Why No. 14 Mizzou fell short against Alabama — and the challenge that lies ahead
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Missouri nearly beat No. 8 Alabama but lost 27-24 after late interception.
- Tigers had more yardage but trailed on possession, third-down and turnover margins.
- Coach Eli Drinkwitz warns schedule tough, calls for bounce-back ahead at Auburn.
Missouri knocked on the door of a reputation-building triumph, but couldn’t pry it open as No. 8 Alabama escaped with a 27-24 triumph Saturday at Faurot Field.
Mizzou flashed. The Tigers scored first and made it look easy. They handled adversity, falling behind by 10 and rallying to tie it, only to fall behind by double digits once again.
A late touchdown and a three-and-out presented a final opportunity. Missouri drove near midfield, but Beau Pribula tossed his second interception of the game to seal the outcome.
“A lot of disappointment in that locker room,” Mizzou safety Daylan Carnell said.
Which is a good thing, according to center Connor Tollison.
“It means people care,” he said.
Missouri entered the game looking to make a statement. The Tigers opened the season outside the AP Top 25 and had moved to No. 14 by winning their first five games.
A triumph Saturday, which would have been Missouri’s first over Alabama as an SEC program, would have thrust the Tigers squarely in the College Football Playoff conversation.
A loss to one of the nation’s hottest teams — Alabama has now defeated three straight ranked teams starting with a victory at Georgia — doesn’t eliminate Missouri. But the schedule grows more difficult in the second half of the season.
“We’re going to have to have a bounce-back factor this week,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said, with a trip to Auburn looming.
On a day when the Tigers outgained Alabama (330-325), the Tide held advantages elsewhere that helped them remain in front most of the day. They held the ball for more than 38 minutes, in part because the Tigers struggled on third down, going 1-for-10.
Alabama’s lone turnover was costly, a fumble by quarterback Ty Simpson caused by the Tigers’ Zion Young on the first play of the second half. Three plays later, Missouri made it 17-17 on a Pribula run.
But the Tide won the turnover battle and the margin could have been more lopsided. Missouri recovered its two fumbles and Alabama dropped an interception.
Coach Kalen DeBoer’s team also held the bold strokes advantage in the fourth quarter.
With Missouri trailing 20-17 and facing a fourth-and-4 from its 37, Drinkwitz called for a fake punt. The snap went to Jamal Roberts, a running back, who stretched the ball as he sailed out of bounds. But he came up a yard short.
The Missouri defense responded with what appeared to be a stand that would return the ball to its offense. But Alabama went for it on fourth-and-8 from the Tigers’ 38 and Simpson dropped a perfect pass to Lotzeir Brooks for 29 yards.
The Tide reached the 1 and faced another fourth down. Simpson was money again with his touchdown pass.
Pribula had his moments, good — three total touchdowns — and bad. On the final pick, Pribula said he threw to his first read but sailed it. “I thought there was a window there,” he said. “We’ve got to be better, and it starts with me.”
The Tigers have been here before. They fell to 7-15 against ranked teams in the Drinkwitz era, and 3-6 when both teams are ranked. Saturday marked the first meeting between top-15 teams in Columbia since 1979, and the Tigers wanted to make the most of the opportunity.
They left with with their first loss of the season, falling short of a signature victory.