Missouri defeated Arkansas Pine Bluff 54-14 on Saturday in Columbia, Mo. Look inside a review of the game.
Missouri 54, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 14
16powers.com
Missouri opened the 2026 season with an impressive offensive performance, overwhelming Arkansas-Pine Bluff 54-14 in Columbia. The biggest story was the debut of quarterback Austin Simmons, who immediately demonstrated why the Tigers were confident handing him the offense.
Simmons completed 17 of 19 passes for 252 yards and four touchdowns, doing virtually all of his damage before halftime. His favorite target was Donovan Olugbode, who caught eight passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns. Shaun Terry II and Cayden Lee also caught touchdown passes as Missouri built an overwhelming 40-0 halftime advantage.
The Tigers were equally dominant defensively early. Arkansas-Pine Bluff managed only six yards of total offense during the first half as Missouri repeatedly forced three-and-outs. Missouri finished with a 562-198 advantage in total offense.
There were, however, a couple of things for coach Eli Drinkwitz to address. Missouri’s running game wasn’t especially effective early, with Jamal Roberts leading the Tigers with only 47 yards on 13 carries. The second-team defense also surrendered two touchdowns after the outcome had been decided. Drinkwitz wasn’t particularly pleased with his team’s second-half focus.
Still, Missouri accomplished what a ranked team should against an overmatched opponent. More importantly, the Tigers appear to have found a quarterback capable of producing explosive plays through the air.
Simmons’ performance was the most encouraging development. Missouri knew it had playmakers at receiver, but whether its new quarterback could efficiently distribute the football was a major preseason question.
One game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff doesn’t answer everything, but Simmons passed his first test with flying colors.
