Full postgame press conference with Mizzou football coach Eli Drinkwitz after a dominating ...

right um got coach Dr Quin here please begin with an opening statement yeah first just want to say how um remarkable the crowd was today I mean unbelievable from the start of the game the students being out there and being loud and then everybody being in their seats I mean we kicked off it was I mean it reminded me of of what it was last year so it was an awesome job by the crowd and you could just tell our players I mean with that fast start fed off the energy of the crowd and uh so want to thank the students want to thank the fans for being in the seats uh and making this opening game uh pretty special Sid just told me uh cat just told me it was the sixth time or sixth largest crowd yeah and for the home opener uh first time we've held a team to under a 100 yards since 2019 uh so you know Cory baton can't say how good of a job he did tonight and then you know at halftime I really challenged our players when we're going to sub people out to play to a standard um and and not get complacent and was really really proud of those guys got a lot of different people in the game man that last Drive um I think other than Philip Rocha it was all freshman on the field and man that is going to be one heck of a defense in the future really proud of those guys and uh thought they came in and played to a standard so really appreciative of them um so with that I'll open it up for questions the talk of this week was they kind of being serious unnown to prep for how long did it take you guys it took us four plays so no I mean they had some stuff they started with some unbalanced formations but um again that's just a hats off to Cory and his staff for having our guys that prepared um and really just answering the Bell you know we kind of figured that uh there wasn't going to be a ton of drop back pass and so we we we were kind of expecting some of the screen and inside Zone and some sweep stuff and and I thought we played with great edges Cory flag I thought played really fast today he he jumped out on film Marvin Burks jumped out you know just live making tackles so really pleased with the way the defense played tonight Eli start the off what did you like you saw from your starter that yeah I mean I thought they just came out uh you know after the onside kick and and executed um you know we left a few plays out there that we're going to be coming back in and and working on but you know I thought you know we protected the quarterback really well tonight I don't think he had any uh protection issues and U you know we were fairly efficient I know in the first half I think we were five of seven for third down so um you know overall was a pretty good night see what you want to tonight from starting offensive line yeah I mean um yeah I thought so I thought we were able to run the ball you know we just missed on a couple of shot plays that that we were going to have to connect on in moving in the future but uh overall I thought those guys played pretty well we'll have to watch the tape you know we had a couple of penalties there but uh yeah for the most part I thought they did what we expected them to do coach for Tor to come up with that first def yeah how about that howy it only yeah well I thought the first best play was the fourth down I mean obviously to stuff a quarterback sneak like that um was pretty impressive and then to come back that very next Drive in torono to make the play he he's been doing a really good job in Camp he's really been competitive and challenging routes and and uh for him to be up there and make that play today was pretty awesome I know it was really special for him I think it surprised himself because he didn't have a celebration to go to so we'll have to work on that is that look at his athleticism that's a tough play to make but then to separate and almost stiff arm to complete the touchdown that almost look like a receiver more than defensive yeah we we got plenty of wide receivers so we'll we'll keep him over there at the DB position but no I mean he's a heck of an athlete he's a great player um we're fortunate that he you know was able to come back and and um you know I think all the new guys today Chris mclen you know has the sack fumble Force fumble you know champ has a bunch of good tackles you know Z Zion has the pressure when torano makes the interception torano made plays um so to see the new guys integrate themselves the way that they have and for us to play at a high level I thought you know offensively too Marcus Bryant Kaden green you know I think all those guys uh it it was good to see that what was your what's your instant thought on how you ran the ball specifically the the first two guys Nate and Marcus well exactly what I kind of expected with Marcus Carroll he's going to be really tough to tackle when he gets his pads downhill it's going to be a tough out uh and you know you're going to have to really bring a sack lunch to keep hitting him um I thought Nate Noel had some really good Cuts he's got some quickness I think there's one that his feet got kind of got caught up that we're going to wish we had back but for the most part I thought those guys played uh well off of each other and I think both both of them had a lot of yards catching receiving too Nate had four and I know um Marcus had a couple too so I was impressed with their ability to catch the ball looked like Theo and Brett went to the locker room at VAR points in the first half any sense of what happened with them yeah we were just going to be smart with them in the second half so I I think they'll be fine uh wasn't wasn't alarmed by anything afterwards practice Yeah just go back to practice um obviously I think part of that is U adrenaline you