10 wins in hand, New Yr’s Six bowl on the way in which, No. 10 Mizzou finds one thing confirmed -Dispatch

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — In cigar smoke-filled area subsequent to the visiting group locker room, show turned confirmed.

The transition from current tense to previous participle had technically occurred a couple of minutes earlier when a red-and-white stadium regarded far more black and gold because the clock hit triple zeroes and confirmed {that a} Battle Line blowout had gone in No. 10 Missouri’s favor — to the tune of a 48-14 road win at Arkansas to shut out the common season.

“It’s the capstone to the yr,” mentioned Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz, who simply moments earlier was passing out cigars to his gamers as they got here off the sphere.

The Tigers (10-2, 6-2 Southeastern Convention) gained their tenth recreation of the season Friday afternoon in Fayetteville, a feat that hasn’t been achieved since 2014. On Dec. 3, they’ll discover out which New Yr’s Six bowl recreation they’ll play in as a result of they’re presently the No. 9 group within the School Soccer Playoff rankings — and dominating the Razorbacks for 60 minutes certain didn’t damage their possibilities.

Friday’s win got here right down to a handful of revealingly clear numbers. MU went seven for seven within the crimson zone, whereas the Hogs didn’t cross midfield till the third quarter. Missouri working again Cody Schrader ran for 220 yards, whereas all the Arkansas offense solely managed 225 yards of complete offense. The Tigers — nicely, freshman tight finish Brett Norfleet, to be extra particular — scored two touchdowns in 11 seconds of recreation time. Mizzou’s beginning proper deal with was ejected after a brawl, but the group with its sights set on attending to 10 wins scored on the following play anyway.

That’s a successful recipe if there ever was one. However the win didn’t appear to be why there have been cigars and celebrations permeating by the cinderblock partitions.

“Not lots of people anticipated rather a lot from us, man,” mentioned Schrader. “And this group has frequently simply proved individuals fallacious. And we’re proving ourselves proper.”

Proof. This isn’t concerning the power of the spirits that may chase the cigars — no, this has been one thing circling the Tigers because the begin of preseason camp.

4 months in the past, it was coach communicate — a catchphrase that might turn into a corny cliché relatively shortly if issues went south. However there “one thing to show” was, stamped throughout Missouri soccer branding, repeated by an unrelenting, undeterred refrain of gamers and coaches.

“Folks most likely thought we have been loopy once we got here out with the motto STP,” Schrader mentioned.

Perhaps so.

However right here’s Drinkwitz, simply after the stroke of two p.m. on July 30, on the eve of Mizzou’s first observe:

“It actually originated with a dialog the place we’re not attempting to show that individually, we’re gifted,” he mentioned. “We all know that we’ve had expertise on this soccer group. We need to show that collectively, we belong in our league and might play higher than we’ve got and produce higher outcomes than we’ve got.”

Final yr, the Tigers misplaced to Kansas State, Kentucky, Florida and Tennessee. This season, they beat all 4 by a mixed 51 factors. MU will end second within the SEC East, trailing solely No. 1 Georgia in these standings.

Hold going, Coach.

“There’s that part of listening to the noise and understanding that there’s voices outdoors that don’t consider in our skills or what we may very well be, or rankings and all that great things,” Drinkwitz mentioned earlier than the preseason.

At No. 9 within the CFP rankings, Missouri is the very best it’s ever been in that specific hierarchy. It may wind up even greater, relying on what occurs to a couple of the highest eight groups throughout their common season finales.

MU is the one college with semifinalists for every of the awards given to the nation’s prime quarterback (Brady Prepare dinner), working again (Schrader) and broad receiver (Luther Burden III). There’s additionally linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper and cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine, each semifinalists for his or her positional honors. And all the offensive line, a semifinalist for a collective honor within the trenches.

Again to Drinkwitz in July.

“However extra importantly, it’s about proving to one another, the brotherhood, that you simply have been proper to come back again and grow to be an elite participant,” he mentioned. “I need to show to the remainder of the world how good of a training employees we actually have.”

Choose a participant who selected to return right here. Hopper led the group in tackles earlier than lacking the ultimate two video games of the common season with an damage. Abrams-Draine is tied for second within the SEC with 4 interceptions. Burden will probably end third within the convention in receiving yards. Schrader, simply in need of 1,500 dashing yards, might be atop the convention and third within the MU historical past books.

So far as the coaches go: Defensive ends coach Kevin Peoples is certainly one of 15 semifinalists for the Broyles Award, which is given to the nation’s prime assistant coach. Defensive coordinator Blake Baker and new offensive coordinator Kirby Moore will each generate buzz as potential candidates for head teaching gigs.

A remaining phrase from the person behind the rostrum however forward of a historic season:

“I would like them to see it,” Drinkwitz mentioned. “However the one approach they’re going to see it’s the outcomes on the sphere. They’re not going to consider us as a result of we are saying it.”

Ten wins. A giant bowl incoming. The person milestones, the accolades. Outcomes, all of them, the kind of issues that may be measured in stats and rankings and positions on file boards — unobjectionable, goal proof of one thing.

Perhaps it’s one thing large. Who’s going to inform the boys in black and gold who’re taking part in soccer at a degree Columbia hasn’t seen in a decade, a degree that has lofted them into competition with the most effective groups and athletes within the nation, in any other case?

“We’re America’s group,” Drinkwitz mentioned after Friday’s win. “We’re a group constructed on underdogs. We’re a group constructed on younger males with one thing to show.”