The No. 20 Missouri Tigers return home Saturday night for their final non-conference game of the season, hosting undefeated Troy at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. Mizzou is 2-0 after last Friday’s 38-21 Border War win over Kansas, and Troy also enters the game unbeaten at 2-0. The Tigers are also celebrating the 100th anniversary of Memorial Stadium, making Saturday night’s game part of a season-long celebration of the stadium’s history.
Mizzou’s passing game has been a major positive through the first two weeks, with quarterback Austin Simmons coming off a 292-yard, three-touchdown performance against Kansas. Simmons earned co-SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors for that performance. The Tigers also got a big game from receiver Cayden Lee and continue to look for more consistency in the running game. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz has pointed to the Tigers’ struggles on fourth down, along with penalties and special teams mistakes, as areas that need to improve against Troy.
Defensive end Daeden Hopkins, a sophomore from Hermann, recorded four-and-a-half tackles, one-and-a-half sacks, five quarterback pressures and a pass deflection to earn co-Defensive Lineman of the Week honors.
Troy presents a different challenge than the Tigers have seen so far this season. The Trojans return quarterback Goose Crowder, Sun Belt sack leader Donnie Smith and All-American punter Evan Crenshaw from last year’s team, which won its third Sun Belt West Division championship in four seasons. Troy has won its first two games by beating Sam Houston 24-21 and Alabama State 34-17. Saturday’s game will be the fifth meeting between the schools, with Mizzou holding a 3-1 series lead. The Tigers won the most recent meeting 42-10 in Columbia in 2019.
For Mizzou, it’s the final opportunity to work out some of those early-season issues before SEC play begins next Saturday at Mississippi State. The Tigers are seeking their 16th consecutive non-conference victory and their 16th straight regular-season win in night games. Saturday’s game will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
