The No. 14-ranked Missouri Tigers welcomed No. 8 Alabama to Faurot Field on Oct. 11. Head coach Kalen DeBoer’s squad came into the game favored by -2.5 points, and the final score showed an accurate spread.
The Tigers were narrowly defeated 27-24, hitting Alabama in the mouth first, but lacked an adequate response.
It started as offensive coordinator Kirby Moore’s game plan usually does –– with a heavy dose of the run game. Graduate quarterback Beau Pribula and sophomore running back Ahmad Hardy combined for five carries for 52 yards, and the drive was finished off by a 26-yard passing touchdown to junior tight end Brett Norfleet down the right sideline.
However, penalties hurt the Tigers early on. On Alabama’s first drive, the defense tacked on two penalties for 20 yards, leading to an eventual 6-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Ty Simpson to redshirt freshman running back Kevin Riley.
Junior safety Marvin Burks Jr. was ejected in the first quarter after receiving a targeting penalty on freshman wide receiver Derek Meadows..
On the first play of the second half, multiple pass rushers created pressure on Simpson, leading to senior Zion Young punching the ball out and junior Damon Wilson ll recovering it.
The turnover set up Pribula and company with the ball on the Crimson Tide’s 19-yard line. Missouri stuck with the ground game, starting the drive off on an 11-yard Hardy rush, and wrapped it up with a Pribula 5-yard touchdown run on the quarterback keeper.
The game was knotted at 17-17 with 13:18 left in the third quarter.
In the opening half, the Crimson Tide converted on 4-of-6 third downs while Missouri was only converted on 1-of-6. Add on the time of possession discrepancy favoring Alabama, and it’s clear why the Tigers found themselves in a first half hole.
A trio of fourth down attempts in the fourth quarter from both teams defined this matchup. The Tigers had a 4th-and-4 from their own 37-yard line and lined up in punt formation.
Running back Jamal Roberts took the direct snap on the fake and ran out of bounds near the first down marker, but was ruled short of the line to gain.
The first two plays of the Crimson Tide’s next drive went for a combined -14 yards. Despite that, a 16-yard catch by Riley on third down gave DeBoer enough confidence to leave the offense on the field and go for it on 4th-and-8.
Alabama got the conversion and more.
Alabama receiver Lotzeir Brooks beat senior cornerback Toriano Pride on a crossing route to the left sideline, and Simpson found the freshman for a 29-yard gain. The Missouri defense pushed it to another fourth down from the 1-yard line and made the score 27-17 on a wide open touchdown pass to sophomore running back Daniel Hill.
“(Simpson’s) a real good player, like that fourth down he converted on the run,” graduate safety Daylan Carnell said. “That’s just a great ball and great players make great plays.”
Missouri would hang in the game, eventually setting itself up on its own 18-yard line with 1:17 remaining on the clock.
Freshman wideout Donovan Olugbode made a 25-yard catch on 4th-and-6 to give Tiger fans hope, but it was snatched away three plays later as Pribula threw his second interception of the day. He was targeting the talented freshman again, but it was overthrown into the hands of freshman defensive back Dijon Lee Jr., sealing the game.
Head coach Eliah Drinkwitz touched on what Pribula and the receivers can do to get on the same page moving forward in the postgame press conference.
“More reps, better execution,” Drinkwitz said. “More time on third downs, and get on the same page, you know? We lost, but all is not lost.”
Missouri’s six-game homestand has come to an end. Their next matchup will be on the road at Auburn on Oct. 18.
