Everything Eli Drinkwitz Said After Overtime Win Over Auburn

Drinkwitz spoke on Missouri's gutsy win, but also where the team needs to improve.

Oct 18, 2025; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz talks to a game official during the first quarter against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images | John Reed-Imagn Images

AUBURN, Ala. — The No. 16 Missouri Tigers claimed a gritty 23-17 win over Auburn on Saturday night, improving to 6-1 on the season and 2-1 in the Southeastern Conference.

It wasn't a pretty win and there certainly will be plenty to take away from it, but Drinkwitz and his team proved they have the same gritty make-up as teams in the past.

Here's a full transcript of what Drinkwitz had to say.

Opening statement:

“What a gutsy win. Incredibly proud of the staff and players for them to just keep fighting. I mean, it was really, really ugly, but we just kept fighting. Kept fighting. Then obviously, in overtime, I thought our defense was just dominant. Really proud of Kevin Coleman Jr. for making that catch and Beau (Pribula) for making that throw, and obviously Beau running again. Lots to work on and get cleaned up, but we'll go home, celebrate the win and fight on and press on next week.”

On being able to get a resilient win after falling in a close game last week

“This team, we talked all week about the game was [being] played between the lines and not to let the exterior factors and noise and the stadium affect us and I thought those guys did a great job. And I just thought there was a refusal to lose.”

On Pribula’s performance in overtime

“He's got a great grit to him, and nothing really fazes him. I think disappointing right there — I should have done a better job at the end of the game, when we had the ball at the 30-yard line (Pribula getting sacked on second down). That's on me. I got to do a better job of getting us five more yards to make that kick. Can't go backwards like that. That's not on him. On that last play (the interception), he's just trying to give us a chance to get into field goal range. But really, really proud.”

On Auburn’s defense

“We had self-inflicted issues. We were trying to be perfect on some stuff. I knew the game was hinging in the third quarter, and I felt like if we could have gotten two scores,  that it could have gone our way in a hurry and we just couldn't do it. Had two drives, two opportunities to do it. Didn't do it. So we’ll get to work on it.”

On if he recognized the similarities of this game to the game in 2022 where Missouri lost in overtime at Auburn

“It crossed my mind. It didn't cross anybody else's mind. I mean, there's only three of us that are still here, so it is what it is. This game was a standalone game. Really proud of our guys for fighting.”

On his energy and emotion at the end of the game

“It’s because I’m so proud of the team. I’m proud of our fans. This place has come a long way to come down here and win and expect to win the way we did, and then to find a way to win. That's a really good football team (Auburn). I mean, they got players all over the field. I mean, those wideouts are unbelievable. Their defense runs really well, hits. Our guys went toe to toe with them and I’m really proud of them.”

On Zion Young’s energy

"They ran, what? Seven plays (in overtime)? He had to have had one sack, one TFL. It was unbelievable."

On Donovan Olugbode stepping up with increased opportunities

“Keep doing what he’s doing. Take advantage of the opportunities.

We got to keep working on our pass game. We're way too predictable right now from that stuff. We got to throw the ball vertically down the field, but we found a way to win.”

On what Auburn’s defense was doing well to take away Missouri’s run game

“We kind of got away from the outside zone early on the first TFL. We were trying to stay ahead of the chains. I mean, first half, we were really good on third down, second down. Second half, we weren't very good on third down. So I think that's really what flipped it for us. 

“Going on the road in this environment, I knew it was going to be ugly, but you got to find a way to make a play to win the game. To get that turnover that (Toriano) Pride (Jr). had to save Brady Cook’s streak (most consecutive SEC completions without an interception),  I thought was really big, and that kind of flipped the momentum.”