Goodness gracious great balls of fire.
Can’t even begin to describe the feeling(s) of that one. Let’s just get to the takeaways.
1. Is Jordan-Hare haunted?
If you watched the TV coverage of this game, you’ll probably be sick of that word considering the crew used it a few dozen times in the final quarter of the game.
But maybe there’s something to it. It’s October, after all.
Some wild stuff has taken place on The Plains in recent college football history. Mizzou got a front seat view of that in 2022 when Nate Peat… you know, we don’t need to talk about it.
And then on Saturday, with the good Tigers in field goal range with the clock running toward zeros, Beau Pribula took a bad sack and then lobbed the next pass 30 yards into the air for Auburn’s CB to sit under, effectively ending regulation and leading to OT. There, both teams managed to miss field goals. And then, in double overtime, Mizzou found a way to make it happen.
Spooky season indeed. But, you know, the good kind!
That’s it. That’s the takeaway.
Two sacks, both in key moments of the game. Lots of naughty words on television.
That’s a winning night right there.
We’ll get to our negative takeaway next, but just a moment to appreciate the effort of the team tonight.
Winning is hard, and it’s even harder in the SEC. Moreso, it’s hardest on the road. Eli Drinkwitz, as you may have heard, has struggled mightily with that final piece of the puzzle. So when you go to Jordan-Hare and struggle to execute against a flawed but talented Auburn team in front of 80K, it makes it easy to think this game would turn out just like most other road trips.
But Eli Drinkwitz’s teams, god love ‘em, don’t quit. And with the standards rising for the Tigers over the past few seasons, these types of games become moments that prove character. When the talent isn’t dictating the momentum and the game is breaking down, which team will have the character to go out and make the play that seals the game?
Mizzou, specifically Beau Pribula, displayed that character after nearly 4 hours of game on Saturday night. Meanwhile, the other Tigers crumbled.
Eli Drinkwitz was effusive in his praise for his team right after the game. And it’s easy to understand why. They found a way to win even when they didn’t play particularly well. That’s character.
4. Offensive regression continues
Mizzou entered Saturday ranked as the No. 14 offense in the country by SP+. But maybe being hyper-efficient against weak opponents isn’t the best way of measuring the potential of a unit.
The Tigers weren’t bad against Alabama last weekend, but there were signs that they might have been filling up on junk food for the first few weeks of the season. Ahmad Hardy only managed 52 yards from the backfield and Beau Pribula didn’t quite look ready for the spotlight of a Top 15 matchup. But that’s Alabama, so maybe some struggle should be accounted for?
Then again, maybe not. Mizzou’s offense was anemic against a strong Auburn front. Ahmad Hardy was crucial in the end zone but largely ineffective outside of it. The offensive line was leaky at its best, porous at its worst. Pribula looked disoriented all night. The play-calling was confusing and strangely conservative.
So what’s the answer for these struggles? Is it the result of playing two very good defenses? Teams figuring out Ahmad Hardy and Beau Pribula? Whatever it is, the Tigers need to get it figure it out and fast. They travel to Nashville next weekend to face a Commodore offense that can’t stop scoring. They’ll need to find a way to keep up.
5. “You just have to survive Auburn”
Auburn might not be a great team. But they play in a great stadium. With a great fanbase. And an unbelievable atmosphere. They’ve been watching Hugh Freeze ball for the better part of a half-decade and are still selling out home games on the regular. You don’t just walk into Auburn and win, no matter how quality the team you’re going to face is.
Mizzou went in and was trailing by a score to start the fourth. And they just won. That’s all that matters. It doesn’t matter that they turned it over on the final drive. Doesn’t matter that the offense sputtered. Doesn’t matter that they missed a field goal to win it in OT.
None of that matters. What matters is that Beau Pribula ran it in for a score in 2OT. What matters is that the defense stopped Auburn from doing the same on the next drive.
23-17. 0:00 on the clock. That’s what matters.
As Bill Connelly said on BlueSky right after the game: “You just have to survive Auburn.”
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