COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Ahmad Hardy rushed for 250 yards and three touchdowns, and No. 25 Missouri pounded Louisiana-Lafayette 52-10 on Saturday.
The Tigers (3-0) finished with 427 yards rushing on 62 carries. Marquise Davis had 113 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula was 15-for-22 passing for 174 yards and two TDs. He also rushed for a 14-yard TD.
The Ragin’ Cajuns (1-2) finished with just 121 yards on offense, compared to 606 for the Tigers. Louisiana-Lafayette quarterbacks
Daniel Beale and Lunch Winfield combined to go 2-of-14 passing for 4 yards.
Hardy, who transferred to Missouri from Louisiana-Monroe in the offseason, posted a career high in rushing yards and broke the 200-yard barrier for the third time in his college career.
Missouri pulled most of its starters in the third quarter after building a 45-10 lead.
Louisiana-Lafayette safety Maurion Eleam was carted off on a backboard before being transported to University Hospital with a lower-body injury.
The injury occurred with 10:53 left in the second quarter when Eleam absorbed a block from Missouri left tackle Cayden Green. Eleam waved his right hand and gave a thumbs-up as he was carted off the field, and his teammates gathered at the spot of the injury.
The Ragin’ Cajuns did most of their damage on a handful of plays, including Zylan Perry’s 84-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. The Tigers need to eliminate mistakes heading into conference play.
Louisiana-Lafayette: The Ragin’ Cajuns visit Eastern Michigan next Saturday.
Missouri: The Tigers kick off Southeastern Conference play, hosting No. 11 South Carolina next Saturday night.
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