Mizzou’s 34-10 win over Arkansas did more than keep the Battle Line Rivalry in Columbia for a fifth straight season. It also gave the Tigers a clearer picture of who’s climbing, who’s sliding, and where the offense might be headed after a rough stretch.
The bounce-back effort came after a 28-point loss to Mississippi, and Saturday brought a few notable shifts: Ahmad Hardy was back in the mix, the offense showed some new wrinkles, and a couple of younger players carved out bigger roles. Here’s where the stock report stands after Fayetteville.
Demarion Fowlkes is one of the clearest risers. He didn’t catch a pass, but the Tigers kept finding ways to use him, and that mattered.
Fowlkes ran the ball three times for 18 yards and was targeted twice by Simmons. More importantly, his workload has steadily grown.
From Weeks 2-5, he averaged just 5.8 offensive snaps per game. Over the last three weeks, that number has jumped to 18 per game.
The receiving production still hasn’t shown up, but the intent is obvious: Mizzou wants him involved. And that’s on top of what he already brings as a return man, where he’s already scored once.
Blake Craig also got a much-needed boost. It’s been a difficult season for the kicker, with a miss in five of the last six games, plus a few blocks and a shanked attempt at Ole Miss before Arkansas.
But in tough weather in Fayetteville, he delivered when Mizzou needed it. Craig hit a 31-yarder in the first quarter, then drilled a 53-yarder early in the second to make it 13-0.
That was a welcome turnaround for a kicking unit that had been searching for something clean. It was also the first time since the Troy game that Mizzou went 100% on field goal attempts.
The running back room looks different now, too. Ahmad Hardy returned and played five offensive snaps, carrying twice for five yards.
On Tuesday, Eli Drinkwitz said there will be more of a rotation going forward between Hardy and Jamal Roberts. It’s still too early to know whether Hardy will look like the same player he was in 2025, but just getting him back on the field matters.
Preston Hatfield, meanwhile, made the most of his chance. The true freshman from Lee’s Summit got three carries and turned them into 49 yards. On a 10-yard run, he showed good vision before finishing the play with a first down, and his final touch was a 37-yard burst down the right sideline.
Before Saturday, Hatfield’s only offensive work had come against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Drinkwitz wasn’t shocked by what he saw.
“I can’t tell you I’m surprised just because the way he works in the summer, how hard he pushes himself, the way he conducts himself around the building,” said Drinkwitz when talking about Hatfield. “He’s got some qualities of elite running backs that I’ve been around here and those qualities aren’t necessarily on the field.”
Not everyone came out of the game with momentum, though.
Luke Work’s stretch at right tackle has been rough. He was flagged twice against Arkansas, including one penalty that erased a 12-yard Brett Norfleet gain.
Per PFF, Work hasn’t posted an offensive grade above 55.6 over the last four games, and he’s given up 10 pressures in that span. His 13 pressures allowed on the season lead the team.
That’s not ideal for a player stepping in for Josh Atkins, the projected starter who is out for the season with an injury. So far, that fill-in role has been a tough one.
Xai’Shaun Edwards is in a similar spot. Hardy’s return naturally squeezes the backfield, and Edwards didn’t play an offensive snap against Arkansas. His usage has already been trending down: three snaps against Texas A&M, then three more at Mississippi, before disappearing from the offense entirely on Saturday.
The question now is whether those touches go back to Edwards or keep shifting toward Hatfield.
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 🡒]