Once again, Missouri and coach Eli Drinkwitz fell short on the big stage.
The Tigers’ 17-6 loss to No. 8 Oklahoma on Saturday extended a trend for Drinkwitz, who is now 1-10 against top-10 opponents in six seasons at Mizzou. The record has drawn comparisons to former Penn State coach James Franklin, who faced similar criticism for struggling to win marquee games.
Missouri entered the matchup behind star running back Ahmad Hardy, the nation’s leading rusher at 134.6 yards per game. But after a fast start of eight carries for 45 yards in the first quarter, Hardy was bottled up. He finished with just 57 yards on 17 attempts as Missouri managed a season-low 70 rushing yards on 35 carries.
Tigers quarterback Beau Pribula was sacked four times and under constant pressure from an Oklahoma defensive front that dominated the line of scrimmage.
The Sooners (9-2, 5-2 SEC) continued their late-season surge, adding a third straight win over a ranked opponent and fifth such victory of the season.
Oklahoma also notched its fourth second-half shutout of 2025, keeping its College Football Playoff hopes intact ahead of next week’s home finale against LSU.
Missouri (7-4) visits Arkansas on Saturday.
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