Everything Eli Drinkwitz Said on Job Rumors, Previewing Oklahoma

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Though Missouri has, in all likelihood, been eliminated from contending for a spot in the College Football Playoff, it's been an incredibly interesting November for the program.

Not only because of the Tigers' first matchup on the road against its old Big 12 rival, Oklahoma, since 2011, but also because of what's happened (or not happened) off the field.

Head coach Eli Drinkwitz has been rumored to be a top candidate for several top jobs across the country. Drinkwitz also made comments to the SEC Network broadcast crew about wanting more NIL support from in-state companies.

Drinkwitz addressed all of that and more in a press conference Tuesday. Here's a transcript of everything he said to the media.

Opening statement:

“First, just want to recap our win versus Mississippi State. I was really, really proud after watching the tape of our effort and mental toughness, really in all three phases. Thought our guys really played extremely hard with great energy and effort.

Defensively, to have two defensive touchdowns in a game was awesome. Obviously, blew the game wide open for us. The seven-play goal-line stand in the second quarter after the turnover, which then led to the muffed field-goal return, which ultimately led to another touchdown, I think, was really cool. aAd just really awesome the way that our defense played right there. I thought Daeden Hopkins having to come in for Nate Johnson after a targeting (ejection), really pleased with his performance. Chris McClellan with the early sack. Darris Smith, I thought rushed the passer extremely well. Marvin Burks had 12 tackles on the game, on top of the interception return for a touchdown. So really, really pleased with the way our defense played.

Special teams, we had two I(nside)-20s on kickoff — we talk about tough teams, stop the run, run the football and cover kicks. and obviously, the big field goal block return was huge for our momentum.

Offensively, to establish and maintain the run game the way we did. Watching it on tape, our wide receivers really did an excellent job blocking downfield. I thought Donovan (Olugbode) and Josh Manning had incredible blocks and effort on the two long runs. And the way they responded to the turnovers. They responded both times after the turnovers, which was really good.

Now there's plenty and plenty and plenty of things to correct. Obviously defensively, penalties to extend drives, the second drive of the game had multiple penalties, which really aided their scoring opportunities. Offensively, the turnovers are absolutely killers, and we have to take that off the tape. We have to absolutely take that off the tape, especially going against a really good OU football team.

“I think coach (Brent) Venables is to be commended. I think he's doing an outstanding job. Obviously, him taking over the defensive side of the ball and calling the defense, you can tell his aggressive nature and style is on display. They do a really good job of playing team football, utilizing both special teams, offense and defense to win games. Obviously, the six turnovers in the last two games have been an incredible reason for their success. Their field goal kicker’s accuracy and yardage is important. Then obviously, I think on offense, their quarterback, their offensive identity with their offensive coordinator (Ben Arbuckle), is certainly something that's going to be extremely challenging. It's been 59 years since the University of Missouri went on the road to Norman, Oklahoma and won a game. So, that's something that's going to be challenge in and of itself. Our team has a lot of things to work on this week, and ultimately it's about how we handle the noise, the environment, taking care of the football and being able to defend their quarterback that will determine our success.”

On speculation about his future with Missouri:

Two things I want to address real quick just before we get going: No. 1, job rumors. I'm not going to comment on message board chatters, tweets, sources. I've maintained with you (the media) and our team that my complete focus is on the task at hand. Last week, people were tired of me because I couldn't win the big game. People had me meeting with my team and telling them that I was going to another school, none of which were true. Now this week, it's a different story because we scored the second-most points in the SEC this year at 49. So all of this stuff is just distraction.

