Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz is looking at the upcoming season as a blank slate, but not a return to normal.
The second-year Missouri coach doesn’t think there is a normal anymore. After making his Southeastern Conference coaching debut in a season affected daily by the COVID-19 pandemic, he’s aware of the off-the-field remnants from the 2020 season still looming over 2021.
Drinkwitz also isn’t focusing much on his team’s 2020 on-field performance. The Tigers finished 5-5 in a shortened season before having their Music City Bowl matchup against Iowa canceled.
“What you did last year has nothing to do with what you’re going to do this year,” Drinkwitz told reporters Tuesday. “Your preparation, your work ethic, your ability to get ready and kind of recreate what your identity is gonna be has to be part of your DNA, what you want to become.”
Missouri kicks off its 2021 season at 3 p.m. Saturday against Central Michigan, the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
Central Michigan coach McElwain likely won’t be on the sideline Saturday. CMU announced Wednesday that the coach was undergoing appendicitis surgery and did not estimate a return date. Assistant head coach Tim Skipper, also the linebackers coach, will be in charge of the program until McElwain returns to full health.
Though Drinkwitz touted the work his team has put in over the past nine months, he admitted there are always unknowns at the start of a season.
“I think any time you go into a Week 1 opponent, you’re never quite sure where you’re at. You kind of got a general idea, but until you can play a game against an opponent, you’re not really sure what you’ve got.”
Missouri returns eight starters each on offense and defense and four on special teams, though many made their first consistent collegiate starts during the pandemic season in front of reduced crowds. Drinkwitz said the team has been practicing with noise to prepare for road environments but that he’s not worried about the crowd.
“The play doesn’t care who makes it,” he said.
However, one player Drinkwitz particularly noted as possibly being affected by change from last season to this one was Connor Bazelak. The quarterback is heading into his first season with a guaranteed starting spot after having competed last season against Shawn Robinson, now a Tiger safety.
“I’m confident (Bazelak will) catch the snap, but we’ll find out,” Drinkwitz said. “He didn’t have to play in front of a lot of fans last year, so he’s got a whole new set of issues. Now he’s got an offseason of everybody telling him how good he is and patting him on the back. We’ll find out how much Kool-Aid he drank and how much focus he has.”
Central Michigan also has a large contingent of returning players — 10 starters on offense, nine on defense and three on special teams — but is less sure of who will be in key starting offensive positions for the season.
McElwain told reporters Monday that multiple players will see reps at quarterback against Missouri and didn’t name a starter for the game. Three of the team’s six quarterbacks are listed on the depth chart — redshirt freshman Daniel Richardson, sophomore Jacob Sirmon and freshman Tyler Pape — with an “or” between each of their names.
Richardson is the only player with previous CMU experience. He made four starts in 2020, completing 63 of 99 pass attempts (63.6%) for 714 yards.
“What they’re trying to do on the offensive side of the ball, there’s a lot of questions on who is gonna play quarterback,” Drinkwitz said. “But coach McElwain’s been an excellent quarterback coach his entire career, so I don’t think it really matters as much who lines up behind him.”
Similarly, CMU likely will let multiple running backs see the field following junior Kobe Lewis’ knee injury in August. Lewis is one of Central Michigan’s most senior players on offense, having played 32 games across three seasons for the Chippewas. He has already undergone surgery.
There will be four to five players who get reps against Missouri in Lewis’ place, but Lew Nichols III is listed in the top spot on the depth chart. Nichols was Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year after rushing for a team-high 508 yards.
When talking about the Chippewas offensive scheme, Drinkwitz also noted wide receiver Kalil Pimpleton. The junior is a dynamic player often used when CMU runs wildcat, a scheme many teams use in gimmicky fashion, but that Drinkwitz said is a “big part” of Central Michigan’s offense.
“They’ve got some really good skill players and a really good scheme, and it’s gonna be a challenge for our defensive staff and our defensive players,” the MU coach said.
Missouri has been working on a new defensive scheme of its own with new coordinator Steve Wilks that will be put to the test for the first time against CMU. Wilks joined the Tiger coaching staff ahead of the 2021 spring season, when his defense shined during scrimmages against the offense.
Since then, though, MU has lost eight defensive players to the transfer portal. The cornerback position was the most affected, losing Jarvis Ware and Jadarrius Perkins among others. Linebacker Gerald Nathan Jr. was the most recent departure.
Despite that, Drinkwitz said he’s confident in Wilks’ scheme and the defense as a whole. Akial Byers, Shawn Robinson and Martez Manuel are all veteran players expected to be leaders on that side of the ball.
“Obviously, Steve’s been coaching football for a long time and knows what it takes, and our staff knows what it takes,” Drinkwitz said. “Just like anything else, until you really do it, you’re not gonna be quite sure where the deficiencies are and what has to be fixed.”
"time" - Google News
September 03, 2021 at 06:00PM
https://ift.tt/3jFR3fi
Missouri, Central Michigan face off for first time as Memorial Stadium returns to full capacity - Columbia Missourian
"time" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3f5iuuC
No comments:
Post a Comment