Mizzou DL Kristian Williams hints at true feelings about Arkansas rivalry

Arkansas fans aren't alone in how they feel about the team's rivalry with Missouri. Mizzou defensive lineman Kristian Williams took a question at SEC Media Days about the future of the Battle Line Rivalry. Here is how he answered.

"What do I think about the future of us and Arkansas," Williams said smiling, "Whatever it is, it's a rival for a reason... who knows? But it's a competitive sport at the end of the day. Emotions flair up, guys compete with each other at the highest level, so you want to bring that out of somebody. Like, you want to bring the best out of them, so who knows."

That doesn't sound like someone who wants to call it a rivalry. More importantly, his tone suggests that Mizzou is above having one with Arkansas. That's exactly how most Hog fans feel about the Tigers. The problem is Missouri actually has the record to prove it.

Mizzou is 8-2 against the Razorbacks since the Battle Line trophy's inception, including Arkansas's 48-14 embarrassment at home last season. The only people who seem to be invested in the rivalry are the SEC and Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz. He's from Alma, Ark., so the personal aspect of the game most likely stokes the flames for him.

Whether or not Mizzou is a "true rival" of Arkansas, maybe it's time to start acting like it. Losing to them year after year is embarrassing. That, paired with the jabs from Drinkwitz and the brawl in last season's game, there's more than enough fodder to start a genuine rivalry. And hey, maybe Arkansas will win more than 20 percent of the games.