SETTING THE SCENE: SEC OPENER IN STARKVILLE
The 19th-ranked Mizzou football team (3-0, 0-0 SEC) is set to go on the road to Starkville, Mississippi, for its Southeastern Conference opener versus No. 24 Mississippi State (3-0, 1-0 SEC) on Saturday, September 26 (6:45 p.m. CT / SEC Network). The Tigers defeated Troy, 27-17, on Septmeber 19 to improve to 3-0 for the fourth-straight season.
SEC OPENER TRENDS UNDER DRINKWITZ
Mizzou is aiming to win its fourth-straight SEC opener under head coach Eli Drinkwitz. Over the past three seasons, the Tigers earned SEC-opening wins over South Carolina in 2025 (29-20) and Vanderbilt in both 2024 (30-27, 2OT) and 2023 (38-17).
THREE & COUNTING
With its win over Troy, Mizzou improved to 3-0 for the fourth-straight season. It marks the third stretch in program history that the Tigers have opened 3-0 in at least four-consecutive seasons. The win also extended MU's regular-season non-conference winning streak to 16 games as the Tigers improved to 23-5 overall against non-con opponents under head coach Eli Drinkwitz. With a win over the Bulldogs, it would mark the second time in program history starting the season 4-0 in at least four-conecutive seasons
SEPTEMBER SUCCESS
The Tigers will be searching for their 11th-straight win in the month of September when nationally ranked, including each of the last three SEC openers under head coach Eli Drinkwitz.
THE COACHES
Already No. 4 on Mizzou's all-time wins list, Eli Drinkwitz is in his seventh season as Mizzou’s head coach and enters Saturday with a 49-29 mark (61-30 overall). The Alma, Arkansas, native has led the Tigers to bowl eligibility in each of his first six seasons in Columbia, making him the only MU head coach in program history to achieve that feat. Prior to taking the Mizzou job, Drinkwitz was 12-1 in his lone season as head coach at Appalachian State (2019). Drinkwitz boasts the best home winning percentage (min. four seasons) in program history at .795 and is 35-9 on Faurot Field during his tenure. Since the start of 2023, Drinkwitz and the Tigers have gone 32-10 (.762) - 10th-best nationally over that stretch.
Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby is in his third season with the Bulldogs, posting a 10-18 record overall at MSU. Lebby led Mississippi State to a three-win improvement in 2025, finishing 5-8 overall and earning a berth in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. Prior to Mississippi State, Lebby spent two seasons at Oklahoma, serving as the Sooners’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. In 2023, Oklahoma ranked fourth nationally in total offense (502.4 yards per game) and was one of just three teams nationally to rank among the top six in total offense, scoring offense and passing offense. Additional coaching stops for Lebby include Ole Miss, UCF, Southeastern Louisiana and Baylor.
400-STRAIGHT GAMES AS THE VOICE OF THE TIGERS
Now in his 33rd football season as the Voice of the Tigers, Mike Kelly will call his 400th-consecutive game when Mizzou kicks off in Starkville this Saturday. In addition to serving as play-by-play for Tiger football, Kelly has called 1,097 Mizzou men's basketball games. He celebrated his 1,000-game milestone with hoops versus LSU in 2023
FIRST & TEN: STORYLINE
- The Tigers are 32-10 since the start of 2023 (.762) - 10th-best nationally over that stretch by winning percentage.
- Mizzou is up to No. 19 (AP) and No. 21 (Coaches) in the latest editions of the national polls (Sept. 20). The Tigers entered the season ranked 25th in each of the major polls to mark the second time in the past three seasons appearing in both preseason top 25 polls.
- The Tigers face one of the nation's toughest schedules for 2026, featuring five opponents who were ranked inside the preseason AP Top 10: No. 3 Georgia, No. 5 Texas, No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 10 Oklahoma.
- MU is 17-1 over its last 18 night games, dating back to the 2023 season opener over South Dakota (8/31/23). The Tigers own an active 16-game winning streak in regular season night games dating back to the 2023 season opener vs. South Dakota.
- The Tigers are 23-5 overall under head coach Eli Drinkwitz in non-con action, and 21-2 in regular-season non-con action.
- Mizzou forced three turnovers against Kansas, its most in a game since forcing three takeaways against Mississippi State (11/15/25). The Tigers again won the turnover battle in last week's win over Troy by a 2-0 margin and improved to 29-3 under Eli Drinkwitz when finishing with a positive turnover margin.
SCOUTING MISSISSIPPI STATE
- The Bulldogs are off to a 3-0 start to their 2026 season, opening the year with a 62-13 win over ULM before earning road victories at Minnesota (38-13) and South Carolina (41-34).
