Sheryl Crow sings national anthem as Mizzou football claims win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Weeks before Crow performed, she recorded a video posted by Mizzou Athletics, stating she felt, “all ready” and “really excited.”

Crow sang to a packed stadium that offered her a huge round of applause. The spectacle included helicopters flying over the field and fireworks exploding into the sky.

Additionally, fans participated in karaoke to Crow’s song, “If It Makes You Happy,” before the first half came to a close.

Dotson, Edwards impress

One player who impressed on the defensive side of the ball was safety Elijah Dotson. He recorded three total tackles (one for loss) and forced a fumble.

“He's a defensive playmaker, and we need that on that side of the ball,” Drinkwitz said of Dotson a few days before the game. “We're at our best when our defensive players, especially in the secondary, are ball hawks.”

Additionally, running back Xai'Shaun Edwards stuck out on offense despite limited carries. He rushed for 45 yards on seven carries. Only Jamal Roberts, with 47, had more rushing yards.

Sophie Cunningham, others in attendance

Former Mizzou women’s basketball star Sophie Cunningham was in attendance for the game. Mizzou Athletics posted a video of her on X in which she stated, “It is the start of a new football season. We are hype; we are excited. We’re about to kick some butt this year.”

Mizzou basketball players Mark Mitchell and Trent Pierce showed their support at the game as well.

Running back Ahmad Hardy was seen on the sideline wearing a white tank top and black Missouri sweatpants. Offensive lineman Cayden Green walked out of the tunnel with the team, and several other players wore street clothes, including defensive tackle Elias Williams and offensive linemen Braylon Ellison and Will Kemna.

Tight end Gavin Hoffman was dressed and participated in warm-ups, and he appeared in the game.

During the game, running back Malae Fonoti and safety JaDon Blair went down with injuries, but neither seemed significant.

Chase Coffman bangs Big Mo

Former Mizzou tight end Chase Coffman received the honor of hitting the Big Mo drum before the game.

Coffman spent 2005-08 with the Tigers. He impressed immediately as a freshman, recording 503 yards and four touchdowns. He won first-team freshman All-American honors from at least two national outlets.

Coffman exceeded expectations as a sophomore, shattering records. He led Big 12 tight ends with 58 catches for 638 yards and nine touchdowns, and all of those numbers broke single-season Missouri tight end records.

In 2007, Coffman moved to the top of Missouri’s record book in career receiving touchdowns with 19, but 2008 marked his best season yet. He achieved a staggering 987 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Coffman was drafted in 2009 when Cincinnati selected him with the 98th pick in the third round. With the Bengals, he played in six games in 2010. That was his lone season there, as he bounced around the NFL. His short career ended in 2016 and saw him play for five different teams.

In addition to the Bengals, he played for the Falcons, Titans, Seahawks and Colts.

Hot play, even hotter temperatures

Though the game took place at night, with a 7 p.m. kick, the temperature was scorching. About two hours before the game started, the air temperature was 95 degrees but read 149 on the field.

It was among the hottest games in Memorial Stadium history. Against Louisiana in 2025, temperatures reached 97 degrees within hours of kickoff. In 2018, Mizzou played UT Martin in 93 degree temperatures.

White helmets on white jerseys

Mizzou took the field wearing white, a color the Tigers don’t normally sport at home. They did this because Arkansas-Pine Bluff doesn’t have white uniforms. The Golden Lions lived up to their name, as their uniforms against Missouri were bright yellow.

Missouri wore white jerseys with black pants. It marked the first time the Tigers wore white at home since Sept. 17, 2022, when Mizzou faced Abilene Christian, a Football Championship Subdivision team just like Arkansas-Pine Bluff, winning 34-17.