3 Tigers Who Stood Out in Loss to Mississippi State

Here are three Tigers who stood out Saturday

Sep 26, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Missouri Tigers wide receiver Cayden Lee (19) reacts after a touchdown during the third quarter against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Missouri Tigers suffered their first loss of the 2026 campaign, ending their perfect 3-0 start to the season. Missouri traveled to Starkville on Saturday to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Entering the matchup, the Tigers were ranked No. 19 nationally, but Missouri could not hold on to a 24-17 fourth-quarter lead, ultimately dropping the game 31-24. Missouri has since fallen to No. 25 in the AP Top 25.

While it was a gut-wrenching loss, there were still some individual performances worth noting. Here are three Tigers who stood out against Mississippi State.

Cayden Lee

What a game Cayden Lee had on Saturday, serving as one of Missouri's biggest offensive standouts. The wide receiver finished the night with 11 receptions for 156 yards and two touchdowns.

Lee helped Missouri overcome an early 14-0 deficit with a pair of touchdowns. His first trip to the end zone came on a 21-yard reception that featured a smooth spin move to clear his path. That was followed by a 28-yard touchdown reception later in the third quarter for another six points.

The 156 receiving yards Lee totaled accounted for more than half of the Tigers' production through the air and made him one of the biggest reasons Missouri entered the fourth quarter with a lead.

Austin Simmons

Quarterback Austin Simmons delivered another solid outing Saturday despite the loss. The southpaw completed 23 of 39 passes for 295 yards and three touchdowns. After the Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead, Simmons settled in and played a big part in Missouri's comeback.

His first passing touchdown came when he found wide receiver Donovan Olugbode for a 9-yard touchdown in the second quarter. His other two touchdowns came in the second half on passes to Lee. Simmons continued to give Missouri opportunities late in the game.

Simmons and the Tigers' offense reached Mississippi State's 11-yard line with less than 90 seconds remaining. However, a fourth-down pass was batted down, ending Missouri's comeback attempt.

Jamal Roberts

While Lee and Simmons took care of the production through the air, Jamal Roberts provided the production on the ground. The running back rushed for 95 yards, leading the Tigers in rushing Saturday. Roberts has put together a solid first four games of the season.

With Amad Hardy's return still up in the air, Roberts has taken control of the rushing attack this season. His ability to be a threat on the ground has allowed Missouri to maintain a sense of balance throughout the offense.

Although the Tigers couldn't come away with the win, Roberts turned in another respectable performance as the team's primary running back and gave Missouri another positive takeaway.

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