September 28, 2021
- One month away from game action! Women’s Hoops will kick off their season with an exhibition against Lindenwood University on October 28.
We play inside Mizzou Arena from now.
— Mizzou Basketball (@MizzouWBB) September 28, 2021
vs. Lindenwood (Exhibition)
️ Thursday, Oct. 28
️ Mizzou Arena#OurTownOurTeam pic.twitter.com/xttOrBRqlk
Other Mizzou Sports
- Women’s Golf holds a big lead at the Johnie Imes Invitational, per the Missourian’s Nick Swanson. One of Missouri’s teams — they played with spit squads — holds a 16 stroke lead over its nearest competitor, Wichita State, with one day remaining. The third and final rounds will be played starting this morning at 8.
All gas, no breaks for the Tigers on day 2 • Round Recap #MIZ ⛳️ pic.twitter.com/7m7svj6pX6
— Mizzou Women's Golf (@MUWomensGolf) September 29, 2021
- It’s Meet Week for Mizzou Swim & Dive! The Show-Me Showdown will be October 1 at 1pm.
(I chose this because it hadn’t been shared and because the graphics were cooler than the Meet Week one)
That feeling when the season is away #MIZ pic.twitter.com/FzR7LiLdj4
— Mizzou Swim & Dive (@MizzouSwimDive) September 24, 2021
- Love that DRF took time to do this.
.@Mizzou athletics director @DRFrancois1 and a group of student athletes talking to Yeatman Middle 6th graders about college and health care professions! Maybe some future Tigers in the room? pic.twitter.com/ABhDYeXrkj
— SLPS INFO (@SLPS_INFO) September 28, 2021
Mizzou in the Pros
- The WNBA Playoffs are underway, and the semis are here! Game One of the best of five game series against the Las Vegas Aces tipped off… on ESPN 2 on Tuesday evening, since that dumb network decided a preview of a UFC fight instead of show the damn playoffs on the main ESPN network. Anyway! The Aces took Game One, 96-90, In Soph’s 16 minutes off the bench, she scored 5 points on 1-4 shooting (1-3 from three), with 2 blocks and a +4. Game Two is Thursday at 9pm.
Former Rock M writer/current Raiders reporter for The Athletic, Tashan Reed, was on hand to watch the Mizzou legend.
First time at a game where Sophie Cunningham is hoopin since I was at #Mizzou, time flies pic.twitter.com/yyUFPoxyP8
— Tashan Reed (@tashanreed) September 29, 2021
- This is super cool of Sophie to get involved in this.
Recently, our own @sophaller and @efirstbank went above and beyond to exemplify Banking for Good! Together we surprised an incredibly deserving student with $5,000 to help with this school year’s college expenses. pic.twitter.com/RvamKnVSdn
— Phoenix Mercury - X (@PhoenixMercury) September 28, 2021
- The Denver Post’s Mike Singer got a chance to talk to the Nuggets’ new multi-million dollar man, Michael Porter, Jr, on his thoughts about his max extension. Good story.
- Lookin’ good, JC! He’s ready for … summer camp?
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) September 27, 2021
ready to start s̶u̶m̶m̶e̶r̶ training camp pic.twitter.com/FjkTEUY1gu
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) September 28, 2021
- This is from the weekend, but this incident, involving J-O-R-D-A-N-C-L-A-R-K-S-O-N is hilarious. He was a really good sport about it, as was the reporter who later realized her gaffe.
He even SPELLED HIS NAME
— Overtime (@overtime) September 24, 2021
(via @rlikness)pic.twitter.com/gFWvXSXjAq
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