Around this time last year, Missouri football coach Eli Drinkwitz was trying to convince his team few believed a special season was possible for the Tigers.
He didn’t have to work very hard at it.
Drinkwitz was entering a pressurized fourth season beneath a then (now former) athletics director who hadn’t been as warm as some others on his most recent contract extension. He was still searching for his first Mizzou season finished on the right side of .500.
Among other reasons for hesitation . . .
New offensive coordinator Kirby Moore was unproven.