Mizzou vs Tennessee: The Tigers' Most Important Win of the Drinkwitz Era
The Tennessee Volunteers have been a thorn in the side of the Missouri Tigers for years.
Missouri had lost its last four games against Tennessee, with the last two resulting in the Volunteers scoring over 60 points. Coming off a crushing defeat at the hands of the Georgia Bulldogs last week, the Tigers were looking to rebound and get revenge against a Tennessee team that had their number.
And they did just that.
On the back of Cody Schrader's 321-yard history-making performance, Missouri dismantled Tennessee, winning 36-7. It was both an offensive and defensive masterclass, giving the Volunteers no room to breathe the entire four quarters.
Not only did the win silence the Volunteer fans that held bragging rights over the program, but it showed how far its come from the near-decade of mediocrity that plagued Columbia.
Those were the words Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz used to describe its 2022 campaign, where the Tigers finished with a record of 6-7.
He's not wrong.
It was a season full of frustration, continuously coming up just short of their opponents in agonizing fashion.
Week four: Auburn – three-point loss.
Week five: Georgia – four-point loss.
Week six: Florida – seven-point loss.
Week nine: Kentucky – four-point loss.
Fast forward a year later, and many would be shocked to discover Missouri is 8-2, second place in the SEC East and in position for a New Year's Six Bowl. In just one season, the program has turned itself around to be one of the best and most exciting teams in the SEC, a strong testament towards Drinkwitz's SEC Coach of the Year campaign.
It's hard to pinpoint what exactly caused the shift. Kirby Moore's offensive game plan? Player development? Maybe. But it might just be a special group of players that came together at the right time.
There's something so commendable about the character of Missouri's roster. Many of its players have stories of hardship and struggle, but overcame the odds to be where they are now. The shining example of last night was Schrader, who progressed from a walk-on out of Truman State in 2022 to now becoming the SEC's top running back.
"[Schrader] is a testament to hard work [and] determination, plus talent," Drinkwitz said.
The graduate student became the first player in SEC history with 200+ rushing yards and 100+ receiving yards in a single game, an unbelievable achievement that Schrader considered "the number one moment" in his entire life after being lifted up by his teammates.
Even further, players like Brady Cook didn't quit when he lost support of the Missouri fanbase last season. Darius Robinson stuck with the program through thick and thin. Ennis Rakestraw Jr. kept pushing and worked his way back from an ACL tear. All of these players overcame adversity, and are now important pieces one of the best teams in college football.
"It's a tribute to those guys' character, and it'll serve them well in life," Drinkwitz said. "I promise you that."
The Tigers just have the Florida Gators and Arkansas Razorbacks left before bowl season, two teams that are reeling from tough losses in week 11. A potential 10-2 record is on the horizon, a win total that Missouri hasn't seen since 2014.
Though not the impact of a win over Georgia could have been, defeating Tennessee in convincing fashion has given the Tigers further respect across the country. Not only is it the most complete game Missouri has played all season, but the most complete game of the entire Drinkwitz era.
The Tigers know what it's like to be at the bottom. They've been there. But now, they'll use it as fuel to win out the rest of their season.
"We're willing to go down to the depths and fight our way out," Drinkwitz said. "We got to see if anybody else can go down there with us."
