FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Missouri’s trip to Arkansas comes with a familiar storyline and a new wrinkle.
The No. 23 Tigers (5-2, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) and Razorbacks (3-4, 1-3) are scheduled to kick off at 6:45 p.m. at Donald W.
Reynolds Razorback Stadium, with rain hanging over Fayetteville all day and expected to keep falling through the game. Both teams are coming out of bye weeks, and Missouri used the break to get healthier.
The biggest name back in the mix is Ahmad Hardy. The All-American running back is set to make his season debut after missing the first seven games while recovering from a gunshot wound suffered in May.
Hardy returned to practice Monday and is making the trip to Fayetteville. ESPN’s Marty Smith reported that the bullet that struck Hardy is still in his leg.
Pete Thamel of ESPN reported that Hardy will not start, but is expected to get “a handful of carries.” Last season, Hardy’s lightest workload in an SEC game was 12 carries against Alabama. He went on to put together a program-record year, rushing for 1,649 yards and 16 touchdowns on 256 carries in 2025.
With Hardy easing back in, Jamal Roberts is expected to keep his role as the starter. Roberts has handled that job through seven games this season and has piled up 867 yards and eight touchdowns on 167 carries.
Missouri is also chasing its first SEC road win since beating Arkansas in the regular-season finale in 2025. In that 31-17 victory, Hardy and Roberts combined for 257 rushing yards.
The Tigers’ last two conference road games have gone the other way. They lost 31-24 at then-No.
24 Mississippi State in Week 4 and then were beaten 31-3 by then-No. 9 Ole Miss in Week 7.
The run game was especially quiet against the Rebels, finishing with a season-low 39 yards and just 1.5 yards per carry.
That makes this matchup a chance for Missouri to get right on the ground against an Arkansas defense that has allowed an SEC-worst 4.37 yards per carry. Roberts will try to rebound, while Hardy will be looking to find his rhythm in his first action of the year.
At quarterback, Austin Simmons is set to face Arkansas as a starter for the first time in his career. He’s coming off his first game of the season without a touchdown, after throwing for 339 yards, no scores and one interception.
Arkansas, meanwhile, has at least shown some life. The Razorbacks picked up their first SEC win of the season with a 31-21 victory over Vanderbilt and followed that by hanging around in a 24-17 loss to then-No. 15 Tennessee.
Missouri should have the edge if it plays to its standard, but the SEC has a way of turning clean scripts messy. Upsets are never far away.
In Other News...
Mizzou Fans Got One More Reason To Celebrate This Arkansas Win
Missouris 34-10 win over Arkansas gave Tigers fans plenty to enjoy beyond another comfortable finish in the rivalry. The victory marked a fifth straight against the Razorbacks and pushed Missouri into bowl eligibility, with the second half offering the kind of control that has defined this stretch of success.
Austin Simmons threw two touchdown passes after halftime, Jamal Roberts powered the ground game with 138 rushing yards and two scores, and the Tigers kept building momentum when they needed it most. There was also a welcome sight on the field in Ahmad Hardys return after recovering from a gunshot wound, as the All-American tailback got back into action and added two carries for five yards. [Read more 🡒]
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 🡒]
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 🡒]