How Mizzou football’s next generation of Tigers reacted to the upset win over LSU
Gavin McKay was enjoying his fall break at the beach, knowing his Missouri Tigers were playing the reigning national champs. Connor Tollison was at the golf course, glued to the ESPN app — especially late in the game of the close thriller.
McGay and Tollison, both Mizzou football pledges, were wondering along with tens of thousands of MU fans: Could Eliah Drinkwitz’s squad pull off the upset? They admitted they got nervous when LSU made it all the way inside the 1-yard line.
Except, of course, Mizzou pulled off the upset over LSU, preserving a program-defining win. Mayhem ensued on Faurot Field — so did the group chat that houses the Tigers’ next generation.
“It was pretty hyped up,” Tollison told The Star in a phone interview. “I ain’t gonna lie, it was pretty good. Everybody was pumped. We all kind of thought the same thing; how good they can be. Hopefully we can help them out even more to get them even better.”
After Drinkwitz navigated an offseason during a pandemic, social justice issues and a slew of other obstacles, the first-year coach notched his first on-field triumph in the 45-41 victory. Drinkwitz spoke about what a whirlwind 10 months it’s been since he took the job, adding how he couldn’t be prouder of his Tigers.
The conquest marks the beginning of the Drinkwitz era — not just his first win, but symbolic of real, tangible results. Instead of selling “hope” on the recruiting trail, Drinkwitz can now pitch a historic upset victory in just his first season at the helm.
“We’ve talked a lot about changing the culture and the stated goal is to win the SEC East,” Drinkwitz said. “Sometimes you come in and you’re an ‘energy guy’ and all that stuff. Sometimes people think that’s all just talk. The results speak for themselves.”
Drinkwitz has exceeded on the recruiting trail despite not having those tangible results. The Tigers boast the No. 21-ranked 2021 recruiting class in the nation by Rivals, while 247Sports slots them at 29th.
That push has been led by Drinkwitz, 37, who’s selling his idea of the “New Zou” as he pushes the program forward. And those recruits have noticed, including Mizzou’s 19 committed players who were ecstatic about the upset.
MU tight end pledge Ryan Hoerstkamp said the victory “shows you exactly what Coach Drink is about,” adding how he noticed the Tigers outworked their opposition.
“Not everybody’s a believer,” said Tollison, a three-star offensive lineman. “Once you can kind of put it on paper, it makes everybody believe a lot more. It’s a lot easier to get some guys. When you start beating those teams, it’s a lot easier on recruiting.”
McKay said he knew it was going to be a competitive game — despite MU coming in as a two-touchdown underdog — on the fourth play of the game: the flea-flicker touchdown. The tight end was exactly right, surrounded by friends at the beach, including some of whom were LSU fans.
Once Mizzou came out on top, McKay said he definitely talked some trash as he cheered on his future school.
“LSU’s secondary was struggling and I know they don’t have the best team like last year,” McKay said. “But still, the way we were performing on offense and the way (Connor) Bazelak was throwing the ball, it was just really exciting to see.”
The next batch of future Tigers will sign their National Letter of Intent starting Dec. 16 for the early signing period. Drinkwitz said he’s going to spend his unexpected bye week continuing to recruit, watching film and games because of the NCAA’s dead period.
The first-year coach added he hopes the upset can build momentum for the future in getting more fans around the state of Missouri invested into the program. While the Tigers have had successful ventures — like the south end zone project — Drinkwitz said they need to push the envelope further to “restore the pride that we have in this great program.”
“This is no time to let off the gas, it’s actually time to put the foot down and really accelerate through the curve,” Drinkwitz said. “Try to capitalize on what we’re doing.”
Mizzou’s incoming recruiting class hopes to be a part of that, McKay said. Tollison added that while the win is great and a confidence-booster, he said he knows that they need to keep racking up wins for the future.
In a fortunate twist, the 2021 class will have some extended time with MU quarterback Connor Bazelak, fresh off an SEC Freshman of the Week performance after throwing for 406 yards and four touchdowns.
The NCAA approved a blanket waiver for fall athletes, so Bazelak will have four more years at Mizzou after 2020. And the future Tigers said they’re thrilled about the youth the Tigers already feature, including guys like Ennis Rakestraw, Ish Burdine, Martez Manuel and others.
“Dude’s a baller,” Tollison said of Bazelak. “I just think with his potential and how long he can play there, I don’t see why we can’t get the SEC East championship anytime soon.”