Missouri Football Finishes Strong in a Season Defined by Grit, Growth, and Close Calls
There are seasons that look good on paper, and then there are seasons that feel good-because you know what it took to get there. For Missouri, this year was the latter.
Predicted by many to finish near the bottom of the SEC pecking order, the Tigers clawed their way to a tie for 8th in the league, stacking up eight total wins, including four within the gauntlet that is the SEC. That’s now eight times in 14 seasons that Mizzou has finished .500 or better in conference play.
That’s not just respectable-it’s proof of staying power in a league where margins are razor-thin.
And those margins? They were on full display all season.
In Mizzou’s four SEC wins, three were decided by a single possession in the fourth quarter. Flip the coin, and in their four losses, three were also one-possession games late.
That’s not a fluke-it’s the nature of life in the SEC, where every Saturday is a survival test. Last year told a similar story: five wins, three losses, and nearly all of them decided in the final minutes.
This is a team that’s been living on the edge for two seasons now.
Zoom out across the conference, and you’ll see the same trend. Texas, who opened the year as the AP’s No. 1, might miss the College Football Playoff with three losses-two of them by a single possession and the third a tight battle until the fourth quarter.
Meanwhile, Vanderbilt is playoff-bound after three SEC wins that came by the slimmest of margins. Oklahoma?
They’ve been dancing on the edge nearly every week.
And then there’s Arkansas-a team that lived the heartbreak Missouri managed to avoid. In Week 3, they were driving inside Ole Miss territory, down six with two minutes to go, only to fumble it away.
Ole Miss? They’ve now won 11 games and are playoff-bound.
The following week, another red zone fumble cost them a one-point game. Then came a three-point loss to Tennessee.
Then another to Texas A&M. They led Auburn entering the fourth quarter.
They were up 14 on Mississippi State in the final frame. They lost to LSU by a single point after leading in the fourth.
And then came the season finale-another tight one that didn’t go their way.
Missouri, meanwhile, found a way.
They weren’t perfect in their final game. Far from it.
The Tigers trailed at halftime. The passing game couldn’t find a rhythm.
Beau Pribula lost the ball on a would-be pass attempt, gifting the opponent a touchdown. There were botched snaps, questionable penalties, and weather that didn’t do anyone any favors.
But the defense tightened the screws. The run game kept grinding.
And then came the play that flipped the script-Kevin Coleman’s punt return touchdown with just over eight minutes to play. That return gave Mizzou the cushion they needed.
That was the moment. That was the difference.
Because in this league, that’s the kind of moment that determines whether a coach gets fired or extended.
Arkansas’ Sam Pittman was let go after three straight losses-two of which turned on late-game fumbles. Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz?
He was extended, and paid well, just days after a 17-6 road loss at Oklahoma. The difference?
Drinkwitz has built something that Missouri believes in. He’s earned the benefit of the doubt Pittman never quite secured.
And that’s the big-picture takeaway from Missouri’s season. A few plays go differently-against Alabama, against Vanderbilt-and you’re looking at a 10-win campaign.
A bounce the wrong way against Auburn or South Carolina, and the mood shifts entirely. That’s how fragile success is in this league.
But Missouri’s administration is betting that Drinkwitz can keep this thing moving forward. He’s built a culture that believes in winning close games.
He’s created a roster that’s close to being complete. Yes, there are transfer decisions ahead.
Draft declarations will come. And the SEC’s upcoming 9-game conference schedule will raise the stakes even higher.
But Missouri isn’t backing down. Not now.
They’ve got a coach who’s earned their trust. They’ve got a team that knows how to fight. And they’ve got a season’s worth of proof that they belong in the thick of the SEC conversation.
Around the SEC - Week’s Notable Results:
- Texas 27, Texas A&M 17 - The Longhorns keep their playoff hopes alive, but their margin for error is gone.
- Georgia 16, Georgia Tech 9 - The Bulldogs win ugly, but win nonetheless.
- Ole Miss 38, Mississippi State 19 - The Rebels keep rolling, now with 11 wins and a playoff spot locked up.
- Oklahoma 17, LSU 13 - Another nail-biter for the Sooners, who just keep finding ways.
- Alabama 27, Auburn 20 - The Iron Bowl lives up to its billing-again.
- Vanderbilt 45, Tennessee 24 - The Commodores make a statement with a dominant rivalry win.
- Florida 40, Florida State 21 - Gators close the season with a big win over their in-state rivals.
- Louisville 41, Kentucky 0 - The Cardinals dominate from start to finish.
- Clemson 28, South Carolina 14 - Clemson finishes strong, taking care of business in Columbia.
In a league where the line between celebration and frustration is often just one play wide, Missouri found a way to stay on the right side of it more often than not. And that’s worth more than just a win total-it’s a sign of a program that’s learning how to win when it matters most.