Mizzou’s pass rush has hit a lull at the wrong time, but Texas brings a setup that could help wake it back up.
For most of the first half of the season, the Tigers made life miserable for opposing quarterbacks. Then the last two weeks happened.
After piling up 18 sacks in the first six games, Mizzou has managed only one sack over its last two outings. During that same stretch, the Tigers have produced just three tackles for loss and seven quarterback hurries.
That drop has pushed Mizzou down to 11th in the SEC in total sacks, even though two edge defenders still sit near the top of the league. Daeden Hopkins has seven sacks and Donta Simpson has six, putting both among the conference’s top five sack leaders.
But neither has been able to keep that pace lately. Hopkins has gone two games without a sack and has just one quarterback hurry in that span, while Simpson has added one sack and two hurries.
The bigger issue has been the lack of steady pressure from the edge. Of Mizzou’s 19 sacks this season, nine have come from defensive tackles, 8.5 from defensive ends and 1.5 from linebacker Nic Rodriguez. That’s a different profile from last season, when Damon Wilson II and Zion Young combined for 15.5 sacks as edge rushers and gave the Tigers a tandem they have not matched yet.
Injuries have been part of the story. Hopkins missed two games, Simpson was out against Mississippi State and Darris Smith, who was expected to lead the edge rush after posting four sacks in 2025, has played in only four games and logged fewer than 150 snaps. Smith did see a bigger role against Arkansas, finishing with 38 snaps, his most since 56 against Kansas.
Even with the recent dip, Mizzou’s staff has kept mixing things up. Against Arkansas, defensive coordinator Corey Batoon used four- and five-man fronts along with disguised coverages. On Trajen Greco’s interception, Hopkins began inside before looping outside, a move that helped both him and Simpson create pressure.
The numbers still show a slide. Mizzou’s sack percentage has fallen from 6.74% on the season, which ranks 10th in the SEC, to 3.54% over the last three weeks, down to 12th in the conference.
Texas could be the right opponent to turn that around. The Longhorns have allowed 24 sacks this season, the third-most in the SEC, and Arch Manning has been taken down 12 times over his last three games.
Eli Drinkwitz said the answer won’t be as simple as dialing up pressure on every snap.
“I think with every quarterback it can’t just be one one size fits all. You can’t just say we’re going to pressure him all game,” Drinkwitz said.
“You can’t just play drop coverage because he does a great job with scrambling. So you’re going to have to intermix within the realm of what we do.”
Jason Dowell pointed to containment as the key to slowing Manning down.
“He’s a phenomenal quarterback, and I can’t wait to have the opportunity to play him,” Dowell said. “But to slow him down, we have to push what we go over, just push the A and B gaps, keep him contained and be able to keep him inside where he has to make those tough throws.”
Even with the pass rush cooling off, Mizzou’s defense has still held up well in other areas. The Tigers rank 28th nationally in opponent completion percentage, allowing quarterbacks to complete 57.8% of their throws.
In Other News...
Missouri Opens Texas Week With One Early Advantage
Missouris first SEC availability report for its matchup with Texas brought a bit of clarity to the start of a big week, and the Tigers came out of it in decent shape. The league-required update listed no new injuries for Missouri beyond the players already ruled out, which at least gives the Tigers a clean initial read as they begin preparing for one of the conferences marquee games.
Texas, meanwhile, had a longer list to sort through, with several starters and key contributors showing up as questionable or out, including wide receivers Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo, running back Hollywood Smothers and defensive end Colin Simmons. The reports will be updated daily as kickoff gets closer, so Missouris early edge is only a snapshot, but it is the kind of snapshot a team would rather see on its side heading into a week like this. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzous Shot At A Statement Win May Depend On Texas Saturday
Missouri heads into Saturday with the same injury picture it has been carrying, as Malae Fonoti, Josh Atkins and Gavin Hoffman remain out. The bigger question, though, is what Texas will have available when the Tigers try to turn this into a statement game, because the Longhorns are dealing with a much longer list of concerns and several starters are still in question.
Among the names to watch are Colin Simmons, Ryan Wingo, Cam Coleman, Kade Phillips and Graceson Littleton, all listed as questionable. Texas is already without running back Hollywood Smothers and tight end Nick Townsend, while Trevor Goosby is out for the season, leaving the Longhorns with some real uncertainty on both sides of the ball as Missouri looks to capitalize on the opening. [Read more 🡒]
Ahmad Hardy Just Became Mizzous Biggest Question Against Texas
Ahmad Hardy finally got back on the field in Missouris win over Arkansas, and even in a limited return, the Tigers had to like simply having their returning All-American running back available again. Hardy played five snaps and carried twice for five yards, a modest first step after missing time, but it was enough to signal that Missouri can begin folding him back into the offense as the stakes rise late in the season.
Eliah Drinkwitz has already said Hardys workload should grow against Texas, which adds another layer to a matchup that already has plenty riding on it. Missouri has leaned on Jamal Roberts to lead the SEC in rushing yards, but the Tigers are now trying to balance that production with Hardys return while staring down a Texas defense that will make every carry count. [Read more 🡒]