Mizzou blocks out the noise ahead of Top-15 road battle with Georgia
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Mizzou football team is aware of the implications that Saturday's AP top-15 clash with the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs in Athens has. It's crucial in the fight the for SEC East and where MU's season goes, overall. However, head coach Eli Drinkwitz said that it's not his team's job to create the storylines, but instead to ignore them and go 1-0.
Essentially, the No. 14 Tigers are putting on the blinders heading into Athens.
"Irregardless, after the game...there's gonna be two different narratives. The narrative is gonna be if we lost, the season is over and there's nothing left to play for because of what was at stake in the game, which we know is not true. If we win, we're gonna be assumed that we're gonna win the East, which is not true because we still have three games left versus SEC opponents," Drinkwitz said. "What's at stake in this game is no different than what was at stake when we played at Vandy, at Kentucky, at home versus South Carolina. If you don't play well in those games or you lose those games, then you lose any other opportunity."
You can watch the full press conference with Drinkwitz in the video player below.
Mizzou has not beaten Georgia since 2013, but will look to get that feat accomplished, following a much needed bye week. The team said it has been essential to have extra time to prepare for the meeting with the Bulldogs.
Watch extended highlights of Mizzou's Tuesday practice in the video player below.
Health-wise, Drinkwitz said that everyone came back from the bye healthy and rested. The only note he made is that linebacker Chad Bailey would likely be questionable on Saturday.
As far as the mindset of the players goes, they are modeling Coach Drinkwitz. It's business as usual around the Mizzou facility, before leaving for Athens on Friday. Quarterback Brady Cook said there's no reason to change his mentality now, after MU's 7-1 start.
"It's just another week," he said. "We have to repeat the process. I think I try to emulate that around the building and just show that I'm gonna be the most prepared guy on the team and I think the guys feed off that."
You can watch the full press conference with Cook, as well as running back Cody Schrader in the video players below.
Cook and company will be meeting an old friend in Athens, on Saturday. Former Mizzou wide receiver Dominic Lovett plays for the Bulldogs this season. Players said there isn't any added juice with that match up, though.
"He's No. 6 on Georgia now," defensive lineman Darius Robinson said. "It is what it is."
You can watch the full press conference with Robinson, as well as linebacker Ty'Ron Hopper in the video players below.
Cook and Lovett played together for a few years in Columbia and the quarterback said he will always wish the fellow St. Louis-native the best. However, he did add that it will be odd seeing him on the opposite sideline on Saturday.
Drinkwitz said that, in order to come away with a win, his team needs to focus not so much on the challenges that the Bulldogs present, but on what they can control. The Tigers have had quite a bit of time to get settled into the game plan that Drinkwitz, offensive coordinator Kirby Moore and defensive coordinator Blake Baker have put together.
"I'm very comfortable with the game plan already and it's only Tuesday," Cook said. "That's big for my confidence and preparation. Just having that extra week to watch tape, to go over the game plan, to look over the ready list, you know, that's big."
No. 14 Mizzou and No. 1 Georgia will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 4.
