The Missouri Tigers open their SEC schedule this weekend, heading to Davis Wade Stadium to square off with the No. 24-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Not only do the Tigers open conference play on the road, but Mississippi State is making a world-record attempt at the game on Saturday. The Bulldogs have a tradition of ringing cowbells during the game, and when they welcome Missouri over the weekend, they are trying to beat their current world record for the most cowbells ringing simultaneously.
Missouri Brings Out Cowbells During Practice
In an interview with Grace Ybarra of KMOV in St. Louis, Eli Drinkwitz talked about preparing with cowbells at practice.
“So, we’ve got about 30 cowbells that our equipment managers and myself and the rest of the staff ring during practice,” Drinkwitz said.
While 30 cowbells may seem insignificant compared to the 61,337 capacity at Davis Wade Stadium, Drinkwitz mentioned it’s about simulating it to the best of their ability. Missouri last went to Starkville two seasons ago and walked out with a 39-20 win over the Bulldogs.
Arizona State used the same tactic last year in practice to prepare for the cowbells; Missouri looks to fare better than the Sun Devils did.
Missouri Players Speak About Cowbells
Missouri has two impact players who are transfers from the other side of the Egg Bowl. Quarterback Austin Simmons and wide receiver Cayden Lee both transferred to Missouri from Ole Miss in the offseason, and both had opinions about the cowbells.
“The cowbells don’t stop, from the first play to the last play,” Lee said. “I’ve played there two times. It’s a hard place to play.” Last season with Ole Miss, Lee had seven catches for 77 yards against Mississippi State. Lee is going back there for the second consecutive year and is looking to build upon his prior performance.
Meanwhile, the Missouri quarterback Simmons was not giving his old rival the props about the cowbells. “I hate hearing this whole thing about the cowbells,” Simmons said. “But it’ll be pretty exciting walking into this environment.”
Both former Rebels spoke about the cowbells; while one does not seem to care for them too much, the other was more willing to give the Bulldog fans their respect.
Simmons is coming off a rough game against Troy, where Drinkwitz mentioned postgame that they were unable to get the offense into a rhythm.
“Those cowbells only affect you if you let them affect you,” Drinkwitz said in his interview with Ybarra. “We have to have clear and concise communication.” Missouri will want to get the offense in a rhythm early to silence the crowd and take that factor out of the game.
Mizzou Prepares For Cowbell Madness Against Mississippi State