Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz met with the media on Monday to talk about Mizzou's Week 13 game against Arkansas for the Battle Line Trophy, what it's like being a coach in the Southeastern Conference and how important the month of December is to building the future of his program and more.
The Battle Line Rivalry and its importance and intensity:
What Drinkwitz said: "Well, I mean, just based off reading my Twitter mentions, I'd say it's pretty strong (in terms of intensity of the rivalry). 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 gonna mean a lot to those guys to go back into that stadium. You know, we enjoy that people don't think it's a rivalry because we believe it is a rivalry.
"We don't need to trick them to want to play. There's a rivalry and a trophy. I'm not worried about these guys being motivated to play at all. I don't worry about the emotions of the previous three games. I worry about our physical health. But our team is going to want to play. They're going to want to show up and play. It means a lot to them, to me and to our staff. And we have a whole lot riding on this game. And it starts with the Battle Line trophy."
What it means: To address the first and last sentence of the first paragraph at once. Drinkwitz throws a subtle jab to Arkansas fans who don't believe the yearly matchup is a rivalry.
It isn't as organic as other rivalries, in the sense that it's only about 10 years old and didn't really kick off until Mizzou joined the league, but it's a game that's a part of Rivalry Week and the Tigers take it very seriously.
The Tigers are banged up, and while Drinkwitz is somewhat worried about the physical health of his team after a physically and emotional three-game stretch following their Week 9 bye, he doesn't have any hesitancy about his team getting up for this game mentally on a short week during the holiday season. This sounds easy enough, but that's not always the case for every team every year, especially during the holiday season.
On Arkansas retaining Sam Pittman, what it's like being a coach in the SEC and navigating the expectations that come with being a coach in the league:
What Drinkwitz said: "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. 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."
What it means: Pittman retained his job after Arkansas' 44-20 win over Florida International, but the Razorbacks enter Week 13 with a 4-7 record and are ineligible for a bowl berth this season. Drinkwitz's answer about Pittman being retained goes beyond the wins and losses. As Drinkwitz knows, there's more to building a program besides the win-loss column.
The SEC has the highest expectations of any league to produce, but coaches know that when they sign up for the job.
On every game in the SEC being hard, no matter the opposing team's record:
What Drinkwitz said: "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. You look at Florida's team and the record is not where they want it to be. A lot of close games. Graham Mertz is an NFL quarterback, they've got NFL running backs. They got NFL offensive linemen. Ricky Pearsall is going to be an NFL wide receiver. You look on the defensive line. I mean, Princely (Umanmielen) is going to be a top-three-round draft pick.
"I mean and then you go to Arkansas and I just listed off. ... KJ Jefferson is one of the best quarterbacks in the country. Rocket Sanders was preseason All-SEC, I think both were preseason All-SEC. Cam Little is one of the best kickers in the league. Defensive line-wise, Landon Jackson is playing outstanding for them. Their corner, Dwight McGlothern, transferred from LSU. I think he led the SEC and interceptions last year. I mean, these guys are elite players. And the record may not be what they wanted it to be, I think they lost five one-score games in a row.
"So like, 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. 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."
What it means: In short, just because Arkansas's record looks bad doesn't mean they are bad. As seen last Saturday, Missouri won after hitting a game-winning field goal with five seconds left after blowing a nine-point fourth-quarter lead to at the time, a .500 Florida team. It's not easy to win in the league.
It's kind of hard to overlook any team when there are multiple NFL players lining up across from you and that extends to every single team in the league. So, the fact that Arkansas isn't bowl-eligible doesn't mean Missouri can let its foot off of the gas because Arkansas won't. They have the players to win this game, too.
What the month of December means towards building a program:
What Drinkwitz said: "It's going to be a heck of a challenge because you're going to have to separate two things. 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.
"And I think that's a lot of work to get done. You've got to get rested up for sure. Caffeine and private planes will be the key for December. Then on top of that, you're going to have coaching decisions. People making changes, coaches, assistants. Just a lot of uncertainty, but you know, I said this last week, I think one of the best things about the University of Missouri that's going to give us a chance to really be successful is stability in the midst of instability and chaos in college football. There's a whole lot of stability here. And we're working really hard to preserve that."
What it means: December will be huge between bowl prep, the transfer portal, Signing Day and retaining coaches. It's probably the busiest month of the year with the everyday responsibilities on top of other things.
Drinkwitz made it clear after this quote that it is good that coaches under him may have opportunities elsewhere. He doesn't want to get in the way of anyone's dream or aspirations. If coaches are getting plucked from him, that means he's doing a good job and the team is likely winning. So, if some of his assistants leave he fully supports them. The only thing he is skeptical about is coaches making lateral moves.
December in a sense, sets the foundation for the next 12 months of the program, So, Drinkwitz has his work cut out for him, but he knows that.
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