‘No reason to hang our heads’: Eli Drinkwitz after Mizzou Tigers loss at Kentucky

Missouri played from behind the entire game at Kentucky and still gave itself a chance at the end.

If there was a message from the Tigers’ 35-28 loss on Saturday that was it. For the second straight week, Mizzou played flawed football. But they pushed past Central Michigan in the opener and on Saturday found themselves on Kentucky’s side of the field with more than a minute remaining with a chance to at least tie the game.

“There’s no reason to hang our heads, no reason to panic or jump on Twitter and go crazy,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “Relax, it’s Week 2, on the road, a night SEC football game vs. a good opponent. We had a chance to win and we didn’t get it done.”

The game ended for the Tigers on a fourth down incompletion from Connor Bazelak from the Kentucky 45 with 90 seconds remaining. Missouri made it hard on itself on third down when Bazelak was sacked.

The only reason the Tigers were in that position was moments earlier, Kentucky elected to attempt a 37-yard field goal for a two-score lead. But Tigers linebacker Blaze Alldredge came up the middle for the block.

That play, Bazelak’s four touchdown passes — including two to tight end Daniel Parker Jr. — and Jaylon Carlies’ involvement with two takeaways were Missouri’s highlights.

But the game ultimately went Kentucky’s way because running back Chris Rodriguez rolled for 206 rushing yards and three touchdowns, and wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson used his speed for big plays that set up touchdowns.

“We put our offense in a bind,” MU safety Martez Manuel said. “Hopefully we’ll get it fixed.”

The rout appeared on in the early moments. Kentucky scored on its first two possessions and was poised to take a three-touchdown lead late in the second quarter when Rodriguez bulled toward the end zone. He was met at the 2 by Carlies, who forced a fumble that Chad Bailey recovered in the end zone.

Missouri then covered 75 yards in the final two minutes with Bazelak hitting Keke Chism in the end zone. Instead of trailing 28-7, Mizzou went to the locker room down 21-14 and got the ball to open the second half.

The play that got the game tied was a remarkable effort by Missouri running back Tyler Badie, who took a short pass and through second effort completed a 17-yard touchdown reception early in the fourth quarter. Mizzou had come all the way back to make it 28-28.

“We fought back and threw punches back,” Bazelak said. “I’m proud of how we competed. We didn’t give up when we were down two touchdowns.”

Bazelak completed 34 of 51 passes for 294 yards with an interception. He didn’t connect on a deep ball, but the controlled passing attack helped produce four touchdown drives that covered at least 75 yards each.

Also, a week ago the Tigers covered one of 11 on third downs. Saturday, they improved to nine of 15.

“We weren’t in third-and-13s,” Bazelak said. “Also, I used my feet, so just have to do that more.”

The game was billed as a battle between evenly matched teams in the SEC East that are positioning themselves as the main challenger to division favorites Georgia and Florida, and the game played out that way. Kentucky had logged more than 300 yards and 17 first downs in the first half.

Although the events had turned in the Tigers’ favor just before the break, Drinkwitz couldn’t contain his disappointment in the defensive effort in his brief halftime interview with Mizzou sideline reporter Chris Gervino. “We better start playing some (darn) defense or we’re going to get our (butt) blown out.”

The defensive effort improved in the second half. But so did Kentucky’s to snuff out Missouri’s final possession.