COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz does not have fond memories of the last time his team faced Boston College.
It was three years ago, and the second-year Tigers coach was not exactly thrilled by the idea of playing in the Northeast, where Missouri has little recruiting base or fan support. And while he was mostly complimentary of the Eagles in the week leading up to the game, Drinkwitz rankled plenty of their fans when he referred to “the great state of Massachusetts.”
Since, you know, Massachusetts is technically a commonwealth.
The result didn't improve Drinkwitz's memory, either. The Tigers rallied to force overtime only to get beaten 41-34, then have to watch thousands of Boston College fans storm the field.
“That game was hard for a lot of different reasons,” said Drinkwitz, whose No. 6 Tigers get the return game against the No. 24 Eagles on Saturday. “I didn't think we played particularly well. There was a lot of noise around that game for comments made by me. Learned a hard lesson as a head coach there. And obviously the emotional swings — we came back, tied it up, they scored in overtime, we threw a pick in overtime. First time I had to deal with a crowd rushing the field.”
Things are a whole lot different for both schools these days.
The Tigers (2-0) were still in rebuilding mode back then, but they are now in the College Football Playoff conversation. They won 11 games last year, and they have yet to allow a point through two games this season, a first for the program since 1935.
Boston College (2-0) is also different. Bill O'Brien is back in college football after spending last season as offensive coordinator of the Patriots, and the former Penn State coach already has engineered a road win over Florida State and a rout of Duquesne.
"This is the best team we play. No question about it. Probably the best team we played BC-wise in a number of years, to be honest with you," O'Brien said. “When you win a couple of games, every game gets more important. I think that's the cool thing about college football. ... That's what these guys have to understand. Every game becomes harder."
Luther Burden III, who left last week's game in the second quarter with an illness, and fellow wide receiver Theo Wease Jr., who had 10 catches for 149 yards despite a sore hip, are both probable, Drinkwitz said this week. Tight end Brett Norfleet (shoulder) and cornerback Ja’Marion Wayne (hamstring) were questionable.
Boston College entered the AP Top 25 this week for the first time since Nov. 11, 2018, and they are ranked the earliest they have been in a season since 2005, when they appeared at No. 22 in the preseason poll.
“This program has won,” O'Brien reminded reporters this week. “It's not like this program's never won before.”
Boston College running back Treshaun Ward played last season for Kansas State, which lost to the Tigers at Faurot Field on a 61-yard field goal as time expired. Ward has carried 20 times for 132 yards and a touchdown so far this season.
Missouri has one of the deepest wide receiver groups in the SEC, especially when Burden and Wease are at full speed. Opponents have taken note, forcing quarterback Brady Cook into short passing plays rather than deep shots down the field.
“Teams don't really want to give up explosive plays versus our wide receiver corps, so we have to be willing to make them defend us in a different manner,” Drinkwitz said. “Our offensive staff has done a good job of finding out what their defensive plan is for us, and then finding something — whether it was in the game plan or not — that defeats this or defeats that.”
The Boston College-Missouri game is the only one Saturday that pits two ranked teams, though No. 20 Arizona travels to No. 14 Kansas State State on Friday night. That means a lot of attention will be on Columbia, where the Tigers have won 18 consecutive home games, tying the school record set from 2005-12.
“We need all the advantages we can get," Drinkwitz said. "This is a really good football team. They're battle-tested obviously, with their road win over Florida State, and they are very polished as a team.”
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