Mizzou's Late Comeback Attempt Falls Short in Loss to Alabama

COLUMBIA, Mo. — A 25-yard dot to freshman wide receiver Donovan Olugbode put hope into Faurot Field and the Missouri Tigers as seconds ticked off the scoreboard in the fourth quarter against Alabama.

Three plays later, those hopes were crushed. Quarterback Beau Pribula completely missed a target on a seam route and the ball fell right into the hands of an Alabama defensive back. That sequence is a perfect indication of how Missouri’s important top-15 matchup against the Crimson Tide went on Saturday, with an eventual losing final score of 27-24.

Missouri struggled to find any sort of rhythm on offense and couldn’t consistently stop the Alabama passing and running attack. Issues on defense also showed up all afternoon, especially defending the pass.

“We knew they were going to play Cover 2. They played Cover 2,” head coach Eli Drinkwitz said following the defeat. “We didn't get it done.”

For a team not known for its run defense this season, the Crimson Tide sure did their best to limit what Ahmad Hardy and the Tigers could do on the ground. Hardy wasn’t bad by any means, but Alabama’s front line did a good job of preventing chunk rushing plays, especially in the first half.

Hardy finished the game with only 52 rushing yards on 12 carries. He was far quieter than many are used to and a lot of that was due to players like LT Overton and Keon Keeley on the front line of Alabama’s defense.

All day long, Alabama’s defense was on point. Pribula turned the ball over NUMBER times and multiple other occasions that were close to it. He was nearly picked off by freshman cornerback Dijon Lee Jr. at the beginning of the second quarter, but Lee blatantly dropped it. Two other Missouri-recovered fumbles occurred in the first half, as well.

Those turnovers didn’t directly hurt Missouri, but they did allow Alabama’s offense to get back on the field. From the get-go, quarterback Ty Simpson was as precise and efficient as he could’ve been. He delivered three touchdown strikes and multiple dimes under pressure to continue Crimson Tide drives, especially on third down.

Third-down conversions were a glaring issue for Missouri on both sides of the ball. The Tigers went 1-for-10 on the most important play of a drive, while allowing Alabama to go 6-for-15. Simpson for the Crimson Tide was a huge driving force behind that, but their defense also did more than enough to thwart any offensive momentum from the home team.

“I feel like we were on third and long a good bit, and just couldn't find a rhythm,” Pribula said. “You just need to find a rhythm to stay out there. 10 third downs is a lot.”

A few early errors in the game by the Missouri defense may have impacted the final result. The Tigers had a chance to force Alabama into a third-and-15 situation after a backfield tackle from safety Daylan Carnell, but defensive end Zion Young taunted the guy Carnell dropped and gave the Crimson Tide a first down and some yards.

Later on in that drive, Young stepped offside while Simpson was leading Alabama down the field. Two plays later, Simpson found running back Kevin Riley for a 6-yard score.

After entering the halftime break with a 17-10 lead, Alabama seemingly had all the momentum. That changed quickly, only one play into the third quarter, when Young forced a fumble on Simpson and Damon Wilson recovered. The Tigers scored shortly after, thanks to a gorgeous juke move from Pribula, tying the game and getting Faurot Field going.

Simpson only had issues when he was pressured, which makes perfect sense. The Tigers got to Simpson four times, but never managed to do it consistently enough for him to throw bad passes. When he wasn’t getting sacked, Simpson handled the pressure well.

Pribula struggled to get going in the air, but did find some success running the ball. He finished with 61 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. In the air, he finished with 167 yards and two touchdowns on 16-for-28 passing, along with his two interceptions.

One clear reason the Crimson Tide ended with more points on the scoreboard is a result of having the ball longer. Alabama’s offensive drives were frequently long and drawn out, including multiple drives with 10 or more plays. They held onto the ball for 38:33 compared to Missouri’s 21:27. The Tigers typically control the time of possession, but couldn’t this time around.

After forcing a field goal after a 17-play drive at the end of the third quarter, Pribula was picked off by safety Bray Hubbard on third down. It was a complete momentum killer, but somehow, it was the first turnover of the game for the Tigers. Alabama couldn’t convert on that, however, thanks to a missed 49-yard field goal from kicker Conor Talty.

A game-shifting play occurred on the following Missouri offensive drive, with the Tigers faking a punt on fourth down. Running back Jamal Roberts was short of the line marker, giving the ball right back to Alabama.

“It was my decision,” Drinkwitz said. “We knew they were going to get into; they matched our personnel, meaning they put their fake defense on there. We thought we could get four yards out there with one of the best running backs in the country.”

Simpson followed that up by wheeling and dealing his way into the end zone, ending with a floater pass to running back Daniel Hill to go up by 10. That drive was extended by an incredible throw from Simpson to freshman wide receiver Lotzeir Brooks on fourth-and-8.

The Tigers attempted one more drive down the field, led by a uber-athletic one-handed grab from Marquis Johnson and a 14-yard run from Pribula, which resulted in a 3-yard touchdown connection between Pribula and Olugbode.

Pribula went on to throw a second interception shortly after a defensive stop, ending the game. The Tigers dropped to 5-1 following the loss, while Alabama improved to 5-1.

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