I would like to remind everybody, including our fans, we absolutely love Mizzou. We love what we're building. We've been to six-straight bowl games. We got the sell-out streak going. Our administration has been nothing but phenomenal to me, the alignment that we have with our president. President (Mun) Choi, his support for our program, his support in what we're trying to build. Todd Graves, the head of the board of curators, has been tremendous since he started on the board and is always looking for ways to improve our athletic department. Bob Blitz has been a guy that was instrumental in rebuilding the north end zone and being on the forefront of the athletics committee. Laird Veatch has been great to work with on a day-to-day basis. Since I've been here, I've signed multiple extensions. Infact,I signed one this past summer, so all the speculation is really a tribute to them, and it's a tribute to our team's success and their commitment to our team, and that's where my focus is going to remain, on our team, our current situation. And I'm not going to get into all that stuff, because, again, it's just a distraction.

On Beau Pribula’s status:
Two, I know there were some questions about Beau Pribula. Beau Pribula is currently working through his rehab process, and with the oversight of the doctors and the training staff, we're going through a protocol. He has been allowed to practice with certain limitations, which is why he appeared on the SEC availability report (as doubtful) last week, and why you saw him on Saturday in pregame warm-up. We will see how he progresses this week, and you'll be updated on the SEC media report, or by apparently now, Matt Zenitz or Pete Thamel.”

On the comments shared on the game broadcast that he was looking to garner more NIL support from in-state Fortune 500 businesses:

“I'm honestly just loosely aware of what exactly was commented (on the TV broadcast). I know in our pre-production meeting on Friday, they were asking about our NIL, and I said, one area that I think we can improve is the utilization of our Fortune 500 companies in the state. We have 11 Fortune 500 companies in the state, which is fourth largest among the SEC footprint, and we've got to continue to develop the relationships with those companies and get those companies to invest in our athletes. Whether we’re talking about football, basketball, women's basketball, softball, women's soccer, wrestling, volleyball, baseball, we need their support. We are the institution of this state and we provide those companies with a lot of workers, and so it would be awesome if we got to see some reciprocal investments in that. I don't think that's an unusual ask or an unusual request. This is all new. I'm not assigning blame to anybody or not pointing fingers at any Fortune 500 company.

I'm just asking, if you're a Mizzou grad in that company and you're in charge of marketing, we would love to join in with some NIL opportunities for our student athletes, because that's the forefront. The No. 1 way to get through NIL Go is a Fortune 500 company. If a Fortune 500 company does an NIL contract with a student athlete, it’s automatically guaranteed to go through. It’s approved because of the fiduciary responsibility that that Fortune 500 company has to its shareholders. So, if we want to get more and more opportunities for our student athletes, then that's something that we need to lean into. And so I'm always going to be pushing and trying to create whatever advantages we can for the University of Missouri in the NIL space.”

Why getting that support is important for competing in the SEC:

“You want better results, you got to get better players. And we got great players right now, but you can always use more. And in order to keep the current players that we have — I saw on Twitter, somebody said we got to keep Donovan (Olugbode) and Matt (Zollers), well, that's wishful thinking. You got to offer them the same amount of money that other people are, and that's the reality. I mean, there's teams that we're playing with larger NIL budgets than we have. Doesn't mean that we're not doing the absolute best we can. Doesn't mean that we haven't put together a really, really good football team, and there's a lot of people helping us, but more is still more. And until there's a cap on it, I mean don’t we want every advantage that we can possibly get? So again, not complaining, not pointing out issues, just pointing out what the playing field is that we're in. There's teams that have unlimited support, as far as NIL goes. And we want to beat those teams. I’ve been told I can’t beat those teams, so.”

On adapting to the NIL space:

“Well, I think ever since I've been here, adaptability has been the No. 1 key. I mean, we started with COVID, then we got the transfer portal, then we got NIL. And I think anytime you're a program looking to keep climbing, you got to look for opportunities in the sport. I think we've done a really good job of taking advantage of the NIL and transfer opportunities. I think we've done a really good job of utilizing NIL, I think there's a misconception that we're one of the bigger spenders in NIL. I don't think that's true. I think we're very good at what we do. I think we've been very wise in our investments, but we're not frivolous, and there’s certainly not unlimited funds and there’s certainly not — I mean we weren't in the top-10 of spenders last year, when they put out the list. So I just think there's a misconception that there's more than there probably is.”

