SETTING THE SCENE
The 18th-ranked Mizzou football team (6-2, 3-2 SEC) returns home for an SEC matchup against No. 7 Texas (6-2, 3-2 SEC) on Saturday, November 7 (11 a.m. CT / ESPN) at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. The Tigers enter Saturday following a 34-10 victory at Arkansas on October 31, securing their fifth-consecutive Battle Line Rivalry win. RB Jamal Roberts powered the offense with 138 rushing yards and two total touchdowns, surpassing 1,000 rushing yards for the season. LB Nicholas Rodriguez recorded 11 tackles and a forced fumble as Mizzou generated four takeaways and limited the Razorbacks to 59 rushing yards.

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 52-31 mark (64-32 overall). The Alma, Arkansas, native has led the Tigers to bowl eligibility in each of his first seven 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 .804 and is 37-9 on Faurot Field during his tenure. Since the start of 2023, Drinkwitz and the Tigers have gone 35-12 (.745) - tied for 12th-best nationally over that stretch among P4 schools and Notre Dame.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is in his sixth season leading the Longhorns, compiling a 54-22 record at Texas and a 100-57 career mark across 13 seasons as a head coach. Sarkisian has guided Texas to a 6-2 overall record, including a 3-2 mark in SEC play in 2026, earning his 100th career victory with a 31-3 win over Mississippi State on Oct. 31. He led the Longhorns to three consecutive 10-win seasons from 2023-25, highlighted by a Big 12 championship in 2023, consecutive College Football Playoff semifinal appearances in 2023 and 2024 and an SEC Championship Game appearance in the program’s inaugural conference season in 2024. Before arriving in Austin, Sarkisian made head coaching stops at Washington (2009-13) and USC (2014-15).

FIRST & TEN: STORYLINES
- The Tigers are 35-12 since the start of 2023 (.745) - tied for 12th-best nationally over that stretch by winning percentage among P4 schools, including Notre Dame.
- Mizzou extended its winning streak against unranked opponents to 29 games with its win over Texas A&M on Oct. 10 - tied for the nation's longest such winning streak over unranked teams with Indiana. However, Mizzou is the only team in the nation undefeated against unranked foes since the start of 2023.
- Mizzou checks in at No. 19 in the latest editions of the national polls (Nov. 1). The Tigers peaked at No. No. 13 in the Oct.11 edition of the AP Poll to mark the highest ranking since the Tigers came in at No. 9 (Sept. 29, 2024).
- RB Jamal Roberts leads all of FBS with 844 PFF-charted rushing yards after contact, accounting for 79.9% of his PFF-charted rushing yardage through eight games. In addition to leading the SEC in rushing, he's one of three running backs nationally over 1,000 yards on the season (1,005).
- LB Nicholas Rodriguez is the national leader with 11.00 tackles per game, recording double-digit tackles in seven-consecutive contests.
- WR Cayden Lee’s 90.1 PFF receiving grade leads the SEC and ranks third nationally among FBS wide receivers with at least 25 targets.
- EDGE Daeden Hopkins leads Mizzou with 7.0 sacks, tied for third in the SEC and ninth nationally.
- DT Donta Simpson ranks second nationally and leads the SEC with a 90.1 PFF pass-rush grade among defenders with a minimum of 50 pass-rush snaps.
- QB Austin Simmons’ 82.9 PFF passing grade ranks fourth in the SEC and 24th nationally among FBS quarterbacks with at least 200 passing attempts.

SCOUTING TEXAS
- The Longhorns have won consecutive SEC games after defeating Ole Miss, 34-27, on Oct. 24. The Mississippi State win marked the 100th of head coach Steve Sarkisian’s career.
- The Longhorns’ offense is led by QB Arch Manning, who has completed 140-of-216 passes for 1,727 yards, 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He is completing 64.8 percent of his attempts and has added two rushing touchdowns.
- St. Louis native WR Ryan Wingo leads Texas with 36 receptions for 470 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 58.8 receiving yards per game. Cam Coleman leads the team with seven receiving touchdowns.
- Texas is averaging 30.8 points and 358.4 yards of total offense per contest, including 134.6 rushing yards and 223.8 passing yards.
- Defensively, the Longhorns are allowing 17.1 points and 273.1 total yards per game, surrendering 102.4 rushing yards and 170.8 passing yards per contest.
- Texas has recorded 26 sacks and forced nine turnovers.
- The Longhorns have scored on 28-of-30 red-zone opportunities, including 20 touchdowns. Texas is converting 39.6 percent of its third-down opportunities, moving the chains on 44-of-111 attempts.

SEC GAUNTLET
- The Tigers face one of the nation's toughest schedules for the 2026 season, 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.
- ESPN ranked the Tigers' schedule 12th-toughest nationally while Phil Steele ranked Mizzou's schedule the 21st-toughest in the country entering the season.

