Live Blog of Mizzou's Battle Line Rivalry Matchup at Arkansas

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Ahmad Hardy was bent past 90 degrees, with two Arkansas defenders flanked on his shoulders, and another below him.

But he turned a cloud of dust into a violent tornado, spinning out of the tackles and picking up steam to run 53 yards downhill for a touchdown. The score gave Missouri a three-point lead the Tigers would hold on to, giving Missouri an 31-17 to end the regular season.

The touchdown rush was arguably Hardy’s best of what has already been an impressive season for the sophomore. The 157-yard day puts him at 1,560 on the season, just 68 behind Cody Schrader’s single-season record from 2023.

Jamal Roberts also rushed for 100 yards on 11 carries, breaking off three carries of 15 or more yards. Quarterback Beau Pribula, who had a subpar and minimal day of passing, also rushed for 78 yards on 16 carries.

The win puts Missouri at .500 in conference play on the season and gives the Tigers’ their 29th win over the last three seasons. With the win, Missouri avoids having its first losing SEC season since 2022. This season didn’t end up anywhere near where it was expected or hoped to, but it certainly doesn’t quash the steps the program took in the two years prior. The ship will have to be righted next year, but progress certainly isn’t linear.

Hardy and the Missouri run game, as has been the case most of the season, was just about the only thing going right for the Missouri offense. Quarterback Beau Pribula completed just 4 of his 7 pass attempts for 25 yards. Drops and overthrows didn’t help the efforts in the pass game.

Nor did the wet conditions. With light rain falling on and off during the game, the field became a slip and slide at some points in the third quarter.

On a carry in the first half, Hardy fell straight down before getting to the line of scrimmage. When a side judge came running across the field to call a penalty, he wiped out, taking down a fellow referee with him. If you want to give the Missouri receivers the benefit of the doubt, you could attribute the drops and two high snaps on special teams to the wet conditions too.

But the most costly of slippery errors for Missouri came late in the second quarter, when Pribula completely lost grip of the ball while preparing to throw a pass. The fumble was first recovered by linebacker Xavian Sorey Jr., who also lost the ball. But KJ Jackson picked up the second recovery, returning it 32 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 14 before halftime.

Missouri also had the ball go far backward on two plays on special teams, adding to what has been a long list of mistakes from the unit this season. The first came on a punt in the second quarter, with the snap going far over punter Connor Weselman’s head, leading to a loss of 31. A 15-yard penalty from Arkansas on the play took away half of the damage. Missouri also had a high, errant snap on the extra point following Hardy’s 53-yard score, leading to the Razorbacks remaining within a field goal.

But, the special teams unit did end up putting crucial points on the board in order to seal the victory, with wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. returning a punt for 67 yards to give Missouri a two-possession lead midway through the fourth quarter.

Missouri will find out its bowl designation Dec. 7. The Tigers have won their last two bowl games.

Live Updates

FINAL: Missouri 31, Arkansas 17

Final Stats

Fourth Quarter

08:07 - Missouri 31, Arkansas 17

Just different 🤷‍♂️ @KevinLamarCole1 https://t.co/KDof54TIAv pic.twitter.com/qiPsyx3fNx
— Mizzou Football (@MizzouFootball) November 29, 2025

Missouri might've just sealed the victory with two plays.

First, Damon Wilson II sacks Taylen Green on a third-and-5. On the ensuing punt, Kevin Coleman Jr. returns it 67 yards for a touchdown to give some sort of redemption to the special teams unit.

09:56 - Missouri 23, Arkanas 17

Oliver Robbins make a 41-yard attempt to give Missouri a six-point lead. The Tigers ran five plays inside the 25 on that drive, but still couldn't extend its lead to at least a touchdown. Instead, Arkansas can still get back into this game if its offense is able to wake up.

Third Quarter

Arkansas traveled 51 yards down the field, but it ends with a missed 42-yard kick. Missouri remains in the lead.

11:57 - Missouri 20, Arkansas 17

The last two plays have been constants for Missouri all season — Ahmad Hardy breaks off a big run, then the special teams loses points on an error.

Hardy had one of his best runs on the season, breaking through for a 53-yard touchdown run to give Missouri the lead. On the extra point, another bad snap went high, and bounced off the hands of Connor Weselman at holder. What would've been a four-point lead for Missouri is instead within a field-goal reach for Arkansas.

First Half Thoughts

Missouri special teams continues to find new ways to mess up

Special teams has been Missouri's most problematic unit so far this season, and the group had another costly error. Long snapper Brett Le Blanc's snap went well-over punter Connor Weselman's head, leading to a 35 yard loss, putting the Razorbacks in great field position to start a drive before the half.

The problems on special teams are across all areas. It's not just the field-goal protection or kicker.

