It was a bad day to have a bad day.
A couple of hours before the start of Saturday’s game against Kentucky, Missouri announced it had added two years onto the end of the contract of football coach Eli Drinkwitz. His original contract, signed when he came to Missouri in 2019, was good through 2025.
The press release from the athletic department was full of the usual plaudits -- Drinkwitz is happy to be here, the athletic department is happy to have him, the football program is on the upward swing, etc.
Well, about that last one …
Kentucky 21, Missouri 17.
If you’re a long-time Missouri fan who missed out on seeing the game and just know the final score, I’m guessing you have one thought. What oddity happened to the Tigers that allowed this one to get away this time?
It was not a thing. It was things.
There was a Kentucky fumble recovered by Missouri the officials -- after apparently streaming the first season of House of the Dragon on their tablet -- finally got around to ruling it was not a fumble. Except it was. I know the ground cannot cause a fumble, but the ball was clearly coming out of the grasp of Chris Rodriguez before his elbow hit the ground. Kentucky finished the drive with a touchdown.
There was a play where Kentucky was clearly stopped short of a first down, the official must have been blown off-stride on his from the sideline because the spot was a full yard further down the field to give the Wildcats a first down.
And then there’s the punt/no punt late in the fourth quarter.
Missouri’s defense forced Kentucky into fourth-and-4 at its own 41 with less than four minutes remaining. Down by four, the Tigers, who scored a pair of touchdowns earlier in the fourth quarter, were going to get the ball back with an opportunity to win.
The Kentucky long snapper found a sudden burst of energy and sailed the snap far above the head of punter Colin Goodfellow. The ball ended inside the 5 before Goodfellow could scoop it up and it looked like good fortune was going shine on Drinkwitz and the Tigers in front of 60,000-plus fans at Faurot Field.
But it’s Missouri football and long-time fans know Missouri football and good fortune aren’t friends.
Goodfellow could have tried to fall on it and the Tigers would have been in business with the potential game-winning touchdown.
No.
Goodfellow could have batted or booted the ball out of the end zone for a safety.
No.
What he did was try to punt it. And he did, though it was a shank, just as he was getting tackled.
Oh, no.
Goodfellow was still in the tackle box -- visualize it generally as the area between the hashmarks -- and the officials flagged the Tigers for roughing the kicker, resulting in a 15-yard penalty and automatic first down.
That penalty was correct, but it’s a rule that needs to be corrected. The tackle box should not extend 50 yards down the field, especially when the snap hit the ground. But it is a rule. And a heartbreaking result for the Tigers.
Missouri did get the ball back, but at its own 13 with just :38 remaining. But with the offensive struggles for the Tigers, nothing good was going to come from that.
The officials didn’t have their best day. But it’s not why Missouri lost.
The Tigers’ defense came up with the latest in a series of strong efforts and more than held up their end of the bargain by giving up just 21 points. The offense, yet again, didn’t.
And that brings it back to Drinkwitz.
Drinkwitz was lauded as an offensive-minded coach when he was hired. But the Tigers don’t resemble even an average offense in his third season in Columbia. It starts up front, the offensive line hasn’t played well, and the Tigers need a quarterback. They might have one in Sam Horn, but for some reason, the freshman hasn’t stepped on the field this season.
He’s been a very good recruiter, bringing a pair of top-20 classes in his first two years. But that rating has dropped in his third class. Drinkwitz isn’t done yet with recruiting, but you have to wonder if players are taking note of Missouri’s win-loss record.
Missouri has played in five one-score games this season. The Tigers have gone 1-4. Good teams find ways to win those type of games.
Missouri plays next Saturday at Tennessee and it likely will drop the Tigers to a record of 4-6. The Tigers then close the regular season with home games at New Mexico State -- a win -- and a winnable game against Arkansas on Black Friday. Two victories would get Missouri into a bowl game, but is that progress? The Tigers have qualified for bowls in both of Drinkwitz’s years with the Tigers.
Missouri believes enough in Drinkwitz to invest two additional years. It’s a good decision. But they need to see some better results from that investment.