No. 25 Missouri opens its 2026 season Thursday night at 7 p.m., and the Tigers are trying to keep a streak alive that has held since Eli Drinkwitz’s first game in charge.
Missouri hasn’t dropped a season opener since that Sept. 26, 2020 loss to No. 2 Alabama, rolling to five straight wins to start a year.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff, an FCS opponent, gets the first shot at ending that run.
This one carries plenty of intrigue beyond the final score. Ole Miss transfer quarterback Austin Simmons is set to make an early impression, while new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey steps into his first game calling the offense.
Kicker Blake Craig is back healthy, and Missouri’s defense features a wave of new and young faces. Sophomore wide receiver Donovan Olugbode, transfer linebacker Robert Woodyard and senior running back Jamal Roberts are all names worth tracking closely.
If the Tigers build the kind of lead they’re expected to, the second half could turn into a showcase for the next wave. Backup running back Xai'Shaun Edwards, quarterback Matt Zollers and tackle Jack Lange could all see meaningful snaps on offense.
On the other side of the ball, safety Jayden McGregory, defensive tackle Jason Dowell and defensive end Daeden Hopkins are among the reserves who may get extended work. For Missouri, the game could offer a first real look at some of the pieces waiting in the wings.
Missouri will be short-handed in a couple key spots. All-American running back Ahmad Hardy is out while recovering from a gunshot wound suffered May 10, and All-SEC left tackle Cayden Green is also sidelined with an undisclosed leg injury.
The Tigers are coming off an 8-5 season in 2025 that ended with a Gator Bowl loss to Virginia, and Thursday gives them a chance to start 2026 on the right foot against UAPB.
The setting is a little different this time, too. Missouri’s North End Zone, renovated at a cost of $250 million during the 2025 season, will be in use for the first game since the work was completed.
Missouri and Arkansas-Pine Bluff meet for the first time. The game is at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Missouri, and will air on SEC Network with radio coverage on the Tiger Radio Network.
In Other News...
Drinkwitz Sends Mizzou An Early Warning Before Kansas
Eli Drinkwitz had plenty to like in Missouris 54-14 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, but the postgame mood was not all celebration. The Tigers handled business on the scoreboard, yet the coachs remarks made clear he was looking beyond the lopsided result and sorting through the parts of the performance that still need cleaning up before the schedule stiffens.
Drinkwitz pointed to a second half that left him wanting more, especially in the areas that often decide tighter games later in the season. Penalties, a lack of pressure on the quarterback and a missed takeaway chance all stood out, and the edge in intensity he expected was not always there. With Kansas next, Missouri is already getting an early reminder that the margin for those mistakes is about to shrink. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Brings Back A Familiar Star For A Milestone Opening Day
Sheryl Crow will help set the tone for a big day at Memorial Stadium when Missouri opens the 2026 football season against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, with the Missouri native scheduled to perform the national anthem. The matchup is already carrying extra weight as the stadium marks its 100th anniversary and welcomes fans back for the first home game after renovations to the north end zone.
Crows return adds a familiar name to a milestone backdrop for Mizzou, blending pageantry with one of the more notable dates on the programs calendar. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee is also set to release a new album, "Pick You Up," on October 9, giving the Tigers an opening-day spotlight that stretches well beyond the field. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzous New Era Just Raised The Pressure On Eli Drinkwitz
Missouri football has spent much of its history trying to outrun the baggage that has followed the program for decades, from coaching instability to facilities that lagged behind the sports elite. Now the backdrop looks different. The school unveiled a major north end zone stadium project on Thursday night as part of the venues 100th anniversary, another sign that Mizzou is trying to match its ambitions off the field with what it wants to build on it.
Eli Drinkwitz has been the face of that push, and the timing only sharpens the pressure around him. The Tigers dominant win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff was the kind of game Missouri was expected to handle, but the larger conversation is about what comes next for a coach who has already been rewarded with a long-term commitment. With the program investing at a higher level and expectations rising along with it, the standard in Columbia is no longer about simply being better than Missouri used to be. [Read more 🡒]