Week 1 is in the books, and Missouri showed up in a big way when Pro Football Focus handed out its grades.
Austin Simmons made the kind of first impression that jumps off the page. In his Tiger debut, he checked nearly every box and finished as the fifth-best Power Four quarterback with a 91.0 grade.
He also earned another clean mark on the stat sheet that mattered: no interceptions. That combination of arm talent and ball security was enough to make him the headliner of Missouri’s opening weekend.
Simmons wasn’t the only Tiger to get recognized. Wide receiver Donovan Olugbode, left tackle Whit Hafer, and center Colin Soerensen all landed on PFF’s SEC Offensive Team of the Week after their Week 1 performances.
Simmons also topped the first MV3 of the season after that big opening outing, giving Missouri an early boost at quarterback as the offense looks to keep building.
The week also brought a different kind of test for Missouri, with the Tigers getting another immediate measuring stick after their unusual weekend against Nebraska. Missouri entered Wrigley Field at 3-1, but Sunday’s cancellation means Dawn Sullivan’s team has to wait for another chance to see how it stacks up against the nation’s top program.
That postponement at Wrigley was disappointing, but the next challenge comes fast. Missouri heads to No. 5 Louisville on Wednesday night in the SEC/ACC Challenge.
Elsewhere around Mizzou athletics, Robin Goodman is drawing praise as Mizzou Tennis’ head coach. Goodman said he moved from coaching men to women after joining a program that had already reached the Final Four, and while working under Tennessee coach Alison Ojeda, he saw a culture built around something he deeply values.
And with Kansas hate week here, the buildup is already rolling. Missouri is an early favorite for the trip to Lawrence, but the message around the rivalry hasn’t changed: it’s never as simple as the line suggests. Beat kU.
In Other News...
Missouri Faces A Rivalry Hurdle Fans Know All Too Well
Missouri heads into Friday night with a familiar kind of pressure attached to a rivalry game that has been a long time coming. The Tigers will be in Lawrence to face Kansas, and it is the first time in 25 years Missouri has had a chance to win a true road game there. The last time the Tigers did it was back in 2001, during Gary Pinkels first season, and these programs have not met in Lawrence since 2005.
The setting adds another layer to a rivalry that already carried a long break before it picked back up last season. Missouris departure from the Big 12 led to a 14-year pause in the series, so even the return of the matchup has felt like a reunion with unfinished business. Now the Tigers get another shot in one of the sports more familiar border battles, with the location alone making this one feel different from the first meeting after the hiatus. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzous Shot At No. 1 Nebraska Ended In A Frustrating Twist
Missouris volleyball showdown with No. 1 Nebraska in the unusual setting of Wrigley Field was shaping up to be one of those late-season spectacles that felt bigger than a regular nonconference match. Instead, dropping temperatures and rising humidity turned the floor slick enough to force repeated stoppages while crews tried to clean and reset the playing surface.
After nearly an hour of delays, the match was suspended and the teams were left with a frustrated wait for a make-up date. Both coaches said they want to find a future opening to finish what started in Chicago, leaving Missouri with the sting of an interrupted chance against the nations top team and no clear answer yet on when the rest will be played. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Wrigley Showcase Just Turned Into A Strange Big Ten Problem
The Wrigley Field spotlight turned into an awkward early shutdown for Nebraska and Missouri, with their womens volleyball match halted just minutes into the first set after excessive moisture left the outdoor court unsafe. Coaches and staff tried to dry the surface, but officials ultimately chose player safety over continuing a showcase that had been built around the novelty of playing in a baseball stadium.
For Missouri, the bigger issue now is what comes next in a Big Ten scheduling wrinkle that has no easy fix. The league said the match cannot simply be rescheduled back at Wrigley, and a later decision will determine whether it gets finished at all and, if so, where that would happen. For a match that was supposed to be a one-of-a-kind event, the uncertainty is now the main storyline. [Read more 🡒]