Got to feel for Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz, who is having to game-plan for the Gator Bowl around the defections of his starting QB, two of his top receivers and his offensive coordinator.
Mizzou (8-4, 4-4 SEC) will have to make do without Beau Pribula (1,941 yards, 67.4 percent completion rate, 11 TDs/9 INTs in 2025) and two of his top targets, Joshua Manning (29 catches/51 targets, 318 yards, two TDs) and Marquis Johnson (28 catches/47 targets, 340 yards, two TDs).
ICYMI
The Tigers also have to get an offense together without the guy who served as offensive coordinator this season, Kirby Moore, who left earlier this month to take the head-coaching job at Washington State.
The new OC, Chip Lindsey, was added the staff literally yesterday; he had served on the staff this season at Michigan, which appears to be headed toward an NCAA death penalty, with the athletics department rotting from the head down up there.
Lindsey won’t even have time to set up his office at his new job, with the teams due in Jacksonville on Tuesday.
That’s assuming Lindsey will even have a role in the Gator Bowl, which I would actually bet, not.
It’s not clear at this writing who will be responsible for game-planning and play-calling on Saturday night; it would shock me if it’s Lindsey.
I’d look to the assistants on the offensive side who stayed behind after Moore bolted for Wazzu – I’m not finding reliable answers on who that may be.
We do know who the QB will be – Pribula’s backup, true freshman Matt Zollers, made three starts in 2025, two in Missouri losses, at Vanderbilt and at home to Texas A&M, and the 49-27 win over Mississippi State on Nov. 15.
Zollers was a four-star prep recruit from Pennsylvania, so, much is expected of him – and then, factor in that this is probably an audition for Zollers to be the QB1 going into spring.
Kid has a big game, and the focus heading into portal season for Drinkwitz and Lindsey is on finding a guy to back him up.
A rough start, and Drinkwitz and Lindsey are looking for somebody to compete, or to outright come in and take over.
There is one key building block – sophomore tailback Ahmad Hardy (1,560 rushing yards, 16 TDs in 2025).
ICYMI
- UVA Football: Elliott, Drinkwitz preview Dec. 27 Gator Bowl matchup
- UVA Football: ‘Hoos, knocked out of CFP, get invite to Gator Bowl, facing Mizzou
If I’m John Rudzinski, the defensive coordinator at Virginia, I’m focusing on taking away the run.
Talk about getting no respect: Missouri is in utter disarray, and Vegas still has the Tigers as a four-point favorite.
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Chris Graham
