Mizzou cruises to 42-6 Homecoming win against UMass
The Missouri Tigers were on cruise control from the opening snap.
But cruise control feels a bit disappointing if you’re expecting to keep the pedal down.
The Tigers dominated in a game that felt like it should have been easier, but still ended with a score of 42-6.
“It’s good to be undefeated with things to improve,” Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz said. “And I think that’s kind of the mentality of our coaching staff and our players.”
The Tigers forced a three-and-out and immediately drove 68 yards for a touchdown the first time they touched the ball.
It was the first of six touchdown drives for Mizzou.
Ahmad Hardy ran for 42 yards on the first drive with carries of 14, 18 and 7, while Beau Pribula hit Kevin Coleman with a 14-yard pass.
Coleman ended with 12 catches for 108 yards and Pribula ended completing 26-of-29 passes for 241 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Hardy was helped off the field before the final play, leading to a Jamal Roberts 9-yard touchdown run. But he would quickly return to action after spending a series on a stationary bike on the sideline.
Slowing down
But then the game started to feel a bit disappointing.
The Tigers seemed to be on their way to another easy score when Pribula stepped up in the pocket and had a pass tipped into the hands of Brett Hinspeter, who returned the interception 63 yards to set up a UMass touchdown.
Sterling Webb broke through the line on the extra point to block the kick and hold Mizzou’s lead at 7-6 with 6:24 left in the first.
“We started fast and then got a little bit clunky there with the turnover,” Drinkwitz said. “But ultimately, we had game control most of the game.”
Back in control
But the Tigers got back on track with their next drive as Hardy returned to the field. After Roberts broke free on a 30-yard run, this time it was Hardy sniping the score, running it in from the five.
It was the first of Hardy’s three touchdowns, giving him nine on the season. He also amassed 130 total rushing yards, giving him more than 100 in each of his first five games in a Mizzou uniform.
That ties the Tiger record of consecutive 100-yard games with Joe Moore in 1969. He also became just the third Tiger to score a touchdown in the season’s first five games.
The scoring drive started a historic string for Pribula as well. He completed three consecutive passes on the series on the way to 21 straight, breaking a school record of 20 consecutive completions set by Chase Daniel in 2008 against Buffalo.
The Tigers cruised to another touchdown on their next drive, going 89 yards on 14 plays before Hardy ran in his second touchdown from the 1.
“I thought Beau responded pretty well,” Drinkwitz said.
After taking a 21-6 lead into halftime, the Tigers received the opening kick and went 63 yards on seven plays, finishing with a 16-yard Hardy scoring run where he tapped his toes along the sideline to stay in bounds after trucking a defender.
Leveling the turnover margin
The Tigers were forced to punt on their next drive, but pinned UMass at the Minuteman 3. On third-and-10, Mizzou safety Santana Banner intercepted a pass from AJ Hairston and returned it to the UMass 8.
“That was my first pick on defense,” Banner said. “I had a pick last year on a fake punt for special teams, so it really felt good to get my first one. … Saw the quarterback throw it, he threw it right to me. Felt great.”
Two plays later, Pribula faked a handoff, booted to his right and found Brett Norfleet open at the front of the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown pass.
That was it for the Tiger starters.
Freshman receiver DaMarion Fowlkes, who had already had a 44-yard kick return, returned a UMass punt 34 yards to set up a drive that started with just one play in the fourth at the UMass 37.
Four plays into the fourth, running back Tavorus Jones took a rush up the middle for a 3-yard touchdown, the first score of his college career.
The Tigers sent in Tommy Lock to play quarterback the rest of the way and he handed off to Marquise Davis throughout the rest of the Tigers’ two remaining drives.
Stats
Mizzou dominated statistically.
The Tigers held leads in:
- Total yards: 521-124
- Passing yards: 253-105
- Rushing yards: 268-19
- First downs: 31-8
- Third-down conversions: 10-4
- Total plays: 84-55
- Yards per play: 6.2-2.3
- Yards per completion: 9.4-7.5
- Yards per rush: 5.2-1.2
- Red Zone tries: 6-1
- Red zone successes: 6-1
- Time of possession: 38:43-21:17
The only stats UMass led in were:
- Sacks: 4-1
- Tackles for loss: 6-4
Pribula completed 26-of-29 (89.7 percent) for 241 yards, one touchdown and one interception. His completion percentage was second in school history, only behind Daniel’s 91.7 percent mark in 2008 against Southeast Missouri.
Matt Zollers completed 1-of-1 passes for 12 yards. Lock went 0-of-1.
Hardy had 24 carries for 130 yards and three touchdowns. Davis ended at nine carries for 77 yards and Roberts had six carries for 52 yards. Jones ended with four attempts for 24 yards. The Tigers also had Coleman, Zollers, Anthony Favrow and Pribula record at least one carry for eight total players with a rush.
Coleman led the receivers with 12 catches for 108 yards. His 12 catches are a career high. Norfleet ended with six catches for 52 yards, while Marquis Johnson had two receptions for 22 yards. Nine total Tigers had at least one catch.
Up next
After five straight home games, the Tigers (5-0, 1-0 SEC) have hit their bye. They will be off next week.
Then, Alabama (3-1, 1-0) comes to town for an 11 a.m. game on Oct. 11.