- Mississippi State erased an early 16-0 deficit in its SEC opener against the Gamecocks to secure its first 3-0 start since 2017.
- Mississippi State's offense has been led by quarterback Kamario Taylor, who has accounted for 1,010 yards of total offense and 12 touchdowns through three games.
- Running back Fluff Bothwell has provided another weapon out of the backfield, averaging nearly 100 rushing yards per game and almost six yards per carry.
- MSU has already scored 141 points through three games this season, averaging 47.0 points per contest.
- The Bulldogs have allowed just four touchdowns through the season's first three games.
- Mississippi State held Minnesota without an offensive touchdown in a 38-13 road victory, while limiting the Golden Gophers to six offensive points.
TIGERS DOMINANT IN NON-CONFERENCE
- With its 27-17 win over Kansas, Mizzou extended its regular-season non-conference win streak to 16 games, dating back to Sept. 17, 2022.
- Mizzou has owned its home turf in recent years against non-conference competition, winning each of its last 25 non-SEC games on Faurot Field dating back to an October 21, 2017, victory over Idaho.
- Under head coach Eli Drinkwitz, the Tigers are 23-5 overall in non-conference action - including wins over No. 7 Ohio State (2023 Cotton Bowl) and Iowa (2024 Music City Bowl).
- In regular-season non-conference action, Missouri is 21-2 under Drinkwitz.
TURN OUT THE LIGHTS
- Mizzou has won 13-consecutive home night games, dating back to a 45-14 victory over New Mexico State on Nov. 19, 2022.
- The Tigers last suffered a home loss under the lights vs. No. 1 Georgia, falling 26-22 on Oct. 1, 2022.
- MU is 17-1 over its last 18 night games overall, dating back to the 2023 season opener over South Dakota (8/31/23).
- Mizzou owns an active 16-game winning streak in regular season night games dating back to the 2023 season opener vs. South Dakota.
- The four night wins away from home include this year's win over Kansas, last season's 2OT win at Auburn, and a pair of 2023 triumphs over Memphis in St. Louis and against Kentucky in Lexington.
TAKIN' CARE OF BUSINESS
- Mizzou extended its winning streak against unranked opponents to 27 games with its win over Troy on Sept. 19.
- The 27-game streak is the second-longest such winning streak in the country over unranked teams.
- Georgia owns the nation's longest such streak at 53 games while Oregon's 40-game streak came to an end after being upset by Oklahoma State on Sept. 12.
BANNER DAY
- Safety Santana Banner was flying all over the field vs. Troy, recording a career-high 16 tackles and leading the Tigers in stops for the first time in his career.
- Banner’s 16 tackles were the most by a Mizzou defensive back in a single game since at least 2005.
- In addition, Banner's 16 tackles were tied for seventh most in a single game in program history.
- He is the fourth player across the country this season to record 16 or more tackles.
SECONDARY SUCCESS
- Several members of the Mizzou secondary established career highs against Troy.
- Santana Banner led the way with a career-best 16 tackles, while Elijah Dotson recorded a career-high five stops.
- Dotson has registered at least three tackles in each of his first three games as a Tiger.
- Chris Graves Jr. matched his career high with three pass breakups, and Trajen Greco tied his career best with four tackles while recording the first pass breakup of his collegiate career.
- In addition, Oregon cornerback transfer Sione Laulea recorded his first interception as a Tiger.
RODRIGUEZ RACKING 'EM UP
- Linebacker Nicholas Rodriguez recorded 11 tackles against Troy, marking his second-consecutive game with double-digit stops after registering 12 at Kansas.
- Rodriguez has amassed 26 tackles through three games, the most by a Tiger over the opening three contests of a season since Nick Bolton totaled 36 in 2020.
- The Mizzou captain is ahead of the three-game pace established by each of the Tigers’ leading tacklers over the previous five seasons.
EXPLOSIVE LEE
- Wide receiver Cayden Lee recorded Mizzou’s longest offensive play against Troy with a 23-yard reception.
- Lee leads the Tigers with seven offensive plays of at least 20 yards through the opening three games.
- On the season, Lee's 16 receptions are tied for most on the team while his 256 yards trail Olugbode for the team lead by just three yards.
- His two touchdown grabs rank second on the team.
SIONE TAKING IT THE OTHER WAY
- Cornerback Sione Laulea recorded his first interception as a Tiger, returning the takeaway 28 yards to the Troy 18-yard line.
- The interception set up Austin Simmons’ 12-yard touchdown pass to Donovan Olugbode, giving Mizzou its first lead of the game.
