Wrights and Wrongs: Takeaways from Mizzou's 31-24 loss to Mississippi State

Welcome to Wrights and Wrongs, a series in which Missouri On SI beat reporter Killian Wright provides insight on what went “Wright” and wrong in Missouri’s most recent game.

No. 19 Missouri football suffered its first loss of the 2026 season, falling 31-24 to No. 24 Mississippi State in Starkville in a contest that went down to the wire. Missouri was largely plagued by ghosts from the first three games of its season, while the positives were the regulars.

Here’s what went Wright and wrong in the loss.

Wrong: Explosives

Missouri’s knack for giving up explosives has become arguably the central figure of its defense — it’s impossible to overlook and hurts the Tigers tremendously week after week. Explosives given up have become a staple of the “Wrong” category since the season began. Once again, the explosives played a pivotal role in the loss to Mississippi State.

"You can hold them all game, but if you give up two big ones, it's the difference," Drinkwitz said.

Missouri did give up two big ones: a 43-yard touchdown to Sanfrisco Magee in the first quarter and a 48-yard deep ball to Anthony Evans III in the fourth. Talented as Missouri’s offense may be, it’s hard to keep up with a defense consistently allowing deep shots.

“Communication technique errors that we need to correct,” safety Trajen Greco. “We should have been dialed into it, but we'll get it fixed this week.”

There’s only so many more opportunities to correct this mistake before the hole becomes too deep to claw out of, and the opportunities to do so won’t be any easier.

Wright: Daeden Hopkins

Hopkins makes his second consecutive appearance as a “Wright” in this series after one of the best performances from a Missouri edge rusher in recent history. Hopkins racked up 3.5 sacks, just 0.5 sacks away from tying the single-game Missouri record previously set by three former Tigers; Justin Smith, Bobby Bell and Antwaun Bynum.

Many, including edge coach Brian Early, viewed Hopkins as a breakout candidate in the offseason. Even so, putting up 3.5 sacks in an SEC game comes as a surprise — at least from an outside perspective.

“I could have told you that in his freshman year, last year,” Greco said.

Hopkins leads all Tigers with six sacks on the season, tying for the second-most in the SEC. He’s made a compelling case to be the best player on Missouri’s defense this season and has stepped into a role of major importance going forward.

Based on what we’ve seen this season, it’s within reason to expect him to deliver.

Wrong: Slow start strikes again

For the second consecutive week, Missouri allowed its opponent to get out to a two-score lead before getting on the scoreboard itself. After punting on its first drive, Mississippi State found the end zone with a three-play, 68-yard drive on its second and again with an eight-play, 66-yard drive on its third.

Missouri had two chances to score in between, but turned it over on fourth down on the first and punted on the second.

“Got to play a full, four-quarter game, and we got to do that from here on out,” wide receiver Cayden Lee said of the slow starts postgame.

Mississippi State’s offense proved to be too much to overcome the deficit, and many future SEC offenses on the Tigers’ schedule project similarly.

Wright: Cayden Lee

Austin Simmons targeted Lee 13 times. Lee hauled it in a career-high 11 times. He finished the night 156 yards — also a career-high — and two touchdowns, the first multi-touchdown game of his career.

He was huge on third down, gaining three receptions and 46 in such situations. He accounted for three of the Tigers’ seven third-down conversions.

“(They) had a great connection,” Drinkwitz said of Simmons and Lee. “Just we got to find four more yards.”

Lee is clearly a reliable option in Missouri’s offense, and will play a key role in helping the Tigers hold their own in shootouts against future explosive SEC offenses.

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