Boasting a 6-2 record and Top 25 ranking, the No. 19 Missouri Tigers host the No. 7 Texas Longhorns this Saturday in a matchup with huge implications for both teams. With identical records overall and in conference play, this matchup will be a reality check for postseason expectations for both squads. Win, and the path to the playoffs remain wide open. Lose, and the rest of the season could be tough to overcome.
Missouri began the season with a 3-0 record that included a win over rival Kansas, but then fell at the hands of Mississippi State 31-24 in a close battle on the road. The Tigers bounced back with a 45-17 thrashing of Florida and a 27-6 win over Texas A&M. With a 5-1 record, Missouri was starting to get national attention.
However, Ole Miss pumped the brakes on that narrative in a 31-3 victory. The Tigers failed to score on any drive after the opening series and elite running back Jamal Roberts was held to less than two yards per carry on 20 touches.
The Rebel defense also forced quarterback Austin Simmons to throw 44 passes, a formula that Muschamp will likely seek to repeat.
The Tigers bounced back last week with a 34-10 win over Arkansas while forcing four turnovers.
Missouri brings a stingy defense and talented offense to the table. The Tigers rank fifth in the SEC in scoring defense, one spot behind the Longhorns, while their rushing and passing attacks both slot at sixth or better.
Texas has the defensive personnel to make Missouri struggle, but limiting quarterback Austin Simmons and running back Jamal Roberts will not be easy. The Tigers also boast the most productive wide receivers in the conference in Cayden Lee. The Longhorn defense has to plug the run game, something that the Tigers rely on heavily.
On the other side of the ball, Texas will need to win through the air. Missouri gives up less than 100 yards per game on the ground, a stellar number, but can be susceptible through the air. They've been able to create turnovers, so winning that battle will also be crucial.
No matter how you spin it, this matchup will require a strong showing from Texas. Missouri took a step back last season but appears poised to return to the success they found under head coach Eli Drinkwitz in 2023 and 2024.
Now in his seventh season, Drinkwitz has Missouri on the doorstep of competing with the traditional powers in the SEC. His offensive background has flourished in recent years, including this one, and the team has shown to be a resilient bunch with impressive wins after both losses.
Here's how the Tigers stack up position by position.
The Tiger offense has been remarkably efficient this season and features one of the best running backs in the country in Jamal Roberts, the engine of the offense and that allows quarterback Austin Simmons to find ample space down the field. Stopping the fourth best run game in the SEC and making the offense one dimensional will be a key for the Longhorn defense.
Quarterback Austin Simmons leads the offense for the Tigers. The transfer quarterback is in his first season with Missouri after spending three years in Oxford with Ole Miss. He's taken a winding road to this season that began as a dual-sport athlete.
Originally expected to be a member of the 2025 high school class, Simmons reclassified to 2023, ending his high school career two years early to pursue both football and baseball as the Division 1 level. He took classes year round and completed an associate degrees at age 17 with an impressive GPA, giving him the academic credentials necessary to enroll two years ahead of schedule.
As a Rebel, Simmons sat behind NY Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart before taking over the starting job in 2025. An ankle injury forced him to miss time which gave current Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss the chance to start, a role he never relinquished. Simmons transferred this past offseason.
With great size and an accurate lefty motion, Simmons has put together a clean campaign this year. He's completed 152-of-240 passes (63.3 percent) for 16 touchdowns and most importantly, just two interceptions. This season, he's been feast or famine despite the efficiency, throwing for 290 yards or more in four contests but less than 180 in three others.
Simmons isn't particularly dangerous as a runner. He's best working off play action, so stopping the run game and forcing him into obvious passing situations will help limit his effectiveness.
Heading into the season, first-team All-American Ahmad Hardy was expected to continue his dominant 2025 season. An emergency surgery in the offseason due to a gunshot wound at a concert forced Hardy to miss the beginning of the season, but the star returned last week for the first time, carrying the ball twice for five yards. He's still reaching 100-percent health, but is expected to get some handoffs on Saturday.
Hardy's absence opened the door for Roberts, who leads the SEC in rush yards per game and ranks third in the FBS with 1,005 yards. Roberts was an impressive second option last season, tallying 753 yards on 124 carries, and has taken full advantage of Hardy being sidelined. He put up 211 yards against Florida and followed it up the next week with 222 against A&M.
Roberts will see a healthy dose of carries, likely somewhere around 25, as well as a few passes out of the backfield. He can turn a routine play into extra yards with his physical running style and break off huge runs with his acceleration and top end speed.
Shutting him down is the biggest task for the Texas defense and arguably one of the most important factors of the game.
Missouri's offense is run centric, but features Cayden Lee, the most productive wide receiver in the SEC. He spent three seasons in Oxford with Simmons before the duo elected to transfer to Missouri together.
What a recruiting win that turned out to be for Drinkwitz.
Lee is electric.
At 5'11, 180 pounds, Lee isn't a huge target. However, he has a great feel for finding space and creating explosive plays from the slot. He converts first downs and catches everything, making him an extremely reliable receiver. He's leading the SEC with 756 yards receiving and second in catches with 53.
The other wide receiver to know is sophomore Donovan Olugbode. A bigger target at 6'2, 210 pounds, Olugbode has reeled in 40 catches for 584 yards and seven touchdowns in seven games. He missed the A&M game in early October, but returned to catch nine passes for 127 yards against Ole Miss, as well as a touchdown last week.
