What Drinkwitz has Found 'Disappointing' About the Mizzou Defense

Even though the Missouri Tigers' victory over the Kansas Jayhawks was entertaining and thrilling, the watch of the defensive tape afterward for Missouri was anything but.

"There's a lot of stuff that was really disappointing when we watched the tape," head coach Eli Drinkwitz said in a press conference Tuesday. "I think all of us felt it and knew that we got to play better.”

Considering Missouri outscored Kansas 36-10 in the final three quarters, and that the Jayhawks gained a net of just 31 rushing yards, the fact that Missouri still trailed by three with less than five minutes remaining is confounding.

"I don't know if I've ever been a part of the game where we outrush somebody by 258 yards and it was that close football game," Drinkwitz said.

The defense played a key role in Missouri being able to comeback from a 21-6 deficit in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, edge rusher Zion Young jarred the ball out of Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels' hands, causing a safety by the Jayhawks. This turned the game on its head, giving Missouri a swing of much-needed momentum, and two points to bring the lead within one possession.

Late in the fourth quarter, defensive back Daylan Carnell intercepted a pass to shut down a last-ditch comeback effort from the Jayhawks.

Sep 6, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers defense cheers at the video screen showing a Tigers' interception in the second half of the Border War against the Kansas Jayhawks at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium | Amber Winkler/MissouriOnSI

But in between those key moments, the defense didn't execute in key areas.

"But that was because, again, self-inflicted wounds, not able to affect the quarterback in the pocket, not able to cover in zone cover," Drinkwitz said of the game coming down to the final moments.

Though Daniels' final stat line (18-for-30, 223 yards, two touchdowns, one interception) doesn't jump off the stat sheet, he was able to pick apart the Missouri defense early, thanks to holes to the Tigers' secondary and a lack of pressure.

In the first three quarters, Daniels was nearly perfect, completing 10 of his 14 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown. He also completed passes of 24 and 50 yards, plus two for 15. Pre-snap motion from the Jayhawk offense led to communication breakdowns for Missouri's secondary.

Explosive plays were an issue for the Missouri defense all of last season. Against Kansas, Drinkwitz attributed it to not only the Kansas offense, but also Missouri throwing too much in its defensive plan.

"Their shifts and motions, combined with too much in the game plan, created a situation where we had confusion," Drinkwitz said. "When we played man-to-man, we were pretty good, we were attached to our players. When we got into our zone coverage, we had communication issues and eye issues and discipline issues and that stuff's got to get taken off the tape."

Zone coverage requires significantly more communication for the defensive back end than man coverage. Communication between the defensive secondary is something that's been an emphasis for defensive coordinator Corey Batoon since arriving to the program ahead of the 2024 season.

Missouri's secondary features two new veteran starters — safety Jalen Catalon and corner back Stephen Hall. The group and the entire unit is still working to establish cohesion.

“There’s still some communication and settling down, and making sure that, again, 11 acting as one on the defensive side of the ball" Drinkwitz said.

When it comes to rushing the passer, Daniels provided a good test for Missouri, having to be weary of the threat he presents with his legs.

Mobile quarterbacks present a unique challenges to defenses. Instead of just being focused on breaking down the pocket, the defensive line has to try to create a forcefield at the line, not allowing any rush lanes to open up.

Missouri recorded two sacks in the game, and also held Daniels to 20 yards on nine attempts. Missouri will have to face mobile quarterbacks like Daniels through the rest of the season, including South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers in Week 4.

"I think we did a pretty good job at wrangling him in, keeping him inside the pocket," edge rusher Damon Wilson II said. "I feel like we really stopped his legs from making a big gain in the game."

But, Drinkwitz wasn't pleased with the pass-rush effort as a whole. The secondary and front end work in tandem, and some quicker pressure also could've helped hide the holes in the secondary that Daniels was able to find.

But the consistent run defense from Missouri was a crucial factor in the game. While the Missouri offense was able to find rhythm with its rushing and passing attack working in sync, Kansas often had drives stall in the second half — five of the Jayhawks' last seven drives lasted five plays or fewer and traveled no more than 15 yards.

Additionally, Missouri was able to dominate the the time of possession once Kansas was unable to create extended drives by running the ball. In the final three quarters, Missouri held the ball for 32:36 of playing time compared to 12:18 for Kansas.

"Running the ball is one of the biggest factors in winning the game," Wilson said. "If you can’t control the time of possession, you’ve got no chance.”

Once the Missouri defense hits its stride, it's expected to be one of the best units in the Southeastern Conference. But the hourglass is ticking for Drinkwitz. In Week 4, Missouri will host No. 11 South Carolina, led by Sellers and former five-star wide receiver Nyck Harbor. In Week 7, the Tigers will host No. 19 Alabama, the third-best scoring offense from last season.

"I don’t want to be that coach that gives out grades," Drinkwitz said. "So I’ll just say there’s stuff that we’ve got to improve on before we get that final exam.”

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