Missouri football coach Eli Drinkwitz is offering a strong defense of his quarterback. Drinkwitz is standing up for his play caller Drew Pyne, following a win for the Tigers Saturday against Oklahoma.

“I just can’t say how proud I am of Drew Pyne for all the crap he’s taken,” Drinkwitz said, per On3. “You know, I feel like I’m up here all the time having to defend my quarterback, which is not great, but for all the crap he’s taken on Twitter and X, for him to come out here, ignore the noise, some of it from y’all in this room, he goes out there and y’all can raise up at me and look like it’s not, but it is.”

Pyne stepped in for an injured Brady Cook against Oklahoma. The backup quarterback threw for 143 yards and three touchdowns, as the Tigers powered past the Sooners 30-23.

“He goes out there and delivers in the keyest moments in the fourth quarter after fans have been booing. He just goes out there and delivers,” Drinkwitz added.

Missouri football is now 7-2 on the season.

Missouri football has not met expectations in 2024

Missouri Tigers head coach Eliah Drinkwitz leads his team onto the field prior to a game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium.
© Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The Tigers entered the 2024 with expectations to compete for an SEC championship, after winning last year's Cotton Bowl. Missouri has only lost two games this season, but looked bad in both of those losses. One of the defeats was a 34 point beating at the hands of Alabama.

While Pyne and other members of the Missouri football team may have faced criticism, the Tigers head coach is pleased with how his guys ignored it.

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“That’s the thing I love about this team is we love y’all when you’re cheering for us, and when you’re not, we just keep on rolling,” Drinkwitz added. “We’re gritty. We’re really, really gritty… So, extremely proud of our guys. Extremely proud of Drew Pyne.”

Missouri football posted 278 total yards in their win over the Sooners. The Tigers had a balanced effort, gaining 143 yards through the air and 135 on the ground. Pyne completed 14 of his 27 pass attempts, and protected the football. He also gained 15 rushing yards.

Missouri next plays at South Carolina Saturday. The game is set for a 4:15 Eastern start.