After Friday night’s 38-21 Border War win, Missouri came away with a pair of SEC weekly honors to match the momentum from its undefeated start.
Austin Simmons earned SEC Offensive Player of the Week after going 19-for-29 for 292 passing yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Simmons also landed on the Davey O’Brien Great Eight Team of the Week.
On the other side of the ball, Deaden Hopkins was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week. He finished with 4.5 tackles, including 1.5 sacks, along with five quarterback pressures, a pass deflection and a forced fumble.
The Tigers’ SEC opener is now set, too. Missouri will play at Mississippi State on September 26 at 6:45 p.m. CST on the SEC Network.
Sunday also brought an NFL debut for a few former Missouri Tigers, but Josiah Trotter was the one who made the biggest immediate impression. In Tampa Bay’s 33-27 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Trotter was all over the field.
On the Missouri beat, there was also plenty of attention on Robert Woodyard Jr., whose early fumble recovery and interception helped the Tigers steady themselves in the win over Kansas. Those two plays came within three minutes and helped Mizzou finish the job in the Border War.
Elsewhere around the program, Missouri Volleyball improved to 6-2 overall after handling business over the weekend.
And on the tennis side, the Tigers are beginning a new era under head coach Robin Goodman, who is tasked with turning different styles, backgrounds and experiences into one team identity.
Saturday night’s game against Troy will also feature Missouri’s 100th year anniversary of Memorial Stadium throwback uniforms, a look that has sparked plenty of reaction.
In Other News...
Mizzou's Border War Win Didn't Hide A Problem Drinkwitz Had To Address
A Border War win over Kansas pushed Missouri to 2-0 and gave the Tigers plenty to feel good about, especially with quarterback Brady Simmons drawing praise for his leadership and a defense that kept delivering momentum-changing plays. Still, Eliah Drinkwitz did not let the 38-21 result blur the rough edges, pointing to special teams, run-game consistency and red-zone defense as areas that need tightening before the schedule gets more demanding.
The next test comes against Troy, and Drinkwitz has already started shifting the focus toward the Trojans offense and the experience they bring at quarterback. Missouris coach knows the Tigers can enjoy the rivalry win for a moment, but the bigger concern is making sure the same issues that surfaced against Kansas do not follow them into another game they are supposed to control. [Read more 🡒]
Drinkwitz Just Put Mizzous Biggest Problem Under A Harsh Spotlight
Missouris special teams came under a harsh light after the Kansas game, and coach Eli Drinkwitz did not try to soften it. He pointed to two blocked field goals and a string of penalties as the kind of breakdowns that can swing a game, then made clear the problems went beyond execution on the field and into coaching. With Troy next on the schedule, it has become a priority area the Tigers cannot afford to leave unresolved.
Drinkwitz said the operation has already been revisited in practice, with the staff looking at fixes on the protection side and around the personnel involved. The bigger question for Missouri is whether those changes can steady a unit that has suddenly become a source of anxiety instead of an asset, especially with the SEC slate looming after this week. [Read more 🡒]
Donta Simpson Is Giving Mizzous Pass Rush A Needed Jolt
Donta Simpsons first game of the season gave Missouri a little more pop off the edge than it had been looking for. The Tigers used him for significant snaps in the opener, and the pass rusher made the most of the opportunity by finishing with 1.5 sacks in limited work, good enough to match the team high and provide an immediate boost to a defense trying to sharpen its pressure.
For Simpson, the strong start was especially notable because his offseason never really went according to plan after he dealt with an illness before getting back on the field in mid-August. Eli Drinkwitz had clearly been looking for a better response from him, and the way Simpson handled the opener showed why Missouri wanted more from him in the first place. Even with the rotation still taking shape, he gave the Tigers a needed jolt against Kansas and put himself back in the conversation as a pass-rush option worth watching. [Read more 🡒]