7/22/2021 football Edit

Eli Drinkwitz takes jab at Dan Mullen

Nick de la Torre • 1standTenFlorida

Staff

With SEC Media Days wrapping up on Thursday Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz made sure the event went off with a bang.

Drinkwitz is entering his second season as a head coach in the SEC but this was the first time he was given the stage at SEC Media Days and he didn't disappoint. Drinkwitz took on the rumors about Texas and Oklahoma wanting to move to the SEC by asking Greg Sankey if the "horns down" taunt that Longhorns' opponents do would be a penalty in the SEC. When asked if Missouri has an actual rival — they were given an annual matchup Arkansas, which Drinkwitz used as an opportunity to poke the Hogs.

"I kind of like the rivalry we've got with Arkansas," he quipped. “I don't remember the last time they beat us, so I kind of like that one."

His quips wouldn't end there, shortly taking aim at Dan Mullen and Florida, who visit Columbia, Missouri on November 20.

"I'm praying for snow," Drinkwitz said according to Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "Dan (Mullen) is going to complain about everything anyway."

It's true that it will be cold in Missouri in late November. The average for that time is typically between 50 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit. Florida's last trip to Columbia was an 11 am local kickoff with a kickoff temperature of 43 degrees and 10 mile an hour winds. Florida won an uninspiring game 23-6. Mullen and Drinkwitz's teams met for the first time in 2020 in Gainesville — considerably warmer temperatures (76 at kickoff) – and the Gators ran away with a 41-17 win.

Since Missouri joined the SEC in 2012 the series has been pretty even. Florida leads the series with Missouri 5-4. The Gators are 2-2 at Missouri and 3-2 in Gainesville, with some weird and wild games mixed in there.

Drinkwitz's candor is appreciated at the end of a long week but Dan Mullen is no stranger to responding.

If the Gators are able to come out of Columbia with a win in late November with a win don't be surprised if Mullen's comments on the game include the line that he had "no complaints" with the outcome.