FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Pretty? Not quite.
A win? That’s what tends to happen in this series.
Missouri football is exiting the regular season on a high note after beating Arkansas 31-17 on Saturday, Nov. 29, on the road in Northwest Arkansas.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Tigers will retain the Battle Line Trophy for a fourth straight season as a result and have now won of 10 of the 12 contests played between these two teams.
Here’s how we graded Missouri (8-4, 4-4 SEC) in its win over Arkansas (2-10, 0-8):
Missouri football quarterback: D
This was Penn State Beau Pribula, as the QB really only posed problems with his legs at Arkansas. He rushed for 49 yards on the first play from scrimmage. He had an 11-yard touchdown run.
Apart from that, Mizzou only had 15 passing yards and 10 more rushing yards in the entire first half as Arkansas took the lead. The Tigers essentially only ran the ball after the half.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPribula also had a costly second-quarter fumble, which Arkansas returned 32 yards for a touchdown. That was on an extremely careless mistake and unforced error from the QB in what was then a tied game.
“Thought he played well enough for us to win,” Drinkwitz said postgame. “And you know, that's what he's got to do. Him being able to rush for 100 yards is going to be important for us."
Missouri football run game: A
Ahmad Hardy had his eighth 100-yard rushing day of the season. He is bearing down on Cody Schrader’s single-season rushing record. His 53-yard, third-quarter touchdown run was an after-contact wonder and helped him reach 157 yards on 27 carries.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJamal Roberts also eclipsed 100 yards and had a touchdown and a 2-point conversion on a wildcat snap.
Mizzou rushed for 322 yards, a total that goes even higher you remove the yards lost on a botched snap on a punt. Missouri essentially abandoned the pass because the run game was working.
Nov 29, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Missouri Tigers running back Ahmad Hardy (29) rushes during the second quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn ImagesMissouri football's pass-catchers: F
Essentially non-existent. You could talk us into a better grade because Mizzou fed the hot hand in Hardy. Drinkwitz explained it postgame as not playing left-handed, and feeding what was working until Arkansas could stop it.
But, when the pass-catchers were involved, there were drops, slips and an inability to create separation for a throw. It was a bad day.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMizzou has to figure this out in the offseason. It feels like it gets worse and worse every week. Mizzou has too many talented receivers for it to look this lackluster. Norfleet led all MU receivers with 13 yards on two catches.
Missouri football defensive front: A-
This was not Mizzou’s best day affecting the quarterback for long spells, but this group was excellent in the closing stretch.
The Razorbacks flipped between KJ Jackson and Taylen Green at QB, and it took a while to really apply some pressure on the pass. That happened in the fourth quarter as Mizzou iced the game with three sacks, coming from defensive end Damon Wilson II, linebacker Josiah Trotter and defensive tackle Chris McClellan.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWilson hammered Taylen Green in the fourth quarter to force a fourth down, which turned out to be quite a consequential Arkansas punt. More on that below.
Missouri football secondary: B+
Up and down. Mizzou held what has been a productive Arkansas offense, essentially, to seven points from that unit. The other 14 came because of offensive and special teams miscues, which we’ll get to below.
But, the secondary has gradually improved as the year has progressed, and they made some pivotal plays Saturday in Hog country.
Safety Santana Banner and corner Toriano Pride Jr. both made extremely important third-down stops in the Tigers’ own half.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMissouri football special teams: D
This grade is somewhat unfair. It also was trending toward an F.
Kevin Coleman’s 67-yard punt return touchdown put Mizzou out of reach. It was one of the most important pieces of individual inspiration all day, and the Tigers’ first punt-return TD since Luther Burden III took one to the house as a true freshman in 2022 against Abilene Christian. That’s worth an A, right?
Before that, it was another special teams nightmare for Missouri.
This week, it was the snapping. Brett Le Blanc sailed a snap well over the head of punter Connor Weselman late in the first half, which allowed Arkansas to take over in Mizzou territory and score a field goal to take the lead.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLater, after Hardy’s 53-yard touchdown run, another high snap cost the Tigers a point-after try.
Mizzou can’t seem to get through a week without backbreaking mistakes across special teams, and it’s been essentially every phase and unit now.
Missouri football coaching: B+
Nov 29, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz celebrates with family after a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Missouri won 31-17. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn ImagesThis game was the difference between a respectable regular season and a disappointing year. Missouri came out sluggish in the first, was struggling to execute and had to find a spark while facing a deficit at the half.
Credit where it’s due: They did.
There are fair play-calling complaints on the offense, but the Tigers fed the hot hand (Hardy) and won the game because of that. The defense, again, was stellar. We’ll have special teams conversations once the year was up.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMaybe we’re being lenient here. We’d certainly hear arguments for a worse grade. But Mizzou did a nice job after the break to avoid whimpering its way out of the regular season.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Here's how we graded Missouri football after Arkansas win
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