Missouri is 3-0, has outscored its opponents 119-52, and is headed into SEC play with a long list of moving parts already in place. The Tigers have been sorting through 30 transfers, including starting quarterback Austin Simmons, a new offensive coordinator and 23 true freshmen. They’ve also played without their best player, 2025 Doak Walker finalist Ahmad Hardy, while dealing with injuries up front to starting left tackle Cayden Green and once-projected starting right tackle Josh Atkins.
That’s the good news. The other side of the story is harder to ignore.
The Tigers have won all three games, but the way they’ve done it has left real room for concern before Saturday’s trip to Mississippi State. Missouri beat Troy, yet some of the underlying numbers suggested it may not have deserved the result.
Of the 57 FBS games in Week 3, Missouri was one of 12 winners to post a lower net success rate than the team it beat, according to Parker Fleming of DropbackHQ. The gap, which favored Troy by a little more than 0.050, was the second-largest discrepancy in favor of the losing team.
A lot of people expected Missouri to be able to empty the bench at some point against Troy the way it had in wins over G6 opponents like UMass and Louisiana in 2025. That never really happened. The offense kept its starters on the field for most of the game, and the defense used a more standard rotation.
“I would have loved to see more guys be able to play, but at the end of the day, we played with who we felt like gave us the best opportunity to win,” Drinkwitz said specifically of the edge group.
The win over Kansas was no cleaner. Missouri spent much of the first half in a mess before finally pulling away with the help of defensive takeaways in the third quarter. Both victories count the same in the standings, but neither looked comfortable.
"I don't want anybody to think we're sitting here, satisfied, in the locker room," Head coach Eli Drinkwitz said postgame. “We're all disappointed. We know that we can play better.”
What Missouri has to clean up before SEC play is pretty clear, starting with how it opens games. The Tigers have fallen behind early against both Kansas and Troy, scoring zero points in the first quarter of each game and letting both opponents land the first punch.
Kansas led 7-0 even after missing a field goal, while Troy jumped out to a 10-0 lead. Missouri didn’t get on the board until its fourth possession against Kansas and its third against Troy, when it settled for a field goal after an 18-yard drive.
That kind of slow start could get expensive against Mississippi State. The Bulldogs had their own sluggish beginning against South Carolina, but they’ve still put up 38 or more points in each of their first three games. Led by breakout quarterback Kamario Taylor, they look like a team capable of making Missouri pay for another sleepy opening.
“The whole group's got to understand that we have to start faster and play steadier,” Drinkwitz said. “And if you allow momentum to snowball on you in a game like that, it can get really difficult.”
Missouri’s discipline has been another issue. Through three games, the Tigers have been penalized 24 times, the fourth-most among SEC teams, tying Tennessee. A lot of those flags have been the kind that beat themselves: false starts by wideouts and linemen, pass interference by defensive backs, and holding calls in the trenches.
Against Troy, Missouri was hit with nine penalties for 90 yards, just one yard shy of Simmons’ passing total.
“As an offense as a whole, we got to be more intentional about harping on the details of every play,” Green said of the penalties Tuesday.
Mississippi State hasn’t exactly been a model of clean football either. The Bulldogs are tied for first in the conference with 28 penalties, so this could turn into a sloppy game in Starkville if neither side sharpens up.
Defensively, Missouri’s biggest problem has been coverage breakdowns that have led to explosive plays. Troy hit on two first-half touchdowns Saturday: one came on a TK Keyes reception in the intermediate area that turned into an additional 50-ish yards after the catch, and the other was a 55-yard deep ball down the sideline to Howard Kinchen. Deep shots were also available against Kansas, even when they didn’t connect.
That’s a dangerous trend with SEC play about to start. Most, if not all, of the quarterbacks Missouri will face on this schedule are better passers than the first three it has seen, and the schemes around them will be better too. Those opponents are far more likely to punish coverage lapses.
There was at least one encouraging development against Troy: the run game finally looked like it had some life. Jamal Roberts had room to work, found cleaner lanes and finished with season highs in rushing yards and yards per carry, going for 128 yards and 5.8 per attempt. Compared with the first two weeks, that was a clear step forward.
“The more reps you get; naturally, you just get better,” Green said. “So we just got to build on that this week. Obviously, the competition ramps up significantly in SEC play, so just got to keep getting better.”
Missouri has been short-handed in the backfield with backup tailback Malae Fonoti out for the season and Hardy still sidelined, at least until the SEC injury report comes out Wednesday evening. If the Tigers are going to survive a tougher stretch, they need the run game to keep trending upward.
“It was great, really finding that rhythm in the running game,” Simmons said. “Honestly, we just got to keep on going. Just keep it consistent this week.”
Simmons had a quiet day against Troy, throwing for a season-low 91 yards and one touchdown while completing 10 of 19 passes. The offensive line penalties, timing issues with receivers and a few drops all played a role, but Simmons also has to share some of the blame.
Still, Missouri did avoid the kind of meltdown that can bury a team. The Tigers didn’t turn it over, and Drinkwitz pointed to that as one reason the frustration never spun into something worse.
“We didn't turn the ball over, which in a game like that - although we were frustrated - we didn't allow those frustrations to lead into bad decision making which I think is important,” Drinkwitz said.
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 Faces A Dangerous SEC Opener It Cant Afford To Misread
The SEC grind opens immediately for Missouri with a trip to Starkville to face No. 24 Mississippi State, a matchup that already carries the feel of a tricky early-season test. The Tigers enter league play against a Bulldogs team that has looked livelier than plenty expected, with Jeff Lebby in his third year and a group on offense built to stress a defense in multiple ways.
Mississippi State has paired that speed and creativity with a defense that has been uneven, which is exactly why this is the kind of opener Missouri cannot let get sloppy. The Tigers will need to sort out a road environment, an explosive opponent and the usual SEC week-to-week volatility all at once, and the first real question is whether they can keep the game on their terms before Starkville starts dictating the pace. [Read more 🡒]