<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2j32y1_0wETIg0Q00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2j32y1_0wETIg0Q00" width="1200" height="630" >Missouri’s close call, a 21-17 victory over the Auburn Tigers on Saturday at Memorial Stadium, had everything to do with what coach Eli Drinkwitz has coined a “wilderness brotherhood.”The win was the first for Missouri against Auburn since it joined the Southeastern Conference, now holding a 1-3 mark over the blue and orange in SEC play. Drinkwitz said he couldn’t think of a better way to win a Homecoming game than with the team that fought together, never quitting on each other.“There’s a lot of toughness on that team,” Drinkwitz said. “There’s a lot of young guys on that team that haven’t had a win like that before. So they know they’re never out of the fight. You’re never out of the fight. You’ve just got to keep swinging. And especially the response after what happened to us a couple weeks ago, for this team to find it and figure it out like that, bodes well for the rest of the year.”After multiple injuries hindered the team’s performance in the tight game, the return of starting quarterback Brady Cook fueled the team’s fire.“That’s their guy, man. They just picked him up in the locker room and celebrated with him. That’s their guy,” Drinkwitz said. “They believe in him more than anybody else. We all do. In this building, nobody doubts that guy.“And hopefully nobody else will. Hopefully, we’ll get over that bull crap,” Drinkwitz added, seemingly in response to criticism of the fifth-year senior’s performance for most of the season.Drinkwitz has now won all five of his Homecoming contests as head coach since joining Missouri, improving the Tigers to a 68-40-5 all-time Homecoming record. Cook and Drinkwitz spoke about the highs and lows they’ve faced together since they both joined the team in 2020.“They know how hard he works,” Drinkwitz said. “They know he’s put in the preparation. They know he’s put in the time. And (at) the end of the day, you’re never going to be perfect, right? There’s going to be failures, but everybody’s going to be able to lay their head on their pillow knowing that he did his best to give us a chance. And when somebody does that, you want to lay it on the line for him. They just raise their level of competitive spirit.”“He means a lot to me. We’ve been through a ton,” Cook said in response to hearing about Drinkwitz’s support of him. “We came in at the same exact time here at Mizzou, and the ups and downs and roller coasters we’ve been through together, (that) has been incredible. It really has. And this is just one of those moments. Just add it to what we’ve been through together, what we’ve done together. Just add it to the list. I’m proud to have him as my coach.”The brotherhood’s win secured bowl eligibility for Mizzou, the fourth time in the past 25 years of MU history that the six-game requirement was reached in a Homecoming game.“I think this win is going to take us far,” Cook said. “I think this is one of those moments for our team that we hadn’t had yet. We really haven’t had one of these moments yet where we band together, we fight and we go win an SEC football game like we need to and we go make plays to do it. I think our team needed that.”<h2>Burden surpasses 2,000 career yards in win</h2>With just under two minutes left in the game, wide receiver Luther Burden III caught a 13-yard pass from Cook, securing his spot as the 12th receiver to top the 2,000-yard mark in Missouri history.Burden finished with only two receptions for 11 yards in the first half of the game on just three targets by Cook and backup QB Drew Pyne. He hit his stride a bit in the second half, finishing the game with six receptions for 49 yards.Drinkwitz said Burden has a “this-play” mentality, adding that the junior wide receiver’s main goal is to consistently make plays.<h2>Mizzou recruits, targets visit Memorial Stadium</h2>Many of Missouri’s recruits and targets made their way to Columbia for Missouri’s 113th Homecoming.Four-star defensive end Daeden Hopkins, four-star offensive lineman Jack Lange and three-star tight end Dakotah Terrell represented Missouri’s Class of 2025 commits. The Tigers had prospects visit from the class in two four-star recruits: defensive end Tobi Haastrup and defensive back Charles Bass.“There’s a lot of recruits here today in the locker room celebrating right now,” Drinkwitz said after the game.The home Tigers also hope their win impressed a group of recruits from the Class of 2026. In attendance were four-star De Smet defensive end Titan Davis and an array of three-star recruits: Platte County quarterback Rocco Marriott; wide receiver Zachary Washington of St. Francis in Wheaton, Illinois; and Lawrence, Kansas, linebacker Joshua Galbreath. Class of 2026 linebacker Leon Howard was also in attendance, as was Class of 2027 quarterback Reece Shanklin, both of East St. Louis.Joining the football recruits was Missouri men’s basketball target Tristan Reed, a Class of 2026 four-star power forward from John Burroughs.<h2>Hall of Famers back in Columbia</h2>Missouri’s all-time passing leader, Chase Daniel, headlined the visiting alumni who traveled to Columbia. The former Missouri star quarterback isn’t just in town for Homecoming, though. Daniel, the three-year Missouri starter, will be enshrined in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame on Sunday along with 22 other inductees.Ahead of the game’s opening kickoff, Cook was able to get some words of wisdom from Daniel.“It was cool seeing Chase pregame. That’s a Mizzou legend right there, for sure,” Cook said. “And seeing him pregame, talking to him, it’s cool to see him back. And just the vibe of Homecoming and seeing different players booked back. And, man, it was a special finish. I’m so glad we got that one.”Former Missouri linebacker Sean Weatherspoon welcomed the team onto the field by pounding “Big Mo,” the large bass drum that sits on the northeast concourse at Memorial Stadium. Weatherspoon, who was inducted into the 2023 Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, was also honored during the game. He was joined by former Missouri star wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, who was an inductee into the 2019 Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame.<h2>Drinkwitz named to Dodd watchlist</h2>On Thursday, Drinkwitz was named to the Dodd Trophy midseason watchlist. The honor is awarded to the head college football coach who best exemplifies the three pillars of coach Bobby Dodd’s coaching philosophy — scholarship, leadership and integrity — as well as success on the gridiron.The 2024 watchlist includes 20 college football coaches representing all Power Four conferences as well as the AAC and an independent.Drinkwitz was nominated along with five other coaches in the Southeastern Conference: Josh Heupel (Tennessee), Brian Kelly (LSU), Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss), Steve Sarkisian (Texas) and Kirby Smart (Georgia).The watchlist candidates were chosen based on their program’s graduation rate, Graduation Success Rate, Academic Progress Rate, on-field success in the 2024 season and commitment to service and charities in their communities.A panel of previous winners, national media, a Dodd family member and College Football Hall of Fame member will narrow the coaches down to a final list at the end of the season. The winner of the award will be announced during the week of the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta.</div></body>

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Wilderness brotherhood propels Mizzou to a close victory, secures end-of-season bowl eligibility

Missouri’s close call, a 21-17 victory over the Auburn Tigers on Saturday at Memorial Stadium, had everything to do with what coach Eli Drinkwitz has coined a “wilderness brotherhood.”. The win was the first for Missouri against Auburn since it joined the Southeastern Conference, now holding a 1-3...