Members of the Mizzou defense stuff an Auburn ballcarrier during Saturday’s SEC football game at Jordan-Hare Stadium. (Photo: Terrance Williams)

NCAA Football1st2nd3rd4thOT1OT2Final
#16 Mizzou (6-1, 2-1)37070623
Auburn (3-4, 0-4)70730017

AUBURN, AL — After beginning the season with six straight home games, the University of Missouri football team took its first road trip of the season on Saturday.

The No. 16-ranked Tigers trekked way down south to take on the Auburn Tigers for a matchup that proved to be even more dramatic than most anticipated it would be.

Auburn took the lead early in the second quarter and went ahead by a touchdown early in the fourth. But Missouri rallied to tie score and force overtime.

Both teams missed a field goal in the first overtime, which forced a second. In that second overtime, Mizzou quarterback Beau Pribula scored on a 3-yard touchdown run to give the Tigers the lead. Then the Mizzou defense stopped Auburn on four downs with no points to close out a thrilling 23-17 victory for Missouri.

“What a gutsy win,” Mizzou head coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “Incredibly proud of the staff and them players. For them to keep fighting. It was really, really ugly, but they just kept fighting, kept fighting. Then obviously in overtime, I thought our defense was just dominant.”

Missouri is now 6-1 on the season and 2-1 in Southeastern Conference play. The six wins means Mizzou is officially bowl eligible for the season. Auburn fell to 3-4 overall and 0-4 in the SEC, will all four of those losses coming in its last four games.

“That’s a good team,” Drinkwitz said. “They’ve had some unfortunate luck, but we knew it would be tough facing them. So I’m just proud of my guys for battling through on a night when we didn’t play our best.”

Mizzou RB Ahmad Hardy celebrates scoring one of two touchdowns in the Tigers’ win over Auburn on Saturday. (Photo: Terrance Williams)

The victory was a fitting revenge for Mizzou, which lost to Auburn in overtime in 2022 on a play most Tigers fans will remember. Running back Nathaniel Peat looked like he was about to score the game-winning touchdown, but instead fumbled the ball as headed into the end zone. An Auburn defender recovered and those Tigers won the game.

This time it was Missouri’s defense which made the huge plays that helped carry its team to the win. Defensive end Zion Young had a magnificent night — particularly in the overtime periods.

Young finished with five tackles (three solo), 2.5 tackles for loss, and two of Mizzou’s five quarterback sacks. A big one came in the first overtime, when Young sacked Auburn QB Jackson Arnold for a nine-yard loss, which essentially knocked Auburn out of field goal range.

Kicker Alex McPherson did attempt a 50-yard field goal, but it was wide and short and kept Auburn from taking the lead.

On Missouri’s first OT possession, the Tigers drove to the Auburn 20, when Robert Meyer attempted a 38-yarder to win the game. But the kick sailed wide left and was ruled no good, which forced the game into a second overtime.

Mizzou’s Chris McClellan brings down Auburn’s Jackson Arnold for one of five quarterback sacks the Tigers had in Saturday’s win over Auburn. (Photo: Terrance Williams)

In that period, the Mizzou offense found its form. Pribula hit receiver Kevin Coleman for a huge third down conversion. Then, after moving the ball to Auburn’s 3, Pribula burst through a hole on the left side of the line for a touchdown that gave the Tigers their first lead since early in the second quarter.

On Auburn’s double-OT possession, Young helped stuff the host Tigers for a 3-yard loss on first down. Then, after a short completion by Auburn, Mizzou’s Chris McClellan stuffed Auburn for a two-yard loss to force fourth down.

On that play, Mizzou brought the house and had several players converge on Arnold, who flipped the ball to one of his lineman as three Mizzou players dragged him down. The Auburn player went down and a penalty was called, which Missouri declined to officially end the game.

“We’ve got lots to work on and get cleaned up, but we’ll go home celebrating a win,” Drinkwitz said. “We’ll fight on and press on into next week.”

Mizzou QB Beau Pribula looks for someone to throw to during the Tigers’ win over Auburn on Saturday. (Photo: Terrance Williams)

Mizzou will be on the road again next week, with a matchup against No. 14 Vanderbilt, which is coming off a win over No. 10 LSU on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m., and the game will be televised live on ESPN.

SCORING SUMMARY

QtrTeamTimeDescriptionMIZAUB
1stAUB09:54AUB – Arnold, Jackson 1 yd run (McPherson, Alex kick), 12 plays, 75 yards, TOP 05:0607
1stMIZ01:44MIZ – Meyer, Robert 24 yd field goal, 10 plays, 24 yards, TOP 05:0537
2ndMIZ10:21MIZ – Hardy, Ahmad 2 yd run (Meyer, Robert kick), 9 plays, 65 yards, TOP 04:48107
3rdAUB00:35AUB – Mabson II, Omar 1 yd run (McPherson, Alex kick), 12 plays, 86 yards, TOP 04:581014
4thAUB10:31AUB – McPherson, Alex 22 yd field goal, 8 plays, 73 yards, TOP 03:521017
4thMIZ05:07MIZ – Hardy, Ahmad 3 yd run (Meyer, Robert kick), 5 plays, 60 yards, TOP 01:091717
4thMIZ00:00MIZ – Pribula, Beau 3 yd run (2-pt conversion failed), 7 plays, 25 yards, TOP 00:002317

2025 MIZZOU TIGERS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

DateTimeAtOpponentLocationTVRadioResults
August 28, 2025 (Thursday)6:30 pmHomeCentral ArkansasFaurot FieldTiger Radio NetworkW, 61-6 (1-0)
September 6, 2025 (Saturday)2:30 pmHomeKansasFaurot FieldTiger Radio NetworkW, 42-31 (2-0)
September 13, 2025 (Saturday)12 pmHomeLouisianaFaurot FieldTiger Radio NetworkW, 52-10 (3-0)
September 20, 2025 (Saturday)6 pmHomeSouth CarolinaFaurot FieldTiger Radio NetworkW, 29-20 (4-0)
September 27, 2025 (Saturday)6:30 pmHomeMassachusettsFaurot FieldTiger Radio NetworkW, 42-6 (5-0)
October 11, 2025 (Saturday)11 amHome#8 AlabamaFaurot FieldABCTiger Radio NetworkL, 27-24 (5-1)
October 18, 2025 (Saturday)6:45 pmAwayAuburnAuburn, Ala. / Jordan-Hare StadiumTiger Radio NetworkW, 23-17 2OT (6-1)
October 25, 2025 (Saturday)2:30 pmAway#14 VanderbiltNashville, Tenn. / FirstBank StadiumTiger Radio Network
November 8, 2025 (Saturday)TBDHome#4 Texas A&MFaurot FieldTBDTiger Radio Network
November 15, 2025 (Saturday)TBDHomeMississippi StateFaurot FieldTBDTiger Radio Network
November 22, 2025 (Saturday)11 amAway#14 OklahomaNorman, Okla. / Memorial Stadium11 amTiger Radio Network
November 29, 2025 (Saturday)TBDAwayArkansasFayetteville, Ark. / Razorback StadiumTBDTiger Radio Network