Eli Drinkwitz Praises Mizzou Fans for Stadium Environment in Kansas Win

Originally posted on Missouri Tigers on SI
By Michael Stamps | Last updated Sep 6, 2025 10:15 PM ET

COLUMBIA, Mo. — The fans that showed up to Faurot Field to support the Missouri Tigers in their efforts to defeat the Kansas Jayhawks did their job well.

Faurot Field was loud from start to finish and it was clear that the Tiger faithful understood the importance of making their home field a challenging one to play at for arguably the team's biggest rival.

Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz was beyond pleased by the fan turnout. In fact, it was the first thing he told the media following the victory.

"This is the Missouri that I've always dreamed of and believed in," Drinkwitz said following the win on Saturday. "I'm going to encourage our fans to continue to do this."

The stadium was announced as a sellout earlier in the season, reaching a total number of 57,321, per Mizzou Athletics.

Sellouts have become a staple of Missouri football recently, but that doesn't always mean the energy is there from the fanbase. If the environment against the Jayhawks is in any way a precursor of future games this season, it could be a fun one for Tiger fans.

"It shouldn't be about a team that we just played once," Drinkwitz said. "It should be the expectation of our program moving forward that that energy and passion shows up all the time."

The environment for this game certainly had an effect on those playing in it. It was constantly loud and hostile, making it hard for the visiting squad but positive for the home one.

Even for a player like safety Daylan Carnell, who's in his fifth season with the Tigers, there was a noticeable difference in how loud it was.

"The crowd and stuff like that, I feel that felt different," Carnell said following the win. "I definitely felt the energy from the crowd and stuff."

The build-up to the game was also significant in terms of generating energy for the fans once kickoff rolled around. Plenty of fans piled up for the Tiger Walk before the game started, when the players arrived at the stadium. This left a positive impact on the players and was likely a good experience for the fans.

"When we rolled up to the game today, I saw so many Mizzou fans, more than I've ever seen, and I think it means a lot to our fans," Missouri tight end Brett Norfleet said.

Kansas' players and coaching staff also felt the heat from Missouri's fans. Kansas head coach Lance Leipold was excited with the environment that Faurot Field had to offer, despite the game not going in his favor.

"It was intense," Leipold told the media after the game. "Obviously, there's a lot of enthusiasm and emotions on both sides. I thought it was a great atmosphere here and (I'm) disappointed where it ended up on our side."

Missouri fans have now set a high bar for cheering and supporting the Tigers at a football game. Drinkwitz and the players now will hold them to that expectation in the future.

This article first appeared on Missouri Tigers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: