‘A game doesn’t define a season’: Mizzou stays level-headed in ups, downs

COLUMBIA — There’s no way around it, Missouri looked extremely flawed in its first four games of the season. Poor tackling, constant deep balls allowed and self-inflicted penalties defined the early-season struggles.

Missouri fell short of victory against Mississippi State in Week 4, falling short of breaking a few droughts that had been circulating in narratives surrounding coach Eli Drinkwitz — beating a ranked opponent, beating a ranked conference opponent and beating a ranked conference opponent on the road, to name a few.

His postgame presser that could have, understandably, been gloomy, instead felt simple and collected.

“It's one game. It doesn't have to define our season one way or the other,” Drinkwitz said after the loss.

Contrary to some belief, Missouri’s loss to Mississippi State didn’t end its season. The Tigers returned to Columbia and put in the work at practice.

For those who didn’t already know, the Merriam-Webster 2A definition of practice, the transitive verb is “to perform or work at repeatedly so as to become proficient,” and the 2A definition of practice, the noun is “systematic exercise for proficiency.”

Missouri practiced at practice and beat No. 8 Florida 45-17 in the biggest butt-whooping of an AP Top-10 team at Faurot Field since its 46-25 routing of No. 8 USC in 1976, years before Drinkwitz was even born.

“Just so everybody in here is aware, players, coaches, teams are allowed to improve, and a game doesn't define the season,” Drinkwitz told reporters postgame. “There's the thing called practice. We go back to practice if things aren't great. You learn the lesson. You leave the event, and I think that's the key for our team, and hopefully that is the key for everybody here. It's four games. We played in the four games, and you get better. That's our job as coaches, and that's their job as players is to allow them to improve.”

Donovan Olugbode — Oct 3, 2026; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers cornerback Chris Graves Jr. (1) reacts in the second quarter against the Florida Gators at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Missouri improved on its previously worrisome struggles, shutting down Gator running back Jadan Baugh to 13 yards on 12 carries. Baugh entered the night at 600 yards, rushing for over 130 in each of his first four games, but Tigers made a plethora of plays in the backfield and at the line of scrimmage to negate the Gators’ biggest strength.

The Tigers also cleaned up their struggles in the secondary, allowing just one reception for more than 20 yards through the first three quarters of play, the first instance of such in Missouri’s five games against FBS opponents this season.

“I knew that this team could continue to get better,” Drinkwitz said. “That one game wasn't the summation of a season, and this game isn't a summation of the season. This is just the next game. We got to come back tomorrow, go to work.”

Drinkwitz has repeated the phrase “life in the SEC” multiple times this season in regards to the degree of difficulty of the week-to-week schedule. There’s no easy games in this conference, and next up for the Tigers is a ghost of the past. Texas A&M has beat Missouri by a combined score of 79-27 in the last two matchups, but just as one game doesn’t define a season, one season doesn’t define a program.

Missouri enters the matchup ranked and 1-1 in SEC play, while Texas A&M suffered losses to LSU and Kentucky but beat a lowly Arkansas squad.

Kickoff is set for 11:00 a.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

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