Missouri heads to Oxford this week with a fresh win in hand, but Eli Drinkwitz isn’t interested in pretending last Saturday’s 27-6 takedown of Texas A&M guarantees anything against No. 9 Ole Miss.
The Tigers are 5-1 overall and 2-1 in SEC play, and the trip to Mississippi comes after a defensive showing that reminded everyone Missouri is built to do more than survive a tough conference stretch. Still, Drinkwitz made the expectation plain during his midweek press conference.
“We need to play our best, most complete game to even be in the game,” Drinkwitz said during Mizzou’s midweek press conference ahead of Saturday’s matchup against No. 9 Ole Miss.
That challenge gets even bigger on the road against a Rebels team coming off a 52-17 win over Vanderbilt. Drinkwitz noted the attention around former Ole Miss players Cayden Lee, Austin Simmons and Chris Graves Jr. returning to face their old program, but made clear this game will come down to the full roster, not just a handful of familiar faces.
One of the players drawing attention this week is offensive lineman Green, who said he’s been pushing through an injury but expects to be ready.
“If I’m 50% (healthy), that’s good enough for me, so I’ll be out there,” Green said.
Green also pointed to the value of Missouri’s veteran group up front, explaining how the unit’s different voices help keep everyone locked in on the details.
“We get to provide a lot of different perspectives on things,” Green said. “Like Luke (Work) giving me perspectives on things that I wouldn’t really see. Dom (Diudice), obviously, I think he’s the oldest in the group, so that experience from him at the center position, he always has us in the right position in the right spot.”
He also reacted to Drinkwitz comparing his toughness to former Missouri quarterback Brady Cook after the Texas A&M win.
“Getting compared to a guy like Brady and playing with him and seeing it in person is really cool to me,” Green said. “He was definitely the toughest guy that I’ve ever seen since I’ve been here. So that’s high praise from coach.”
Missouri’s defense will need another disruptive outing if it wants to slow Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who gives opponents a different kind of problem because of how quickly he gets rid of the ball and how well he extends plays.
“He sees the field really well. Throws with anticipation. All those things are hallmarks of a good quarterback,” Drinkwitz said.
Chambliss backed that up against Vanderbilt, passing for 213 yards and three touchdowns while also scoring on the ground.
On Missouri’s side, Drinkwitz also left the door open but offered no firm update on running back Ahmad Hardy, a player whose status has become a steady topic of conversation.
“I will tell y’all when there’s an update … contrary to what’s on the cesspool of message boards,” Drinkwitz said with a laugh, adding that he would announce it himself when Hardy practices.
Up front, Donta Simpson said Missouri’s pass rush against Texas A&M grew out of coaching and technique, especially when the Tigers brought pressure with three-man fronts.
“Me and Daeden Hopkins, we just do a good job of collapsing the pocket,” Simpson said. “That started with our coaches, coach Early, coach Chop (Lavorn Harbin), coach Batoon. They teach us how to rush with vision to get all the quarterbacks that we go against on the ground.”
Simpson also said the staff helped him get back to the field after a limited offseason.
“It’s just the coaches taking good care of me and making sure I’m coming back fast,” Simpson said. “Our strength and conditioning coach did a really good job with bringing me back in, working me out and that’s been doing a good job for me.”
There’s also a personal angle for Jamal Roberts, who talked about former teammate Kewan Lacy and the way he tried to help him settle into Missouri’s running back room when Lacy arrived as a freshman.
“He’s a very talented running back, a very talented kid, love the guy,” Roberts said. “We still communicate to this day.
He’s a very funny guy. He liked to compete a lot.
So I mean, there’ll be a lot of competing on the field Saturday with me.”
Roberts said running backs coach Curtis Luper helps the room grow by letting the players work through things together and learn from one another.
“Just sharpening each other’s iron. Just picking from each other’s brains,” Roberts said. “Helping each other out in fields that we lack in.”
With a ranked road opponent ahead and a lineup still getting healthier, Missouri’s opportunity is clear. The Tigers already earned one statement win. Now they get a shot at another.
In Other News...
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In the meantime, Jamal Roberts has turned a backup role into a major part of Missouris offense. His breakout season has already pushed beyond what he produced a year ago, and his steady contribution has helped fuel the Tigers recent wins while Hardy remains sidelined and the timeline for his comeback stays unsettled. [Read more 🡒]