‘One bad day doesn’t define our team or our season’: No. 21 Mizzou football turns page to UMass
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
After taking their first loss of the season and a 12-spot tumble in the AP Top-25, the No. 21 Mizzou football team is focused on nothing else but preparations for a matchup with UMass on Saturday.
You can watch extended highlights from Mizzou's Tuesday practice in the video player below.
On Tuesday, head coach Eli Drinkwitz continued to shoulder the blame for his team's 31-point loss at Texas A&M. However, he said the important thing now is to identify the issues and focus on fixing them, before heading up to Amherst, Mass.
"You're not always going to have peak performance, as much as we would like to. It doesn't have to define us, but we do have to respond and we do have to respond in a in a better manner. How we respond will define who we are as a team and what kind of character we have as a program," Drinkwitz said. "Ignore the noise. There's always going to be narratives. There's always going to be criticisms. There's always going to be opportunities to point the finger. That really doesn't have anything to do with us. Our opportunity is to respond. Ignore the noise. Embrace the brotherhood. The best always tell themselves the truth."
You can watch the full press conference with Coach Drink in the video player below.
Coach Drinkwitz pointed out that his team has not taken a loss since October of 2023. With more than 40 new players on the roster, this week will be an opportunity for the Tigers to learn how to navigate a defeat as a unit.
"The sky is not falling. We had a poor performance. It doesn't have to define us. What we have to do is respond and how you respond is do your job, focus on the core values that we've instilled...ignore the outside narrative and come in here and go back to work. It's really that simple," Drink said.
During Tuesday's press conferences, Mizzou players emphasized that improvement all starts in practice. Linebacker Corey Flagg Jr. said it helps that the Tigers have a pretty mature roster and can handle the criticism and self-reflection, especially following the Texas A&M loss.
"It's just adversity and being honest with yourself in a mirror and being truthful with yourself and that was something I had to do after the game," Flagg Jr. said. "There was a couple of plays I left on field...I had to really be honest with myself and tell myself I have to continue to do my job, you know? I was just extremely selfish on my part to try to make a play when my guys are trusting me to be here...It just comes to being honest with yourself."
You can watch the full press conference with Flagg Jr. and center Connor Tollison in the video players below.
Up next - Mizzou and UMass will kickoff at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday, Oct. 12.
