Tuesday afternoon was press conference day, per usual, and the local media chatted with Drink, Blake Baker, and various members of the defense. Let’s check out some highlights:
Martez Manuel leading Tiger Jacks at Tuesday’s practice:
Rock Bridge (@rbhsbruinbear) alum Martez Manuel (@martezmanuel13) leading Tiger Jacks at #Mizzou football practice today ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/JJyKK0GvyQ
— Nathalie Jones (@NathalieABC17) October 4, 2022
From Parker’s defensive press conference notebook:
On how to contain Florida’s quarterback, Anthony Richardson:
In terms of how to contain him, Darius Robinson provided an analogy. “You can think about it like a well,” Robinson said. “You want to keep him inside of that well and mind your angling. Everybody has to run to the ball and get him to the ground.”
On the athleticism of Ty’Ron Hopper, who will be returning “home” to The Swamp this weekend for the first time since his transfer to Missouri:
“As a playcaller, I’m figuring out what he’s most comfortable with, and our relationship is improving to where he can talk to me about what he wants,” DC Blake Baker said. “A guy that can do as much as he can do, the challenge is finding a way to use all his skills. It makes it fun.”
One final note that Parker thought was important to mention:
Kristian Williams walked in with colorful sunglasses, a neon green sweatshirt, and a huge smile. That’s all you need to know about him. (Photo per Matt Stahl twitter)
Additional notes
From the Trib’s Matt Stahl, who covered Drink’s portion of the press conference earlier in the day.
On the process:
“You’ve got to stick with the process, recreate the process every week,” Drinkwitz said. “I’m proud of not only our players, but our coaches, not getting so attached to the outcomes that they can’t emotionally reinvest themselves each week in the process. I thought last week that’s something we absolutely did, reinvested in the process and gave ourselves an opportunity, but this week doesn’t care what last week did.”
On what he knows about Florida, who is led by a whole new coach after jackass (sorry, not sorry one bit) Dan Mullen got canned:
“They don’t allow a lot of negative yardage plays,” Drinkwitz said of this week’s opponent. “They don’t get behind the chains, they grind out four yards at a time, they take vertical shots, they get into third and three to four where they can boot or let the quarterback run the football, so we have got to control the line of scrimmage at the defensive point of attack.”
On how to be successful against quarterback Anthony Robertson, who’s 6’4” and 232lbs:
“If you don’t hit him in the mid-sternum to the thighs, you’re not going to get him down,” Drinkwitz said. “He’s a very big, physical player and whether that’s a free runner on a sack or in the run game, you’ve really got to run your feet through the tackle. If you leave your feet before the tackle, you’re going to bounce off like a ping-pong ball.”
From the Missourian’s Jack Soble: YIKES. Heal up quick, Dom. Other injuries of note, per Soble, Kris Abrams-Draine is also about 50-50 for Florida and Chad Bailey is doubtful.
Really, really hard to overstate the kind of loss this would be for #Mizzou. Lovett accounts for nearly 45% of the Tigers' passing game.
— Jack Soble (@jacksoble56) October 4, 2022
Drinkwitz described him as a "mismatch" against arguably the best defense in the country. https://t.co/wQDuyXoC8D
Should KAD not be available, Baker told the media Marcus Clarke and Dreyden Norwood could see increased playing time.
From ABC17 News Director Nathalie Jones:
Watch: The #Mizzou football team will travel to Florida this weekend after nearly toppling then-No. 1 Georgia on Saturday. Eli Drinkwitz emphasizes it's a new week: "This week doesn't care what last week did."
— Nathalie Jones (@NathalieABC17) October 4, 2022
Applauds his coaches and players on sticking with the process ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/CNxG9kKcUc
On to the Links!
This is... impressive.
@GeorgiaFootball vs @MizzouFootball is now the 2nd most-streamed game in @SECNetwork history, trailing only the 7OT #LSUvsTAMU thriller in '18
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) October 4, 2022
• 854K unique viewers, most across all of ESPN digital in Wk 5
• 31.2M minutes watched, 2nd-most across all of ESPN digital in Wk 5 pic.twitter.com/YIYQ7OurZv
Yesterday at Rock M
- To wrap up Georgia week for good, Nate (the Great)’s Beyond the Box Score is about... Hope.
- Parker covered the presser for Georgia week: Mizzou Football Defensive Presser Notes
- Josh’s new Revue presents Harrison Mevis as The Predator... never seen/will see it
- COMING UP: Ooooooooh-weeeeeee… I started reading some of our upcoming player previews and SEC previews and I cannot wait. BASKETBALL SEASON IS RAPIDLY APPROACHING. Our content kicks off in about 2 weeks, I think?
