Inverted Identity: Mizzou's Run Game is... a Weakness? For now, it is.

In 2025, Missouri ranked second in Power Four rushing yards per game, rushed for more yards than it passed for in multiple games and had one of the best one-two punches in the nation. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz, who's established his offense as an elite rushing attack no matter who's in the backfield, along with Doak Walker Finalist Ahmad Hardy, superb backup Jamal Roberts and elite running backs coach Curtis Luper all returned for the 2026 season — the losses to the ground game were minimal.

And two games through Missouri's 2026 season, its offense looks elite. One would assume that's at least partially due to a successful run game, but that's far from the case. Actually, it's the opposite — the run game is the offense's biggest weakness.

How'd we get here?

Mizzou's running backs are struggling with injuries

There's two main factors to the struggling ground game, one of which is in Missouri's control, and the other of which is not. We'll start with the "not" category, injuries.

Superstar starter Ahmad Hardy suffered a gunshot wound May 10 in Mississippi after attending a concert. He underwent surgery the next day and has been recovering since. According to Drinkwitz on Tuesday, Hardy, who rushed for 1,649 yards and 16 touchdowns while averaging 6.4 yards per carry last season, is "still rehabbing," and Drinkwitz has "no" update. Hardy has not practiced this season.

He's not the only Tiger tailback sidelined with injuries, though. Montana State transefer Malae Fonoti, who was listed alongside fellow FCS transfer Xai'Shaun Edwards as Mizzou's second-string back to begin the season, suffered a non-contact ACL injury and will miss the rest of the season.

That leaves the room to just five rushers. There's Roberts in his first year as a starter, Edwards in his first season in the FBS, former walk-on Anthony Favrow who had just one carry going into the season, and a pair of three-star true freshmen in Max Warner and Preston Hatfield. In wake of injuries, every healthy member of the backfield is being asked to do more than they ever have before.

Roberts totaled a new career high of 28 carries against Kansas on Friday, taking a beatdown in the backfield en route to rushing for 125 yards and a score. He played an additional 27 snaps in either pass protection or running a route. That takes a toll.

"Came in a lot more sore than than usual the next day," Roberts said of his recovery. "Just being in and out the trainers' room, just spending a lot of hours in there, just to get my body back so I can be ready for the next week."

Claiming Roberts and the rest of the crew are overtasked may be unfair, as through the first two weeks, they've handled the extra burden fine. But when combining the heavy duty asked of the tailbacks with the poor run-blocking in the trenches, the label of "overtasked" could be imminent when Southeastern Conference play rolls around Sept. 26.

Sep 11, 2026; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Missouri Tigers running back Jamal Roberts (20) runs the ball as Kansas Jayhawks defensive end Leroy Harris III (33) makes the tackle during the second half of the game at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Run blocking is not 'on the same page'

The outside zone, that had become so patently Missouri since Drinkwitz's arrival, is off.

"I think our outside zone scheme right now, we're just not all five blocking on the same page, and then our cuts aren't always the same," Drinkwitz said. "We got to make sure that our tailbacks in phase, with the way it's being blocked... Our guards were late on making their decisions. They got to play faster and they got to play on the line of scrimmage. You know, outside zone — too many people think it's a wide zone play, we're trying to get to the sideline. We're trying to capture the line of scrimmage and get on their outside edge and create vertical seams. And we just haven't been able to do that consistently yet."

Missouri has two new starters on the offensive line in LG Tristan Wilson and RT Luke Work. Dominick Giudice also shifted in from starting left guard in 2025 to starting center in 2026, while All-SEC left tackle Cayden Green missed the first game of the season. The circumstances for getting "on the same page" haven't been ideal, but they need to do so quick, regardless.

Here's where Missouri has and hasn't been successful running the ball this season. LE and RE signify runs outside the inline tight ends, LT and RT are outside the tackles, LG and RG are between the guards and tackles and MR and ML are between the guards and center.

Mizzou football's rushing success per gap in 2026 | Courtesy of and per Pro Football Focus

The MR numbers blow the rest out of the water, thanks in part to Roberts' 64-yard touchdown against Kansas in which he cut through that hole. Even without that breakaway, though, runs through that specific gap lead all gaps in first downs (5) and runs of 10 or more yards (4). The next two most successful areas are running between Wilson and Green, between Work and the right tight end — where Jordon Harris often resides — and outside that right tight end.

Compared to last season, though, the numbers are drastically down across the board.

Mizzou football's rushing success per gap in 2025 | Courtesy of and per Pro Football Focus

Drinkwitz pointed toward an area as one of success, but recognizes Missouri needs more to revitalize its run game.

"I think our duo scheme was actually really good for us in the game, and we thought Coach (Chip) Lindsey did a really good job of mixing that up," Drinkwitz said. "But we got to add some variety to our scheme and we just got to continue to find our rhythm and reps."

Of course and in theory, having Hardy back would help the ground game, but he can't do it all himself. Sure, the FBS' leader in missed tackles forced and yards after contact a season ago can can make better of poor situations, but both his return timeline and how he'll look upon return are unknown. For now, Missouri will need to bank on internal improvement, part of which could be found through a few new folds in the scheme like Drinkwitz alluded to.

The Tigers are set to host Troy, who boasts a middling run defense, at 6 p.m. Saturday for their final nonconference game of the season. Getting back on track against the Trojans is a necessity.

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