Missouri gets one of its biggest tests of the season Saturday when Texas comes to Columbia for a top-20 SEC matchup at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium.
The Tigers enter at No. 18 with a 6-2 record overall and a 3-2 mark in SEC play. Texas comes in ranked No. 7, also 6-2 overall and 3-2 in the league, setting up a meeting between two teams with identical conference records and plenty still to sort out.
Missouri is riding the confidence of a 34-10 win over Arkansas in the Battle Line Rivalry. The Tigers leaned on the ground game in that one, with Jamal Roberts rushing for 138 yards and scoring two total touchdowns.
Austin Simmons was efficient at quarterback, finishing 20 of 31 for 179 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Cayden Lee led Missouri’s receivers with 78 yards on six catches.
The numbers behind Missouri’s season tell the same story. Simmons has thrown for 1,952 yards and 16 touchdowns, while Roberts has piled up 1,005 rushing yards and nine scores.
Texas arrives with its own momentum after a 31-3 win over Mississippi State. Arch Manning completed 16 of 20 passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, and Emmett Mosley V topped the Longhorns with 98 receiving yards and a touchdown on four catches. Texas’ defense also did its part, holding Mississippi State to just three points.
Missouri beat writers will have a live blog with updates throughout Saturday’s game.
In Other News...
Ahmad Hardys Mizzou Return Came After A Comeback Few Saw Coming
Ahmad Hardys path back to the field for Missouri was anything but ordinary. Shot in the leg in May and forced into surgery that placed a metal rod in his femur, the running back spent months working through rehab before finally making it back for Halloween, when he took part in the Tigers win over Arkansas.
For a Missouri team that has leaned on toughness all season, Hardys return carried real weight beyond the box score. Eli Drinkwitz made clear how much the staff valued both the recovery itself and the way Hardy was able to contribute once he was back on the field, a reminder of how much had to go right just for this moment to happen. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzous 2027 Offense Just Got A Lot More Interesting
Missouris offensive outlook for 2027 got a major boost with Austin Simmons back in the fold, giving the Tigers a proven starting quarterback to build around as they keep shaping the roster for the future. Simmons arrived in Columbia after three seasons at Ole Miss and has already started eight games this season, enough to make him one of the most important pieces in Missouris long-range plans.
The arrangement still leaves some uncertainty, though, since his contract gives him the option to enter the 2027 NFL Draft if that path becomes available. Even so, Missouri now has a clearer picture at the most important position, and with several other skill-position players also eligible for 2027, the offense suddenly has a much more defined core to work with. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Just Got A Much Tougher SLU Problem Than Expected
What had looked like a straightforward early-season matchup for Missouri has suddenly become more complicated. St. Louis Circuit Court Judge Jason Sengheiser granted Robbie Avila an injunction that gives him a fifth year of eligibility and blocks the NCAA from using roster limits to keep him off the floor, and Saint Louis coach Josh Schertz confirmed Avila will be dressed and available for the Billikens upcoming game against Missouri.
For a Tigers team already preparing for a cross-town test, the timing matters. Avilas case mirrors that of Mark Mitchell, who also received a court allowance to return to the Saint Louis roster, adding another layer of uncertainty to a game that now carries a little more intrigue than expected. [Read more 🡒]