NORMAN, Okla. — In front of 83,000 fans at Gaylord Family–Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Missouri delivered one of its most frustrating offensive performances of the Eli Drinkwitz era—a game where the Tigers’ defense showed up, but the offense and special teams simply never made the trip. The result: a 17–6 loss to No. 8 Oklahoma that keeps the Sooners’ playoff dreams alive while leaving the Tigers searching for answers after what began as a 5–0 season of promise.
Missouri mounted little in the way of offensive momentum, failing to find rhythm, explosives, or even sustained drives. QB Beau Pribula returned to action after leaving the Vanderbilt game with a dislocated ankle last month. He threw for 232 yards but also two INT’s and lacked awareness in the pocket at times as the OU pressure continuously got to him.
Special teams—a recurring sore spot this season—imploded again, highlighted by the game’s turning point: a blocked field goal attempt that would have put Mizzou up 6–0 early. Instead, the block led directly to an 87-yard OU touchdown moments later, flipping all momentum and sending the Tigers into a spiral they never recovered from.
Drinkwitz, who has been mentioned as a candidate at high-profile openings such as Penn State, Florida, and LSU, coached with surprising conservatism. Multiple fourth-and-short opportunities were passed up, drawing visible frustration from portions of the Mizzou sideline and certainly from fans watching at home. With the offense sputtering and possession at a premium, those decisions loomed large as the game wore on.
For as bleak as the scoreboard looked, Missouri’s defense deserves every bit of praise it will receive. Holding Oklahoma to just 276 total yards—one of the Sooners’ lowest outputs of the season—should have been enough to keep the Tigers in control. The unit (led by all-world linebacker Jeremiah Trotter) flew around, tackled well, and forced Oklahoma into long-yardage situations throughout the day. But with the offense punting, stalling, or coming up empty, and with special teams gifting OU short fields, the defense’s admirable effort felt like futile resistance against the inevitable.
Mizzou now falls to 7–4, with all four losses coming against top-15 opponents. Still, what once looked like a season destined for a New Year’s Six run has shifted into a scramble for holiday-season destinations like the Duke’s Mayo Bowl or Liberty Bowl. A 5–0 start has dissolved into soul-searching, second-guessing, and a fan base wondering where the magic went.
After the game, Drinkwitz acknowledged the shortcomings and insisted his team remains together despite the results.
“Disappointing result with as well as we played at times defensively,” Drinkwitz said after the loss. Defense gave us every chance in the world, just couldn’t get it done.”
Next up: a trip to Fayetteville to face Arkansas, a team still searching for its first SEC win of the year. For Missouri, it’s a game that feels like an anticlimactic end of a story. Because for many Tiger fans, the season that looked so promising in September now feels like it has slipped completely through their fingers.
