Mizzou football vs. Mississippi State: Five things to know about MU’s senior day
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Mizzou faces Mississippi State in Columbia for senior day; kickoff at 6:45 p.m.
- Mississippi State relies on WR Brenen Thompson’s 808 yards to challenge Mizzou.
- Tigers need early scores; Bulldogs allow 176.2 rushing yards per game.
Senior day is up next in Columbia, as the Missouri Tigers look to close out their home slate with a win.
The Tigers have lost three of four, including back-to-back games against Vanderbilt and Texas A&M. Mississippi State (5-5, 1-5 SEC) is next on the docket, having earned its first conference win earlier this month at Arkansas.
The Bulldogs are coming off last week’s loss to No. 5 Georgia. Freshman QB Kamario Taylor entered that game in the third quarter, throwing for 87 yards and leading two second-half touchdown drives.
In Year 2 under Jeff Lebby, the Bulldogs have shown vast improvement. They went 2-10 last year and did not win an SEC game. This year, they’re one win from bowl eligibility.
“I think coach Lebby has got that program going in the right direction,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said Tuesday. “Obviously, played a very tough team in Georgia last week, but you can tell that program is growing, going in the right direction.”
Here’s what to know before the Tigers take the field at Memorial Stadium one last time in 2025...
Mizzou vs. Mississippi State: Game details
Kickoff: 6:45 p.m. Saturday
Where: Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium
TV: SEC Network
Radio: KMBZ (980) in Kansas City, KCMQ (96.7 or 103.1) in Columbia
Betting line: Mizzou is a 7.5-point favorite (via FanDuel)
Over/under: 51.5
Five things to know before kickoff
1. Freshman vs. freshman QB? Blake Shapen has been the Bulldogs’ starting QB all season, but Taylor has picked up more reps with Shapen’s recent injuries. Shapen briefly left the Arkansas game to be checked for a concussion, and Taylor led two scoring drives in three possessions. Shapen also took a hard hit against Georgia, and Taylor took over.
Lebby told reporters Monday that the Bulldogs will evaluate Shapen throughout the week, saying that if he’s “truly healthy” then he’ll start. But if not, it’ll be Taylor vs. Mizzou’s Matt Zollers, two freshmen at QB.
2. Key to the game? Score early. Mizzou hasn’t had a first-quarter touchdown for three straight games. Avoiding a slow start will be critical for a Tigers team looking to move past a difficult stretch.
3. It looks like Donovan Olugbode will be here to stay. When asked Tuesday about the decision to start the freshman against Texas A&M over Marquis Johnson, Drinkwitz had a simple answer: “It was just the right time.” And Olugbode had 74 yards on three receptions against the Aggies.
4. Mississippi State has a top SEC receiver. Brenen Thompson is leading the SEC with 808 yards on 45 receptions, hauling in six touchdowns in the process. Regardless of the quarterback, Thompson will test Mizzou’s secondary one week after the Tigers allowed five explosive passing plays for 129 yards.
5. Mississippi State has struggled to contain the run this season. Great news for the Tigers here: The Bulldogs are allowing an average of 176.2 rushing yards per game, and they gave up 303 last week to Georgia. For running backs Jamal Roberts and Ahmad Hardy, it should be a busy day.
