Missouri’s defense led the way against Auburn. One player was ‘unblockable’

Edge rusher Damon Wilson II's smirk earlier in the week suggested that the Missouri defense could have quite the day against Auburn on Saturday night.

For most of Saturday's 23-17 win in double overtime, the Mizzou defense fared quite well against the Auburn offense. The front seven applied heaps of pressure, similar to what it has done all season. The Tigers recorded five sacks on quarterback Jackson Arnold and notched eight tackles for loss.

The secondary also made some big breaks when Missouri needed it. That included the defense's fourth interception of the season, as cornerback Toriano Pride Jr. picked off Arnold in the first quarter.

"Our defense played their butts off," Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz said in his postgame comments to SEC Network's Cole Cubelic. "Did you see Zion Young tonight? Unblockable. Unblockable, man. What a great night."

The defense was strong all night, but it was particularly disruptive in overtime. Defensive end Zion Young sacked Arnold for a loss of 9 yards on second down, applied pressure to force a missed target and forced a field goal in the first overtime period. Kicker Alex McPherson missed the mark on that attempt.

Up 23-17 in the second overtime after quarterback Beau Pribula scored a rushing touchdown, the defense finished off Auburn for good by preventing a first down.

Led by that defense, Mizzou is back on a winning path.

The only apparent struggles for the unit came in the most preventable area: penalties. Mizzou had three 15-yard defensive penalties.

That included a crucial personal foul call on linebacker Nick Rodriguez late in the third quarter. It was an unnecessary hit on Arnold after he'd already gotten out of bounds on a 9-yard QB keeper. The penalty proved costly as Auburn extended the drive to an eventual touchdown from running back Omar Mabson II to take a 14-10 lead.

The other penalties came earlier in the night. Safety Marvin Burks Jr. got called for pass interference on a ball thrown to receiver Perry Thompson, while Rodriguez also received a roughing-the-passer call.

Auburn had a couple of players who put up gaudy numbers. Running back Jeremiah Cobb had 111 rushing yards on 19 attempts, while receiver Cam Coleman snatched six receptions for 108 yards.

But Missouri's defense got the job done when it counted.

Auburn defense stuffs the run

The Auburn defense was expected to pose a tough challenge against Missouri, particularly with its ability to stop the run. Much like last week's loss to Alabama, the Tigers were unable to establish their rushing attack how they wanted.

Running back Ahmad Hardy was held in check again. While not underused in his workload — he had 24 carries — he couldn't find the cracks through a defense that plowed through the Missouri offensive line.

Hardy rushed for 58 yards and two touchdowns. He gained just 2.4 yards per carry; his next-lowest was 4.3 against Alabama. When the Tigers were in need of offense, they were often forced to pass.

Jamal Roberts hardly got involved. He only received five snaps against the Crimson Tide, and he had just three attempts for 6 rushing yards vs. Auburn.

In the battle between a stout rushing defense and one of the top running backs in the country, the defense won. It just didn't win the war.

Donovan Olugbode gets more involved

The lack of protection from the offensive line dealt Pribula a tough hand. Time was not often on his side to make throws.

Without the ability to generate much offense on the ground, Mizzou opted to pass the ball a significant amount. All in all, the signal caller finished the game with 252 yards on 23-of-40 passing with two interceptions — his sixth and seventh of the year. The success rate was less than ideal.

But when the passes did connect, they often went to receivers who hadn't had major roles in 2025. Drinkwitz said before the game he wanted to get receiver Donovan Olugbode more involved in the offense — and the Tigers did.

The true freshman caught five passes for 69 yards, including a 27-yard gain in the fourth quarter. He turns into a highlight reel after he gets the ball— 33 of his yards came after the catch.

Josh Manning also had a strong performance. The junior recorded five catches for 63 yards, the most he's gained since the season opener against Central Arkansas.

A true road environment at Auburn

There's no mistaking it: Auburn is as southern as the SEC gets. Live country music performers lined the streets leading up to Jordan-Hare Stadium hours before the gates even opened. There isn't a spot on campus without a tailgate tent propped up, layered with a platter of food.

The campus is lined with historic buildings and spots you should know about before you arrive. It is cautioned to not step on "The Bronze Seal," or else you might fall victim to three curses: You won't graduate in four years, find your true love at Auburn and have seven generations of Alabama fans that run in your family lineage.

The southern hospitality comes with the territory. There's a plethora of stops to grab a cold sweet tea or lemonade on a still-hot October afternoon, and the smell of BBQ isn't hard to come across. The media even got some Chick-Fil-A catering free of charge.

Right before kickoff, Jordan-Hare was filled to the brim with Auburn faithful and one section of Mizzou travelers. Aurea the War Eagle glided from one end to the other. After the sun had set and the sky turned black, the setting was right for these two Tigers teams to go head-to-head in a big SEC matchup.

Copyright 2025 Columbia Missourian

This story was originally published October 19, 2025 at 12:49 AM with the headline "Missouri’s defense led the way against Auburn. One player was ‘unblockable’."