know and so just going back in and and figuring out how do we U uh account for the adrenaline in our throws but they're the right reads you know there was one in the second half that was really on us as coaches you know um Muki has the big long run on third down and gets about 40 yards and then we go to a Tempo call and he's the the take and he was just out of gas so that's really on us but uh the other ones I mean we'll learn from we'll get there yeah I'll have to go back and watch the tape I was really glad that we finished off the half with the touchdown um I just kind of challenged those guys we weren't going to kick a field goal there so was pleased with their execution on that drive um you know we'll have to go back and and see I can't recall any issues that I was concerned about along those lines that that play I think you had 5 seconds left no time outs and it's a quarterback run is that just a hey you're either going to score or we're going to go to half time and not worry about yeah we we it was a right hash um and it was ball was on about the two and a half yard line so I just told Kirby to call our a two-point play right there and we're going to treat it like a two-point play so you know we were either going to execute and get in or we weren't so aside from some interactions up front the ones and the twos how would you characterize the looked consistently at Point attack um I'm going to have to go back and watch it I mean I thought we had some good holes I thought there was a couple plays where if the ball gets handed off you know Brady throws uh the free access Outlets that we would had you know even more yardage um obviously the the false starts you know false start right there on that fourth and goal can't happen so you those there's always things that you got to clean up but uh I think we're where we wanted to be and and now we just got to keep improving I mean the name of the game is how much better can you get um and you know two years ago we had a big win and and and then kind of laid an egg the very next week because we we thought we we pattered ourselves on a back you know for a week so we're not going to do that we're going to get in there we're going to um figure out how to improve and we're going to attack it this week in practice talk about the decision to teamers arms on the way out of the tunnel what the messes this season yeah the message is this is a new team this a new thing and and um you know we want to show that you know together we're stronger so it it was really just about this is this is the way we're going to do it this year so really appreciate the seniors and the captains coming up with that and and I thought it was pretty cool I thought he played an excellent half um made some really good decisions showed toughness didn't show a ton of athleticism on that quarterback run but um that's not why he's here uh no I was really proud you know of Drew um to to the way the season ended for him last year for him to come back and and the way he's been just an awesome teammate pushed Brady um but also complimented him and then for him to get a half of football in there um and and was just making great reads you know putting the ball exactly where it needs to be and and so really impressed with him that starton does your was like well I think you know our team our team wanted to come out and show everybody that we're this is a new team you know and this is a new thing and and um we're going to have our own identity and um so I'm really proud of those guys for setting the standard um but like I told them in the locker room like this is just the start you know the goal was to be one and0 and uh we got to make one and0 decisions this weekend and we got to come back ready to work um Monday because from here I mean each game it's going to get a little bit more challenging and so we got to meet those challenges head on with Improvement and Improvement mindset was it strange to watch someone not named Harrison kick a field goal yeah uh really really impressed with Blake tonight um thought he did a great job with the extra points the kickoffs obviously we had the one where he's trying to over KCK um but you know I thought he did a really really nice job and and um it just great for his confidence what you make Nick first game in corner Nick Delo yeah um I'd have to go back and watch the tape uh you I know he had that one uh key pass break up on a third down looked like in the third quarter um you know and I thought he he had a pretty good U uh perimeter play in the in the second quarter but you know outside of that I don't remember anything which is probably good for a DB did anything stand out about having the helmet communication or video yeah we we just got a you know obviously we screwed up the end half right there with Brady when the clock was was running and he thought we were in the in the communication we were telling him you got to go got to go and he thought we were making a a check and so that was what the communication was there so so we're going to have to figure that out uh because in a critical situation that clock blunder right there is is massive trick from the second quarter get this season what Tri there was a trick play on oh that's a bad deal too because uh we've been practicing that play for about 18 months and and uh and C it's it's called Bulldog cuz Fresno State Bulldogs it's Kirby's play and he doesn't want to run it so we've been goating him like the whole offseason like you're never going to call it why do we even have it on the call sheet so he ends up calling it and then he fumbles it and he's he's pissed at us right now let's just be honest about it so no uh we will never run that play again and uh too bad it's a good play anything else for Coach thank you appreciate yall MZ down