Eli Drinkwitz on motivational tactics after win over North Texas: 'This ain't Ted Lasso'

Eli Drinkwitz and the Missouri Tigers picked up a much-needed win over North Texas on Saturday for Mizzou’s homecoming.

The final score was 48-35, which doesn’t look great, but the Tigers did hold a 31-7 lead at halftime, so there was some dominance from the much-maligned defense.

Drinkwitz was pleased to get the win, and was pleasant in his postgame press conference. Here’s some of what he had to say after the Homecoming victory:

On not having a depth chart prior to the game and motivational tactics:

Drinkwitz: "This ain't Ted Lasso."

— Dave Matter (@Dave_Matter) October 9, 2021

On star RB Tyler Badie:

Eli Drinkwitz calls Tyler Badie "the least talked-about great player in the country."

— Dave Matter (@Dave_Matter) October 9, 2021

On defensive improvements after an embarrassing loss to Tennessee last week.

Drinkwitz postgame: "We didn't think we were going to turn into the '85 Bears overnight. … We'll get it fixed."

— Eric Blum (@ByEricBlum) October 9, 2021

On Mekhi Wingo’s pick-six:

Drinkwitz makes a point of reminding folks in the press room that Mekhi Wingo was the first commitment of the 2021 class.

— Emily Leiker (@emleiker) October 9, 2021

The Tigers host Texas A&M next weekend. Can they pull off a big-time upset? We’ll see if things continue to trend up for Mizzou.