Eli Drinkwitz crowns Mizzou ‘Tennessee State Champs,’ says defense ‘kicked their ass’
There was some extra meaning to Saturday’s game against Tennessee for Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz. After leaving Knoxville with a bad taste in his mouth, the Tigers came out and were able to get a top-15 win, continuing a fantastic season. Cody Schrader dominated on the ground and there will be some celebrations in Columbia.
Following the game, Drinkwitz went on to declare Missouri “Tennessee State Champs” after taking down the Vols, Vanderbilt, and Middle Tennessee State earlier in the season. He also made a bold statement about his defense going up against a Tennessee offense called by head coach Josh Heupel.
“Our team came out, we wanted to stand on business last night,” Drinkwitz said during his postgame interview with CBS’ Jenny Dell. “We had some unfinished business from last year. And we came out and took care of business… Great win. Our defense kicked their ass tonight.”
Tennessee put a big number on Missouri last season, with 66 points winding up on the scoreboard. Drinkwitz was upset with the final touchdown, as Heupel let his team run the ball in with 36 seconds left despite already being up five scores at the time.
You could say the moment stuck with Drinkwitz for an entire year and he got his revenge on Saturday.
Drinkwitz did have a moment of pettiness on Saturday. Tennessee was lining up to kick a field goal in the final seconds, with Mizzou up by 29 points. Before the snap, a timeout came in from the sideline, with Drinkwitz potentially icing the kicker.
The move worked and Charles Campbell missed his 41-yard attempt. Missouri then took a knee and the celebration was on.
From a defensive standpoint, Drinkwitz was correct. Tennessee did not have the best day on the offensive end. One of the best rushing attacks in the SEC was held to just 83 yards and 3.6 yards per carry. Joe Milton threw for 267 yards but also gifted the Tigers a touchdown with a pick-six.
Drinnkwitz made sure to shake Heupel’s hand after the game but it was very brief. He had some celebrating to do and made sure his thoughts were known postgame. Tennessee State Champions likely has a nice ring to it for the Mizzou head coach.
With the new-look SEC coming to fruition next season, Mizzou and Tennessee will not play each other. A game with some competitive edge will take a break and Drinkwitz will have some extra time to bask in his win.