No. 23 Missouri comes out of its bye week with a chance to put the Ole Miss loss behind it and get right against an Arkansas team that is still trying to climb out of the SEC basement.
Missouri was beaten 31-3 by Ole Miss in Week 7, but the Tigers now get a reset before heading into this Week 9 matchup. Arkansas, meanwhile, also had a Week 8 bye after finally grabbing its first conference win in Week 7, a 31-21 victory over Vanderbilt.
On paper, this is a spot where Missouri should be able to move the football. The Tigers’ passing game has been productive this season, and Arkansas has struggled badly on defense, ranking 114th in success rate.
Cayden Lee stands out as the Missouri receiver to keep an eye on. Only two Missouri wideouts have more than 10 catches this season, and Lee is one of them. He’s been the Tigers’ most reliable target with 47 receptions for 678 yards and five touchdowns, and if Missouri’s offense is going to rebound in a big way, he figures to be central to that effort.
The underlying numbers point in the same direction. Arkansas still ranks 103rd in net EPA per play and 116th in net success rate, even after its win over Vanderbilt. Missouri, by contrast, sits 26th in net EPA per play and 49th in net success rate.
That gap is a big reason this matchup looks favorable for the Tigers as they head into Saturday.
In Other News...
Battle Line Just Lost A Mizzou Tradition Fans Notice Fast
The familiar black-on-black look is off the table for Missouris upcoming meeting with Arkansas, ending a small but noticeable gameday tradition that Tigers fans have come to expect in the Battle Line rivalry. Eli Drinkwitz confirmed Missouri will not wear its dark home jerseys because Arkansas did not agree to the color rush uniform plan, a wrinkle that takes a little of the pageantry out of a series that has leaned into its visual identity in recent years.
Since 2014, Missouri has typically gone with black home jerseys against Arkansas, with the lone exception coming in 2023 when the Tigers wore gold. This time, Arkansas plans to stick with its red home jerseys, leaving Missouri to adjust its look for a rivalry game that still carries plenty of weight, even if one of the more recognizable traditions around it is on pause. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzous Exhibition Loss Exposed A Problem The Tigers Must Fix Fast
Missouris exhibition loss to UNLV served as an early reminder that even in a preseason setting, the Tigers have some cleaning up to do before the games count. With several key players sidelined, the rotation looked a little different than what fans will likely see once the season opens, and the matchup quickly turned into a useful stress test for a group still trying to settle into its identity. The biggest issue was hard to miss: Missouri got pushed around on the glass and had trouble taking care of the ball against a physical opponent.
UNLVs edge in toughness showed up in the places that often decide close games, especially on offensive rebounds and loose possessions. Individual efforts from Jason Crowe and Bryson Tiller offered both encouragement and a reminder of how much room this team still has to grow, with mixed results across the board. For Missouri, the exhibition did exactly what these games are supposed to do, but it also made clear that the Tigers need a quicker fix in the rebounding and ball-handling departments before the real schedule starts to demand answers. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzous New-Look Roster Sent An Early Message Under Kellie Harper
Missouris womens basketball team wasted little time showing what a fresh start under Kellie Harper might look like, rolling past Lincoln in exhibition play with a 117-43 win that marked the programs biggest exhibition margin since 2019. The Tigers looked sharp on both ends, with the defense setting the tone and the offense repeatedly turning stops into easy points. Freshmen and transfers were part of the mix throughout, a sign of how much this roster is still taking shape as Harper settles in.
The most telling stretch came around halftime, when Missouri ripped off a 29-0 run and left little doubt about which team controlled the evening. Harper and several players pointed to the groups focus, its ability to adjust and the competitiveness it showed possession after possession, all encouraging signs for a roster built with a different look than a year ago. Exhibition results only tell part of the story, but this one offered a clear early snapshot of the energy Missouri hopes to carry into the regular season. [Read more 🡒]