Three Most Important Quotes from Eli Drinkwitz after Mizzou's loss to Mississippi State

STARKVILLE, MIss. — Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz took to the podium to address media after the Tigers' 31-24 loss to Mississippi State. Here's the three most important quotes and everything else he said.

On making the jump into the upper-echelon of the SEC

I mean, we're in Week 4 of this team's journey, and we battled on the road, had our opportunity, and didn't get it done. So, everything in our program from the past to now is really this year's team, this year's journey. Battled our butt off, came up a third-and-4 and a fourth-and-four, short. So we'll go back to work, and got a challenge this week coming up. So that's just life in the SEC.”

On balancing being proud of the effort with acknowledging struggles

“I mean, it's life in the SEC. I mean, night game on the road is going to be a challenging. You expect to fight and got to find a way to win.”

On the biggest thing he learned about his team in the loss

“I mean, we got a team that'll fight. So it's one game. It doesn't have to define our season one way or the other. We just got to go back to work when we get back at home tonight and rally up, circle up, and figure out how to do it again next week.”

Everything else he said

Opening statement

Credit to Mississippi State and their football team. They got a good football team. They made plays in the fourth quarter to win the game, we didn't. We had our opportunities and didn't get it done. You know, had opportunities in the first quarter, didn't play particularly well or clean, and then obviously in the fourth quarter. So, lots to continue to grow and get better from, and that's what we'll have to do. It's going to hurt for a while, because we gave ourselves an opportunity twice to to tie it up and didn't get that done, so that's going to hurt. But was proud of our guys for the fight, and that was a great football game.”

On the execution of Mizzou’s second-to-last drive

“I mean, obviously, we didn't execute them very well. And (we, the coaching staff) can give them better calls. We can give them better calls right there. So obviously they didn't work. So that's on us.”

On the explosives given up

“You can hold them all game, but if you give up two big ones, it's the difference. And obviously those are great throws by the quarterback. He played really well tonight, and hats off to them.”

On what he saw that led to MSU’s final touchdown drive

“The explosive pass. We had them backed up. We even had the penalty, and just didn't do a good enough job. Gave up 360 yards throwing tonight.”

On the difference between the first quarter and when Mizzou caught rhythm

“I think we got confidence defensively that we can play and match them, and then obviously, I thought the offense just didn't settle in. We had the first drive and got stopped on fourth down, obviously, and then missed the field goals. So, we got to execute better down there so that we can put points on the board and go toe-to-toe.”

“I'd have to watch the tape.”

On Trajen Greco’s interception

“Greco's interception was huge. We went on a a scoring run right there that gave us a lot of momentum, and really had a chance. We forced them to punt, had the ball in the fourth quarter. In the first play, the second in the fourth quarter, we get a holding call to put us behind the chains, and just a backbreaker for us. We couldn't overcome it.”

On how to clean up penalties

“Just focus on it.”

On his message to the team when tied at 24-24

“Need a stop right here and get the ball back, and that was the anticipation. And we let them out of that hole, and then they hit that explosive play on us.”

On Daeden Hopkins

“Very, very, very valuable. We lost Langden (Kitchen) there again, and so we were down our two starters. So Daeden came in. I was really proud of the edge group. I mean, Kam Morgan came in, had a sack, and Cavan (Tuley) and Demarcus (Johnson) and Jaden Jones all played well. We just didn't do enough.”

On Darris Smith and Langden Kitchen’s injuries

“I mean, Dariss is dealing with his ankle injury, but Langden, I don't know yet.”

On Cayden Lee

“Had a great connection. Just got to find four more yards.”

On the impact of missed tackles on RB Fluff Bothwell

It's huge. I thought there was a lot of leaked yardage, especially. There was the checkdown dig in, I think, the tying touchdown drive. We had a third-down pressure. He leaked out the backfield and gained an extra four yards after contact. So he's a hard runner, very very physical player.

On defending Kamario Taylor

“I have to go back and look at the calls. To be honest, I think it was just yeah. I have to go back and look at the calls.”

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