Corinna Utterback
Missouri tight end Brett Norfleet holds his trophy high after a successful play while Kevin Coleman Jr. and Dominic Giudice look on during Missouri’s game versus Kansas on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, at Faurot Field in Columbia, Mo. Norfleet finished the game with two touchdowns and 76 receiving yards against Kansas.
Missouri Tigers football will look to extend its season win streak to three with a non-conference contest against the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Sept. 13. The Tigers are heavy favorites in the contest, having an all-time record of 8-1 against the Sun Belt Conference.
Missouri is fresh off a 42-31 win over Kansas in the recently renewed Border War rivalry, along with a 61-6 beatdown of Central Arkansas in Week 1. The Tigers’ offense has been electric through the first two games of the season, despite new faces at starting positions across the board.
Graduate quarterback Beau Pribula has racked up 688 total yards and seven total touchdowns through his first two career starts, taking the college football scene by storm. While the offseason and Week 1 matchup were headlined by the controversy of a quarterback battle, Pribula won the job by default following a long-term injury to redshirt junior Sam Horn.
Louisiana’s quarterback situation flashes similarities to Missouri’s, as the Ragin Cajuns’ redshirt junior starting quarterback, Walker Howard, went down with an oblique injury late in the team’s matchup against Rice. Taking his place is redshirt freshman Daniel Beale, who, like Pribula, won his first career start by blowing out McNeese 34-10 in Week 2.
Beale struggled during his stint in the Rice game, completing zero of his six passing attempts. However, with more prep time against McNeese, he played much stronger, completing 14 of his 22 passes for 86 yards and one touchdown. Still, the gap in defensive talent from McNeese to Missouri is massive, and Beale could be in for a huge reality check.
The Tigers’ defense allowed 73 total passing yards against Central Arkansas’ junior quarterback Luther Richesson, a mark Beale could find himself close to when the final buzzer sounds.
Instead of putting the pressure on an inexperienced quarterback, the Ragin’ Cajuns could turn to the ground game to lead the offense.
The two-headed monster in the backfield that is Bill Davis and Zylan Perry has functioned as the engine of Louisiana’s offense this season, combining for 330 yards on 55 total carries through two games. The Ragin’ Cajuns offense is ranked third in the Sun Belt Conference with 466 yards on the ground, averaging 6.1 yards per attempt.
While Missouri held the Kansas Jayhawks’ rushing attack to 28 yards on 19 carries, the unit struggled against Central Arkansas, allowing 154 yards on 39 carries. If there’s an opening for Louisiana to attack the Tigers’ defense, it would be on the ground.
However, Missouri’s ground game has blossomed into one of the nation’s strongest as well, racking up 480 yards and six touchdowns through the first two games. Headlining the backfield is sophomore transfer Ahmad Hardy and redshirt sophomore Jamal Roberts –– both of whom tore up the Jayhawks’ front seven in Week 2.
Hardy faced off against the Ragin’ Cajuns last season during his time with the University of Louisiana Monroe, when he rushed for 172 yards and a touchdown –– the most single-game rushing yards Louisiana allowed to an individual player last season.
If Hardy tore up the Ragin’ Cajuns defense with a ULM offensive line, there’s no telling what he could do with the assistance of Missouri’s unit.
Missouri players to watch
Missouri freshman wide receiver Donovan Olugbode has made quite the impression through his first two games with the program, racking up seven catches for 66 yards, including an impressive one-handed grab on a fourth down against the Jayhawks. He’s been worked into the offense early on in his career, but could see his highest usage yet against a mid-major opponent like Louisiana.
Freshman kicker Robert Meyer is filling in for injured starting kicker Blake Craig, who’s sidelined with a torn ACL for the remainder of the 2025 season. So far this season, Meyer is two-for-two on field goal attempts and eight-for-nine on extra points. However, he’s yet to attempt a field goal longer than 25 yards. If there’s a time to test his range, it would be against Louisiana, where the score would likely be a larger gap than against a conference opponent like South Carolina.
Redshirt junior offensive lineman Curtis Peagler was thrust into the starting lineup following a late change to the offensive line in training camp. While the unit as a whole played relatively well against Kansas, Peagler recorded a unit-low 50.1 PFF grade, posing as the weakest link. Look for either a bounce-back week from Peagler or potential reps from fellow redshirt junior Tristan Wilson.
How to watch
The game kicks off from Faurot Field at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, and will be broadcast on ESPN+ and SECN+.
Edited by Colin Simmons l [email protected]
Copy edited by Braeden Perry and Emma Harper | [email protected]
Edited by Chase Pray | [email protected]