Missouri’s special teams problems have been hard to miss, and Eli Drinkwitz isn’t pretending otherwise.
After the Tigers’ 34-20 loss to Texas, the issues showed up everywhere: missed field goals, shaky punt execution and a blocked punt that helped turn a bad night into a worse one. With Georgia next on the schedule, Drinkwitz said Tuesday that the unit has to clean itself up fast.
The head coach pointed to the full scope of the breakdowns, from the kicking game to the timing and consistency of the punt operation. Missouri has had chances to swing games in recent weeks, but those moments have slipped away. Blake Craig missed key field goals against Ole Miss and Texas, and the Tigers also allowed a blocked punt against the Longhorns.
"We're inconsistent in our operation times on punt. We're inconsistent in our kick style on punt. We're inconsistent on our kickoffs on kickoff, and we're inconsistent on our makes on field goals," Drinkwitz said.
Craig has made about 70% of his career field goal tries at Missouri, and Drinkwitz said he still believes in the junior kicker even while stressing that competition has to be part of the equation.
"You can only do what you can do, which is go back to work. We do have to create competition.
I think that's natural for every position," Drinkwitz said. "You have to understand that there's competition, and there aren't too many opportunities to go out there and make the same mistake twice.
But we have confidence when Blake goes out there, he's going to make it, and we have to keep doing that."
Drinkwitz also addressed Missouri’s issues in the return game, noting how few chances the Tigers have had to do damage there. He said the team has had limited action on punt returns, with the only returned punt coming on an invalid fair catch signal.
"I mean, our kickoff return, our punt return, our punt coverage. You know, we've only had one returned punt this year, and that was on an invalid fair catch signal," Drinkwitz said.
With Georgia up next, Missouri’s special teams can’t afford another rough stretch. Against a top SEC opponent, all three phases will need to hold up.
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Mizzou Has One Rising Bright Spot As A Bigger Problem Grows
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Missouri got a mixed update on the injury front this week as it prepares for Georgia, with wide receiver Cayden Lee cleared to play after the knee issue he picked up against Texas. Eli Drinkwitz said there was no structural damage, which is a relief for a passing game that can ill afford to lose another key piece as the schedule tightens and the margin for error gets thinner.
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Ohio State Could Be Running Out Of Proven QB Options
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That matters because the transfer portal has become the quickest path to stability for programs looking to upgrade under center, and the competition for those names is only getting fiercer. With several quarterbacks opting to remain where they are, the market is starting to look thinner than expected, leaving coaches to weigh fewer established choices against the pressure to find an answer soon. [Read more 🡒]