What Mizzou needs to do to beat Mississippi State in the Tigers' SEC opener

Of six ranked matchups in Week 4, Saturday's matchup between No. 19 Missouri (3-0) and No. 24 Mississippi State (3-0) is the lowest ranked game, but will be a momentous win for either team. Neither squad has secured a ranked conference win in at least three years, with the Tigers' last ranked SEC win coming in 2023 and the Bulldogs last one coming in 2022.

Although Missouri and Mississippi State have not been tested by a top 25 team, the Tigers have played in one Power Four contest this season in a 38-21 victory against Kansas and the Bulldogs played two Power Four teams in Minnesota and South Carolina.

Mississippi State is favored in the contest, led by a dynamic offense that features early Heisman candidate Kamario Taylor and a deep wide receiver room. The strong passing game and additional success in the run forms a unit that has scored at least 38 points in each game. Here is three areas reporter Zach Knox-Doyle believes that Missouri will need to hone in on to secure its first ranked conference win in three years.

Win the time of possession battle

Missouri football players attempt to force a turnover. — Sep 19, 2026; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Troy Trojans running back Jaheim Merriweather (3) runs the ball against the Missouri Tigers during the second half of the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In the Tigers' 27-17 victory against Troy last week, Missouri spent the majority of its time on defense as Troy dominated time of possession. After Troy's drive in the first quarter that surpassed 10 minutes and following plenty of punts from Missouri, Troy spent nearly 15 more minutes on offense.

Against an explosive Mississippi State offense, spending 22 minutes and some change with the ball in their hands will not suffice for the Tigers. To come out victorious, keeping the ball away from Taylor will be critical and that starts with dominating the time of possession.

Prior to Week 3, the Tigers had the ball for at least 31 minutes in two games prior, but against Troy, Missouri gave up longer possessions and were forced to punt early due to an inconsistent passing attack. Missouri punted a season-high seven times in the game, including four times in a second half that featured three total points. No drive lasted longer than 3:51 or seven plays for the Tigers.

Although quarterback Goose Crowder led Troy to 17 points in the first half with over 190 yards and two touchdown throws, Taylor simply brings much more firepower that could make Missouri reel quickly if given too much time on the field. The Bulldogs also have a formidable run game led by Fluff Bothwell that could eat at the clock as well.

Stay multidimensional on offense

Missouri quarterback hands off to running back. — Sep 19, 2026; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Austin Simmons (13) hands off to running back Jamal Roberts (20) during the first half of the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Missouri will have an easier time of dominating the clock if they stay away from becoming too one-dimensional, which was a common occurrence last season. With a pass game that appears to be stronger than last season through three games, it's likely that if the Tigers' relied on one area on offense, it would be passing instead of the run game.

But after back-to-back games from Jamal Roberts with at least 125 yards and his most consistent game coming in Week 3, the offense appears to be relatively multidimensional. Although Simmons threw for just 108 yards against Troy, there have been weeks where both units have shown strengths and against Kansas they did at the same time, with 125 yards from Roberts and 292 passing yards from Simmons.

The Kansas game marked Missouri's most versatile offensive game and also resulted in an impressive 38-point performance. When playing Mississippi State — a team that hasn't scored under 38 points — the Tigers will have to ramp up their offense to the level it was against Kansas, if not higher, which comes from a balanced attack.

Although Mississippi State gave up a combined 26 points to UL Monroe and Minnesota, in Week 3 against South Carolina, the Bulldogs gave up 34 points and showed flaws in both the secondary and defensive line. LaNorris Sellers threw for 282 yards and the offense rushed for 149 yards on 3.8 yards per carry while withstanding three sacks.

The Bulldogs showed signs of improvement in pressure from their sacks and had its first two takeaways of the season, but the throws from Sellers were simply underthrown.

Limit deep throws from Kamario Taylor

Mississippi State quarterback launches deep throw. — Sep 19, 2026; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Kamario Taylor (1) passes against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the second quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When discussing keys to victory for Missouri, the first thing that will come up is stopping Kamario Taylor. The reality is that it's unlikely the Tigers will be able to completely stop the sophomore phenom, but slowing him down is in the realm of possibilities.

While the Tigers have had lapses in the secondary, which were put on full display in Week 3, it could still be the most talented unit Taylor and his wide receivers have faced. Taylor, who has thrown a pass at least 39 yards in every game, is a deep ball threat and an incredibly mobile quarterback. Slowing him down on the ground could be crucial as well, but the secondary's duties of stopping long throws may be of greater importance.

In a group that has lots of great pieces on paper — 6-foot-4 Sione Laulea, team captain Santana Banner and 2025 Ole Miss starting cornerback Chris Graves Jr. to name a few— they still have a lot of work to do on the football field. Slowing Taylor down is no easy task, but without 76-yard and 55-yard lapses like the Tigers allowed against Troy, Mississippi State becomes a lot easier to defeat.

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