3 Offensive Bright Spots From Mizzou's Week 1 Win: The Extra Point

Putting up 61 points is impressive regardless of competition, but who deserves some extra praise?

Aug 28, 2025; Columbia, MO, USA; Mizzou wide receiver Marquis (2) Johnson catches a 49 yard pass from quarterback Beau Pribula to score the first touchdown of the game. | Sam Simon/MissouriOnSI

Watch the video below as MissouriOnSI reporter Killian Wright breaks down the three biggest offensive bright spots from Missouri's season opener win over Central Arkansas.

Welcome to Missouri Tigers On SI's "Extra Point," a video series featuring the site's Missouri beat writers. Multiple times a week, the writers provide analysis on a topic concerning the Tigers or the landscape of college sports.

An early-game injury to Sam Horn derailed Missouri's plans to have Horn and Beau Pribula split snaps at quarterback, resulting in Pribula leading the offense for the majority of the game, with a sprinkle of Matt Zollers in the late-game as well.

With the quarterback battle now likely being over, what was seen from the Pribula-led units is likely what the offense will look like for the remainder of the season. But what stuck out from the explosive offensive unit?

The deep ball

Brady Cook's 2024 Tigers squad struggled to fully utilize the deep ball last season, but that certainly doesn't appear to be the case with the 2025 team. On the opening drive, Pribula connected with junior wideout Marquis Johnson for a 51-yard touchdown pass –– the longest pass of Pribula's career, and longest reception of Johnson's.

"I thought (offensive coordinator) Kirby (Moore) did a really nice job handling that and giving him some explosive plays," head coach Eli Drinkwitz said after the game.

Pribula looked for Johnson deep three more times, missing him near the Central Arkansas 40-yard line, but converted a 44-yard pass that saw Johnson go down at the goal line three plays later.

Pribula's willingness to take shots downfield combined with Johnson's blazing speed makes for a potentially explosive combo, bringing a new fold to the Missouri offense.

"It's easy when Marquis Johnson is running the route for you," Pribula said of his success on deep passes.

Pribula's escapability

It didn't take long for the Penn State transfer to show off his legs, as he scrambled for a gain of nine yards on his first non-handoff of the game. Later on, he danced around in the pocket for what felt like an eternity before stepping up and jetting downfield 31 yards to the end-zone.

Despite shaky offensive line play, Pribula stayed mobile in the pocket throughout, being sacked just one time for seven yards. The designed run game should come over time, but for now, Pribula's ability to extend plays and create positives out of disaster scenarios looks enticing.

The outside run

Despite pass blocking woes throughout, the outside run game was effective from both Pribula and transfer running back Ahmad Hardy. The run game seemed much more efficient when utilizing the outside zone, which saw Hardy break loose for 44 yards early in the third quarter, following Cayden Green on the left side. Hardy shot downfield again six minutes later, gaining 23 yards after flipping to the right side.

Hardy's breakaway speed on the exterior is yet another element of the offense suited to generate big plays, and could become a staple sooner rather than later.