Missouri focused on Arkansas, not bowl eligibility, heading into Friday’s matchup
After Missouri’s senior night walk-off win against Florida last year, Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz emotionally expressed how much it meant to him and some of his players to be eligible for a bowl game.
After losing that opportunity before the Music City Bowl because of COVID-19 in 2020 and sanctions that included a bowl ban in 2019, it was the first opportunity for many players to play in the postseason.
On Friday, Missouri has a chance to go bowling yet again. But this year, Drinkwitz isn’t focused on that.
“The only thing we’re focused on is it’s a rivalry game and it’s a trophy week,” Drinkwitz said. “That’s it. None of the other stuff matters. The most important thing to us is that they have a trophy and we want it …. Whatever happens after that happens. We’re just focused on trying to win that trophy.”
That focus is why the program honored 21 seniors before Missouri’s 45-14 win over New Mexico State last Saturday despite playing another game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium at 2:30 p.m. CT on Friday against Arkansas. And while Missouri can potentially receive a bowl bid with five wins, it’s no guarantee.
Arkansas, having clinched bowl eligibility last week with a win over Mississippi, is looking for its second straight Battle Line victory and first win in Columbia in school history.
The Razorbacks are led by junior quarterback KJ Jefferson, who completed 15-of-19 passes for 262 yards and a touchdown in the team’s 34-17 win over Missouri last year. In 2020, he threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns against the Tigers.
“Golly, I hope he’s graduating or going pro or something,” Drinkwitz said. “Holy cow. He’s an unbelievable player. He’s able to really throw the football extremely well. He’s a physical runner. But I think the thing that separates him is his ability to read defenses and then, even when protection breaks down, make the first defender miss, whether they’re on him or not.”
The 6-foot-3, 242-pound quarterback has completed 67.6% of his passes for 20 touchdowns and three interceptions and added another 472 yards and six TDs on the ground. Jefferson missed the team’s games against LSU and Mississippi, but the Razorbacks are 6-3 with him as the starter this year. Drinkwitz likened him to Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker.
“I think everybody undervalues his ability to throw the football,” Drinkwitz said. “He’s very accurate, he reads defenses very well. The thing that makes him special is he creates with his feet.”
As is the case in most years, the connections between the two schools are plentiful. Arkansas has maintained its same coordinators since Sam Pittman was hired three seasons ago. That includes Barry Odom, former Missouri head coach and now Arkansas defensive coordinator.
It’s unclear if Missouri wide receiver and Arkansas native Barrett Banister will be available for Friday’s game after leaving Saturday’s win with an injury. Drinkwitz said that updates on him and other players who left the game early, such as cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine, defensive end Isaiah McGuire, safety Joseph Charleston and linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper, will come on Wednesday in the weekly injury report.
“Some of those guys, if they could play, they would play, but athletic trainers and us decided for that game, in those situations, that they didn’t need to return,” Drinkwitz said.
The other major news surrounding the program came from a report by On3’s Matt Zenitz addressing offensive play calling. Zenitz said that Bush Hamdan had been promoted to Missouri’s play caller for the past two games.
“We have an offensive staff that puts everything together and goes through all the situations. Whoever is dialing up the plays at that time is a collective effort anyway. Bush has done a nice job taking the lead on some of it,” Drinkwitz said. “I think it’s a little bit overblown, but I appreciate Bush and his leadership.”