The oval-shaped jumbotrons captured coach Gary Pinkel’s overt reaction to the referees following an unsportsmanlike conduct call on Missouri’s freshman wide receiver Cam Hilton in the third quarter.
“What did he do?” Pinkel asked, arms extended, eyebrow tilted.
That passion, that intensity and that ability to vouch for his players in the most critical moments is what will earn Pinkel a statue at the university he’s called home since his hiring in 2000. That’s also what produced a 20-16 win against Brigham Young in Kansas City Saturday night.
Underlying the tumultuous and eventful week that Pinkel and his Mizzou football players endured — from the moment Anthony Sherrils tweeted in support of Jonathan Butler to the announcement of his retirement after the 2015-16 season — were themes of agony, unity and victory that encompassed the reason college athletics exist.