How Mizzou football’s Eliah Drinkwitz plans to use the Tigers’ quarterbacks in 2020
After the Missouri Tigers defense forced an Alabama three-and-out to begin Saturday’s season opener, all eyes turned to the offensive huddle. There, in the middle of black and gold jerseys, stood Shawn Robinson, ready to lead the Tigers as their starting quarterback.
It answered a question Mizzou fans asked for months. What started as a three-headed race dwindled to two competitors. Robinson ultimately earned the start over Connor Bazelak after sitting out last year because of NCAA transfer rules.
Robinson played the majority of snaps in the Tigers’ 38-19 loss Saturday, starting and finishing nine of 11 drives. But that doesn’t mean MU coach Eliah Drinkwitz will necessarily stick with him.
“I’m comfortable playing multiple guys meaningful snaps throughout the season,” Drinkwitz said. “I don’t think this is going to be a typical season like we’ve ever had before. … We just don’t know. I don’t think we have enough data to think that we’re going to go through the entire season with one quarterback.”
Robinson flashed bits of talent but a slew of miscues kept the Tigers from putting up more points on the board. He finished 19 for 25 passing for 185 yards and a touchdown, but also fumbled and finished with minus-35 rushing yards after adjusting for sacks.
The positives included some successful passes, including a nice throw on the run to wide receiver Jalen Knox as part of four straight completions. But then hen a few plays later, Robinson fumbled on a botched option look, which the Tide capitalized on.
Robinson’s performance largely dictated how Mizzou looked Saturday. While the Tigers had little trouble earning first downs — a novelty compared to last season’s offensive collapse — they couldn’t find the end zone enough.
And that’s the end-all metric Drinkwitz is searching for.
“That’s the No. 1 criteria for being the quarterback,” Drinkwitz said. “It’s really not stats, it’s really not all the different other measurements. It’s about, do you lead your team on scoring drives? Those guys were consistent in doing that in fall camp. That’s what they gotta both consistently do.”
On the flip side, Bazelak made his 2020 debut during the first drive of the second quarter. Drinkwitz said that series was planned coming into the game, showcasing how he’ll likely use his quarterbacks going forward.
While the redshirt freshman picked up a first down, missed chances led to a punt. A throw to Damon Hazelton was a tad too far as it glanced off the wide receiver’s hands. Then, on third down, Bazelak misfired a pass — but it appeared there was a wide open field in front of him, where he could’ve ran for a first down.
Bazelak finished the night stringing together a 14-play, 75-yard scoring drive as time expired. While Bazelak came in when the game was already decided, he performed well in his second series of the game. Drinkwitz said they needed as many reps as they can, especially in live action, after missing out on practices because of the pandemic. Bazelak capped off the drive by finding the open lane this time, running in for his first career touchdown.
The Week 2 depth chart still featured an “or” designation between Robinson and Bazelak, which Drinkwitz said will likely be the case moving forward. Robinson said he’s leaning into the competition and that he’ll be ready for the reps when they come.
“Iron sharpens iron,” Robinson said. “Having somebody pressing on your heels all the time is always going to keep you sharp and keep you trying to get better. So it helped me a lot.”
It’s still early in the Robinson era, but MU running back Larry Rountree III had a striking comparison. The captain said Robinson’s play style reminds him of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, though Robinson “runs a little more.”
Bazelak is more of a pocket passer, though he’s shown an ability to run it when needed, like on the touchdown drive. While Drinkwitz juggles the quarterbacks, their teammates are embracing whoever lines up in shotgun.
“I just think you got two different guys that can throw and run,” Rountree said. “I just feel that when we play both of those guys, the defense doesn’t know what they’re getting. At the end of the day, it does help our offense.”