Missouri wasted no time making its first statement of the 2026 season, rolling past Arkansas-Pine Bluff 54-14 on Thursday at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. And while the opponent wasn’t much of a measuring stick, the Tigers still walked away with a handful of encouraging answers as they turned the page toward next week’s Border War matchup against Kansas.
The biggest buzz belonged to quarterback Austin Simmons, and for good reason. The Ole Miss transfer looked completely at ease in his Missouri debut, finishing 17 of 19 for 252 yards and four touchdowns before the Tigers emptied the bench. He did all of that in less than one half, then watched the backups take over.
What stood out most was how cleanly Simmons spread the ball around. Donovan Olugbode caught two of those touchdown passes, while Shaun Terry II and Cayden Lee also got in on the scoring. Even without running back Ahmad Hardy available, Simmons had no trouble pushing the offense down the field through the air.
Olugbode turned in the kind of opener that can change the tone around a season. After flashing late last year as a freshman, the sophomore wideout picked up right where that stretch left off, setting career highs with eight catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns. His first score came on a 14-yard grab on Missouri’s second possession, and later he broke loose for a career-long 35-yard touchdown that stretched the lead to 30-0.
On the defensive side, safety Elijah Dotson made his presence felt during a first half in which Missouri’s starters barely gave Arkansas-Pine Bluff room to breathe. Dotson finished with three tackles and a forced fumble as the Tigers’ defense held the visitors to just six total yards and minus-26 rushing yards before halftime.
Simmons, Olugbode and Dotson were the clear standouts in a dominant opener, and Missouri now shifts to a much tougher test in Lawrence against Kansas on Sept. 11.
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