TAKIN' CARE OF BUSINESS
- Mizzou extended its winning streak against unranked opponents to 29 games with its victory over Arkansas on Oct. 31,  making MU the only team in the nation to be undefeated vs. unranked opponents since the start of 2023.
- The streak dates back to the 2023 season-opening victory over South Dakota (8/31/23).
- Mizzou is tied with Indiana for the longest such streak in the country.
- Georgia's 55-game streak came to an end after being upset by Auburn on Oct. 17 while Oregon's 40-game streak came to an end after being knocked off by Oklahoma State on Sept. 12.

WINNING FORMULA
- The Tigers rushed for 211 yards, improving to 32-2 under Eli Drinkwitz when surpassing 200 rushing yards.
- Mizzou claimed its fifth consecutive victory in the Battle Line Rivalry, improving to 6-1 against Arkansas under Drinkwitz and 13-4 in the all-time series.

RIVALRY GAME ROBERTS
- RB Jamal Roberts has rushed for 582 yards and five touchdowns on 88 carries in Mizzou’s five rivalry victories over Kansas, South Carolina and Arkansas since the start of the 2025 season.
- Roberts has averaged 116.4 rushing yards per game and 6.6 yards per carry in those contests, helping the Tigers go 5-0.
- He has scored a rushing touchdown in all five victories and topped 100 rushing yards in four, including both rivalry wins this season — 125 yards at Kansas and 138 at Arkansas.
- Roberts added a receiving touchdown at Arkansas this season, giving him six total touchdowns across the five rivalry wins.
- His performances against Kansas have included touchdown runs of 63 yards in 2025 and 64 yards in 2026.
- Against Kansas and Arkansas alone, he has 506 rushing yards in four wins, averaging 126.5 yards per game, with a 100-yard performance and rushing touchdown in every matchup.

TAKING CARE OF IT
- Mizzou is tied for the SEC lead and seventh nationally with just five turnovers lost through eight games.
- The Tigers have thrown only two interceptions across 256 team passing attempts, the second-fewest interceptions in the SEC and tied for eighth-fewest nationally.
- Missouri has generated 13 takeaways against five giveaways, producing a plus-eight turnover margin.
- Its plus-1.00 margin per game ranks second in the SEC and tied for eighth nationally.
- The Tigers have allowed just eight sacks through eight games.
- Their 1.00 sack allowed per game ranks second-fewest in the SEC and tied for 13th-fewest nationally.

MAKING CONTACT COUNT
- RB Jamal Roberts leads the SEC and ranks third nationally in rushing yards per game, averaging 125.6 through eight contests.
- Roberts has rushed for 1,005 yards and nine touchdowns on 190 carries, leading the SEC and ranking third nationally in total rushing yards.
- PFF credits Roberts with an FBS-leading 844 rushing yards after contact, 74 more than second-place Dylan Riley of Boise State (770).
- Roberts has generated 79.9% of his PFF-charted rushing yardage after contact, averaging 4.2 yards after contact per attempt.
- PFF has credited Roberts with 33 forced missed tackles on rushing attempts this season, tied for 28th nationally.

AUSTIN POWER
- QB Austin Simmons owns an 82.7 overall offensive grade and an 82.9 passing grade from PFF through eight games.
- Among FBS passers with at least 200 passing attempts, Simmons’ passing grade ranks fourth in the SEC and 24th nationally.
- Simmons has completed 152-of-240 passes for 1,952 yards, 16 touchdowns and two interceptions, producing a 63.3 completion percentage and a 152.0 passing efficiency rating.
- PFF has credited Simmons with nine “big-time” throws this season.

LEE-DING THE WAY
- WR Cayden Lee owns a 90.1 receiving grade from PFF through eight games.
- Among FBS wide receivers with at least 25 targets, Lee’s receiving grade leads the SEC and ranks third nationally.
- Lee has caught 53 passes for 756 yards and five touchdowns, leading the SEC in total receiving yards and ranking 15th nationally.
- Lee also leads the SEC and ranks 15th nationally in receiving yards per game (94.5), while ranking second in the SEC in receptions per game (6.63).
- PFF has charted Lee with 289 yards after the catch and 35 receiving first downs. He has secured eight of his 13 contested targets, a 61.5% contested-catch rate.

PROTECTION PLAN
- Three Mizzou starting offensive linemen own season pass-blocking grades above 80.0 from PFF: Tristan Wilson and Cayden Green at 82.8, followed by Dominick Giudice at 82.2.
- PFF has charged Wilson, Giudice and Green with no sacks allowed across 762 combined individual pass-blocking snaps through eight games—261 apiece for Wilson and Giudice and 240 for Green.

