Missouri kept climbing in the polls after Saturday night’s win over Troy, picking up modest bumps in both major rankings heading into its SEC opener.
The Tigers moved up to No. 21 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, one spot higher than last week, and rose to No. 19 in the Associated Press Top-25, also up one place from the previous week.
Mizzou improved to 3-0 with a 27-17 victory over Troy at Faurot Field. It marks the fourth straight season the Tigers have opened 3-0, with earlier wins over FCS Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Kansas and the Trojans.
The next test comes on the road next Saturday, Sept. 26, when Missouri opens SEC play at Mississippi State. Kickoff is set for 6:45 p.m.
CT at Wade Davis Stadium in Starkville, with the game airing on SEC Network. The Bulldogs are also unbeaten at 3-0 after a 41-34 road win over South Carolina.
They are just outside the USA Today Top-25 and come in at No. 24 in the AP poll.
The SEC is well represented in both rankings. Nine league teams appear in the latest USA Today Coaches Poll, while 10 SEC teams made the AP Top-25.
Texas and Georgia hold the top two spots in both polls. In the USA Today rankings, Notre Dame, Indiana and Miami (Fla.) round out the top five, while the AP list goes Notre Dame, Ole Miss and Indiana after the top two.
Here is the full AP Top-25 entering Week 3:
- Texas
- Georgia
- Notre Dame
- Ole Miss
- Indiana
- Miami (Fla.)
- Ohio State
- Alabama
- BYU
- LSU
- Texas Tech
- USC
- Penn State
- Tennessee
- Utah
- Louisville
- Iowa
- Michigan
- Missouri
- Oregon
- Florida
- SMU
- Texas A&M
- Mississippi State
- Houston
And here is the full USA Today Coaches Poll entering Week 3:
- Texas
- Georgia
- Notre Dame
- Indiana
- Miami (Fla.)
- Ole Miss
- Ohio State
- Alabama
- BYU
- Texas Tech
- LSU
- USC
- Tennessee
- Penn State
- Utah
- Oregon
- Iowa
- Michigan
- Louisville
- Texas A&M
- Missouri
- Florida
- Washington
- Oklahoma
- SMU
In Other News...
Mizzou Womens Golf Just Delivered A Home Statement Tigers Fans Will Love
Missouris womens golf team made a loud early-season statement on its home course, rolling to a runaway win at the Johnie Imes Invitational. The Tigers finished 22-under par and beat the field by 32 strokes, the kind of margin that turns a tournament into a showcase. Senior Addie Dobson led the way with a tournament-record-tying 15-under par effort to claim the individual title, while four Mizzou players finished among the top five.
For a program that has made this event feel almost like a yearly homecoming, this one carried extra weight. It was Mizzous 11th title at the Johnie Imes Invitational since 2007, and it came with the sort of depth that can travel well once the schedule gets tougher. The bigger question now is how far this group can carry a performance that dominant once it leaves familiar ground. [Read more 🡒]
Missouri Brings A Problem Mississippi State May Not Be Built To Handle
Mississippi State is spending the week getting ready for one of the more revealing early tests of the SEC season, a home matchup with Missouri that features two undefeated teams and a clear sense that the Tigers arrive with the kind of offense that can expose weak points. Coach Jeff Lebby and his players have already spent time on Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons and the Tigers offensive strengths, while also trying to sort through their own injury concerns and defensive plan before the game kicks off in Starkville.
For Lebby, the stakes go beyond just another conference game. He is still looking for his first SEC home win, and the Bulldogs are trying to string together back-to-back SEC victories for the first time under his watch. Missouri, meanwhile, brings in a front that has made life difficult for opposing defenses, which is exactly the sort of problem Mississippi State will have to solve if it wants to keep this strong start rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Enters SEC Play With One Warning Sign Fans Can't Ignore
Missouri heads into SEC play unbeaten through three games, and the early returns have been encouraging enough to justify real optimism around Columbia. The Tigers have outscored opponents 119-52 while blending in a wave of transfers and freshmen, a transition that has gone about as smoothly as the staff could have hoped on the surface.
Still, Eli Drinkwitz has reason to keep pushing the details before Mississippi State arrives. Missouri has shown some of the same warning signs from game to game, with slow openings, penalties and occasional defensive lapses threatening to undercut the overall progress. For a team trying to hold onto momentum once league play starts, the margin for error is about to get a lot smaller. [Read more 🡒]