But before that, you can read BK’s piece about the defense in the AM; it’s great!
More Links:
Football
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch (i.e. Dave Matter): Mizzou football must ‘recharge emotionally’ after 2 gut-wrenching losses | Mizzou Football returns to St. Louis in 2023, will play Memphis at The Dome | SEC Football Rewind: Are the Ole Miss Rebels a threat in the West?
- Columbia Tribune: Tigers carry some confidence into preparations for Florida (Matt Stahl)
- Columbia Missourian: MU football target Grant Brix is inspired by Seahawks starting center Blythe (Kenny Van Doren) | Listen to the ‘Tiger Kickoff Show’, where KOMU8’s Chase Matteson talked with Kyle Pinnell, Kenny and Jack about Missouri’s near-upset | Drinkwitz urging Tigers to ‘stick to the process (Soble)
- PowerMizzou/Rivals: Everything Eli Drinkwitz said on Tuesday heading into Week 6 vs. Florida (Jarod Hamilton) | Listen to Mizzou, That’s Who Ep. 9 (DeArmond et. al) | Listen to the Tiger Tuesday Recruiting Show w/ Sean Williams & Gabe | Mizzou has found its latest standout linebacker in Ty’Ron Hopper (Hamilton)
- Saturday Down South: Quarterback Brady Cook continuing to make strides (Crissy Froyd)
- The Maneater: Amid defeat, Missouri football’s defense continues to win (Quentin Corpuel)
- Watch the press conference on MUTigers.com’s YouTube, and read the preview!
- OOOOOOOH, statistical fun. This looks like something our stats nerds will love (I say this lovingly, you guys)
MISSOURI @ FLORIDA pic.twitter.com/NjUXMSeflr
— parker (@statsowar) October 4, 2022
- Per @cfbalerts on Instagram, check out the solo tackle leaderboard!
- About that whole, moving the Memphis game to StL next season? It’ll cost them. (per this original tweet)
To clarify, Memphis will be getting paid UP TO $1 million from Missouri per AD Laird Veatch
— Evan Barnes (@evan_b) October 4, 2022
$500,000 guaranteed
$250,000 cancellation fee
Up to $250,000 in lower level tickets that Memphis sells. Tigers will keep that revenue
Hoops
- PowerMizzou is cranking out that hoops content, which I commend them for. They’ve brought a new Hoops writer in, Drew King, and he’s penned (typed?) some words: Four-star forward Dallas Thomas takes first official visit to Mizzou (King) | Player Previews: Captain Kobe Brown & Ronnie DeGray III (King) | Isiaih Mosley is back home and ready to go (Gabe DeArmond)
- Per Sean East II (our 3 Point Mizzou Madness King) on Instagram:
Other Mizzou Sports
- I think this kind of sustained success — 6 consecutive years of being ranked in the top 20 nationally while competing in an elite gymnastics conference — puts Mizzou in the conversation of being considered a “Gymnastics School.” I’ve been begging Sam to add this to the Rock M twitter bio since last season and he just won’t budge.
Frankly, it’s hurtful at this point.
It's all about the climb... #MIZ pic.twitter.com/ZLFoSB8ocK
— Mizzou Gymnastics (@MizzouGym) October 4, 2022
So I ask you, is Mizzou a ‘Gymnastics School’?
Poll
Is Mizzou a GYMNASTICS SCHOOL?
This poll is closed
-
23%
YES. Lifetime contract for Shannon Welker
-
26%
Of course. I already thought it was.
-
19%
Almost.
-
19%
IDK, just show me the poll results. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
-
11%
No. (please state why in comments)
- Don’t forget about your Mizzou sporting events this week (only one home game):
Let’s make sure we sellout the one & only sporting event in Columbia this week as @MizzouSoccer hosts Florida on Sunday at 1 P.M. Good luck on the road to @MizzouTennis, @MizzouFootball, @MizzouMensGolf, @MizzouSwimDive! #MIZ #MizzouMonday
— Dennis Gates (@coachdgates) October 3, 2022
- Baseball’s scheduling snafus have apparently been cleared up, and we now have an SEC schedule... again. More at MUTigers.com
The 2023 SEC Baseball schedule is live again!
