For the second time in three years, Jordan-Hare Stadium lived up to its reputation as a house of horrors — and chaos — for both sets of Tigers. But this time, it was Missouri who escaped the madness.
16 Mizzou held off Auburn 23–17 in double overtime on Saturday night in a wild, gut-wrenching game that saw missed kicks, defensive heroics, and late-game drama befitting their bizarre 2022 meeting. With the victory, Missouri improved to 6–1 on the season, keeping their College Football Playoff hopes alive while extending Auburn’s misery to four straight conference losses, all by 10 points or less.
Early on, it didn’t look like Mizzou would find its footing. Quarterback Beau Pribula struggled to find rhythm against Auburn’s aggressive front and the running game consistently felt like it was hitting a brick wall. Credit Pribula for steadying late, orchestrating a crucial fourth-quarter drive that tied the game and sent it to overtime. Though his stat line wasn’t eye-popping, his poise under pressure made the difference down the stretch.
Running back Ahmad Hardy was bottled up for most of the day, grinding out just 52 yards on 24 carries, but his two touchdowns proved invaluable in a game where every point felt like gold.
Missouri had a chance to seal the win in the first overtime, but kicker Robby Meyer pushed a 38-yard field goal wide right, leaving fans with flashbacks to Mizzou’s infamous 2022 heartbreak at the same stadium. This time, though, the Tigers from Columbia wouldn’t fold.
In the second overtime, Pribula and company punched in a touchdown to take the lead before the defense slammed the door. Auburn’s final drive was stuffed as QB Jackson Arnold was engulfed and had no choice but to desperately throw the ball to a lineman which sent the Mizzou sideline into a frenzy.
“What a gutsy win.” Mizzou coach Eli Drinwkitz said after the game. “For them just to keep fighting…it was really ugly. Lots to work on and get cleaned up.
For Auburn, the questions continue to mount. Despite flashes of promise, Hugh Freeze’s squad has now dropped four consecutive SEC games in dramatic fashion, a stretch that has left the Plains restless and searching for answers.
Up next for Mizzou: a likely Top 15 showdown at upstart Vanderbilt, where the Tigers will look to keep their SEC and playoff dreams alive in front of a rejuvenated crowd and fan base.
For now, though, Eli Drinkwitz’s team can exhale — barely — after surviving another nightmarish trip to Jordan-Hare.
