No. 23 Football Rallies Past South Carolina, 29-20

Saturday, September 20

Columbia, Mo.

6 p.m. CT

University of Missouri

4-0 , 1-0

South Carolina

2-2 , 0-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

South Carolina

Missouri

9/20/2025 9:49:00 PM | Football

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COLUMBIA, Mo. – Coming from behind twice in the second half, No. 23 Mizzou football scored the night's final 11 points in Saturday's 29-20 victory over South Carolina to reclaim the Mayor's Cup before the 16th consecutive sellout crowd (57,321) at Memorial Stadium.

In a game that featured seven lead changes, the final one was the most important for Mizzou (4-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) in the Tigers' conference opener. With South Carolina (2-2, 0-2) clinging to a 20-18 lead, Missouri mounted a 75-yard drive with Jamal Roberts covering the final 16 on a tackle-breaking dash into the end zone with 9:32 left in the game. Quarterback Beau Pribula ran for a two-point conversion over the right guard, giving the Tigers a 26-20 lead.

Mizzou's defense then forced two consecutive three-and-out possessions by the Gamecocks and the Tigers put together one final drive, this one of 57 yards that led to a career-long 40-yard field goal by Robert Meyer with 1:34 remaining for the game's final points. Meyer also kicked a 23-yard FG in the first half.

Mizzou now leads the series with South Carolina 10-6 with wins in six of the last seven meetings, including four straight at home. It was Mizzou' 11th victory in the last three seasons when trailing at some point during the second half, the Tigers' 14th consecutive home win and their seventh consecutive victory overall.

Mizzou's defense suffocated the South Carolina rushing game, holding the Gamecocks to minus-9 rushing yards on 22 attempts, the fewest rushing yards the Tigers have allowed in an SEC game since joining the conference in 2012.

Earlier in the third quarter, the Tigers trailed 17-12, when Ahmad Hardy, who rushed 22 times for 138 yards – his fourth consecutive 100-yard game – ignited a scoring drive when he broke four tackles on the way to a 38-yard gain. Pribula scrambled 17 yards to the USC 10, and a penalty moved the ball to the 5 from where Hardy bulled his way to a touchdown. MU failed on a two-point attempt but took an 18-17 lead.

"I didn't think he was going to be this good. I mean, let's be honest," Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz said of Hardy, the first-year transfer from Louisiana-Monroe. "The dude is running through people like a dump truck. He's a Clydesdale running amongst a bunch of fillies."

Roberts ran 13 times for 76 yards and Pribula nine times for 72, giving Mizzou three 70-yard rushers in the same game for the first time since 2011. Mizzou averaged 5.9 yards per carry, rushing 48 times for 285 yards. Pribula was 16-of-27 passing for 171 yards, one TD and one interception.

Mizzou took a 6-0 lead on the second play of the second quarter, when Pribula zipped an 8-yard pass over the middle for a touchdown to Joshua Manning. The play capped a nine-play, 99-yard drive – MU's third 99-yard drive of the season – that featured a 27-yard run by Hardy and a 25-yard pass to Brett Norfleet. But Meyer missed the extra point wide right.

The Tiger defense harassed South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers all night, sacking him five times and pressuring him another six, but he still completed 18 of 28 passes for 302 yards and two first-half touchdowns and led two second-half Gamecock drives that resulted in field goals by William Joyce.

Linebacker Josiah Trotter led Mizzou's defense with 11 tackles including one for loss and two quarterback hurries. In total offense, Missouri outgained South Carolina 456-293.

UP NEXT

The Tigers remain at home next week to host the Massachusetts Minutemen in Mizzou's 111th Homecoming game. Game time on Saturday, Sept. 27, is 6:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium, and the game will be televised on ESPNU.

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