Mizzou Coach Eli Drinkwitz on How WR Dominic Lovett 'Creates Confidence'
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Even at 2-1, the Missouri Tigers will take all the gains of confidence they can get.
And heading into SEC play on the road against the Auburn Tigers on Saturday, the Tigers will continue to look toward receiver Dominic Lovett as the source.
Much of the attention through the first three games has been on true freshman receiver Luther Burden III, but it's Lovett who has been a no-doubter as a top receiving option for the Tigers ahead of guys like Barrett Banister, Tauskie Dove, and even Burden.
Lovett exploded with a team-high seven catches, 132 yards, and two touchdowns against ACU Saturday, which included a huge 79-yard touchdown pass from Cook in the first quarter.
“I think we’ve always had a lot of confidence in Dominic Lovett," Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz said. "It was good to see him and Brady (Cook) connect on that deep ball because we had seen it a bunch in practice, but we hadn’t been able to put that on the tape."
Lovett also added another score in the third, darting through the middle and showing strength with an extension over the goal line for a 13-yard touchdown. The two touchdowns are plays that Drinkwitz loves to see. Of course, it puts points on the board, but Drinkwitz values plays like these due to what it does for team-wide spirit and morale.
“To see that continue to grow, obviously in the key third down, he made a very tough catch that falls on the back hip which is a really difficult catch on a slant route, so I think it just creates confidence that there’s players on the field that we can find. It just creates confidence. When you make plays and you win, you create confidence."
Lovett has established him as a clear alpha in a WR1 role through three games, leading the Tigers in catches (16), receiving yards (274), and receiving touchdowns (two). Cook, Drinkwitz, and the rest of the offense clearly have confidence in him. Now, Drinkwitz is hoping this will bleed into the rest of the team as they enter arguably the toughest stretch of their season.
"A belief in each other is what builds solid teams, and confidence in each other builds teams and that’s why you gotta continue to grow," Drinkwitz said.
The Tigers and the Tigers will kick off from Jordan-Hare Stadium at 11 a.m. C.T.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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