Eli Drinkwitz insists Mizzou's job is far from finished: 'We've got to kick the door down'

Missouri football’s 11-2 season in 2023 was a fantastic step in the right direction, if you ask head coach Eli Drinkwitz.

The Tigers downed No. 7 Ohio State 14-3 at the Cotton Bowl, using a pair of 4th quarter touchdowns to earn its 11th win on the year. That’s the school’s best finish since 2013 when the Tigers finished 12-2 with a win over Oklahoma State in the …Cotton Bowl.

And with QB Brady Cook coming back for another season in 2024, the Tigers are geared for another strong season. That’s big. Especially with how the transfer portal and NIL have impacted the game recently, it’s hard to see continued success in college football. The Tigers may have reached 11 wins this year, but to be listed among the true elites of college football will take so much more.

Drinkwitz said as much on Friday while appearing with SportsCenter. He insisted that Missouri is not going to stop and that the Tigers are fully intent on kicking the door down to get where they want to be.

Here’s his full quote:

Eli Drinkwitz during his late-night SportsCenter appearance, while wearing a slingshot over his shoulder that he said he carried during Cotton Bowl: “We’re not going to stop. No one is waiting for #Mizzou to take its place in college football. We’ve got to kick the door down.”

— Ben Frederickson (@Ben_Fred) December 30, 2023

Missouri was picked to finish 6th in the SEC East this season. That’s quite the turnaround for Eli Drinkwitz and Co.