Mizzou Tigers QB update: What Eliah Drinkwitz, Brady Cook said ahead of South Carolina
On Oct. 31, the Sunday following Missouri football’s win over Vanderbilt, Brady Cook was told by the coaching staff that he would have an opportunity to play in that week’s game against No. 1 Georgia.
“I just got to work that Sunday into Monday and just prepared just like any other week,” Cook recalled this Wednesday. He later clarified, “I prepare like I’m the starter every week.”
Starting quarterback Connor Bazelak left in the fourth quarter against the Commodores with what Eliah Drinkwitz said was a soft tissue injury. He said in his Tuesday news conference that week that he and his staff didn’t know the injury status of Bazelak, which Drinkwitz later said was done in hopes of giving the team a competitive advantage heading into the Georgia game.
Tyler Macon started on the road against the Bulldogs, and he and Cook split drives throughout the 43-6 loss. It remains uncertain which of the three quarterbacks will start this Saturday’s matchup with South Carolina at Faurot Field as the Tigers (4-5 overall, 1-4 SEC) try to secure one of two more wins needed to earn a bowl berth.
“Who we play this game will be determined based on where we’re at after [Wednesday’s] practice and who we feel like is available and why they’re available and that will determine the direction that we go,” Drinkwitz said Tuesday.
Drinkwitz also said during media availability that Bazelak was “not 100%.”
Bazelak, a sophomore, was on the practice field for the two limited non-contact periods that media were permitted to watch on Tuesday afternoon. He was walking around gingerly during warmup drills and didn’t go through the side shuffling drill that everyone else was doing. He took snaps with the first team, but it’s unclear how much he actually participated during the closed portion of practice.
Drinkwitz said Bazelak would continue to be evaluated by the team’s medical staff on Tuesday and Wednesday, but would not disclose anything more on his status.
If Bazelak is unable to play, Drinkwitz could elect to once again rotate Macon and Cook, or he could start one of the two. It’s worth noting that Macon, a true freshman, can only appear in one more game this season in order to preserve NCAA eligibility with a redshirt year (the limit is four games). Drinkwitz noted that Tuesday’s practice would have a big impact on his decision.
“It’s just really difficult to try to prepare all quarterbacks in a short work week. That’s really going to be the challenge this week,” Drinkwitz said. “There’s no way I can prepare three quarterbacks to be the starter so we’re going to have to narrow down pretty quickly who’s playing and how we’re going to do that.”
Macon completed 6 of 13 pass attempts for 74 yards in last Saturday’s loss. He struggled to complete downfield throws, often going for a sidearm throwing mechanic. He did manage a couple deeper completions to Tauskie Dove in the fourth quarter, at which point Georgia had completely let off the gas. Mizzou had four chances to score a touchdown from the 1-yard line in the final seconds of the game, but Macon struggled to complete passes to open receivers. He also finished with 42 rushing yards on 11 carries.
“Tyler’s got a lot of natural ability and talent, needs to continue to grow as a quarterback and we’re very excited about his future,” Drinkwitz said. “We’ll get there, but we’ll get there. He’s going to have a while as a quarterback.”
Cook, a redshirt freshman, completed 14 of 19 pass attempts for 78 yards. Many of those were short dumps in the backfield as the Tigers struggled to get anything going deep. Drinkwitz remarked that he liked some of the decisions Cook made on third down, specifically referencing a third-and-9 where he threw an 11-yard pass to wide receiver Barrett Banister in the fourth quarter, but noted Cook needs to clean up execution — that was a point of emphasis for both quarterbacks.
“I haven’t really been able to play consecutive drives and really get out there and get a feel for what college football is like,” Cook said on Wednesday. “So I was able to go out at one of the best atmospheres in college football and get in a little groove and get some great experience, and it was a blast.”
When asked about improvements he can make, Cook said he needs to “be cleaner on some of my reads, just prepare better, know the looks better and just have cleaner footwork.”
Though he wouldn’t reveal what he had been told about Bazelak’s injury status or if he expects to play against the Gamecocks, Cook said he will once again be preparing like he’s the starter.
The chosen starter will likely remain a mystery until kickoff, but from what Drinkwitz said, the decision has already been made by now. There’s a lot on the line Saturday as the season winds down and chances at a bowl game dwindle, so whoever it is will need to perform at a high level.
This story was originally published November 10, 2021 at 9:03 PM.
