Missouri is two games into the 2026 season, and a few early patterns are already hard to miss.
The Tigers have won both games, but the offense has started to reveal its shape. The play-calling leans run-heavy again, just not by the same margin as last season.
Through 149 offensive snaps, Missouri has called 86 runs and 63 passes. That works out to 57% run and 43% pass.
That’s a noticeable shift from a year ago, when Missouri ran 920 plays and used the ground game 558 times, or 60.7%, compared to 362 passes, or 39.3%. Two games in, the Tigers do look a little more balanced. The numbers back that up.
What hasn’t looked as sharp so far is the run game itself.
Against FCS Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the opener, Missouri rushed for 205 yards at 4.6 yards per carry and finished with a rushing success rate of 57%, which is above average. After a slow first quarter, when the Tigers averaged just 2.7 yards per carry, they wore down an overmatched opponent and piled up yards after halftime.
Against Kansas last Saturday, though, the ground game was shaky from the start and stayed that way for much of the night.
Missouri still finished with 178 rushing yards on 40 carries, good for 4.5 yards per attempt. But that total gets a boost from Jamal Roberts’ 64-yard touchdown run.
Take that play out, and the rest of the night looks much less impressive: 114 yards on 39 carries, or 2.9 yards per carry. The Tigers also posted a 37% rushing success rate, which is below average.
The bigger problem shows up when you look at how often the offense was stopped cold. Of Missouri’s 40 rushing attempts on Friday, 18 went for two yards or fewer. Nine of those gained nothing or lost yardage.
So yes, Missouri has a clearer identity two games into the season. But the part of the offense that’s supposed to set the tone still hasn’t found its rhythm.
In Other News...
Missouris Border War Win Showed Why Tigers Fans Should Be Excited
Austin Simmons hardly looked rattled in his first road start, and Missouri had plenty to like in its 38-21 Border War win over Kansas. The Tigers moved to 2-0, and the performance had the feel of a team with more than one way to beat you. Simmons was sharp throwing the ball, Missouris receivers found room downfield, and the offense kept stacking plays that made the rivalry game tilt early in the Tigers favor.
Robert Woodyard Jr. added the kind of defensive impact that can swing a game like this, forcing a fumble and picking off a pass as Missouri kept Kansas from finding any sustained rhythm. Donovan Olugbode and Cayden Lee each topped 120 receiving yards and scored, giving the Tigers a pair of explosive targets to pair with Simmons efficient night. For a team still just two games into the season, that combination is exactly why there should be real buzz around what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Missouri Just Earned The Ranking Fans Have Been Waiting For
Missouris strong start against Kansas has now carried over into the polls, with the Tigers climbing to No. 20 in the Week 2 AP Top 25 and No. 22 in the LBM Coaches Poll. It is a meaningful early-season bump for a program that has spent the opening stretch building on that 38-21 win and trying to show the kind of consistency that voters notice.
For Missouri, the new ranking is also a sign of how quickly the season can shift when a team handles a rivalry game the right way. The Tigers are back inside the top 20 for the first time since Week 11 of 2025, and now the bigger question is whether they can make this a short stop or a lasting position as the schedule starts to sharpen. [Read more 🡒]
Missouri Is Climbing Again And Fans Will Notice What Comes Next
Missouri football has started to see the kind of national recognition that comes with getting a meaningful win and backing it up with enough buzz around the league. After knocking off Kansas, the Tigers climbed again in the updated US LBM Coaches Poll, landing at No. 22 as the rankings continue to lean heavily toward the SEC and Big Ten, with Texas sitting at No. 1.
The movement matters because it keeps Missouri in the conversation as the season settles in, even if the margin between spots remains thin. The Tigers now turn to Troy in Columbia, where the next chance to strengthen that standing comes before the schedule really starts to sharpen and the rankings become harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]