After a narrow defeat in Nashville against Vanderbilt, every game’s stakes escalated for the, at the time, 6-2 Missouri Tigers.
“We’re probably not playing for the conference championship now with two losses,” head coach Eliah Drinkwitz said after Missouri’s 17-10 loss to the Commodores. “But we’re darn sure playing for the playoffs.”
From that point on, Missouri finished the regular season 2-2, falling short of a College Football Playoff berth. There were several reasons one could blame for the underachieving 2025 campaign, but the sky isn’t falling, and the window of success is far from closed.
Eyes will be directed toward the offense as the main drag, and more specifically, the passing game. Drinkwitz was in his sixth season at the helm of the program, and it was his first season with a quarterback he recruited himself.
In came graduate quarterback Beau Pribula from Penn State, taking over for three-year starter Brady Cook. It was bold to assume that a player who had never started a game coming into the season was going to lead Mizzou to the promised land, but his play through the first five games of the 2025 campaign sparked hope.
Pribula totaled 1,203 passing yards, nine passing touchdowns and three interceptions on a 75.24% completion rate leading up to a Week 7 matchup with the then No. 8-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. From that point forward, the level of competition, a dislocated ankle against Vanderbilt and other internal factors proved too much for Pribula to maintain that level of production during his final five games.
Freshman quarterback Matt Zollers filled in admirably for his two and a half games under center. He was dealt a tough hand, having to come in midway through the Vanderbilt game. His first career start, which was against the No. 3 ranked Texas A&M Aggies, was even tougher.
Zollers’ lone win as the starter came against Mississippi State, as Pribula started Missouri’s final two games of the season against Oklahoma and Arkansas after returning from his injury. Zollers’ numbers through seven games — five of which were partial — of action were 402 passing yards, four passing touchdowns and one interception on a 53% completion rate.
Pribula will likely start Missouri’s bowl game given the decision against the Razorbacks, but a battle between the Pennsylvania quarterbacks awaits next season should both return to the program.
Despite inconsistent quarterback play, the Tigers’ offense still found ways to be in the middle of the pack of the Southeastern Conference and improved from last season.
Mizzou averaged 32.17 points per game, good for sixth in the SEC and up from its 28.92 scoring average in 2024. This was largely due to the historic rushing duo of sophomore Ahmad Hardy and redshirt sophomore Jamal Roberts.
The pairing played every game of the regular season, combining 354 carries for 2,314 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns. This was the most combined rushing yards by two Tiger tailbacks in school history, and there’s still a bowl game remaining.
The offensive line deserves its flowers for the historic season on the ground. Mizzou’s wall of protection graded out as the eighth-best unit in Division l, per Pro Football Network. All primary starters from this season are draft eligible and two have exhausted eligibility, making the offensive line a giant question mark for next season.
For different reasons, the receiving room could need serious refurbishing going into 2026. The Tigers’ passing game didn’t make many options look good this season, despite being hyped up before the season.
Senior wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. was head-and-shoulders above the rest of the room in the receiving game with 63 catches, 715 yards and one touchdown. The shifty wideout has no eligibility remaining and will likely pursue a career in the NFL.
Nearly every other receiver is at risk of transferring out to somewhere that one, passes more, and two, has a proven quarterback to get them the ball. Freshman wide receiver Donovan Olugbode has to be the priority to retain out of all the pass catchers.
Olugbode was second in receiving yards with 352 on 25 catches, and he hauled in two touchdowns.
Even with a bowl game remaining, concerns are on the future of the program and what it can do to get over the hump. The defense will need to replace departing talent on its end, but focus is undoubtedly on the struggling offense.
The rushing game was elite, but quarterback production being porous will rarely result in the monumental successes Missouri wants to achieve. Failing to meet expectations will always leave a sour taste in the mouths of coaches, athletes and fans alike, but an 8-4 season regarded as a down year is a testament to where Missouri’s program is at compared to seasons past.