- It marked the third interception of Laulea’s career and his first since picking off a pass against Illinois as a member of Oregon on Oct. 6, 2024.
IN THE KITCHEN
- Defensive end Langden Kitchen recorded two tackles for loss and forced his first fumble of the season on a sack against Troy.
- Kitchen’s two tackles for loss were his most as a Tiger and his highest total since recording three for Northwest Missouri State against Central Oklahoma on Oct. 12, 2024.
- His second-quarter strip-sack was recovered by Jason Dowell and led to a Mizzou touchdown on the following play.
FOWLKES FLIES TO THE HOUSE
- Punt returner DaMarion Fowlkes provided the spark for Mizzou’s comeback against Troy, returning a second-quarter punt 68 yards for the first touchdown of his career.
- The return marked Mizzou’s longest since Luther Burden III’s 78-yard touchdown against Abilene Christian on Sept. 17, 2022.
- Fowlkes’ score erased a 10-point deficit and ignited a stretch of 24 unanswered points for the Tigers.
A GRACIAL OCCASION
- Mizzou defensive tackle Marquis Gracial established a career high with 1.5 tackles for loss against Troy.
- The performance surpassed his previous career best of one tackle for loss, which he had recorded on multiple occasions.
MAKING THE MOST OF IT
- Mizzou defeated Troy despite possessing the football for just 22:37, compared to 37:23 for the Trojans.
- The Tigers ran only 49 offensive plays but converted two Troy turnovers into touchdowns and added a score on special teams.
- Mizzou improved to 13-20 under Head Coach Eli Drinkwitz when losing the time-of-possession battle.
FAST START, ELITE COMPANY
- QB Austin Simmons has completed 47-of-68 passes for 652 yards and eight touchdowns through his first three games as a Tiger - without throwing a pick.
- Compared to the first three games of the first full seasons as Mizzou’s starting quarterback for the program’s three career passing leaders — Chase Daniel, Drew Lock and Blaine Gabbert — Simmons owns the highest completion percentage and second-most touchdown passes.
- Simmons has produced his eight touchdowns on just 68 attempts, 23 fewer than any of the other three quarterbacks.
TAKEAWAY TIGERS
- Mizzou forced three turnovers against Kansas, its most in a game since forcing three takeaways against Mississippi State on Nov. 15, 2025.
- The Tigers won the turnover battle by a 3-1 margin.
- Mizzou again forced multiple turnovers in the win over Troy and improved to 29-3 under head coach Eli Drinkwitz when finishing with a positive turnover margin.
DYNAMIC DUO
- Mizzou's WR pairing of Donovan Olugbode and Cayden Lee rank amongst the top receiving tandems in the coutnry.
- Olugbode and Lee each surpassed 100 receiving yards in the win at Kansas.
- Olugbode finished with 121 yards and a touchdown on six receptions, while Lee added 120 yards and a score on six catches.
- The duo became the first pair of Mizzou receivers to record 100 yards in the same game since Luther Burden III and Theo Wease Jr. accomplished the feat at Vanderbilt on Sept. 30, 2023.
- Furthermore, the duo became the first pair of Tiger receivers to break the 120-yard plateau in the same game since Dimetrios Mason and Emanuel Hall vs. Delaware State (9/24/16) and the first duo against a P4 opponent since Jerrell Jackson and TJ Moe vs. Iowa (12/28/10).
- Beyond that, it marked the first time a Mizzou receiving duo each scored a touchdown in addition to going over 120 yards in the same game since Danario Alexander and Jerrell Jackson vs. Iowa State (11/21/09).
- For the season, Olugbode rocks a stat line of 16 receptions, 259 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Tigers in all three categories, while Lee ranks second on the squad in all three departments (16-256-2 TD).
- Olugbode ranks 33rd nationally in receiving yards while Lee ranks 46th.
- Olugbode and Lee have a combiend 515 yards, good for 14th-most by a duo nationally, while their 16.1 yards per catch is the sixth best mark amongst the group.
- The tandem of Tiger pass catchers also represent the top duo in the SEC.
BRUNNO'S BIG BOOT
- Punter Brunno Reus averaged 50.5 yards across four punts, totaling 202 yards in his first Border War appearance.
- His 50.5 average marked the best average in a game by a Mizzou punter since Sept. 25, 2021 (min. two punts).
- Reus delivered a career-long 66-yard punt, the longest by a Tiger since Luke Bauer recorded a 73-yarder against LSU on Oct. 7, 2023.
- In the win over Troy, Reus booted a 58-yarder that was downed at the 2-yard line, and now has six boots of 50-plus yards on the season.
- Overall, the Brazilian punter is averaging 47.2 yards per punt while landing seven punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line.