The Missouri Tigers were looking for their third straight bowl win in three straight seasons in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Saturday night against No. 19 Virginia. Unfortunately, that wasn’t meant to be as Mizzou fell to UVA by the final score of 13-7 in a low scoring affair — ending an otherwise underwhelming season with an 8-5 record.
As per usual this season, the defense was consistently impressive, but a lackluster offense couldn’t get Missouri over the hump against a ranked opponent.
For the final
time this year, let’s get to our latest MV3 from a season-ending 13-7 loss.
- Nicholas Rodriguez
Returning to his home-state in the Gator Bowl, the Florida native put on a show defensively. With the injury to Josiah Trotter, someone at the linebacker position needed to step up and Nicholas Rodriguez did exactly that. He led the team with 15 total tackles (five solo) including a pass deflection. He made the plays when it mattered the most to at least keep Mizzou within striking distance. In his postgame press conference, Eli Drinkwitz announced that Rodriguez will be returning next season — which is a huge plus for the defensive core.
2. Ahmad Hardy
On 15 carries, Ahmad Hardy had 89 rushing yards — which marked the single-season rushing yard record in Mizzou Football history.
But you sure would have liked to see him get the ball on 4th and 2 late in the game, huh? Frustrating play calling is an understatement. Regardless, Drinkwitz also announced that Hardy is officially returning for next season.
3. Chris McLellan
The transfer from the Florida Gators ended his college career on a high note in the state of Florida. McClellan had six total tackles (two solo) and a sack Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris — which was the only sack of the night from the defense. His performance certainly gave Mizzou a chance to win this one.
Honorable mentions: Brett Brown and Chip Lindsey (kidding here, but this offense desperately needs a different approach).
Who is your MV3 from Mizzou’s last game of the 2025 season? Let us know in the comments!
