How Mizzou's Future 2025 Opponents Fared in Week 1 of CFB

The college football season is now in full swing, and the Missouri Tigers have some difficult matchups to look ahead to. The Kansas Jayhawks come to town for Week 2 in a highly-anticipated rivalry showdown, with other strong Southeastern Conference opponents scheduled in future weeks.

Looking ahead, only three of the Tigers' future opponents lost in Week 1, one of which was quite a surprise — The eight-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide were upset by Florida State.

Here's how the rest of Missouri's 2025-26 opponents performed in Week 1, along with a look across the country.

1. Kansas | 46-7 W vs. Wagner

The Jayhawks are now 2-0 after beating Wagner and Fresno State. Their defense has allowed only 14 points through those games, while showing no issues putting points of their own on the scoreboard.

Senior quarterback Jalon Daniels has been nothing short of excellent to start the season, going for 280 yards and four touchdowns against Wagner. He threw seven incompletions, along with one interception. He's an experienced quarterback and slowing him down will certainly be a priority for the Missouri defense.

There was a lot of uncertainty surrounding the rest of the Kansas offense, but the Jayhawks have seen some players emerge as lead men at their positions. At the running back spot, Daniel Hishaw Jr. has led the way. He rushed for 89 yards and a touchdown against the Seahawks.

Alabama transfer Emmanuel Henderson Jr. has been their top receiving threat so far, going for a monstrous 130 yards and two touchdowns in Week 1. Henderson was mainly a return-man for the Crimson Tide, but seems to be breaking out of his shell at his natural position.

Kansas' defense has been solid, headlined by West Virginia linebacker transfer Trey Lathan. He posted four tackles against Wagner, two of which were for a loss. Senior defensive tackle D.J. Withers also grabbed two sacks in Week 1, which now leads the team.

READ: How to Watch: Mizzou Hosts Kansas in Week 2

Per Pete Nakos of On3, transfer linebacker Bangally Kamara will be out for a few weeks after suffering a non-contact injury. This will be a significant loss for Kansas, as Kamara was ranked as the second-best linebacker available in the transfer portal this offseason.

2. Louisiana | 14-12 L vs. Rice

The former LSU duo of quarterback Walker Howard and wide receiver Shelton Sampson Jr. didn't quite live up to the hype in Week 1. Howard recorded only 88 yards and an interception, going 10-for-22 on his passes.

Howard was eventually benched against the Owls in favor of Daniel Beale, who did not complete a single pass on six attempts. The quarterback position does look to be an issue through one week.

Their run defense also looks to be shaky. The Rajun Cajuns allowed 209 total rushing yards, including a 119-yard, one touchdown performance from junior Rice running back Quinton Jackson. It was a low-scoring game, but stopping the run was a challenge all game long.

Senior linebacker Jaden Dugger was the biggest bright spot for Louisiana, finishing the game with 10 tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss. He has a huge 6-foot-5 frame and will likely command their defense for the rest of the season.

3. No.13. South Carolina | 24-11 W vs. Virginia Tech

After a shaky start, LaNorris Sellers and the Gamecocks kicked things into gear and handled business against a solid ACC opponent. Sellers threw for 209 yards and a touchdown, adding 25 rushing yards and another score on the ground.

Sellers lived up to all the hype around his name in Week 1, showing why he could be a potential top draft pick in the 2026 NFL draft. His big, physical running presence was also on display, lowering his pads to run over a defender for his lone rushing score.

South Carolina's rushing duo was also impressive. Oscar Adaway III finished with 60 yards on 14 carries, while Rahsul Faison finished with 40 yards on seven carries. They are both super experienced in the college football world and bring a good diversity of skill sets that will be hard for many defenses to stop.

Nyck Harbor, one of the most unique wide receivers in the country, also had an excellent game. He finished with 99 yards and a touchdown on only three receptions. He's great after the catch, making him very hard to stop.

Everything on the defensive end of the ball seemed to go well, headlined by linebacker Fred Johnson's performance with 10 tackles. Sophomore phenom Dylan Stewart, one of the best pass rushers in the country, was also incredible. He finished with seven tackles, a sack and two tackles for loss.

4. UMass | 42-10 L vs. Temple

The Minutemen might be facing another ugly season down the barrel, which was proved by their rough loss to Temple. They allowed over 400 yards of offense and struggled to generate yards on their end.

Despite only scoring 10 points, junior wide receiver Jacquon Gibson still managed to rack up 12 catches for 132 receiving yards. He was by far the biggest bright spot on their offense and he'll be relied on in the future if the Minutement want to be competitive.

Utah transfer quarterback Brandon Rose did throw an interception, but threw for 193 yards on 23-for-38 completions. That could've been better, but also could've been worse. He did also lose a fumble.

5. No. 8 Alabama | 31-17 L vs. Florida State

This was arguably the most shocking loss around the country in Week 1. Seminole quarterback Thomas Castellanos, a player the Tigers are familiar with, was too much for the Crimson Tide defense to handle in the air and on the ground.

Castellanos finished with 152 passing yards and 78 rushing yards, with one touchdown on the ground. Running back Micahi Danzy also played well, earning 56 yards and a score.

In one of his first starts with the Crimson Tide, quarterback Ty Simpson didn't back down. He finished with 254 yards and two touchdowns on 23-for-43 passing. His favorite target was wide receiver Germie Bernard, who racked up 146 yards on eight catches.

Star sophomore receiver Ryan Williams took a very heavy hit at the end of the game, placing him in concussion protocol. This could be a potentially massive loss if Williams is out for multiple weeks.

it didn't seem like a lot went well for the Crimson Tide at all. They struggled to contain the run on defense, whether it was Castellanos or one of the multiple running backs the Seminoles threw out. They have some time to get it cleaned up, but this could be soething the Tigers take advantage of when they come to down on Oct. 11.

Mizzou's Final Six Opponents:

6. Auburn | 38-24 W vs. Baylor

7. Vanderbilt | 45-3 W vs. Charleston Southern

8. #19 Texas A&M | 42-14 W vs. UTSA

9. Mississippi State | 34-17 W vs. Southern Miss

10. #18 Oklahoma | 35-3 W vs. Illinois State

11. Arkansas | 52-7 W vs. Alabama A&M

Around the Country

The Tigers entered Week 1 receiving the seventh-most votes outside of the AP Top 25. An opening week win over Central Arkansas isn't exactly a resume booster, but a few teams in front of them did take a stumble.

Only one of the teams receiving votes in front of the Tigers lost, but all but three of them played lower-level opponents. Utah and Georgia Tech racked up impressive wins over UCLA and Colorado, while Baylor fell to Auburn.

The only immediate team inside the bottom five of the top 25 that fell was Boise State, losing on the same night the Tigers blew out Central Arkansas. One of BYU or Utah will likely leap into the top 25 and knock the Broncos out once the rankings are released Tuesday.

Kansas State, ranked No. 17 in the country, already has a loss to its name after falling to Iowa State in Week 0. They also could fall out, which would slightly help the Tigers.

Mizzou's Final Six Opponents:

Around the Country

Read more Missouri Tigers News: