Mizzou football vs. UMass: Five things to know about Tigers’ homecoming game
It’s homecoming week in Columbia, and Mizzou is celebrating accordingly as it moves into Week 5 without a blemish on the record.
The Tigers’ undefeated season was in jeopardy last week against South Carolina, but Mizzou ultimately survived the battle at Faurot Field 29-20.
The Tigers now host UMass, with the Minutemen coming off a bye week in search of their first win.
But remember last October, when the Tigers took the trip to Amherst? It was a 45-3 Mizzou victory.
“I think for us, the biggest challenge, for (the) team, staff, fans, community, University of Missouri, is not to have relief syndrome,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said Tuesday. “To think that because we won an SEC game — we’re going to step out of conference — that you would decline in intensity or loss of focus, or (have) complacency, that, really, for us is the challenge.
“Instead, we need to work to improve our process. You see, when guys lose, they tweet out ‘back to the lab.’ We need to be back to the lab after a win.”
Here’s what you need to know ahead of homecoming...
Mizzou vs. UMass: Game details
Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium, Columbia
TV: ESPNU
Radio: KMBZ (980) in Kansas City, KCMQ (96.7 or 103.1) in Columbia
Betting line: Mizzou is a 44.5-point favorite (via FanDuel).
Over/under: 56.5
Five things to know before kickoff
1. This is the second part of a home-and-home agreement signed in 2018. It was an unusual matchup for the Tigers, but they’re just finishing up their end of the bargain.
“Non-conference games are designed to help prepare your team for SEC play,” then-Mizzou deputy athletics director Nick Joos said in a 2019 release announcing the deal.
Mizzou moves into the rest of its SEC schedule following next week’s bye, with Alabama the next challenger as it closes a six-game homestand.
2. This isn’t the first Power Conference opponent the Minutemen have faced this season. UMass has already been handed a tough assignment, taking a 47-7 loss against Iowa earlier this month.
3. Ahmad Hardy rushed for more yards in one game than UMass has all season. Hardy ran for 250 yards against Louisiana a few weeks ago ... and the Minutemen have a total of 230 rushing yards all season. Saturday will be a great opportunity for Mizzou’s front to continue fine-tuning what made the Tigers so successful in stopping the run against South Carolina last week.
And, speaking of Hardy, he should have another day for the books against a team that allows an average of 157.7 rushing yards a game.
4. The Minutemen are led by a new face this year. Joe Harasymiak took over at UMass at the start of this season, with a coaching resume that includes some Big Ten experience. Harasymiak most recently was the defensive coordinator at Rutgers from 2022-24, and served on Minnesota’s staff from 2019-21.
Harasymiak’s first head coaching gig was at Maine from 2016-18, taking the Black Bears to an FCS semifinal appearance in 2018. At the time of his hiring at Maine, he was the youngest Division I coach at 30 years old.
5. Redshirt freshman AJ Hairston gets his first start at QB this week. Hairston had three starts as a true freshman for the Minutemen last season, but was beat out by transfers Brandon Rose (Utah) and Grant Jordan (Yale) for playing time. Rose is currently nursing an injury and Jordan’s longest pass was just 8 yards against Iowa (he finished with 37), so Harasmyiak is shaking things up under center.
“They’re going to start the freshman, who appears to be the better player on tape, throws the ball with great accuracy and velocity and adds a lot to their offense,” Drinkwitz said.
This story was originally published September 24, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
