11/21/2023 football Edit

Missouri Football Notebook: Injury updates, importance of December

Jarod Hamilton • PowerMizzou

Staff Writer

No. 9 Missouri (9-2, 5-2) will look to clinch its first 10-win season since 2014 when it goes on the road to face Arkansas (4-7, 1-6) on Black Friday.

That won't be the only thing on the line, of course. The Battle Line Trophy, which currently resides in Columbia, will be on the line as well as the rivalry enters its 10th year, and a chance to secure a New Year’s Six bowl berth for Missouri will be there too.

Even though both teams are headed in different directions, Mizzou head coach Eli Drinkwitz and his players are not overlooking this game and added that this is 100% a rivalry to him despite the objections of some on the internet.

"Well, I mean, just based off reading my Twitter mentions, I'd say it's pretty strong (in terms of intensity of the rivalry)," Drinkwitz said. "It means a lot to us. I think anytime you play for a trophy as a competitor, it means something to you.

"Last year, we had Barrett Banister from Fayetteville, and it meant a lot to him, and he would echo that to our players this year. We got Dreyden Norwood and Jordon Harris from the state of Arkansas, and I know it's going to mean a lot to those guys to go back into that stadium. We enjoy that people don't think it's a rivalry because we believe it is a rivalry."

Despite the holiday and short week, Drinkwitz has no doubt about his team getting up for this game, mentally at least. Phsycially, is another question with Drinkwitz naming a number of key players whose status for this week's game being in doubt.

Linebackers Chuck Hicks and Ty'Ron Hopper, left tackle Javon Foster and cornerback Ennis Rakestraw are all questionable.

"All those guys suffered injuries in the game," Drinkwitz said. "In a short week, going into Week 13, it'll be interesting. We're going to have our challenges to get those guys back."

Drinkwitz misspoke a little bit there. Hopper didn't play last week after he suffered a sprained ankle versus Tennessee, but he is someone the team wants back desperately.

Hicks and Triston Newson started at linebacker last week and struggled, especially Hicks. Combine their struggles with Hopper and Chad Bailey being for the season, and the linebacker position is in dire need of a boost.

Also on the injury report are quarterback Brady Cook, running back Cody Schrader, wide receiver Luther Burden III and defensive tackle Realus George, who are all probable.

They all played last week, and the former three had big games.

Cook completed 20-of-34 passes for 331 yards and two total touchdowns en route to Co-SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Schrader had 23 carries for 148 yards and a touchdown, becoming the first Tigers running back in 12 seasons to record four straight 100-yard rushing games.

Burden recorded his second 150-yard receiving game of the season with nine receptions for 158 yards.

So, they’re all banged up but should be ready to go.

No days off in this league

When Missouri plays Arkansas at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Friday the mindset will be what it has been all season. Win this week. Go 1-0 this week. Everything after will take care of itself later.

It would be easy for Missouri to have started thinking it punched its ticket to a New Year's Six bowl game after last week's College Football Poll ranking had the Tigers at No. 9.

All that was In front of them from that point on was a struggling Florida team and an Arkansas team that was rumored to be dismissing its head coach, Sam Pittman.

But they didn’t make no assumptions last week, and fortunately for them that was enough to eke out a win.

They won’t do it here, either, despite what’s the chatter about the program.

Well, Drinkwitz made sure to say he supports the decision Arkansas made to bring Pittman back and talked about how much he has poured into the Razorbacks since his arrival.

"I think that was a smart decision. I think Sam Pittman is a heck of a football coach. I think he's done an outstanding job at the University of Arkansas," Drinkwitz said. "When we first came into this league, we both came in together. The resurgence of that program, the job he's done with recruiting, coaching and developing, you know, I think back to two years ago, we were 2-4. And the Board of Curators believed enough in me to reaffirm their commitment to us, and you look at the result now. I think it sends a lot of positive messages to the fans, recruits, coaching staff and the players in that building that we're going to continue in this direction and that it is in the right direction.

