Minute men: Mizzou Tigers dominate the clock in homecoming win over UMass
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Mizzou controlled possession for 38 minutes and outgained UMass by 400 yards.
- Quarterback Beau Pribula completed 26 of 29 passes but threw third pick in three games.
- Mizzou's defense held UMass to 1 yard over a 17-minute second-half stretch.
Last year, Mizzou’s homecoming game was a roller coaster on a football field.
This time around, the Tigers endured slightly less turbulence in a 42-6 win over UMass on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
Like last year’s contest in Amherst — a 45-3 MU victory — Saturday featured the Tigers dominating in most facets. Mizzou outgained UMass by almost 400 yards, averaged 9.4 yards per play and held the ball for over 38 minutes.
One could say that the Tigers out-minuted the Minutemen.
In his first start of the season, UMass quarterback AJ Hairston went just 11-for-31 for 75 yards, as Mizzou generated ample pressure on the redshirt freshman. The Minutemen gained just 19 rushing yards.
“The D-line does a great job of getting push and holding up double teams for us,” linebacker Khalil Jacobs said. “We appreciate them. I’m taking them guys to dinner.”
But through two quarters, the scoring margin wasn’t nearly as wide as many projected. MU was favored by more than 40 points but entered halftime up just 13 over a UMass team that blew a 17-point lead to FCS Bryant two weeks ago. Bryant went 2-10 last season.
That same UMass team allowed 47 points to Iowa last week — the Hawkeyes hadn’t scored that many in a game since Oct. 2021. UMass has only won 26 games since moving back to the FBS level in 2012.
Mizzou’s major blemish came in the first quarter. On third-and-8, Beau Pribula pump-faked, stepped up in the pocket and fired a dart intended for Brett Norfleet. But UMass linebacker Timmy Hinspeter didn’t have to move much to corral an interception, and he marched 63 yards down the right sideline before Jamal Roberts saved a touchdown with a shoestring tackle.
Pribula has now thrown an interception in each of Mizzou’s last three games.
“Sometimes, the defense is right,” coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “They’ve got the right call on. You don’t have to be Superman every play. Throw the ball away.
“I think that’s part of maturing as a quarterback. You want to make every play. Throwing the ball away is a good play.”
With the end zone suddenly near, the Minutemen capitalized. After a few positive plays on offense and a pass interference penalty on Toriano Pride Jr., Hairston found tight end Max Dowling for a touchdown from 2 yards out. It was UMass’ first passing touchdown of the season.
Elsewhere, Pribula was sacked four times, which was half of Mizzou’s entire 2025 total entering Saturday. That included a takedown on a Hail Mary attempt to end the first half, sending the Tigers into the locker room on a sour note.
“I don’t want to make too big a deal out of it,” Drinkwitz said. “They overloaded the right side, and we got beat at the left tackle position.”
Pribula had a mixed bag of a game. On one hand, he completed 26 of 29 passes. According to Stathead, Pribula became just the ninth FBS quarterback since 2019 with at least 26 completions and three or fewer incompletions. His streak of 21 completions in a row broke a school record.
On the other hand, Pribula often looked unsure of himself in the pocket, which led to unproductive passing plays. The interceptions have also become a pattern.
“Our pocket-climbing is an issue right now. The pick was a tipped ball because we climbed too far in the pocket,” Drinkwitz said. “There’s still some maturing and growing in pocket understanding.”
Mizzou widened the gap in the second half thanks to a shutdown defensive effort. The Minutemen gained only 1 yard from the start of the third quarter to the 12:30 mark of the fourth quarter, and a giveaway proved costly.
Backed up in his own end zone, Hairston threw a rocket right to Santana Banner, who returned the pick to the UMass 8-yard line. Pribula found Norfleet on a rollout for a 9-yard touchdown.
“Nothing special,” Banner said of the interception. “Coach (Corey Batoon) put us in one of our base calls. ... (Hairston) threw it right to me. It felt great.”
With the MU defense swallowing up the opposition, all the offense needed to do was control the clock and not give UMass extra opportunities to score. The Tigers did just that.
The shiniest highlight over the final two quarters featured standout running back Ahmad Hardy bulldozing UMass’ Zachary Farris en route to a 16-yard touchdown. Tallying 130 rushing yards on the evening, the superstar sophomore is up to 730 yards on the season, along with nine touchdowns.
Jamal Roberts also tallied 52 rushing yards, crossing the 300-yard mark on the season.
“I told them they remind me of the Detroit Lions’ backfield,” wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr., who had 12 receptions for 108 yards, said. “I told them they both need each other. ... You want a break from getting tackled. You want a break with your body. You want to stay healthy.
“You need that one-two punch. I told them boys, ’Y’all go eat together.’”
Mizzou is 5-0 entering its first of two bye weeks. The SEC ringer awaits, as a date with Alabama on Oct. 11 looms.
“It’s good to be undefeated with things to improve,” Drinkwitz said. “That’s the mentality of our coaching staff and our players. During the bye week, we’ve got to sharpen our edge.”
Copyright 2025 Columbia Missourian
This story was originally published September 27, 2025 at 11:03 PM.