On how long it might take to attract NIL support from larger companies:

“I guess it's probably as fast as them sending an email saying they want to do a deal with one of our agents, or contacting Brad Larrondo, the head of our marketing firm, or getting with (chief revenue officer) Blair DeBord, or getting with (deputy director of athletics) Eric Morrison, who's heading up our third-party NIL, or getting with Learfield and our MMR team. I mean, any of those ways are possible. It's just, people got to be adamant about doing it.

And I think about this: there's a lot of really, really good players from Missouri that are playing at other places. And I would love for them to play here, but that's not free. So how do we get them here? I got to do a better job of recruiting them, but also got to do a better job of raising money so that I can offer them a competitive package that the other schools are offering.

That’s part of it. If we want to build a championship team, I got to continue to build a championship roster. And I spoke about this last week at the radio show, the next jump is going to be the hardest jump — going from good to great, is the hardest jump possible. I got to lean into it as the leader of this organization to what it's going to take. And what it's going to take is pushing harder than I push to get to this point. I gotta be ready to do that. And that's what our challenge is. So, how quickly? I don't know, but the quicker the better. We’re going to nine SEC games, it ain’t getting easier.”

On using their losing streak on the road against Oklahoma as motivation:

“It's our past history, it doesn't have to be our future history. But, I think it reminds our guys that this is not a normal road trip, this is not a normal road environment, that this is a championship brand that has a history of success, and we haven't had the history of success at that place, so we're going to have to really lock in, increase our focus, make sure our preparation is really top notch. There's no assurances of result, so got a lot of work to do in ‘Toughness Tuesday’ and ‘Winning Wednesday’ and ‘Thorough Thursday', to make sure our preparation matches what our expectations are.”

On Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer:

“John Mateer is a really special quarterback. You can tell he's got incredible leadership to him, the way that team has really rallied around him. Incredible toughness to play through that injury, I think has been very commendable for him. Obviously, he has a level of experience with the offensive coordinator, so you can tell he's done a really good job of developing rapport with his wide receivers and getting those guys on the same page. They faced a little bit of injuries, I think, with their offensive line, which has caused a little bit of lack of sync, I think, offensively. But they do a really good job of knowing what they need to do in order to win football games, and that's what they're doing. So they've got their right formula. He can make game-winning plays at any moment, and that's ultimately what you want in a quarterback.”

On the development of Ahmad Hardy’s running style:

“I think his running style has actually been very consistent. He obviously runs through the first tackle. I think on the key plays that he had, for the long runs, the commonality was — and I showed this to the team yesterday on the one run in the third quarter — the play started on the 28-yard line, and by the time Ahmad had made his cut, our entire offensive line and tight ends had pushed their line past the 30, so there was no penetration, and now it was just a wall, and he was able to bend it to the front side and take off. Obviously, he's got incredible speed. And then the key was the block by Donovan down the field to keep the corner out of it. They were in man (coverage), Kevin (Coleman Jr.) ran an out route to take the safety away, and then Donovan ran a nine route, and then pinned the upfield shoulder. So I think it was a combination of great blocking, and then Ahmad using his God-given ability.

I guess he was probably pretty sore on Sunday, so he went and wrote his horse to try to get some of that soreness out. So maybe that's a secret sauce we should use in the future.”

On the high turnover rate of Oklahoma’s defense:

“Being familiar with coach Venables’ defenses, at our time at NC State, going against him (when Venables at Clemson), they've always been very multiple, very aggressive. They do a great job of taking away what your strengths are and trying to get you to play left handed. And this defense is no different. They've got elite players, elite defensive ends. I think both — R Mason Thomas, obviously is an exceptional player, and they haven't had him. They didn’t have him last game. But Taylor Wein, No. 44, jumps off the tape, the way he plays. Kendal Daniels, the transfer from (Oklahoma) State, is a tremendous player. Robert Spears-Jennings at safety and (Michael) Boganowski are like heat-seeking missiles looking for contact.

