Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz met with the media on Tuesday to discuss the Tigers being more disciplined and accountable, reviewing what the offensive line did in Week 3 and more.
On the players containing their emotions and being more accountable in the future:
What Drinkwitz said: "Yesterday, I challenged our staff and our players, to put your feelings in a box. Don't come into this room and thinking we're going to celebrate and party based off the film, because that's not going to be it. We're going to challenge each other in here, because the lack of discipline is a result of the lack of accountability, and there's going to be accountability. No different than they caught me on tape getting on Luther (Burden) between the third and fourth quarter. He deserved every bit of that, and he understood it. I mean, he looked me right in the eye and said, 'Yes, sir.' Just like yesterday when we addressed it, he understood that selfish penalties cannot happen. The team's mission is way more important than anybody's individual hurt feelings. So, put your feelings in a box, put your big boy pants on, take accountability for the things that we have to improve on."
What it means: If you watched Missouri's last game versus Boston College, you saw Mizozu being flagged for three unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Star receiver Luther Burden had one and an unnecessary roughness penalty that probably should've been an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and a disqualification. He had those two penalties in three plays and was a big part of why Mizzou went from field goal range to second and 58 inside its 15-yard line.
Those penalties are the worst because they have little to do with the game. Drinkwitz believes the team should've put the team away in the third quarter but when the team had four penalties in five plays it set the Tigers back. Boston College didn't take advantage of those penalties but sooner or later someone will and it could result in a loss.
On the offensive line's Week 3 performance:
What Drinkwitz said: "When we're having confusion about what we're doing in protection, we've still got to be solid. We can't retreat from the line of scrimmage. I think we were retreating a little bit too much, which is putting pressure on the quarterback."
What it means: It's short and simple. Missouri has to protect the quarterback way better than it did in Week 3.
According to PFF College, quarterback Brady Cook was pressured eight times and sacked once.
Left tackle Marcus Bryant gave up three pressures, right guard Cam'Ron Johnson gave up two and center Connor Tollison and left guard Cayden Green each gave up one.
Drinkwitz mentioned how Boston College presented a couple of overwatch blitzes that the offensive line hadn't seen before this season and it caught the unit off guard, but when the line retreated that forced Cook to do something quicker before the play fully developed.
On preparing for Vandy quarterback Diego Pavia:
What Drinkwitz said: "I think all three games have actually been good preparation for this opener in the SEC. Diego is a different style runner than (Boston College quarterback Thomas) Castellanos. He's more physical downhill. Kind of has the okie doke on his option stuff (and) will lower his shoulder and take on defenders.
"I don't think that our approach to pass rush will have to be the same (as last week versus Boston College). We do have to contain him, but ultimately, we look back at the plan and maybe there were some more opportunities for us to try to create pressure."
What it means: In the first three games, the level of competition has continued to increase for the Tigers, and fortunately for them, the quarterbacks have all been similar in the sense that they all can scramble.
Obviously, Castellanos was the most explosive scrambler of the quarterbacks Mizzou had faced and Pavia will be another quarterback to worry about but in a different sense. Pavia is a north and south runner. So, he's always going to try and move the chains.
However, he's not as fast or shifty as Castellanos. So, the three-man contained rush and a quarterback spy won't be as necessary in Week 4 as in Week 3. Drinkwitz believed there was a little more opportunity to rush Castellanos. So, some things will carry over but not everything.
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