Mizzou wraps up its home schedule with test vs. unpredictable Mississippi State

Missouri's playoff hopes are likely gone. The thin margin for error is not.

With three regular-season games left, Mizzou closes out its Memorial Stadium slate Saturday with senior day against Mississippi State. Jeff Lebby's second-year team has exceeded expectations and remained difficult to predict week to week.

The Bulldogs (5-5, 1-5 SEC) were picked to finish last in the conference. While SEC games haven't gone their way, they arrive in Columbia one win from bowl eligibility. It would be their first bowl game since the 2022 season. Three of their SEC losses have come by one score. Two of those have ended in overtime.

"They've proven they're improving," Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said. "It'll be a very difficult challenge."

Mississippi State offense: Speed, space, shots

Lebby's system is built on tempo and explosive plays. Mississippi State wants to stretch defenses horizontally with formation and vertically with speed.

The Bulldogs have hit on deep-ball shots all season. Wide receivers Brenen Thompson and Anthony Evans III rank near the top of the SEC in yards, and Thompson has become one of the league's most dangerous vertical threats.

Running back Fluff Bothwell opened the year as the best option on the ground, but he hasn't looked fully healthy since returning from an injury sustained against Texas A&M. Offensive efficiency has dipped when Mississippi State can't run the ball, and the Bulldogs' running backs have rushed for fewer than 100 yards in back-to-back games.

The story this week is at quarterback.

Veteran Blake Shapen left last week's game at Georgia after another big hit. If he can't go, Mississippi State will turn to true freshman Kamario Taylor - a 6-foot-4, athletic dual threat who rushed for all three of the Bulldogs' touchdowns against Georgia.

Taylor isn't as polished as Shapen as a passer, with short-area accuracy especially a problem, but he adds a designed-run element that Lebby has used in short yardage.

"He gives them a spark," Drinkwitz said. "Very dynamic."

MSU defense: Strong back end, struggling front

The biggest roster overhaul has come on defense.

Mississippi State was statistically the worst defense in the SEC last season. Lebby flipped personnel through the portal, and the secondary has become the strength of the unit. Cornerback Kelley Jones has emerged as a legitimate NFL prospect.

"They've remade their defense," Drinkwitz said. "Very aggressive."

The Bulldogs have pressured opposing quarterbacks often, blitzing on more than half of opponents' dropbacks in recent games. But that aggressiveness masks a major weakness: stopping the run. Georgia rushed for more than 300 yards against the Bulldogs last week, and run stops have deteriorated as the season has gone on.

That matchup swings attention back to Missouri's offense.

MU's keys: Protect Zollers, stay on schedule

Drinkwitz reiterated Tuesday that the Tigers need to "reduce the friction" around true freshman quarterback Matt Zollers. Texas A&M saw tendencies on tape and aggressively played pressures into Missouri's run game and outside-zone actions.

Drinkwitz said he and the staff have to help Zollers get into rhythm earlier.

"It's unfair to expect Matt to carry the load," Drinkwitz said. "We've got to do our job."

Against a blitz-heavy defense, staying out of third-and-long is critical. Mississippi State's pressure packages change based on personnel, so it's even more important for MU to win the schematic game and keep State's blitz personnel in check.

If Missouri can run the ball, and this matchup suggests it should, Zollers won't be facing disguised pressures with the pocket collapsing.

What's on the line?

For Mississippi State: Win and reach a bowl.

For Missouri: Avoid a third consecutive loss.

A win would secure the Tigers' seventh of the season and keep alive the program-first goal of three consecutive seasons with at least 10 wins.

It would also be a picture-perfect send-off for 20 seniors, a group Drinkwitz said "made Memorial Stadium a remarkable place to play."

Copyright 2025 Columbia Missourian

This story was originally published November 14, 2025 at 10:10 AM with the headline "Mizzou wraps up its home schedule with test vs. unpredictable Mississippi State."