One week and counting, Missouri Tigers football deep ‘into that game preparation’
Missouri Tigers football coach Eliah Drinkwitz addressed the media one final time this week before the season kicks off against Murray State on Aug. 29.
The Tigers have now wrapped up a fall camp that Drinkwitz described as the toughest in his tenure.
Looking ahead
For third-year starting quarterback Brady Cook, getting back into a weekly routine is the greatest part of ending camp.
“Now we’re kind of in to that game preparation,” Cook said Tuesday. “Everybody’s kind of working out their game week schedules and we’re starting to show team looks. It’s exciting.”
The Tiger standout gave credit to new position mate Drew Pyne, saying that the tandem has watched film on Murray State together and shared takeaways about their upcoming opponent. Pyne, a transfer sophomore from Arizona State, was the starting quarterback for Notre Dame in the 2022 season.
Cook said that his wealth of knowledge from his previous stops has helped him see his upcoming opponent in a new light.
“(Drew’s) helped me a ton,” Cook said. “Having someone in the QB room that has played at high levels, played a lot of college football ... it’s another voice, it’s another person to help you prepare and push you,” Cook said. “We just watched an intro to Murray State together and went through all the clips. He gave me his thoughts, and I gave him my thoughts. That collaboration is going to be huge this year.”
Overcoming D-Line injuries
Defensive end Darris Smith, who transferred to the Tigers from Georgia, saw his 2024 campaign end before it began due to a knee injury suffered Aug. 13.
Smith, the fourth-highest rated transfer for the Tigers in the 2024 class per On3, was expected to be in the mix for the Tigers’ starting spot vacated by current Darius Robinson, who was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2024 NFL Draft.
“I’m really disappointed for Darris,” Drinkwitz said. “I kick myself every day, because at the end of the day, as the head coach, I’m responsible for designing the practice. I wish I would have done something different that day.”
Despite the injury to Smith, however, linebacker Chuck Hicks still expects major production for the Tigers out of the defensive end slot.
“We’ve got depth at every position, it seems like. A few years ago, we might have had a drop off, but now you’ve got guys ready to step up, ready to play,” Hicks said . “I wish the best for Darris, it’s a sad thing when people get injured, and we’re here for them, but that defense is still going to be real good.”
Designating the depth chart
Drinkwitz declined to release his first depth chart of the season Tuesday, instead indicating that his first depth chart will be released Sunday.
Several positions remain up in the air for the Tigers as the season draws nearer, highlighted by the now injury-depleted defensive end position and at running back.
No indication has been made as to whether former Appalachian State running back Nate Noel or Georgia State transfer Marcus Carroll have earned the starting nod. Drinkwitz did mention that a decision has been made for the Tigers at punter but stopped short of giving an indication as to whether Luke Bauer or Orion Phillips had won the starting job.
Copyright 2024 Columbia Missourian
This story was originally published August 21, 2024 at 10:46 AM with the headline "One week and counting, Missouri Tigers football deep ‘into that game preparation’."