Ahmad Hardy’s 157 rushing yards power Tigers to fourth straight win in rivalry series.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A fourth-quarter punt return for a touchdown by Mizzou’s Kevin Coleman Jr. broke open a close game on a wet and windy day at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium and the Tigers’ defense pitched a second-half shutout Saturday as Mizzou closed out the regular season with a 31-17 win over Arkansas.
The Tigers improved to 8-4 and 4-4 in the Southeastern Conference, winning the Battle Line Rivalry Game for the fourth straight year. Mizzou is now 5-1 against the Razorbacks under head coach Elah Drinkwitz and 12-4 in the all-time series. With the win, the Tigers also improved to 3-0 in rivalry trophy games this season, following victories over Kansas and South Carolina. Arkansas ended its season at 2-10, 0-8 in the SEC.
“So proud of the team for finding a way to win the game,” said Drinkwitz, whose team will learn its bowl destination and opponent on December 7. “Ultimately, that’s what you’ve got to do. Every game has a life of its own. You got to find a way to win it.”
The Mizzou defense allowed Arkansas only 73 total yards in the second half and forced the Razorbacks three-and-out three times, each of which led to a Mizzou scoring play. The Tigers were clinging to a 23-17 lead when Arkansas had to punt after a 12-yard sack by Damon Wilson II, his ninth of the season. Coleman fielded the punt at the MU 33-yard line, broke two early tackle attempts and weaved his way 67 yards for a touchdown. Jamal Roberts swept left for a two-point conversion, and Missouri led 31-17 with 8:07 left.
Missouri got the ball one more time with 4:40 to play after an Arkansas possession on which Chris McClellan and Josiah Trotter each sacked Taylen Green, and 10 straight runs by Ahmad Hardy and a kneel-down by Beau Pribula allowed the Tigers to run out the clock.
Hardy, a finalist for the Doak Walker Award that goes to the nation’s top running back, carried 27 times for 157 yards, pushing his season total to 1,560 yards – fourth most in Mizzou history. On MU’s first possession of the second half and MU trailing 17-14, Hardy ran through three tacklers and broke free for a 53-yard TD run – his 16th of the season. The extra-point try went awry, but the Tigers had a 20-17 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Missouri had another drive after a three-and-out by the Hogs that featured a 38-yard run by Roberts on a third-and-14 and reached the Arkansas four-yard line, but a penalty and a sack pushed the Tigers back, and Oliver Robbins kicked a 41-yard field goal to give MU a 23-17 lead with 10 minutes to play.
Roberts had 11 carries for 100 yards and a first-quarter touchdown – the third time this season that Hardy and Roberts each topped 100 rushing yards.
Missouri outgained Arkansas 347-246, with 322 of those yards coming on the ground. The Hogs aided the Missouri cause and hurt their own committing 16 penalties for 121 yards.
Pribula’s 25 yards through the air on 4-of-7 passing marked the program’s fewest in a victory since 2014 when the Tigers threw for just 20 yards in a 42-13 victory at Florida.
It didn’t take long for the Tigers to strike. Marquis Johnson returned the opening kickoff 40 yards and on MU’s first play, Pribula ran 49 yards – equaling the longest run of his career – to the Arkansas 11 and two plays later, Roberts took a direct snap and ran four yards up the middle for a touchdown.
Arkansas tied the score at 7-7 later in the first quarter with a 73-yard drive. On third-and-11 at the Mizzou 16-yard line, KJ Jackson passed down the middle to O’Mega Blake for the TD.
On the first play of the second quarter, Pribula had the wet ball slip out of his hand on a pass attempt to the left and linebacker Bradley Shaw scooped it up and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown and a 14-7 lead.
After the kickoff, the Tigers kept the ball on the ground, moving 75 yards in nine plays and on a 3rd-and-4 at the 11, Pribula scored on a quarterback draw and Robbins kicked the PAT that tied the score at 14-14.
Trotter again was MU’s top tackler with 10, including a sack, and two stops for losses.
UP NEXT
The Tigers will learn their bowl destination on Sunday, Dec. 7.
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