After allowing consecutive touchdowns on two penalty-aided drives to open the game, the Mizzou defense began to shut down Alabama’s attack.
Death Row Defense allowed just one more touchdown, with that score coming on a drive that began in Tigers territory, and two field goals.
The unit’s renewed effectiveness kept Mizzou in the game, giving the team a real chance to defeat Alabama for the first time as SEC opponents and maintain an undefeated season.
But time after time, the Tigers offense came up short
on the drives and downs that mattered most, and the Crimson Tide survived with a 27-24 victory to break Mizzou’s 15-game home winning streak.
Beau Pribula summed up the game best in the postgame press conference: “There were plenty of mistakes that could have been the difference.”
The Tigers had five possessions in the game where a touchdown would have given the team a lead, with four of those drives in the second half.
Kirby Moore’s unit went three-and-out on three of those drives (including the failed Jamal Roberts fake punt, which was followed by the final Alabama touchdown), and Beau Pribula threw interceptions on the team’s other two chances.
Five of the team’s 11 drives against the Crimson Tide ended after just three plays, and none of their drives that didn’t result in a score crossed midfield.
A big reason for the quick punts: inefficiency on first and second down leading to third-and-long, and a failure to convert on third downs. The Tigers had an average of 5.8 yards to the first down marker on their 10 third down plays, and the team converted just one of those 10 opportunities.
“You’ve got to stay on schedule, center Connor Tollison said, ”Third-and-two’s a lot easier than third-and-nine, so staying on schedule, being better on first and second down.”
The longer yardage needed on third down allowed Alabama’s defense to sit back in coverage, and Mizzou was unable to adjust.
“We knew they were gonna play cover two; they played cover two,” head coach Eli Drinkwitz said when asked about the struggles on third down, “We didn’t get it done.”
The Tigers used a combination of Ahmad Hardy runs and keeps by Pribula to quickly march down the field on their first drive, taking an early 7-0 lead.
But Mizzou was never able to establish its passing game early, a failure that helped bog the offense down for the rest of the contest.
“Just got to do a better job of finding completions earlier,” Pribula said. I think towards the end of the game we started to do that, but I think I’ve got to do a better job finding completions so that we can get the offense in a rhythm and not be stuck on third-and-long.”
Pribula never seemed to settle in during his biggest test as the Tigers’ starter at quarterback. He had just 46 yard passing entering the half and completed 16 of 28 passes for 167 yards on the day.
Just over half of those 167 yards came in the final three minutes and 16 seconds of the game as Mizzou furiously attempted to come back from a 10-point deficit.
Pribula’s best drive of the day came in response to Ty Simpson’s touchdown pass that made it 27-17. He led the Tigers 75 yards down the field in just over 90 seconds, pushing the score to 27-24 and setting up a potential game-tying drive.
Mizzou’s defense forced the three-and-out it needed, and the Tigers got the ball back at their own 18-yard line with one minute and 18 seconds remaining.
True freshman wide receiver Donovan Olugbode, who made multiple key catches on the previous touchdown drive, hauled in a 25-yard reception on fourth down to move the team just short of midfield with 52 seconds to spare.
Overtime wasn’t in the cards.
Pribula threw consecutive incompletions before targeting Olugbode, who didn’t see the ball, and might not have been able to make the catch if he did. The pass resulted in a pick, sealing the first defeat of the season.
Mizzou could have tried to view the loss as a moral victory; it’s easily the best the team has looked when facing Alabama in the SEC, and a far cry from the blowout last season in Tuscaloosa. It’s clear the Tigers aren’t taking that approach, though.
“We didn’t come here to play them close, we came here to win. I’m not good with playing them close; that’s bullcrap,” Drinkwitz said, “We came here to win, we didn’t get it done. So we’re going to be disappointed, but we’re going to learn our lessons and leave the event.”
Drinkwitz and the players assembled for the media after the game placed a focus on quickly moving past Saturday’s game.
“We’re gonna bounce back, for sure,” STAR defender Daylan Carnell said, “We’re gonna have a good week of practice and move on; we’re gonna be sad or whatever about it today, then tomorrow, we get ready for our next opponent and have a good week of prep.”
Drinkwitz’s squad needs to take that mentality to heart if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive. Mizzou has two SEC road matchups ahead, beginning with a trip to one of college football’s most underrated environments: Jordan-Hare Stadium at night.
The Tigers’ loss to Alabama did not shut the door on the College Football Playoff, but narrowed their opening significantly.
And the defeat likely turns the team’s next two games, facing talented Auburn and Vanderbilt squads, into must-win matchups as Texas A&M and Oklahoma still loom large.
Mizzou’s failure to capitalize in the biggest moments cost it a potential upset over Alabama. How the team capitalizes on its two quality road games could help define the 2025 season.