TWO FOR THE SHOW
- Wide receivers Cayden Lee and Donovan Olugbode have combined for 93 receptions, 1,340 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging 14.4 yards per catch through eight games.
- Both rank among the SEC’s top eight in total receiving yards: Lee leads the conference with 756 yards on 53 catches, while Olugbode ranks eighth with 584 yards on 40 receptions.
- Lee owns a 90.1 receiving grade from PFF, leading the SEC and ranking third nationally among FBS wide receivers with at least 25 targets.
- PFF credits Lee with 289 yards after the catch and 35 receiving first downs, while Olugbode has generated 203 yards after the catch and 28 receiving first downs.
- Olugbode’s seven receiving touchdowns are tied for the SEC lead and 16th nationally, while Lee has added five touchdown receptions.
- Olugbode recorded his third 100-yard receiving game of the season at Ole Miss, establishing career highs with nine receptions for 127 yards.

DEATH ROW DEFENSE
- Mizzou’s 83.3 pass-rushing grade from PFF  ranks third in the SEC, trailing LSU (87.6) and South Carolina (86.6).
- Through eight games, the Tigers’ 90.0 run-defense grade ranks fifth in the SEC, while their 90.3 overall defensive grade is tied for fifth.
- Officially, Mizzou allows 98.3 rushing yards per game, ranking third in the SEC and 16th nationally, while surrendering just 2.9 yards per carry.
- The Tigers limited Arkansas to 59 rushing yards on 36 attempts, an average of 1.6 yards per carry.
- Mizzou has allowed just four rushing touchdowns this season.

WOODYARD OWNS THE RUN
- Linebacker Robert Woodyard Jr. owns an 89.4 PFF run-defense grade, ranking fourth in the SEC among defenders with at least 100 defensive snaps and leading qualifying Tigers.
- PFF credits Woodyard with a team-leading 21 defensive stops against the run, ahead of Nicholas Rodriguez (19).
- Woodyard’s average tackle against the run has come 2.42 yards beyond the line of scrimmage.
- He has played 152 run-defense snaps this season.

DOTSON LIMITS THE DAMAGE
- PFF credits S Elijah Dotson with allowing just 94 receiving yards and no touchdowns on 18 targets through eight games.
- Opposing QBs have produced a 35.2 passer rating when targeting Dotson, completing 11-of-18 passes with two interceptions.
- Dotson has allowed just three receiving first downs across 250 coverage snaps.

THE BANNER STANDARD
- Safety Santana Banner has logged 449 PFF-charted defensive snaps while earning a 78.6 overall defensive grade and a 79.4 coverage grade.
- Banner ranks second among Tigers with 68 official tackles, averaging 8.50 per game to rank third in the SEC.

RODRIGUEZ RACKS 'EM UP
- LB Nicholas Rodriguez leads the SEC and is tied for second nationally with 86 total tackles through eight games, averaging 10.75 per contest.
- Rodriguez recorded 11 tackles in the win over Arkansas, extending his streak of double-digit tackle performances to seven consecutive games.
- His seven-game streak matches the Mizzou record established by Kentrell Brothers in 2015.

PRESSURE IN NUMBERS
- PFF has credited Mizzou with 133 pressures through eight games, comprising 23 sacks, 21 quarterback hits and 89 hurries.
- EDGE Daeden Hopkins leads Mizzou with 27 PFF-credited pressures across 228 pass-rush snaps.
- Hopkins owns a 76.4 overall defensive grade and a 77.4 pass-rushing grade from PFF.
- Hopkins leads the Tigers with 7.0 sacks, tied for third in the SEC and ninth nationally. He is averaging 0.88 sacks per game.

SIMPSON THE STOPPER
- DT Donta Simpson owns an 82.5 overall defensive grade and a 90.1 pass-rushing grade from PFF.
- Among FBS interior defensive linemen with at least 50 pass-rush snaps, Simpson’s pass-rushing grade leads the SEC and ranks second nationally, trailing only Texas Tech’s A.J. Holmes Jr. (90.3).
- PFF credits Simpson with 25 quarterback pressures across 143 pass-rush snaps, second-most on the team behind Daeden Hopkins and producing a 17.5% pressure rate.
- Simpson owns a 19.6% pass-rush win rate, the highest among Tigers with at least 50 pass-rush snaps.

NO-FLY FLORENCE
- CB Jahlil Florence has allowed just seven receptions on 24 targets, a 29.2% completion rate, according to PFF.
- Florence has surrendered 83 receiving yards and no touchdowns, with opposing quarterbacks producing a 24.1 passer rating when targeting him.
- PFF credits Florence with five pass breakups and one interception across 131 coverage snaps.
- He has allowed just four receiving first downs.

