Missouri had Texas right where it wanted it for long stretches Saturday in Columbia. Then the game slipped away in the fourth quarter, and the No.
7 Longhorns walked out of Memorial Stadium with a 34-20 win over the No. 18 Tigers.
It was the first meeting between the programs since the 2017 Texas Bowl, and their first Southeastern Conference matchup. It was also their first regular-season clash since 2011.
For most of the afternoon, it played like the kind of tight, physical November game that has to be earned snap by snap. Missouri just didn’t cash in enough when chances came.
The Tigers were in position to make Texas pay early and often, but the red zone kept turning into a dead end. Late in the first quarter, Missouri had the ball at the 4-yard line after a takeaway and came away with only a field goal for a 10-7 lead.
Naeshaun Montgomery caught what looked like a gorgeous fade from Simmons in the end zone, but review wiped it out when the ball was ruled to have touched the turf. Texas then stuffed the run on second down and forced Simmons into a contested throw on third.
That theme kept showing up. In the second quarter, Missouri reached the red zone again and got nothing on three straight snaps - an incomplete back shoulder comeback, a stuffed Jamal Roberts run and another incompletion into open space. Blake Craig then missed a 38-yard field goal wide right.
The Tigers got another shot right after halftime. They led 13-10 to start the third quarter, then forced a fumble on the kickoff to create extra possession. That drive, too, ended without points when Craig missed a 46-yard attempt to the left.
Texas’ pressure was a constant problem. The Longhorns got enough heat on Simmons to force incompletions and batted balls, and Missouri’s offense never found much rhythm.
The Tigers converted just three of 16 third downs. Roberts finished with 66 yards on 19 carries, while Ahmad Hardy saw a few more snaps than in the previous game.
Missouri’s defense and special teams gave it chances, but the offense couldn’t turn those moments into separation. The Tigers managed only three points off two takeaways, and they still carried a lead into the fourth quarter. That’s when Texas finally broke through in a 20-all game.
The Longhorns took advantage of a short punt from Brunno Reus and then a late Simmons interception. On that play, a big hit from defensive back Warren Roberson jarred the ball loose from Cayden Lee after the catch, and Texas came away with the turnover at the MU 6-yard line. The Longhorns finished the job with a touchdown and then added another score with 1:25 left.
Texas piled up 373 total yards and went 6-for-13 on third down. On the go-ahead drive, Arch Manning found Raleek Brown on a wheel route for a touchdown with 5:03 remaining. Brown finished with 133 yards and two touchdowns.
Manning was the difference. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian clearly wanted to get the ball out quickly and into space, and Manning handled that plan well from the start.
He worked through RPOs, play action and screens early, then pushed the ball downfield in the second half when Texas opened things up against Missouri’s vulnerable single-high zone looks. He finished 28 of 38 for 324 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 11.7 yards per completion in the second half.
He made the throws Texas needed and looked comfortable doing it, using his pocket movement, arm talent and athleticism to keep the Tigers on their heels. Simmons, meanwhile, was hampered by a leg injury after a QB draw in the fourth quarter and finished 23 of 43 for 252 yards and two touchdowns. It was one of his least efficient games in black and gold.
Ryan Wingo also had his moment in Columbia. The St.
Louis native was questionable entering the game, but he played and contributed as one of Texas’ top weapons. Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz had said during the week that Wingo’s commitment to Texas had broken his heart, and the Tigers’ student section made sure the receiver heard it.
Every catch and carry came with boos. Wingo led the Longhorns with six receptions for 53 yards and added six rushing yards.
The officiating became part of the story, too. Reviews and questionable calls kept interrupting the flow, and Missouri came out on the wrong end of all five reviews in the game. Two of those rulings erased touchdowns.
One of the biggest came with 2:22 left in the third quarter. On third-and-10, Brian Huff strip-sacked Manning and the ball moved forward.
Missouri thought it had forced an incompletion, but the play was ruled a fumble. Texas recovered 14 yards upfield for a first down, and the review upheld the call.
In the end, the Tigers had enough chances to beat Texas. They just couldn’t finish enough of them.
In Other News...
Missouris Texas Loss Exposed A Problem The Tigers Couldnt Hide
Missouris 34-20 loss to Texas in a top-25 matchup left plenty to sort through, and the snap counts tell part of the story. On defense, linebacker Nicholas Rodriguez was the Tigers highest-graded player at 81.9, finishing with 12 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss, a busy afternoon that stood out even in a game where Missouri spent long stretches trying to keep pace.
On the other side, Austin Simmons posted the teams best offensive grade at 77.5 while completing 23 of 43 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns. The broader picture from the playing-time breakdown is harder to ignore, though, because Missouris rotation on both sides of the ball reflected a team still searching for the right answers in a game that exposed more than it solved. [Read more 🡒]
Missouri Just Got A Ranking Snub At The Worst Time
Missouris stumble against Texas cost the Tigers more than a loss in the standings. After sitting at No. 19, they dropped out of the US LBM Coaches Poll entirely and landed as the second team just outside the top 25, a reminder of how quickly one rough afternoon can change the national view of a team in the middle of a big season.
The timing makes the snub sting even more because Georgia is next on the schedule, and that matchup will offer a fast chance to answer it. The updated poll also reshuffled the rest of the national picture, but for Missouri the focus now turns to proving the Texas loss was a detour rather than the start of a slide. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzous Loss Exposed One Problem Talent Alone Wont Fix
Missouris 90-84 loss to Saint Louis offered an early reminder that raw talent only goes so far. The Tigers had enough individual ability to stay in the game, and their more experienced players did their part, but the overall picture was harder to ignore. Saint Louis looked like a team that had spent more time together, with continuity among its starters showing up in the places Missouri was still trying to sort out.
For Missouri, the biggest issues were the ones that tend to linger into a long season if they are not cleaned up quickly. The freshmen had trouble with defensive rotations and never found much rhythm shooting, while the Tigers as a group did not always play with the kind of unselfishness and consistency needed to win in conference play. There is enough skill on the roster to make Missouri dangerous, but this game showed how much work remains before that talent starts functioning like a complete team. [Read more 🡒]