In a game defined by grit in the trenches, Missouri football left no doubt that it belongs in the SEC conversation after a 29-20 win over South Carolina in Columbia. The Tigers didn’t just beat the Gamecocks—they dominated them in a jaw-dropping statistical anomaly: Mizzou rushed for 285 yards while holding South Carolina to minus-9 yards on the ground. Yes, you read that right. Minus-nine. It hardly seems humanly possible, but that was the reality inside a sold-out Faurot Field on Saturday night.
The Gamecocks entered with much-earned preseason hype, but it was Missouri that looked like the more complete program. South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers kept things interesting, repeatedly flashing his playmaking ability with big throws that prevented the Tigers from running away with it. Still, every time the Gamecocks threatened, Mizzou’s relentless defensive front answered the bell, racking up five sacks, many of them drive-killers that buried Sellers deep behind the line.
Offensively, Missouri leaned on its most consistent weapon—sophomore running back Ahmad Hardy, who once again showed why he’s being talked about as the best back in the nation. Hardy churned out yardage all night, bringing his season total to 600 yards through just four games, good for second nationally. His ability to set the tone and wear down South Carolina’s front seven was the difference in a game where the Tigers owned the physical edge.
Quarterback Beau Pribula wasn’t perfect—his first-half interception stalled momentum—but he settled in to throw for 171 yards and a touchdown. More importantly, his timely scrambles extended drives when Missouri desperately needed them. Then came the late-game heroics: freshman kicker Robert Meyer, who had missed an early extra point, nailed a clutch 40-yard field goal right down the middle to seal the win and send the Faurot crowd into celebration.
Eli Drinkwitz Post-Game Press Conference
The victory moves Mizzou to 4-0 on the season and 1-0 in SEC play. Next up is a home date with hapless UMASS, a game that looks like little more than a tune-up before the Oct. 11 showdown against Alabama in Columbia. That game looms as the true measuring stick for just how high this team’s ceiling is.
For now, the sky feels like the limit. This is the most balanced, deepest team of the Eli Drinkwitz era. The defense has a ferocious front, the offense can beat you in multiple ways, and Hardy gives them a superstar who tilts the field every Saturday. If the Tigers can navigate the next three weeks, the College Football Playoff becomes a very real conversation in Columbia.