So I think it matches their style. Coach Venables always talks about having a fourth-and-1 mentality, it feels like their defense matches that intensity at all times. So it's a tough challenge.

I think their defensive line, obviously, with the emergence of David Stone has been really critical for them. They're better in the trenches than I think, than they've been in the past, and specifically because of R. Mason, Taylor and David.”

On how the decision will be made on whether or not to clear Pribula to play against Oklahoma:

“I think we'll probably huddle as a group and make a call. The very first thing and the most important thing, is the student athletes’ health and well being. And playing against an elite defense, you don't want to put somebody out there who can't compete at the highest level. And knowing how aggressive and attacking they (the Oklahoma defense) are, it would be a detriment to our team, and to Beau to put him out there if he's not able to play up to his level. So,we'll circle with him first and make sure his mental processes are where it needs to be. And that's if he clears the protocol, which would be the doctors and the trainers’ circle with him. And obviously, he’ll have to circle with his circle. So it'll be a lot of circles.”

On Oklahoma’s run defense, defensive staff:

“They rally to the ball, they cut gaps, they overlap the defense, they blitz. They got it all — whatever you can play on Madden or College Football to stop the run, they have it in the gameplan. And he's (Venables) not afraid to call it at any point.

I mean, he'll play zero on first-and-10, he'll interior twist the D-line, he'll play two trapped to the field. He's got it all. So he does an excellent job calling it and knowing when to call it. Really, really good defensive coordinator, really good defensive staff.

Their safeties coach, Brandon Hall is a great friend of mine. Somebody that I have a tremendous amount of respect for, worked together at Arkansas State, know that he's a tremendous coach, so knowing the quality of people that coach BV has, it doesn’t surprise me that they’re that good on defense.”

On who the starter would be if Pribula is able to play:

“Beau is our starter. Beau is our starting quarterback. Matt Zollers has been awesome, and Matt is currently our starting quarterback. But we don't have a Drew Bledsoe, Tom Brady thing in here, brewing yet.

But I've been very, very impressed with Matt Zollers. I thought he played a heck of a game. I told him yesterday, ‘Man, of the 15 passes, I mean, you were just like this (gestures with hands, signaling Zollers recovered steadily from some struggles), it was awesome. He had two touchdowns early, then an interception, two intentional groundings, and you just kind of ease your way back into finding it.

But the thing I was the most impressed with Matt, was the moment was never too big for him. I mean, he had a plan, he executed his plan. He got a game ball after the game, he addressed the team. I think he understands the situation with Beau. I think they've got a great relationship. I know that Matt is going to have an excellent week preparing. I know that Matt will be prepared to go on the road and play this game, and that's my anticipation going into it, is that Matt will be our starting quarterback this week, and if something changes, like I said, log on to Twitter and get your news there first.”

On Langden Kitchen’s status, evaluation of how Daeden Hopkins performed against Mississippi State:

“Langden got dinged up in the latter part of the (Texas) A&M game, and so we were just going through the protocol. He cleared protocol on Saturday, so we anticipate that he will be ready to go this week. And then obviously, Nate (Johnson) got the targeting penalty on the second drive (leading to an ejection).

And Daeden Hopkins, I thought, played really, really well. He's a guy that's really benefited from his time with the ‘show’ (scout) team, but also his time — we bring him up every Wednesday for third downs, and brought him up last week because we knew Langden was dinged up. And he really loves his craft, he works on his craft, he's got a really bright future.

We're going to do our best to save his redshirt, that was his fourth game he participated in. Javion (Hilson) has one more, so this week, we'll do our best to save Daeden, Javion will be our (sixth) defensive end in the game. We’ll do our best not to utilize (burn) either one of those guys’ redshirts.”

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