Missouri football is in the middle of a high point under head coach Eli Drinkwitz, who recently signed a contract extension through 2029 after guiding the Tigers to back-to-back 10-win seasons. Drinkwitz has been credited with reviving the program's national profile, earning SEC Coach of the Year honors in 2023 and delivering a Cotton Bowl victory.

With Missouri positioned to contend for a College Football Playoff berth this fall, expectations in Columbia are as high as they've been in years.

But while the on-field success keeps building, it was an unexpected off-field moment that caught viral attention this week. During a fan promotion at a Missouri event, a supporter was invited onto the field for a chance to win $25,000 by nailing a 45-yard field goal. Instead of treating it as just another contest, he lifted his shirt to reveal ”F KU” scrawled across his chest; an unmistakable shot at rival Kansas.

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Then, rather than aiming at the uprights, he launched the football toward the Jayhawks' sideline. The stunt immediately spread across social media, capturing the intensity of the long-standing Missouri-Kansas rivalry even outside schedule matchups.

For Drinkwitz and his players, however, the focus remains on continuing momentum from the last two seasons, but moments like this underline the passion surrounding the program. Missouri's rise has come with bigger crowds, louder rivalries, and a spotlight that now stretches well beyond the SEC.

On the field, Drinkwitz is still finalizing plans at quarterback. With transfer pickup, Beau Pribula is competing against former four-star Sam Horn, and the head coach confirmed both will see action in the season. It's an unusual approach for a team with playoff aspirations, but Drinkwitz said live reps are the only way to make the right call.

Missouri fans will hope the QB rotation creates clarity sooner rather than later. For now, though, the program's steady climb under Drinkwitz, and even the antics of its fans, keep Missouri firmly in the national conversation.