Bob Asmussen | Missouri under Drinkwitz found its happy place

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The term Braggin’ Rights works well for Illinois-Missouri men’s basketball. Though Illinois currently holds a 14-win edge after its 97-73 victory last December, there has been some competitive back and forth between the schools.

But in football, the Tigers are the ones doing all the braggin’. Missouri holds a 17-7 lead in the infrequent matchup, taking six in a row.

Illinois last beat Missouri 30 years ago, holding the Tigers to one first down in a 42-0 home victory.

The teams haven’t played since 2010, when the final game in a troubling-for-Illinois six-game set was held in St. Louis.

The teams will resume their football rivalry starting in 2026 with an eight-game series over 10 years scheduled at home venues.

Right now, the programs are in different places. Illinois enters the season coming off a 5-7 finish in Bret Bielema’s third year. After suffering significant losses to graduation and the NFL draft, Illinois was picked to finish No. 13 and No. 14 in the Big Ten depending on your preseason poll preference. (I voted in both).

Contrast that to Missouri. Eliah Drinkwitz’s team finished 11-2 last season, beating Ohio State 14-3 in the Cotton Bowl. The Tigers were ranked No. 8 in the final Associated Press Top 25.

Led by superstar wide receiver and former News-Gazette All-State Player of the Year Luther Burden III, Missouri starts the season at No. 11 in the preseason AP Top 25. (I had them at No. 8).

Missouri was picked sixth in the SEC preseason poll, behind AP No. 1 Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi and LSU. Really good company.

Drinkwitz has done at Missouri what Bielema wants to accomplish in Champaign-Urbana: Build a winner that is packing the stands and creating buzz in the community.

Columbia, Mo., is like C-U West. The city of 128,555 is two hours away from two huge metro areas, Kansas City, Mo., and St. Louis. Tigers football is generally not the center of sports talk in the state, which leans more toward the Chiefs in K.C. and the Cardinals in St. Louis.

But the Tigers have found an audience. In 2023, they averaged 60,169 at 62,621-seat Faurot Field. That was a 10 percent bump over the previous season, which also ended in a bowl.

Missouri finished 29th nationally in average attendance, which was 12th in the football-crazed SEC. Illinois was No. 43 with 49,698 per game. That extra 10,000-plus tickets sold at Missouri means a lot of bonus cash to spend on its program.

Missouri’s crowds would fill Champaign’s Memorial Stadium, which hasn’t had a sellout since 2016.

The right guy

While Lovie Smith was struggling as a college coach, Barry Odom went 25-25 in four seasons in Columbia. Fine, but not inspiring. He was fired after four years.

Missouri rolled the dice a bit when it hired Drinkwitz before the 2020 season. Though he had been an offensive coordinator in the Power Five at North Carolina State for three seasons, he had only one year of experience as a head coach.

Of course, it was a doozy, with Drinkwitz leading Appalachian State to a 12-1 finish in 2019 and a No. 20 final AP ranking.

His first three seasons in Columbia were nothing special. The team was 17-19 with two bowl losses.

There might have even been grumbling among some of the fans. They are quiet now.

A team he put together by recruiting a string of Top-20 classes is only going to get better.

Drinkwitz likely sensed the Tigers were ready for a breakthrough, but the 11 wins proved it.

Missouri is now a place to be, especially for guys on offense. The 2025 class currently ranks No. 17 nationally, according to Rivals.com.

Fun to watch

For fans, winning is what first draws them to the games. But an exciting style prompts them to tell their friends.

In 2023, Missouri scored at least 30 points in 10 of 13 games. The Tigers averaged 32.5 points, good for 28th nationally. They were 28th in total offense, featuring a balanced attack that was comfortable on the ground and in the air.

Illinois finished 81st in scoring (24.5), eight points per game behind the Tigers. Bump that up a few digits and the gap between five and 11 wins closes quickly.

Missouri fans are counting on more of the same in 2024 against a favorable schedule.

Burden will get into the Heisman Trophy conversation if he makes enough connections with talented quarterback Brady Cook. Missouri has oodles of talent at receiver beyond Burden, which should put a scare into opponents.

The Tigers don’t play Georgia, Texas or Mississippi. Barring an unexpected slipup against Texas A&M or Auburn, they should go to Alabama on Oct. 26 at 7-0 and with a high national ranking. That’s the one behemoth on the schedule in what should be a jog to the new-look 12-team College Football Playoff.

At this moment, I like Missouri’s chances to earn a first-round bye. Or, worst case, host a playoff opener at Faurot.

Should Illinois think about dumping the future games against the Tigers? No, no, no. Plenty can happen between now and 2026.

The goal for Illinois has to be to play the best. Coupled with the Big Ten schedule in 2026 that includes games against Iowa, Oregon and Ohio State, adding the Tigers will be a challenge. One to embrace, not run from.

Playing the best is only half of the equation. Beating the best is the other task.

Missouri under Drinkwitz has shown the way.