Arkansas starting to have answers for Missouri run game

A wet, cold day are perfect conditions for a feast for Ahmad Hardy, which it seemed like this game would be early on. Hardy rushed for 22 yards on his first six carries, but has since rushed for 14 yards on his last six attempts. Four of his last six carries went for fewer than six yards. Missouri not being able to generate much passing offense hasn't helped the rush attack.

Arkansas offense attacking the second level

Despite KJ Jackson starting in the first quarter over Taylen Green, the Razorback passing attack has been efficient for most of the game. The two quarterbacks have especially had success in the mid-range, finding open targets for passes of 26, 14, 15, 16 and 23.

First Half Stats

Stats from the first half of Missouri's game at Arkansas. — StatMonitr

Second Quarter

00:11 - Missouri 14, Arkansas 17

Arkansas drills in a 11-yard attempt after the high snap on the punt for Missouri. Green nearly had a touchdown pass on third-and-1 from the 11, but safety Santana Banner was able to jump up to tip the pass. Arkansas will receive the ball out of half.

Missouri just ran eight plays on a drive and gained a net of two yards. Arkansas' defense was called for three penalties for 27 yards on the drive, but Missouri's offense couldn't do much with the opportunity as the Razorbacks began to defend the run better. On the punt attempt, the ball snapped well-over punter Connor Weselman's head, leading to a loss of 31 yards. Missouri's special teams unit continues to find creative ways to mess up.

Green has replaced Jackson at quarterback on Arkansas' first drive of the second quarter.

9:33 - Missouri 14, Arkansas 14

It hasn't been a great performance for Pribula so far, but he's done a really good job runnning the ball so far. His latest carry, a 11-yard touchdown, ties the game. He's rushed for 66 yards on nine attempts so far.

14:12 - Missouri 7, Arkansas 14

Disaster play for Missouri leads to a touchdown for Arkansas' defense — Pribula moves his arm up to pass, but loses grip of the ball and linebacker Xavian Sorey Jr. recovers, then fumbles, but linebacker Bradley Shaw gets the second recovery and returns it 32 yards for a touchdown.

Missouri received some criticism for its lack of agressiveness on fourth down in last week's game, but the Tigers attempt and succeed on a fourth-and-1on a tough Ahmad Hardy run near midfield.

First Quarter

2:20 - Missouri 7, Arkansas 7

Blake ➡️ End zone pic.twitter.com/S1rvfrfbeT
— Arkansas Razorback Football (@RazorbackFB) November 29, 2025

Even down Green, Arkansas has been able to move the ball against Missouri's defens. Jackson just led the Razorbacks on a 12-play, 73-yard scoring drive that included passes 14, 15 and a 16-yard touchdown pass. The touchdown pass was delivered while Missouri sent pressure with Triston Newson, with the pass going right over the outstretched hands of safety Santana Banner.

Redshirt freshman KJ Jackson is starter at quarterback. for Arkansas instead of Taylen Green, who suffered a hamstring injury in Week 13.

13:25 - Missouri 7, Arkansas 0

Arkansas won the kick and decided to kick, and the Missouri offense instantly made them pay for it. A 49-yard kick return from Marquis Johnson and a 49-yard run from Beau Pribula set up a four-yard rushing touchdown from Jamal Roberts.

Missouri loses the toss and Arkansas chooses to defer. Tiger offense coming up first.

Pre Game

Oliver Robbins was taking the first kicks in warms up for Missouri instead of Robert Meyer. Robbins replaced Meyer as the starter in Week 13 after Meyer's 35-yard attempt was blocked.

#Mizzou is set for its final game of the regular season pic.twitter.com/467Ze7rqts
— Missouri Tigers On SI (@MizzouSI) November 29, 2025

The game will kick off at 2:40 p.m., according to the clock in the stadium.

There was some light rain falling during warm ups, and there's a small chance that will continue to fall through 5 p.m. Temperature is expected by at 50 around kickoff, and progressively drop to 42 at 6 p.m.

A scout from the Washington Commanders was sent to this game.

Officiating Crew

Referee: Daniel Gautreaux
Umpire: Ryan Auids
Referee: Daniel Gautreaux
Head Linesman: Jake Weatherford
Line Judge: Jeremiah Harris
Back Judge: David Ross
Field Judge: Jay Brown
Side Judge: Brandon Spencer

Injuries

Missouri

QB Sam Horn - OUT (Tibia, season)
K Blake Craig - OUT (ACL, season)
DT Elias Williams - OUT
WR DaMarion Fowlkes - OUT
S Santana Banner - ACTIVE

Arkansas

DB Quentavius Scandrett - OUT
WR Monte Harrison - OUT
WR Andy Jean - OUT
WR Jalen Brown - OUT
RB AJ Green - OUT
TE Andreas Paaske - OUT
DL David Oke - OUT
RB Braylen Russell - OUT
DB Jordan Young - ACTIVE

How to Watch

Time: 2:30 p.m.

Location: Donald W. Reynolds Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas

TV: SEC Network

Sirius XM: Away 202, Home 190