Last year, Missouri struggled most against South Carolina. During a thrilling matchup at Williams-Brice Stadium, the Gamecocks narrowly triumphed over the Tigers, 34–30. But now, the script has flipped. Missouri reclaimed the Mayor’s Cup for the sixth time in seven years. Although the Tigers’ offense ignited late, kicker Robert Meyer drilled a clutch 40-yard field goal to seal a 29–20 victory. And with the win, Mizzou races to 4-0, sending a statement across the SEC. Still, Missouri HC Eli Drinkwitz is not fully satisfied with the team’s performance.

Even though Missouri’s offense surged in the second half, it capitalized on every chance. RBs Jamal Roberts and Ahmad Hardy powered the ground attack for a combined 214 yards and 2 TDs. “I just look at it as a one-two punch,” stated Hardy. And he stole the show with 6.3 per carry, bulldozing defenders at every turn. But late in the third, after a Gamecock field goal made it 20-18, Roberts burst into the end zone on a 16-yard run, and Beau Pribula’s two-point conversion pushed Mizzou ahead 26-20. Now, while the offense shone when it mattered most, the defense struggled, leaving Eli Drinkwitz frustrated.

In his postgame press conference, the coach ripped into the secondary after repeated blown coverages. “We gave up 293 yards, and 300 of it was passing. That is ridiculous,” he said. Then he doubled down, saying, “This is getting ridiculous, how poor our passing defense is… that’s gotta get corrected.” Drinkwitz made it clear: until the secondary tightens up, Mizzou’s ceiling stays capped. But what caused the issue?

Initially, the Tigers dominated South Carolina’s weakened line, restricting the Gamecocks to a shocking -9 rushing yards. Yet discipline issues lingered. Six false starts. Then 2 holding calls and 50 penalty yards. But to cap it off, Sellers missed WR Mazeo Bennett Jr., leading to a punt instead of a TD on a 3rd down. Missouri’s defense was powerful but still searching for consistency. While defensive lapses have hurt team performance, Beau Pribula delivers a bold message for the Mizzou Tigers.

Eli Drinkwitz’s QB breaks silence

After Mizzou’s win over South Carolina, Beau Pribula laid it plain: “We don’t look down the road, and we don’t look behind us either.” So the takeaway is to focus on the game and let everything else follow. But the star QB didn’t stop there.

Missouri’s offense thrives on its head attack, featuring Pribula and Roberts. And their unpredictability keeps defenses off balance, turning every snap into a potential big play. “Defenses don’t know what to expect. It just makes us more dangerous,” stated Pribula. After that, the star QB spoke highly of the rushing attack.

“I’ll never be mad when Ahmad (Hardy) runs for 100 yards each week,” said Pribula. Then he added that getting the run game going, especially finishing the game strong on the ground, was “huge.” Following that, he noted, “Anytime you can control the line of scrimmage, it’s massive for our team. Super proud of the guys up front and the backs once again.” Now it’s a wait-and-see whether Mizzou’s offense can keep the winning streak alive in its next game.