Ahmad Hardy Breaks Mizzou Rushing Record in Gator Bowl, But Tigers Fall Short in Second-Half Stall
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - For a moment, it looked like Ahmad Hardy was about to put the perfect finishing touch on a sensational season. With just four yards to go before breaking Missouri’s single-season rushing record, the All-American tailback stood on the doorstep of history as the first half of the Gator Bowl came to a close.
By the time the final whistle blew, Hardy had done it - etching his name into the Mizzou record books with 1,649 rushing yards on the year, surpassing Cody Schrader’s mark of 1,627 set in 2023. Hardy finished the game with 89 yards on 15 carries. But the record-breaking moment came in a game that left more questions than answers, as Missouri’s offense went ice-cold in a 13-7 loss to Virginia.
And perhaps the biggest question of all: Why didn’t Hardy touch the ball for nearly 26 minutes of game time in the second half?
A Record-Breaking Season, a Quiet Second Half
Hardy had been the engine of Missouri’s offense all season long - a Doak Walker Award finalist and a nightmare for defenses with his blend of vision, burst, and toughness. But in the second half of the Gator Bowl, with Mizzou nursing a four-point halftime lead, Hardy was nowhere to be found in the Tigers’ offensive game plan until the 4:28 mark of the fourth quarter.
By then, Virginia had flipped the script.
The Cavaliers opened the second half with a 19-play, 75-yard drive that chewed up over 10 minutes of clock and ended with a 2-yard touchdown - the go-ahead score. Missouri’s offense barely had time to respond before freshman quarterback Matt Zollers threw an interception just three plays into the Tigers’ next possession.
UVA capitalized with a field goal, extending its lead and dominating time of possession. In total, Virginia held the ball for more than 13 minutes of the third quarter alone.
When Mizzou finally got the ball back early in the fourth, it was backup running back Jamal Roberts who saw the first two carries. Roberts, who had a solid outing with 11 carries for 56 yards and Missouri’s lone touchdown, picked up seven yards on that drive.
But it stalled out quickly. A false start on fourth-and-inches by right tackle Keagen Trost forced the Tigers to punt from deep in their own territory.
That sequence - missed throws, stalled drives, and costly penalties - defined the second half for Missouri. And it left Hardy on the sidelines, watching the game - and the Tigers’ momentum - slip away.
Coach Drinkwitz Explains the Absence
After the game, head coach Eli Drinkwitz was asked why Hardy didn’t see a carry for such an extended stretch. His explanation pointed to game flow more than game plan.
“I think they had the ball for the first 12 minutes of the third quarter,” Drinkwitz said. “We came out, we threw an out route to Kevin Coleman that we missed. We handed off the jet sweep to Kevin Coleman that got us some yardage, and then we missed the third-down conversion… I think it was fourth-and-1, and we punted there.”
Drinkwitz recounted a sequence that included short drives, poor field position, and limited opportunities. “It wasn’t designed that way,” he said. “We only had six plays, I think.”
While his timeline wasn’t exact - Virginia had the ball for just over 10 minutes to open the half, not 12 - the general picture holds: Mizzou’s offense barely touched the field during a critical stretch, and when it did, it couldn’t stay on it.
Hardy Returns, Breaks Record - But It’s Too Late
When Hardy finally got his number called again late in the fourth quarter, he didn’t miss a beat. He carried the ball on four straight plays, racking up 25 yards and officially breaking the single-season rushing record in the process. It was a fitting cap to a remarkable year, but also a jarring reminder of what had been missing for most of the second half.
Before that mini-burst, Missouri had managed just 17 total yards of offense after halftime. Hardy’s late-game surge nearly doubled that total in a matter of minutes - but by then, the damage was done.
Looking Ahead
For Missouri, the Gator Bowl loss will sting - not just because of the missed opportunities, but because of how close they were to finishing the season on a high note. But there’s some good news for Tigers fans: Hardy isn’t going anywhere.
Despite being draft-eligible after the 2026 season, the star running back has announced he’ll return to Columbia next year. With two years of eligibility remaining and a record already in hand, Hardy will have a chance to build on his legacy - and maybe even rewrite a few more pages in the Mizzou history books.
But if this game taught us anything, it’s that getting your best player the ball - especially when the game is hanging in the balance - should never be an afterthought.