Mizzou football has plenty to celebrate, but finds room for improvement heading into Week 2

Here are the top takeaways from Mizzou’s opening win and key notes from across the college football landscape.

Everything went right for Mizzou in the first half, as the Tigers scored 40 points while shutting out the Golden Lions. Quarterback Austin Simmons stole the show, completing 17-of-19 passes for 252 yards and four touchdowns in his debut. Simmons pushed the ball down the field with ease, with three touchdowns coming from 20-plus yards out.

Pro Football Focus ranked the quarterback as the Tigers’ top offensive player with a 90.8 rating. Simmons misread a pair of run-pass options for an incompletion and a sack. His other incompletion came on a play-action pass where he threw the ball to Caleb Goodie Sr. on a vertical route instead of hitting Donovan Olugbode on the over.

But these minor mistakes paled in comparison to the number of great throws Simmons made in his first start in nearly a year.

“I thought (in the) first half, our quarterback played pretty well, especially on third down,” Drinkwitz told SEC Today on Friday. “Coming off the situation (he) was (in) last year, where you got a lot of questions to answer (like) your confidence, and you can try to give (a) person confidence all they want, but they got to go out and do it themselves. He really did a nice job of that.”

Defensively, the Tigers stifled Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the first half, keeping the Golden Lions scoreless and only allowing 6 total yards.

“I feel like we executed pretty well,” safety Elijah Dotson said after the game. “At the end of the day, you always find something to clean up … but I feel like we did a good job today.”

PFF ranked Dotson as the Tigers’ top player in Week 1 with a grade of 93.6. He ended the game with three tackles and a forced fumble. Doston grabbed an interception as well, but the play was called back after a penalty.

Defensive end Langden Kitchen had big moments with limited time on the field, finishing with one tackle for loss. He was constantly putting pressure on the Golden Lions quarterbacks, ending with a PFF grade of 81.0 in just 10 snaps.

Linebacker Bobby Washington Jr. was a key leader on the defense during the second half. Despite not being listed on the two-deep lineup for the home opener, he made the most of his opportunity on the field. The linebacker ended the day with 1.5 tackles for loss and an 89.9 grade.

However, Mizzou’s second-half defense as a whole left much to be desired. The Tigers allowed two touchdowns on 192 yards, being outgained by the Golden Lions.

“Very disappointed in the third quarter from overall intensity standpoint, a coaching standpoint,” Drinkwitz said after the game. “I’ve got a lot of things to coach on, and I promise you the staff meeting (Friday) will not be a lot of fun.”

Offensively, the Tigers struggled to get the run game going consistently. Mizzou finished the game with 205 yards, but it took them 45 attempts to get there. Jamal Roberts was Mizzou’s leading rusher with 47 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts for a 67.8 PFF grade. Malae Fonoti was the first running back substitution, but he only played five snaps after leaving the game in the second quarter. This gave Xai’Shaun Edwards an extended opportunity, running seven times for 45 yards.

With the running back room already thin, the Tigers still need to find more playmakers to take the workload off Roberts. Right now, Edwards should be the top choice.

Borderwar build-up

Mizzou’s next opponent, Kansas, opened its 2026 campaign Friday night with a 51-6 win over Long Island. The Jayhawks put away the Sharks with 24 points in the second quarter, carrying a 30-0 lead into the break.

Quarterback Isaiah Marshall had a strong first start, completing 14-of-19 passes for 246 yards and two touchdowns. His favorite target was Buffalo transfer Nik McMillian, who reeled in six receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown. Yasin Willis was the Jayhawks’ leading rusher with 72 yards.

This year’s Border War is each team’s first test after starting 1-0 against FCS opponents. This will be the first time Mizzou has played in Lawrence, Kansas, since 2005.

“This week's all about getting better,” Drinkwitz told SEC This Morning. ”If we get too focused on the result, we get too focused on the hype and all that bullcrap, then we're not going to get better this week. And at the end of the day, you know that second half, the sack, the two misses, not good enough. And if we take that bullcrap football over to Kansas, we're going to get our butt whipped. So you know, for me, it ain't about jokes.”

Mizzou squares off against Kansas at 7 p.m. Friday at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, which is still under construction. The game will be broadcast on FOX.

Transfer check-in

247Sports ranked Austin Simmons as the No. 9 transfer quarterback entering the 2026 season. Two of the quarterbacks ranked ahead of him, Miami’s Darian Mensah and Indiana’s Josh Hoover, played their first games Friday night and Saturday morning, respectively.

Mensah lit up the scoreboard in his debut with a 45-6 road win against Stanford. He ended the game 27-of-30 with 401 yards and five touchdowns. Mensah transferred from Duke as the No. 4 quarterback in the portal.

Hoover had a strong game of his own. The reigning national champions started their season with a 52-16 win over North Texas. The TCU transfer completed 13-of-16 attempts for 285 yards and four touchdowns. Hoover was considered the No. 5 transfer quarterback.

A matchup between Baylor’s DJ Lagway and Auburn’s Byrum Brown headlined the afternoon window. Brown, the No. 8 transfer, led the Tigers to a narrow 17-16 win with 259 yards but threw three interceptions. Lagway was the No. 6 transfer, coming over from Florida. He finished the game with 333 yards, two touchdowns and a pick. 

Oklahoma State’s new quarterback Drew Mestemaker struggled with his new team, falling to Tulsa 24-10. Mestemaker, the No. 2 quarterback transfer, ended the game 29-of-49 with 241 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.

Dylan Riola was the No. 3 transfer, heading to Oregon from Nebraska. He was named the backup behind a returning Dante Moore. He did not play in the Ducks’ 34-27 win over Boise State.

Rocco Becht followed coach Matt Campbell from Iowa State over to Penn State. Becht showed why he was the No. 8 transfer quarterback by completing 13-of-17 passes for 246 yards and four touchdowns as the Nittany Lions walloped Marshall 45-0.