NICK ROD KEEPS STREAKING
- LB Nicholas Rodriguez recorded 11 tackles in the win at Arkansas, extending his streak of double-digit tackle performances to seven consecutive games and matching the program record established by Kentrell Brothers in 2015.
- Rodriguez’s 88 total tackles lead the SEC and are tied for second nationally.
- He is averaging 11 tackles per game through eight contests.

E-LEE-TE COMPANY
- WR Cayden Lee has recorded at least five receptions in eight consecutive games, tying Justin Gage and Chase Coffman for the third-longest streak in program history.
- Lee led the Tigers with six catches for 78 yards in the win at Arkansas.

TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE
- WRs Cayden Lee and Donovan Olugbode have combined for 1,340 receiving yards this season, the 15th-highest total by a duo in Mizzou history.
- Olugbode caught five passes for 50 yards and his seventh receiving touchdown of the season at Arkansas.
- His seven touchdown receptions are the most by a Tiger since Luther Burden III caught nine in 2023.

AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
- RB Jamal Roberts leads the SEC and ranks third nationally in rushing yards (1,005) and rushing yards per game (125.6).
- Roberts also leads the SEC and ranks fifth nationally with 1,130 yards from scrimmage, combining 1,005 rush. yards with 125 rec. yards.
- PFF credits Roberts with an FBS-leading 844 rushing yards after contact, 74 more than second-place Dylan Riley of Boise State (770).
- Roberts averages 4.2 YAC per rushing attempt, with 79.9 percent of his PFF-charted rushing yardage coming after contact.
- He leads the nation in rush. attempts (190) and total touches from scrimmage (206), averaging 23.8 carries and 25.8 touches per game.
- He is one of three players nationally—and the only SEC player—to reach 1,000 rushing yards this season, recording the 22nd 1,000-yard rushing season in Mizzou history.

SETTING THE TONE
- Mizzou limited Arkansas to seven total yards in the first quarter, the Razorbacks’ fewest in an opening quarter since 2018.
- It marked the second time this season the Tigers held an SEC opponent to seven or fewer yards in a quarter, following a three-yard third quarter against Texas A&M.
- The Tigers held Arkansas scoreless for the opening 29:19, their longest stretch to begin a conference game since shutting out the Razorbacks in the first half of the 2023 meeting.

ROBERTS REACHES 1K
- RB Jamal Roberts surpassed 1,000 rushing yards with his 138-yard performance at Arkansas, bringing his total to 1,005 yards.
- Roberts is one of three players nationally—and the only SEC player—to reach 1,000 rushing yards this season.
- His performance marks the 22nd 1,000-yard rushing season in Mizzou history.

CLOSING IN ON 2K
- RB Jamal Roberts rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown at Arkansas, recording his fifth 100-yard rushing performance of the season and ninth rushing score.
- Roberts climbed past Marcus Murphy and Mel West into 21st on Mizzou’s career rushing list. He needs just 27 yards to become the 21st Tiger to reach 2,000 career rushing yards.
- Roberts added three receptions for 20 yards and a touchdown, becoming the first Tiger with a rushing and receiving touchdown in the same game since Luther Burden III against Vanderbilt on Oct. 22, 2022.
- He is the third Tiger to accomplish the feat under Eli Drinkwitz, joining Tyler Badie (four times) and Burden (twice).
- Roberts joined Larry Rountree III as the only Tigers with multiple 100-yard rushing games against Arkansas.
- Roberts totaled 158 scrimmage yards (138 rushing, 20 receiving) in the win at Arkansas and moved into 31st on Mizzou’s career list with 2,210 yards.
- He needs 21 more yards to enter the program’s top 30

CRAIG FROM LONG RANGE
- Battling rainy conditions, kicker Blake Craig connected on both field goal attempts at Arkansas, converting from 31 and 53 yards.
- The 53-yarder marked his fifth field goal from at least 50 yards this season and the 12th of his career.
- Craig needs one more connection from 50-plus yards to tie Harrison Mevis’ program record of 13.

TAKING IT AWAY
- Mizzou forced a season-high four turnovers at Arkansas, recovering three fumbles and intercepting one pass.
- The four takeaways were the Tigers’ most since forcing four against Oklahoma on Nov. 9, 2024.
- Safety Trajen Greco collected his third interception of the season, becoming the first Tiger with at least three in a season since Kris Abrams-Draine in 2023 and the first Mizzou safety since JC Carlies in 2021.
- LB Nicholas Rodriguez forced a fumble for the second consecutive game. He joined safety Santana Banner, who accomplished the feat against Texas A&M and Ole Miss, as the second Tiger to do so this season.
- EDGE Darris Smith recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown, marking his first career fumble recovery and Mizzou’s first fumble recovery touchdown since Daylan Carnell’s 68-yard return at Mississippi State on Nov. 23, 2024.
- The Tigers have won 17 consecutive games when scoring a defensive or special teams touchdown, dating to their 2021 victory over North Texas.