How Austin Simmons Guided Missouri to a Border War Victory

It's no secret that the Tigers' 38-21 win against Kansas was due in large part to Austin Simmons' command of the football field. In a first half that featured two blocked field goal attempts and a tied halftime score, Simmons was the catalyst that kept Missouri in the game, throwing for 202 yards in the opening half.

The senior quarterback went 19-for-29 and threw for 292 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. Practically every facet of his game impressed head coach Eli Drinkwitz.

"He played unbelievable, (he) didn't flinch. I thought his third down conversions are as good as I've seen. I mean, he's putting balls in tight spots," Drinkwitz said after the game. "They were doing so many different things on the back end and normally a quarterback gets frustrated, he didn't. He just locked in. I thought he made incredible reads."

Simmons' touchdowns stood out to Drinkwitz as some of his top throws of the night. Between a 27-yard touchdown to Cayden Lee, an 8-yard mesh to Donovan Olugbode and a statement fourth-and-9 conversion to Brett Norfleet to ice the game, Simmons was active and dominant in every quarter. Drinkwitz credits the clutch dart to Norfleet with just over two minutes left as the best throw of the night.

But the quarterback didn't just stand out to the head coach, he made an impression on the entire team, even defensive players like edge rusher Darris Smith.

"The way he threw the ball was crazy. I ain't seen that since I've been here," the third-year Tiger said following the victory.

Simmons impressed by staying multidimensional, attempting 13 passes within 10 yards, six between 10 to 19 yards and seven over 20 yards. In attempts greater than 10 yards, Simmons was 8-for-13 and boasted a pass grade of 93.4 on medium passes, according to Pro Football Focus.

Those in-between passes were most succesful to the outside left, where Donovan Olugbode thrived on out-routes. Olugbode finished with six receptions, 121 yards and a score.

Perhaps the most impressive throw from Simmons was a scramble to the left in which he shifted his weight to his back foot and delivered a 20-yard dime to Cayden Lee at the left sideline. The completion near the beginning of the third quarter was one of Lee's six catches that accumulated 120 yards and a touchdown.

Missouri wide receiver makes a catch. — Sep 11, 2026; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Missouri Tigers wide receiver Cayden Lee (19) catches a pass against the Kansas Jayhawks during the second half of the game at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"He's a hell of a quarterback, like I said before and he's gonna go out there and keep making plays." Lee said to the press Friday.

But without strong pass protection, it's likely Simmons' comfortability would have been lower. Simmons was only under pressure on four of his 30 throws, which allowed him to stay in the pocket and find an open target.

Center Dominick Giudice, left tackle Cayden Green and right tackle Luke Work all posted PFF pass block grades of at least 83.1 in the contest. Green was given one of the three game balls along with Simmons after returning to the field following a minor procedure 10 days prior and leading the offensive line's pass protection.

"If we just protect for him, we know he's gonna make big plays," Green said about Simmons' performance. "Knowing that he's back there, as long as we do our jobs, he's gonna make big plays."

As for the quarterback himself, he was simply focused on executing what the Tigers had practiced in preparation for Kansas.

"It feels good to really go out there and just execute the game plan," Simmons said. "We went through a lot of work and some walkthroughs outside of practice too and honestly, really just showed up today."

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