3 Things to Watch in Mizzou's Season Opener Against Central Arkansas

The top storylines in the Tigers' season opener.

Aug 18, 2025; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Beau Pribula (9) gets ready for a practice drill during fall camp. | Amber Winkler/MissouriOnSi

The Missouri Tigers will make their 2025 debut Thursday night, hosting Central Arkansas. After an offseason full of position battles and putting puzzle pieces together after adding 21 new transfers, the season opener will be the first test for the team and the identity Missouri has put together for the season.

"We want to be a tough football team and a team that plays well under pressure and executes in tough moments," head coach Eli Drinkwitz said in a press conference Saturday. "So, that's going to be really important for us. That's our message to our team this week is, is make our identity come to life. You get one shot at the first impression. What impression are we going to have as team 136 and this brotherhood?"

Here's a look at the top storylines for the Tigers as they look to establish their identity in Week 1.

Which quarterback separates himself?

After months of weighing both options at starting quarterback, Drinkwitz ultimately decided he needed to see them both in one situation he'd never be able to replicate in practice, choosing to play both Beau Pribula and Sam Horn in Week 1. Neither have ever started in a collegiate game.

Horn has thrown just eight collegiate pass attempts in his career. Pribula has only thrown for more than 10 attempts in one game in his career.

The lack of experience for both of them is part of the reason a competition was even necessary. And even once both impressed Drinkwitz in practices, the question of how each would actually perform in a college game was still bound to be left uncertain unless both were chosen to play in the season opener.

"I think they both demonstrate the ability of toughness, preparation, decision-making, accuracy and leadership in a practice setting," Drinkwitz said. "But that doesn't mean they've done a game setting for us. And I know both of them have played college football before, but they haven't played it in this situation before."

Aug 6, 2025; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Sam Horn (21) celebrates after a play during a fall camp practice at Mizzou Athletic Training Complex. | Amber Winkler/MissouriOnSi

Don't expect Drinkwitz to be looking just at who makes the most highlight-worthy throws in the game, though. He's looking for a reliable leader to put the fate of the offense in.

“For us, it's about being a consistent decision maker," Drinkwitz said when asked what will determine the quarterback competition. "I told them straight up, one bad day is not going to decide the competition. But two might. ... There's going to have to be a consistency of your approach."

Drinkwitz says there's no scenario the quarterback competition will extend past Week 1.

But even after both play in the game, it will still be a small sample size against one of the weaker opponents Missouri will play all season. The game will be just another data point, along with what the two did throughout all of the offseason, in order to determine who will be named the team's starter.

How does the offensive line hold up?

Outside of the two quarterbacks, only one of Missouri's expected starters for Week 1 has never started in a game before, with redshirt junior Curtis Peagler set to earn his first start at right guard.

His surprising rise during fall camp is part of what inspired a three-man shuffle along the offensive line after two weeks of practices. After showing he was too good to keep in the second line, Missouri put Peagler at right guard, which bumped Dominick Giudice from left guard to right guard and Cayden Green from left guard to left tackle.

That lineup stuck, being the one the Tigers are expected to test out in Week 1.

READ: How Peagler Emerged as One of the 'Best Five' on Mizzou's Line

The offensive line was always going to be a question for Missouri entering this season, having to replace three starters on the group. But the make up of this expected starting lineup makes it particularly interesting and important.

With Green moving to left tackle, center Connor Tollison is the only returning starter playing in the same position as last year. Two of the others are transfers, including one (Giudice) who has only started in five games in his career. Plus a returner who was only inserted into the starting lineup in practices just short of three weeks before kick off for Week 1.

On paper, it's a shaky situation for the Tigers. But Drinkwitz's faith in the group hasn't faltered.

"All the worry about, 'Oh, man, we're moving—' man, that's ridiculous," Drinkwitz said after a practice. "Don't worry about it. I promise you, we know what we're doing with that. We'll be just fine."

A team from the FCS certainly won't be the toughest test for an offensive line that will have to face elite groups in the Southeastern Conference later in the season.

But with it being a completely different group than Missouri was seemingly planning to roll with less than a month ago, any game action will be a valuable test to see how the group has gelled together, plus to see if what Peagler did in practice to earn a starting job holds up in a game.

Which freshmen stand out?

Missouri Tigers running backs prepare to go through a drill at practice on Wednesday, August 6, 2025 in Columbia, Missouri, USA. | Amber Winkler/MissouriOnSI.

Many freshmen should have the chance to get their feet wet by getting their first college experience Thursday night, especially in the second half. This gives the coaching staff a good chance not only to see which newcomers might be ready for roles this season, but also the potential of others for years down the line.

No matter the competition, it's a good opportunity for freshmen to adjust to the college game.

Sophomore running back Ahmad Hardy faced this same adjustment last year. He says he was "jittery" ahead of his first collegiate appearence, but still managed to rush for 103 yards on 19 carries against Jackson State.

"From high school to my first collegiate game, it was way faster," Hardy said.

Defensive tackle Chris McClellan also experienced the learning curve in his first collegiate game. Even though it was just six snaps, it was against No. 7 Utah, and served as a valuable learning experience for the former Florida player.

"I would say the biggest thing is just keep yourself calm, stay grounded, and you got to have to learn to adjust the speed of the game," McClellan said of what advice he'd give freshmen. "But as soon as you can overcome that, it's just football, the game folks have been playing for their whole life. ... Trust your training and just slow the game down as much as you can."

Oftentimes, it's clear in the early weeks of the season which freshmen are already prepared to take the step up to the speed of the college game, and which will need more time to develop.

Wide receiver Donovan Olugbode and running back were the two freshmen standouts of fall camp, and seem to be in good position to earn roles for themselves. Edge rushers Javion Hilson and Daeden Hopkins were two others that flashed in fall practices, according to Drinkwitz.

Being able to impress in practice doesn't always translate to immediately being able to handle the speed of the game though. Proving they're capable of handling the learning curve quickly will be crucial for any freshmen looking to earn playing time for the rest of the season.