In a game in which it racked up 530 yards and won by 29 points, the loudest, most noticeable fireworks from Missouri’s 36-7 victory last Saturday against Tennessee came after the final whistle blew.
In a brief-but-eventful postgame meet-up near midfield, Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz approached Vols coach Josh Heupel, told him “We stand on business, Josh,” and shook his hand before quickly heading in the other direction.
When asked about the exchange at a news conference Thursday, Heupel downplayed it.
“I really didn’t hear it while we were out there at the handshake,” he said. “We have moved well on to the game that we’ve got this week.”
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Drinkwitz’s postgame chestiness wasn’t limited to his interaction with Heupel. In an on-field interview with CBS after the game, the fourth-year Missouri coach said the Tigers’ defense “kicked their ass tonight” in reference to the Vols.
“We wanted to stand on business tonight,” Drinkwitz said. “We had some unfinished business from last year, but we came out and took care of business.”
That unfinished business was likely tied to Tennessee’s 66-24 victory over Missouri last season at Neyland Stadium, a game in which the Vols scored a 2-yard touchdown run with 36 seconds remaining. Earlier on that five-play, 80-yard drive, Tennessee called a timeout after getting to the Tigers’ 1-yard line with a 35-point lead and just 1:28 remaining. In that win, the Vols put up a program-record 724 yards.
That night, Drinkwitz was decidedly more diplomatic.
“He [Heupel] coaches his team, I coach my team,” he said after the loss. “It’s our job to defend what they do. He runs his offense the way they’ve always run it. I got no issues with their football team and…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/tennessee-coach-josh-heupel-downplays-184554258.html
Author : Knox News | The Knoxville News-Sentinel
Publish date : 2023-11-16 18:45:54
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