COLUMBIA, Mo. — Eli Drinkwitz has tasted Boston before and found it rather bitter.
Nearly three years ago, his Missouri team faced Boston College in a road nonconference game. An emotional roller coaster of a game ended with an overtime loss and field-storming for the Atlantic Coast Conference program — a result on Drinkwitz's mind as the Tigers get a rematch with the Eagles.
No. 6 Mizzou (2-0) hosts No. 24 Boston College (2-0, 1-0 ACC) at 11:45 a.m. Saturday on the SEC Network. It’s the only game that day between two teams ranked in the AP Top 25, supplying MU with a test in the form of an intriguing, buzzworthy opponent.
Here are three things to watch for when the Tigers and Eagles clash at Memorial Stadium:
2021 reprise
The 2021 game between MU and BC, held at Boston College, started well for the Tigers. The visitors’ first drive covered 72 yards for a touchdown, then Missouri picked off the Eagles’ first offensive play.
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But it turned into a high-scoring game from there, requiring kicker Harrison Mevis to make a 56-yard field goal as time expired to force overtime. The Eagles scored on their first drive of the extra period, and the Tigers threw an interception on their OT possession, ending the game at 41-34 in favor of BC.
Boston College ran for 276 yards in that game, and though the Eagles coaching staff has turned over since, Mizzou’s head coach still remembers that.
Drinkwitz recalls the Eagles “dominating the run,†he said.
“We definitely have a tremendous amount of respect for the offensive line play they have," he said.
The result stands out to Drinkwitz from his up-and-down early years as MU’s coach.
“That moment, that game was hard for a lot of different reasons,†he said. “I didn’t think we played particularly well. There was a lot of noise around that game for comments that were made by me, so learned a hard lesson as a head coach there. Then, the emotional swings of that game: We came back, tied it up, they scored in overtime, we throw a pick the first play.â€
Does that lead to any motivational edge in a rematch? The start to Saturday’s game could be the tell.
The O'Brien effect
It’s no slight to any of Mizzou’s coaches to say that the most well-known man with a headset and a play sheet will be on Boston College’s sideline.
Bill O’Brien, a past head coach at Penn State and the NFL's Houston Texans, was also an assistant for dynasties at Alabama and with the New England Patriots.
His hire was something of a coup for BC. After Bill Belichick left the Patriots, O’Brien’s services as offensive coordinator were not retained. He agreed to be the offensive coordinator at Ohio State, but when the Boston College job opened late in the carousel cycle, he jumped at the opportunity to turn around the Eagles.
O’Brien has historically succeeded right off the bat in those situations. He took over at Penn State immediately after the school’s sexual abuse scandal and navigated the turbulent aftermath to post an 8-4 record.
Boston College’s dynamic is nowhere near as grave as Penn State’s was then, of course, but he still got off to a fast start by beating Florida State on the road in the season opener — a result that laid the groundwork for this week’s No. 24 ranking.
“When you’re talking about Coach O’Brien, whether it’s been in college football with what he did at Penn State or in NFL with what he’s accomplished — Deshaun Watson’s best years were with Coach O’Brien as his head coach, quarterbacks coach, so got a lot of respect for how he approaches offensive football,†Drinkwitz said.
Offensive injuries
Because Saturday’s game is a nonconference contest, Mizzou isn’t required to provide any sort of official injury report ahead of time. Drinkwitz addressed some of the Tigers’ lingering health concerns during his Tuesday news conference, though statuses could very well change before kickoff.
Wide receivers Luther Burden III and Theo Wease Jr. are both probable. Burden left last week’s game in the first half with an illness, according to the team. Wease played the entire game and posted career highs in receptions and yards but was a little banged up afterward.
Wease wore a noncontact jersey during Tuesday’s practice.
“Not concerned with either one of those right now,†Drinkwitz said.
Tight end Brett Norfleet, who left the season opener against Murray State with a stinger, was questionable entering this week’s practices. He practiced Tuesday but in a noncontact jersey. His status will likely be determined close to kickoff based on how the week’s practices go.
Right guard Cam’Ron Johnson, a late scratch from the Buffalo game after suffering a practice injury, is also questionable. Mitchell Walters filled in for Johnson against the Bulls, but Johnson was another player the coaching staff would observe in the run-up to Saturday.