Upon Further Review: Mizzou 61, Central Arkansas 6

What you might've missed in the Tigers' win over Central Arkansas.

Aug 28, 2025; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri tight end Jude James (89) scores a touchdown during a game against Central Arkansas at Faurot Field in Columbia, Mo. | Cal Tobias/MissouriOnSI

The Missouri Tigers handled business against the Central Arkansas Bears just like they were supposed to, winning 61-6.

This game mattered for a variety of reasons, especially to have answers to some of the positional questions. Most of those questions were answered. Others weren't.

The quarterback position was absolutley one of those answers. Beau Pribula stepped up in the over two quarters he played while Sam Horn went down with a lower-body injury in the first quarter.

READ: Injury Update on Sam Horn

There shouldn't be any complaints about Missouri's defensive performance, even though it took them a little while to generate some momentum. They'll have to step up a little bit more in Week 2 when the Kansas Jayhawks come to town.

Now, let's take a look back at Missouri's monstrous win over the Central Arkansas Bears.

Play of the game: There were a few exciting ones, but freshman linebacker Dante McClellan's 83-yard pick-six house call was by far the most exciting. It was McClellan's first college action ever and he certainly made a play he won't ever forget. He finished the game with three tackles outside of that.

MIZZOU DROPS A 60 BURGER 🍔 @MizzouFootball pic.twitter.com/fYTe7fGiHW

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) August 29, 2025

Player of the game: How could it be anyone else besides Pribula? In his first game as a Missouri Tiger, Pribula finished with 283 yards and two touchdowns. He was efficient and made good decisions all game long, providing optimism for what he will bring to the rest of the season.

Stat of the game: Missouri did plenty of impressive work against the Bears, but the Tiger defense only allowed two third-down conversions on 13 attempts. They didn't give the Central Arkansas offense much time to generate forward motion.

10 things you may have missed...

1. Zollers' performance: Once Pribula was done at the end of the third quarter, true freshman Matt Zollers stepped up and finished it out. He recorded 58 yards and a touchdown while going three-for-three on his passes.

READ: Snap Counts for Mizzou in Week 1 Win

2. Beasley's performance: After mainly appearing on special teams last season, sophomore linebacker Jeremiah Beasley lived up to expectations after being praised during spring practices by head coach Eli Drinkwitz. Beasley recorded seven tackles and a forced fumble. His seven tackles were the second-most on the team, behind Josiah Trotter.

3. Offensive line penalties: The one big glaring dark spot on the roster came at the offensive line. Four of the five penalties the Tigers committed came on the offensive line, with a mix of holding calls and false starts.

4. Red-zone efforts: After the last two seasons, where operating in the red zone didn't always go well, the Tigers went a perfect four-for-four Thursday.

5. Is the running back depth clearer?: The short answer is no. It was always going to be Hardy and Jamal Roberts at the top, but Marquise Davis and Tavorus Jones didn't do much to create separation. That'll be a positional competition to monitor as the season progresses.

6. The kick and punt returners: Both Jones and Kevin Coleman Jr., manning the kick and punt returning roles respectively, were effective in their positions. Jones' lone kick return went for 52 yards and Coleman returned a punt for 44 yards, Missouri's longest on a punt since 2022.

7. Olugbode after the catch: Freshman wide receiver Donovan Olugbode was subtly very good. He finished with four receptions for 37 yards, racking up 44 yards after the catch. He's viewed as an explosive athlete and his first showing was a good example of that.

8. The Blake Craig injury: Everyone knows now, but Craig's injury was so subtle that it was hard to notice at first. If Craig is out for the foreseeable future, Missouri's special teams could take a significant hit.

READ: Who's Next at Kicker for Mizzou Behind Blake Craig?

9. Missouri emptied the bench: As the fourth quarter of the routing got closer, it was clear Missouri's starters didn't need to be in the game. They emptied the bench and paved the way for young guys to see the field, with guys such as running back Marquise Davis and freshman safety Charles Bass seeing playing time.

10. An answer at punter: Connor Weselman attempted only one punt against Central Arkansas and it was a solid one. It went for 48 yards and pinned the Bears within the 20.