Mizzou’s season opener did more than produce a 54-14 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. It also offered a first real look at which Tigers came out of opening week with their momentum headed in the right direction.
One game is far too small a sample to make any grand declarations, and nobody should pretend otherwise. Still, the opener gave Mizzou a useful snapshot as the Tigers move into Kansas week. A few players didn’t just play well - they left the kind of impression that changes how their roles look going forward.
Elijah Dotson was one of the clearest standouts on the defensive side. The Michigan transfer entered week one as the starting alternate next to the more experienced Kensley Louidor-Faustin at STAR, and in 19 defensive snaps he showed up everywhere. He lined up deep, played in the box, and even worked outside at cornerback, where he showed sticky coverage and climbed high to snag an interception that was later wiped out.
What really jumped off the screen, though, was how forceful he was against the run. Dotson posted a 92.8 PFF grade, the highest on the team, along with a 73.4 run defense grade and a 79.3 tackling grade. He added a tackle for loss and finished an open-field stop on Jalen Williams in the second quarter.
One of his most telling moments came on a second-quarter screen, essentially an extension of the run game. Dotson, aligned as one of the two deep safeties, flew downhill and drove his shoulder into Chris Hicks Jr.’s arms to force a fumble.
The Golden Lions recovered it, but the play summed up the kind of physical edge he brought all night. He was simply everywhere.
Shaun Terry II also made a strong case for a bigger slice of the offense. The true sophomore from Southern Ohio turned in a career night, catching four passes for 55 yards and a touchdown. He also logged 39 snaps, more than doubling his season high from last year.
Mizzou’s receiver room has opened the door for players who were buried on the depth chart a season ago after the departures of Kevin Coleman, Marquis Johnson, and Joshua Manning. While Caleb Goodie Sr., Naeshaun Montgomery, and DeMarion Fowlkes drew plenty of preseason attention, Terry made sure his name belonged in the conversation too.
His touchdown was the obvious highlight, but his best grab may have come late in the fourth quarter. With Nick Evers rolling to his right, he fired a hard throw into a tight window and Terry held on through contact for an 18-yard gain. At 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, he showed the kind of toughness that can keep a receiver on the field.
On the defensive front, Langden Kitchen looked like a player ready to matter in a bigger way. The Huntsville native is expected to take on a full-time starting role in 2026 alongside Darris Smith as Mizzou replaces Zion Young and Damon Wilson. Kitchen only played 12 snaps Thursday, but his presence at 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds stood out in the Tigers’ run defense.
Mizzou held UAPB to 19 rushing yards on 11 carries in the first half, and Kitchen played a big part in that control. Early in the first quarter, the Golden Lions tried to run a design with the tight end responsible for Kitchen.
That didn’t last long. Kitchen used his length and strength to erase the blocker’s leverage and blow up the play for a two-yard loss.
There are still questions about how much pass rush Mizzou will get from its edges in 2026, but Kitchen looks like a piece who can help keep the run defense sturdy. That has been a strength for the Tigers in recent seasons, and he looks capable of fitting into that mold.
Whit Hafer may have helped the offensive line depth chart more than anyone else. With Cayden Green out, Mizzou had to lean on the next man up, and both Jack Lange and Hafer got their chances at left tackle. Hafer, though, may have been one of the Tigers’ best linemen on the night.
He finished with an 89.2 offensive grade and was one of only two Mizzou offensive linemen to post a run-blocking grade above 70. The review showed a lineman playing with real edge in the run game, finishing blocks after contact and looking to keep working downfield. He also showed he could handle more than one spot, lining up on the right side on a play that produced a nine-yard gain for Xai’Shaun Edwards.
That kind of flexibility matters, especially with the front five already dealing with Josh Atkins’ injury and the recent Green developments. Hafer, a converted tight end who has bulked up to 310 pounds, gives Mizzou a versatile option along the line when things get tight. He played just 19 snaps a season ago, but under Brandon Jones, he appears to be moving in the right direction.
Week 1 gave Mizzou a useful baseline. Kansas will tell the Tigers whether these early stock gains hold up - and it will also put the rest of the roster to the test against a better team than Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
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For Missouri, there is also the practical matter of getting healthier up front, with left tackle Cayden Green possibly back from injury for the trip. The long pause in the series only adds to the stakes, because unless the teams cross paths in the College Football Playoff, they will not see each other again until the 2031 and 2032 seasons, making this one of those rare games where history, timing and timing again all seem to matter at once. [Read more 🡒]
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For Missouri, the challenge is not simply matching intensity but handling the swings that come with a game like this on the road. The atmosphere should be lively, the stakes feel bigger than a normal nonconference date, and Foxs broadcast slot only adds to the spotlight. The quarterback play on both sides is part of what makes it intriguing, but the real question is whether Missouri can manage the one area that could tilt everything before the night is over. [Read more 🡒]
Missouri Suddenly Has A Running Back Problem At The Worst Time
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The concern does not stop there, either. Backup Ahmad Hardy remains unavailable while he recovers from a gunshot wound, which leaves Xai'Shaun Edwards in line as the likely No. 2 back behind Jamal Roberts. For Missouri, that makes every snap in the run game feel a little more fragile, and it puts added pressure on the players still standing to absorb a workload the Tigers were not planning on this soon. [Read more 🡒]