Solely bracketing Lee is not possible with what Olugbode can do. Each requires attention, and can wreck a secondary, especially when the run game pulls extra defenders to the line of scrimmage.
The tight end for the Tigers is senior Brett Norfleet, who has impressive size at 6'6, 255 pounds, and has recorded nine catches for 80 yards and a touchdown this season. He's an experienced player with 1,400+ snaps in the past three seasons.
The Missouri offensive line has been solid this year, creating holes for Roberts and time for Simmons. This group was forced to replace three of the five starters, but has hardly missed a beat this year.
Leading the way is 2025 first-team All-SEC left tackle Cayden Green, one of the conference's best bookends. He's joined by a host of other reliable options that have experience and talent. This group rarely gives up sacks and has imposed their will against every team other than Ole Miss. It is one of the best the Longhorns will face all season.
The Missouri offense is capable across the board. It starts up front with a reliable front five that has allowed Roberts to establish himself as one of the best in the country. His success has opened space in the secondary and the play-action offense, giving Simmons room to operate. He's got two skilled wide receivers to throw to, creating a well-balanced unit that has performed well this season. The Tigers struggled against Ole Miss, a formula that Texas will undoubtedly look to recreate on Saturday.
Missouri's defense has arguably been the more consistent unit. It has been extremely effective against the run and generated turnovers at a high rate. It ranks top 30 in the country in many areas and has looked salty, excluding the Ole Miss game.
However, the secondary has given up yards through the air, meaning this game could fall on the shoulders of the offensive line creating time and Manning delivering accurate passes.
Leading the way up the middle are Marquis Gracial and Jalen Marshall. Gracial tallied 257 snaps for Missouri in 2025 and has been effective against the run. Marshall bring great size at 6'4, 335 pounds and experience. He saw 342 snaps last year. Donta Simpson is another guy coming off injury that will provide a presence inside.
The group of defensive ends is strong. A trio of Daeden Hopkins, Darris Smith, and Langdon Kitchen give Missouri depth to keep fresh legs. Hopkins shined brightest earlier in the season with 6.5 sacks in his first three games, but has since cooled off and will come off the bench. Smith is coming off an injury and saw his highest snap count in a month last week. He recorded three hurries and recovered a fumble last week.
This unit has been hurt by injuries but can still get after it. They're effective against the run and have depth that brings talent off the bench.
The Missouri linebacker duo is made up by junior Nicholas Rodriguez and senior Robert Woodyard Jr.
Rodriguez came into the season as the most veteran linebacker on the team after playing 352 snaps last season, which was the third most on the team. He was graded as a highly-effective run stopper according to Pro Football Focus — 86.4 run defense and 78.4 tackling. This season, he's leading the tram with 88 tackles, 20 more than the next closest. He's also added four quarterback hits and two forced fumbles.
Next to him, Woodyard has emerged as another transfer recruiting win for Drinkwitz. After spending three seasons at Auburn, Woodyard opted to keep his mascot the same but suit up in black and gold instead. He's been a much needed addition to the Missouri defense, posting 49 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, an interception, and forced fumble.
Rodriguez is the centerpiece of this unit and the defense as a whole. He's active and productive. Texas should test these two with screens and misdirection early in the game, something opposing offenses have keyed on.
The cornerback position was hit hard this offseason and forced to replace three starters from last season. To combat the lack of experience, Missouri turned to the portal bringing in a host of players to compete for the starting jobs.
Fifth-year transfer Chris Graves secured one of the spots after starting nine games for Ole Miss last season while Sione Laulea, who spent last season with Oregon, will see most of the snaps at the other spot. Both possess good size. Graves brings much more experience than anyone else on the backend and arrived with Simmons and Lee.
Another corner to know is Jahlil Florence, a physical corner who has been unable to play much the last few seasons due to injury.
The safety group was also hit hard, losing three players that accounted for 1,542 snaps last season. One returner is Santana Banner, a former MAC transfer that isn't afraid of contact. Last season he contributed 59 tackles and this year he's already up to 68, the third most on the team. He's a strong hitter and more than willing to bring his hat to the ball.
Michigan transfer Elijah Dotson is the other member of the secondary and can line up all over the field.
The Missouri defense is a salty bunch. They stuff the run and create turnovers. With so much lost production in the secondary, that area of the defense has given up the most to opposing offenses. This feels like a game where the success of the Texas offense will largely rest on whether Arch has the time and accuracy to deliver passes while avoiding turnover.
Kicker Blake Craig is a senior who has converted 13-of-19 (68.4 percent) of his field-goal attempts with a long of 53. He's converted five 50-plus yard field goals. He has also had three kicks blocked.
The punter is Brunno Reus, who averages 43.9 yards per punt. He was the No.2 punter in the nation, according to Kohl's Kicking Camp.
Sophomore wide receiver DaMarion Fowlkes returns punts and kickoffs. He averages 17.1 yards per punt return and has a 68-yard touchdown return to his name. He's dangerous.
This is a talented Missouri team. For Texas to win, the Longhorns must play complementary football. The pressure will once again be put on the Texas defense to stop an explosive offense. Roberts is one of the best backs in the country and Simmons is also capable of putting the offense on his back, especially with Lee out wide.
Defensively, the Tigers can be stingy particularly against the run. Texas will need to protect the ball and find creative ways to incorporate the ground game.
Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. Central on ESPN.
