Let’s examine how Drinkwitz’s Mizzou offense matches up against Odom’s Hogs defense
Missouri Tigers coach Eliah Drinkwitz has diverted most of the attention away from himself — and his fellow coaches — ahead of the Battle Line Rivalry.
Drinkwitz admits that, yes, there are a lot of storylines going into Mizzou’s game against Arkansas. But that comes with his caveat that it’s a “player’s game.” That’s how the Tigers have embraced this rivalry contest, stressing that they, and not their coaches, will ultimately decide the outcome.
But when Mizzou meets Arkansas at 11 a.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium, the marquee matchup will be between Drinkwitz’s offense and former MU coach Barry Odom’s defense.
“When you watch Coach Odom’s defense at Arkansas, they don’t do a lot similar to us,” Drinkwitz said. “They’re really kind of their own identity. Their own defense. ... There are some of the same defensive calls, but for the most part it’s a different style of defense.”
Part of this is narrative-driven. Odom was fired just over a year ago, ending his MU tenure by going 25-25 from 2016-19. A couple weeks later, Drinkwitz took over. Odom headed south, landing at Arkansas as the Razorbacks’ defensive coordinator.
That’s going to gather attention naturally, without any added drama.
But there’s also intrigue in the on-field product: how the Tigers will attack a pesky Hogs defense. Arkansas’ surprising start this season has been reliant on its defense — especially when it comes to creating turnovers.
The formula for slowing down the Hogs is relatively simple: Don’t turn the ball over. Arkansas is 3-0 when it wins the turnover battle, but 0-5 otherwise. But this is not as easy as it sounds. The Hogs lead the SEC with 13 interceptions, disguising coverages to sow confusion.
That means MU quarterback Connor Bazelak has to play like he did in the Tigers’ win against Kentucky. He didn’t force anything down the field in that 20-10 win, instead taking what the Wildcats’ defense gave him. Time and again, the Tigers methodically made their way down the field, leaning on running back Larry Rountree III for a career-high 37 carrier.
“They do a really good job of reading the quarterback’s eyes,” Bazelak said of the Arkansas defense. “They play a lot of zone. They have their eyes on the quarterback and they just make plays. You’ve just gotta stick to the game plan and execute and deceive the defense.”
MU defensive coordinator Ryan Walters spent some time alongside Odom at Memphis, so there’s some familiarity there. But Walters claimed he hasn’t watched much film of the Arkansas defense, instead prepping for a Hogs offense that features playmakers at key skill positions.
Drinkwitz said he and his coaching staff might be able to glean insight from the type of play-caller Odom becomes in certain scenarios. But, Drinkwitz noted, this is “no different than what Coach Odom is telling the Arkansas offensive staff” about the Tigers’ defensive coaches.
“They’re playing really well on that side of the ball, forcing a bunch of turnovers,” Walters said. “I’m not surprised. He’s a great coach. He’s a huge asset for Coach Pittman and Arkansas. Not shocked at all. I expect them to do damage there for sure.”
Odom has relied heavily on linebackers Grant Morgan and Bumper Pool. The pair rank high on the SEC leaderboard for tackles, rivaling Mizzou linebacker Nick Bolton’s on-field production. Morgan and Bolton are likely competing against one another for the SEC’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
Bolton certainly hasn’t shied away from this weekend’s matchup, saying early in the week that he feels like the “baddest SOB on the field.” After Arkansas posted a similarly bold tweet, Bolton took notice, replying “see y’all Saturday.”
Most of the veteran Tigers admit that it will be strange to line up against their former head coach. Odom recruited many of them to Columbia. But that doesn’t change their goals this week. They still love their former coach, which is partly why they’re going into Saturday’s game with an intense focus.
“I just feel like the best way to respect him is to prepare to play the Razorbacks as if I’m playing the Super Bowl,” MU safety Martez Manuel said. “Just respect my opponent and respect the game and study my film. Bring everything I’ve got. I feel like the best way to respect Coach Odom is to play hard.”