Here comes another one of those, quote-unquote, big games.
No. 21/23 Missouri football will travel to Norman, Oklahoma, to face No. 8/8 Oklahoma on Saturday. It will be the fourth time the Tigers have faced a team ranked among the top-10 in the nation this year.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe last three? All losses for the Tigers (7-3, 3-3 SEC), which has kicked them out of contention for a spot in the College Football Playoff field.
Oklahoma (8-2, 4-2) is still very much alive in that race. Mizzou hasn’t defeated an AP Top 25 SEC team since a 2023 home win over Tennessee.
Here are the storylines and matchups to watch as Mizzou faces Oklahoma:
Can Missouri QB Matt Zollers embrace the eye of the storm?
Texas A&M was a practice run. The Aggies hounded Matt Zollers into early mistakes and hope-and-prayer throws and the scoreline reflected.
Missouri spent all of the following week trying to find ways to get Zollers more comfortable early against Mississippi State. The Tigers accomplished that. The rookie threw a pair of touchdown passes in his first five throws. Job well done.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThere’s no easing into this one. Oklahoma is coming, and this Sooners defense can be scary. OU has picked off three passes and forced five fumbles in the past two games. Only Texas A&M has recorded more sacks in the FBS this year.
Oklahoma can force mistakes with the best of them.
Zollers isn’t going to be allowed to be comfortable here. The true freshman needs to embrace the pressure, which we expect to be quite consistent throughout Saturday.
Missouri can help him with fundamentally sound protection, a safety blanket in the run game and some creative playcalling ... but some of the offense’s success will fall at Zollers’ feet.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe weight of the world can't be on his shoulders, but he does have to show an ability to handle the heat, or Saturday is going to be a long day.
Nov 15, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Matt Zollers (5) throws a pass against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the first half of the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn ImagesHow does Mizzou attack QB John Mateer?
Oklahoma QB John Mateer is fun.
He throws into windows that most people would avoid. He runs headfirst. He will take risks more often than your average SEC starter.
Mizzou needs to turn those risks into mistakes to get out of Norman with a win, which isn’t entirely impossible.
Mateer has been one of the better QBs in the SEC at avoiding negative-yardage plays, letting just 16.8% of the pressures he’s faced turn to sacks, per Pro Football Focus.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut, he has more plays charted as ‘turnover-worthy’ than ‘big-time throws’ by PFF this season, and more than half of his seven picks have come from a clean pocket. Of his 13 charted turnover-worthy plays, 11 were from a clean pocket.
That’s a fascinating combination, and it might tempt Mizzou into daring him to throw. The Sooners have strong wide receivers, like Isaiah Sategna, but that could end up being the route to forcing turnovers, which Mizzou will need in Norman.
Can Mizzou break a 59-year-old slump?
They put the first man on the moon more recently than Mizzou has won in Norman.
The Tigers’ last victory in the Palace on the Prairie was a 10-7 win in November 1966. In 46 attempts in its history, Mizzou has won just eight times in Norman.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIf Mizzou can break that streak on Saturday, it would likely prevent Oklahoma from reaching the College Football Playoff this season.
Ahmad Hardy: Record watch
Nov 15, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers running back Ahmad Hardy (29) runs for a touchdown as several Mississippi State Bulldogs defenders chase during the second half of the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn ImagesA few Missouri records are moving within reach for the program’s Doak Walker Award semifinalist (and likely frontrunner).
Hardy needs three more rushing touchdowns to tie the Mizzou single-season record at 18, held by Brad Smith (2003) and Bob Steuber (1942).
With 1,346 yards already, Hardy needs 281 more rushing yards to tie Cody Schrader’s single-season record set in 2023.
Hardy has seven 100+-yard rushing games this year. The Mizzou single-season record is nine, set by Schrader in 2023 and Joe Moore in 1969. Hardy, including a bowl game, has three more games remaining this season.
This is going to be a tough week to reach those. Oklahoma has the best rush defense in the SEC, only allowing teams to put up 82.2 yards per game on the ground this year. That’s stingy.
More: Missouri football QB Matt Zollers found comfort, but challenge changes at aggressive OU
More: Missouri football at Oklahoma scouting report, score prediction for Tigers against Sooners
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHardy is averaging 73 rushing yards per outing in Mizzou’s three top-10 games so far this season, down from 134.6 yards per game across the season.
Bucking that trend would certainly help.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Storylines, matchups to watch as Missouri football travels to face OU
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