Missouri Tigers football grades: Analysis from MU’s first loss of the season
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Mizzou's perfect season ends after 27-24 loss; final drive interception seals fate.
- Tigers outgain Alabama 330-325 but suffer inefficiency and lost possession battle.
- Ahmad Hardy held to 52 yards; QB Beau Pribula threw two picks including last drive.
A perfect season has come to an end for Mizzou.
The Tigers kept it close with No. 8 Alabama, even leading a comeback attempt in the fourth quarter to claw within three points. But the attempt fell short as quarterback Beau Pribula threw an interception on Mizzou’s final drive of a 27-24 defeat.
Here are our grades from Saturday’s loss ...
Missouri offense
The Tigers actually finished with a narrow advantage in total yards — 330 to Alabama’s 325. The Crimson Tide dominated time of possession, controlling the ball for 38 minutes, 33 seconds, and MU RB Ahmad Hardy wasn’t really able to get going after the Tigers’ opening drive. He was averaging 146 yards per game going in to Saturday, and Alabama held him to 52. That’s the second lowest mark of his career.
Pribula finished 16-for-28 with two touchdowns and two interceptions — including the one on Mizzou’s last drive. Turnovers were just one of the several ways Mizzou beat itself Saturday.
Grade: C
Missouri defense
Props to Mizzou’s front, which continues to be a standout on this team with four sacks of Alabama QB Ty Simpson.
Mizzou’s defense was also credited with seven tackles-for-loss, setting the Tide back 37 yards.
The shoutouts do stop there, however. The secondary allowed too many explosive plays, a total of six through the air for 115 yards, including on Alabama’s game-winning drive: Simpson was able to connect with Lotzeir Brooks for 29 yards on fourth and 8.
The defense was also responsible for two of Mizzou’s worst penalties of the day. Marvin Burks was ejected for his targeting hit on Derek Meadows, and Zion Young was assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the first quarter.
The penalty yards from Young ultimately led to an Alabama score.
Grade: C-
Missouri special teams
Between the failed fake punt that resulted in Mizzou’s turnover on downs and the onside kick attempt recovered by Alabama, the fourth quarter was unkind to the Tigers’ special teams unit. These two plays alter the grade here.
Grade: F
Area of improvement
Coach Eli Drinkwitz said it himself.
“Ultimately, we just had too many critical mistakes in critical situations to win,” the MU coach said.
The Tigers were a good enough football team, on paper, to win. After all, they kept it close despite the box score. But still, with the late interceptions, the failed fake punt, early penalties and more, Mizzou ended up beating itself.
“They’re hurting in that locker room right now because they believed we could do it,” Drinkwitz said. “(We) just came up short.”
Player of the game: Donovan Olugbode
The freshman receiver hauled in Pribula’s 27-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to bring Mizzou within three shortly after the two-minute timeout. The play shifted momentum into the Tigers’ hands, but they couldn’t maintain it for the win.