— Mizzou Baseball (@MizzouBaseball) October 4, 2022
- https://t.co/FyUnrmIsA1#MIZ | #C2E pic.twitter.com/iPXuKoIBze
- Next up on Mizzou Softball’s Fall Ball schedule? Another date with Kansas City and one against newly-D1 Lindenwood on Saturday.
Fall Ball is almost here.
— Mizzou Softball (@MizzouSoftball) September 26, 2022
https://t.co/PckqICyubF pic.twitter.com/ETZ902pDeH
- Per the Missourian’s Chad Silvey, MU’s soccer team (4-5-2, 1-2-1), who has three points through four SEC matches, but is entering a stretch of crucial SEC East matchups, against whom they have no points. Per Silvey, if the season ended today, Missouri would be the 10th seed in the 10-team conference tournament. The Tigers missed last year’s tournament with a 3-7 conference record.
- The Golden Girls are reminiscing about Chiefs opening night:
Mizzou in the Pros/Hodgepodge
- Rest in peace to former Tiger, Bill Whitaker.
Godspeed Bill Whitaker, one of my Mizzou teammates and a member of our outstanding and arguably Mizzou football’s best freshman class ever, in 1977. (but I am only slightly biased). Bill played 4 seasons in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers and St. Louis Cardinals…1/2 pic.twitter.com/zTgcgXCAmz
— Howard Richards (@how_rich) October 4, 2022
- Y’all, the NBA preseason is here and we’ve got THREE Mizzou players to keep an eye on this season: Jordan Clarkson (Jazz), MPJ (Nuggets), and Druuuuuuuuuuuuuu Smith (Heat).
Jordan Clarkson
10/2 vs Raptors (L 114-82): 18 min | 7pts on 3-10 shooting (1-6 from 3) | 3 REB | 5 AST | 2 TO | 3 PF | -11
10/4 vs Blazers (W 118-101): 23 min (starter) | 19 pts TEAM HIGH on 5-8-shooting (3-5 from 3) | 2 REB | 1 AST | 1 STL | 1 TO | 1 PF | -2
UP NEXT: 10/6 at 6:30pm vs Nets (ESPN), 10/11 at 8pm vs Spurs
Michael Porter, Jr
10/3 vs OKC (L 112-101): 14 min | 12pts on 5-7 shooting (2-4 from 3) | 1 REB | 1 AST | 1 TO | 2 PF | -2
UP NEXT: 10/7 at 7pm vs Bulls, 10/10 at 8pm vs Suns
Dru Smith
10/4 vs T-Wolves (L 121-111): 13 min | 6 pts on 2-5 shooting (2-2 from 3) | 3 REB | 1 AST | 1 TO | 1 PF | +/-0
UP NEXT: 10/6 at 6:30pm vs Nets (ESPN), 10/7 at 7pm vs Grizzlies (NBAtv), 10/10 at 6:30pm vs Rockets
- Druuuuu news— So proud of our guy!!!!! Let’s hope he gets to stick around- he’s on an Exhibit 10** contract right now (Read more from Spo here at Heat.com)
[**Per google, an Exhibit 10 contract is a single-season, minimum-salary NBA deal that allows the franchise to convert the contract to a two-way deal s long as that change is made prior to the beginning of the regular season]
High praise from Coach Spo for #FORCEAlum Dru Smith
— Sioux Falls Skyforce (@SFSkyforce) October 4, 2022
via @CoupNBA / @MiamiHEAT pic.twitter.com/VmWGyxlv2d
Dru Smith was heralded as the most improved player in camp this year & I asked him about it!@MiamiHEAT @5ReasonsSports @BahaMarResorts pic.twitter.com/z1LXAw8SD6
— TIMMAY ™ (@Timmaaay_) October 1, 2022
- JC news: Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith reportedly has ‘no intentions’ of trading Jordan Clarkson (Eric Walden, Salt Lake Tribune) | Lakers News: Jordan Clarkson Talks Young Lakers & remembers his early NBA days (Alex Kirschenbaum, SI.com Laker FanNation)
- MPJ news: Jamal Murray, MPJ flash in return from injury (Mike Singer, The Denver Post) | Takeaways from Nuggets vs. Thunder (Asher Levy, Denver Stiffs) | The Winners of Denver Nuggets Training Camp (Ryan Blackburn, Mile High Sports):
From Blackburn’s piece at Mile High Sports:
Porter basically made every shot he attempted during camp, but he’s still relatively far away from being the impactful defender he needs to be to stay on the floor in important situations. The health appears to be in a better place, perhaps even better than Murray. Unfortunately, Porter still has a ways to go to integrate himself into what the Nuggets want for him.
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