No. 25 Missouri opened the 2026 football season in convincing fashion Thursday night, rolling past Arkansas-Pine Bluff 54-14 at Memorial Stadium. The Tigers wasted little time taking control, building a 40-0 halftime advantage behind a dominant passing performance from new starting quarterback Austin Simmons.
Simmons, a transfer from Ole Miss, completed 17 of 19 passes for 252 yards and four touchdowns before leaving the game late in the first half. His favorite target was Donovan Olugbode, who caught eight passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns. Simmons also connected with Shaun Terry II and Cayden Lee for scores, while Jamal Roberts added a rushing touchdown as Missouri’s offense piled up 376 yards before halftime.
Missouri’s defense was just as impressive early, holding Arkansas-Pine Bluff to only six yards of total offense in the first half. The Tigers finished with 562 total yards and cruised after halftime, although UAPB scored twice in the second half. Missouri also got fourth-quarter rushing touchdowns from backup quarterback Matt Zollers and freshman Preston Hatfield. The Tigers will face a much tougher test next Friday when they travel to Kansas for the latest edition of the Border War.