"Look expectations are expectations, and this league is the best in college football. That's why you choose to be in it. You choose to compete at the highest level. "It's the life we've chosen," as they said in The Godfather, so it is what it is."

Going back to playing the Razorbacks, Drinkwitz doesn't think this game will be easy. It's a rivalry game for a trophy versus a team, that he believes has a good coach and a roster with multiple NFL players.

Overlooking any opponent, let alone one in the SEC isn't something the Tigers can afford to do.

"This is what people don't understand about the SEC, is that every team you line up against has frontline NFL players and players win games," Drinkwitz said.

He'd go on to name Arkansas players like KJ Jefferson, Cam Little, Landon Jackson and Dwight McGlothern as those types of NFL-caliber players that the team can't ignore this week.

Another Razorback he named to that list was star running back Rocket Sanders, who will miss the game due to a shoulder injury.

"So, that's what makes this league so challenging. I think you look at some of the other leagues. You know, some of their middle teams don't necessarily have that same amount of talent as what this league does, on every team," Drinkwitz said. "I mean, every team has a list of problems that you have to correct and then give yourself a chance before you walk into the stadium."

It won’t be the end of the world with a loss for Missouri, but being where its feet are, is what has gotten them to this point. It would be silly to do something different now, so close to the finish line.

December is the building block to a program's future

Win or lose on Friday, Drinkwitz will still have plenty of things to handle from the moment the clock hits triple zero all the way through New Year’s Day.

December holds many important events and transactions such as the bowl games being announced the first week, the transfer portal opening on Dec. 4, Signing Day is on Dec. 20, bowl practices are sprinkled throughout the month, the bowl game itself will likely be in the last couple of days of the year and Drinkwitz will still have to re-recruit his entire roster.

"It's going to be a heck of a challenge because you're going to have to separate two things," Drinkwitz said. "We're going to do the very best we can to finish the season with everybody who wants to be a part of our team for the bowl game, whether they want to transfer or not. They're going to have the opportunity to finish this year with us.

"But you really start completely over in rebuilding your roster. And it starts with getting current commitments from your team to say, 'Yes, I'm coming back.' Get those guys in the boat, and then you've got to bring in your signing class. And then you got to figure out what transfers you need to fill in the gaps or the holes of people that are leaving, whether it's leaving for graduation or leaving to the portal. So, it's probably the most important month in determining the future of your program."

That's not all. When you're having the season the Tigers are having, you've got to worry about your coaches being poached.

It's already been rumored that first-year offensive coordinator Kirby Moore and second-year defensive coordinator Blake Baker have been linked to other jobs, but Drinkwitz said that's what comes with the territory of winning.

He's also not going to be the one to stand in the way of them or any coaches of his staff doing what they feel they need to do to accomplish their dreams, whatever they may be.

That doesn't mean he won't try and get them to stay, it just means that if they have their mind made up about taking an opportunity that will help them chase their dreams he won't be the one trying to deny them.

"Core value No. 4 for us is to enjoy the journey and everybody's got their own dreams and aspirations and I'm not going to be selfish," Drinkwitz said. "You know, I had my own journey to get to where I would like to have to be which is to be a head coach in the SEC and in order to get there you got to make different decisions along your career path.

"What we want to try to do is create an opportunity for everybody to believe that this is the best job for them in their current journey, and if they have opportunities to go be a head coach or be a coordinator or go back and do something closer to home for whatever reasons, a part of their family, then I never want to be standing in their way. I just don't want people to take lateral moves. And so, I've got some really good football coaches on this staff and they've done an outstanding job at the University of Missouri for our fans and players, and if that affords them another opportunity on their next step to achieving what they want to achieve. They've got my full support."

It’ll undoubtedly be a busy month for Drinkwitz and the Tigers, but with the fan support and on-field success, it figures to likely be the best December he’s had since he arrived.