Eli Drinkwitz returned to Harpo’s Tuesday night with a two-game winning streak in hand ahead of another Tiger Talk.
Here’s what he had to say to Mike Kelly, alongside quotes from Curtis Peagler and Robert Woodyard Jr.:
Head Coach Eli Drinkwitz
- On the defensive improvement over the past two weeks: “Those guys are playing really, really hard, very physical in the trenches and tackling really well, which I think is the hallmark of a really good defense. I’ve been impressed with these these past two games. This game’s a whole new challenge; it’s a totally different challenge with the quarterback, the running back, wide receiver, and the tempo. So we have to transition from patting ourselves in the back to getting our cleats in the ground and getting set and making sure we’re ready to go.”
- On the run defense holding teams to under 50 yards rushing in back-to-back games: “It’s hard to do that versus anybody. It’s hard to do that versus a scout team. But I think our guys had a chip on their shoulder. We talked about ‘physicality is a choice’; that was kind of our theme all week, ‘physicality is a choice’, and we were going to make that choice to make it a very physical football game and see how they wanted to respond. We felt like we had the advantage in the trenches on both sides of the ball, and that kind of bore out the way the game played out.”
- On seeing so many defensive players take a leap in development: “It’s great. It’s just going to cost me a lot of money to keep them, which is good — that’s a great problem to have. But it’s been really awesome to watch guys develop. You know, I said it after the Florida game: players are allowed to get better, and we’ve always prided ourselves on being a developmental program. We take great pride in being elite coaches and evaluators, and having [a] great nutrition and athletic performance team and putting that together, and watching guys develop into elite players. We did it last year, and I had a lot of confidence that we could do that this year. There’s still a long way to go, there’s still a lot of wars left to fight. But so far, so good.”
- Drinkwitz’s reaction to being told that before Jamal Roberts ran for more than 200 yards in consecutive games, the last SEC running backs to do so were Leonard Fournette and Derrick Henry: “Those dudes are massive compared to Jamal, too. I think the funniest thing was — so after the after the Florida game when he had those big runs, we thought that he’d hit 22 miles per hour, but we didn’t want to tell him because we weren’t for sure. And then on the last run, he hit 22 miles per hour again. So we finally told him, like, ‘Dang, bro, you’re pretty fast.‘“
- On the running game: “We’ve got something that works in the running back room. I’m not sure exactly. Coach [Curtis] Luper does an excellent job; [executive director of athletic performance Ryan] Russ[ell] does a great job; our nutritionist does a great job; our rehab team does a great job. But hell, that offensive line’s kicking some ass, too… I went from G to PG there, sorry about that.”
- On Saturday’s top-15 matchup being on the SEC Network: “Yeah, it’s a great opportunity for us to showcase our talents to the SEC fans. (pause for chuckles from the crowd) Hey man, when I grew up, there was one channel: it was Jefferson Pilot. So, you know, we’re in good shape here. My parents can get it in Joplin, I think, if they pay an extra $35.”
- On his message to the trio of former Rebels returning to Oxford: “Don’t make it bigger than it is. I thought Cayden Green said it right: keep the main thing the main thing. The main thing is Mizzou versus Ole Miss. It’s really not about those individual players. You know, those guys left on good terms. They chose to leave for the right reasons, so it doesn’t have to be a negative thing to go back. Don’t make it about that, make it about the competition. And you’ve got to focus on this play; if you get caught up in all the other stuff, you’re not going to be able to play the way you want to play.”
- On the forced turnover by the defense following Austin Simmons’ first interception of the year: “After a turnover, our term is ‘run to the fight.’ Defense, a warrior always runs to the fight, and our guys did that. And they got to a third and one; [Trajen] Greco plays great coverage. They thought that they had created a matchup on our safety; little did they know we had created a matchup.”
- On maintaining his team’s focus: “It’s been a fun run, but it don’t matter unless you play well this Saturday. And so we went back to work. We don’t need any more pats on the back or all that bullcrap; we’re about our work this week. There’s a lot of things that we want to accomplish, and in order to do that, we gotta play well Saturday.”
Right Guard Curtis Peagler
- On Jamal Roberts: “That’s a special feeling, man. Having that guy back there running the ball, man, it’s a good feeling to have him. So just love to see him have success, we just love to have him on our team.”
- On how the offensive line has worked to improve: “Just being nasty. You know, we just have to have a sense of urgency on every play, and just going out there knowing that we can dominate anybody in this league. So just having that ability to be confident every single play, and just know that we’re doing a good job.”
- On not letting outside noise in: “Just like Rob said, keep the main thing the main thing. And I know we like to say it a lot, but don’t drink the Kool-Aid is what coach Drink likes to say. So just keep that in our mindset.”
- On his decision to stay at Mizzou: “I had something to prove, not only to myself but to the coaches and my family. And like I said, I appreciate Coach Drink for having me and taking me in, and [offensive line coach Brandon] Jones as well. Those are two guys that are very important to me, and a big reason why I stayed.”
- On his experience in Columbia: “I’m happy to be here, man. I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’ve made good connections and wonderful memories here, and made a lot of good friends with everyone here.”
- On the lessons learned from MU’s prior road games: “I would just say keep our composure and just stay in the fight. We’re a really good football team and they’re a really good football team. But I would say keeping our composure and just doing the little things right, and come out with a win.”
Linebacker Robert Woodyard Jr.
- On the defense’s performance against A&M: “Our whole goal was to come into the game and stop the run. I feel like during the preparation during the week, we did a tremendous job in stopping the ball carrier when he ran the ball, and I feel like we were confident going into the game and doing that.”
- On what he was looking for in the portal: “I was looking for somewhere I could build a brotherhood, and I would go somewhere where I can just play ball and figure out what I’m gonna do after life [in football]. And when I came in and met with Coach Drink, he gave me a real perspective on how he would use me here and how the brotherhood [is]. And ever since I’ve been here, the brotherhood has been special.”
- On how he fell in love with football: “Around when I was nine years old, my mom took me to football practice — actually, it was a game — and the moment I knocked somebody out, I knew football was for me. And that was a very scary sight to see for the opponent. ”
- On linebackers coach Derek Nicholson: “We’ve got a tremendous relationship. He still thinks he’s playing to this day; you know, seeing him every day, he wants to get a rep out there, but he can’t.”
- On his relationship with Nicholas Rodriguez, who was in attendance (as well as Austin Simmons): “Ever since that day (when they first met), we’ve been hanging with each other ever since. The way we bonded, I never knew it was gonna be that quick. You see, he showed up here; I didn’t know he was going to show up to this.”
- On what people should know about Mizzou: “I say we’re the most connected team in college football.”