“You’re only as good as your next performance”: Mizzou football turns to Kentucky

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Mizzou football coach Eli Drinkwitz said he is cautioning his team on the fine line between confidence and arrogance, after the group knocked off then-No. 25 South Carolina on Saturday.

Coach Drink said confidence is something that you earn through preparation and arrogance is feeling like you can skip steps. The Tigers will look to avoid that coming off of a win this week.

"There's confidence in your ability to prepare each week and recreate that process, which I think for the last four weeks we had done that. We just didn't see the result, so instead of giving up they just kept doing it a little bit better," he said. "I think what you have to do is just understand that what you put in, you're going to get out. You can't skip that step and if you do that's considered arrogance."

The Tigers captured their first road-win of the season in against South Carolina on Saturday, 23-10. Drinkwitz said that he felt like the biggest difference-maker in that win, compared to the close losses, was the turnover battle.

He added that his team has embraced what their identity is more as the season has gone on.

"Everybody want's to be the star, right? But, sometimes you've just got to understand and recognize that on this team and this brotherhood our defense puts us in the best chance to win," Drinkwitz said. "Offensively and special teams, we have to support that. We've got to continue to improve."

Mizzou and Kentucky will kick off at 11:00 a.m. at Faurot Field on Saturday.