Missouri needed a reset, and it found one in Fayetteville.
A week after getting blown out by Ole Miss on Oct. 17, the Tigers walked into Arkansas and left with a 34-10 win that was built on takeaways, quick-strike offense and another second-half surge. Missouri forced four turnovers, turned the game in its favor after halftime and kept the Battle Line Trophy for the fifth straight meeting.
The first half was messy enough to leave some doubt. Missouri’s opening touchdown came in bizarre fashion, when Arkansas center Caden Kitler sailed the ball over running back Cam Settles’ reach on a fourth down and sent the play skidding toward the Razorbacks’ end zone. After a scramble and a few slips from Missouri defenders, Darris Smith finally came away with the ball for a touchdown.
That was only the beginning of Arkansas’ turnover trouble. The Razorbacks also lost three more fumbles, with Missouri recovering two of them, and the Tigers picked off one pass when cornerback Chris Graves Jr. tipped a throw into the arms of safety Trajen Greco.
Blake Craig added field goals from 31 and 53 yards, giving Missouri 13 first-half points. But the Tigers also gave Arkansas a late opening before the break, just as they’ve done too often this season. Antonio Jordan caught a deep ball in Tiger territory and dragged Jahlil Florence for extra yards on a 37-yard gain that set up first-and-goal, and KJ Jackson punched in the touchdown two plays later.
The second half belonged to Missouri.
Austin Simmons hit Cayden Lee for a 46-yard gain to start the postgame push, then found Donovan Olugbode for an 11-yard toe-tap touchdown two plays later. Lee finished with six catches for 78 yards, while Olugbode had five receptions for 50 yards.
Simmons spread the ball around throughout the night, with Naeshaun Montgomery, DaMarion Fowlkes and Roberts all making multiple catches. Fowlkes also added three carries for 18 yards. Simmons went 20 of 31 for 179 yards and two touchdowns.
The defense kept the pressure on immediately after the break. On Arkansas’ second offensive play of the half, linebacker Nicholas Rodriguez forced a fumble that Santana Banner recovered.
Missouri then turned that into points right away, with Roberts breaking free for a 43-yard run and finishing the sequence with a 2-yard touchdown. Rodriguez and Banner each finished with nine tackles, and Donta Simpson was the only Tiger to sack Jackson.
Jamal Roberts carried the load in the backfield and kept piling up numbers. He ran for 138 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries, added a receiving touchdown, and recorded his fifth 100-yard rushing game of the season. His performance also pushed him past 1,000 yards on the year.
Ahmad Hardy was back on the field for the first time since suffering a gunshot wound on May 10. He had been recovering since then and returned to practice for the first time Monday.
Hardy’s first carry went for 1 yard, and on his second touch he picked up 4 yards and a first down. Coaches embraced him on the sideline after that conversion.
Hardy finished with two carries for five yards.
The game wasn’t clean on either side. Missouri was flagged nine times for 80 yards, and eight of those penalties were on the offense.
With the win, Missouri is now bowl eligible and will next host Texas at 11 a.m. Nov. 7.
In Other News...
Mizzous Arkansas Win Came With One Lingering Concern
Missouris 34-10 win over Arkansas gave the Tigers plenty to feel good about, especially on a day when the defense set the tone by forcing four turnovers and keeping the Razorbacks from finding much rhythm. The result pushed Mizzou to its sixth victory of the season and offered another reminder that this team can still win comfortably even when the offense is not firing on all cylinders.
The concern, though, is the same one that has lingered at times this fall: finishing drives. Missouri left some points on the table with red zone struggles, a flaw that could matter more in tighter games down the stretch. Ahmad Hardy made a limited return after missing time with injury, while Jamal Roberts handled the primary running back role effectively, giving the Tigers a little more clarity in the backfield even as the offense works to clean up the details. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Heads To Arkansas With Its Road Woes And Star Back In Focus
Rain is in the forecast for Missouris trip to Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, and the Tigers are walking into a game that already carries plenty of weight. They are still searching for their first SEC road win since 2025, and the setting only adds to the challenge against an Arkansas team that has found some recent momentum in conference play.
The bigger Missouri storyline, though, is the return of All-American running back Ahmad Hardy, who is set to make his season debut after recovering from a gunshot wound. He will not start, but his presence gives the Tigers another layer of intrigue as they try to steady a road stretch that has been hard to solve and see how quickly their top back can fit back into the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Exposed A Georgia Problem That Could Still Matter Later
Georgia came out of its bye week and handled Florida 27-8, leaning on a defense that forced four turnovers and helped set up the scoring margin. The offense did enough to get the win, finishing with 318 total yards, but the passing game never really found a rhythm as Gunner Stockton went 13 of 23 for 101 yards.
Kirby Smart didnt hide the fact that there is still work to do there, especially with tougher quarterbacks looming on the schedule. Georgia can live with a win like this in Jacksonville, but the passing game remains the part of the operation that could determine whether the Bulldogs are merely steady or truly sharp when the next stretch gets more demanding. [Read more 🡒]