Highlights:
Postgame with Missouri Head Coach Eli Drinkwitz, QB Beau Pribula, OL Connor Tollison & S Daylan Carnell
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide (5-1, 3-0) used two critical fourth-down conversions late in the game to build a 10-point lead, then withheld a late rally by the No. 14 Missouri Tigers (5-1, 1-1) to claim a 27-24 victory at a sold-out Memorial Stadium. (57,321).
The 18th consecutive sellout tied the Missouri record, set from 1974-78.
Trailing 20-17 after Alabama’s Conor Talty missed a 49-yard field goal with 9:19 to play, Missouri faced a fourth-and-four at its own 37-yard line. The Tigers faked the kick, snapping the ball to up-back Jamal Roberts who lunged for the first-down as he went out of bounds but was ruled to have come up a yard short and Alabama took over at the Mizzou 40.
That’s when the Tide had better fourth-down luck. On fourth-and-eight, Alabama WR Lotzeir Brooks made an over-the-shoulder catch of a Ty Simpson pass for a 29-yard gain. Then, with fourth-and-goal at the two, Simpson flipped a two-yard TD pass to RB Daniel Hill, and the Tide took a 27-17 lead with 3:16 to play.
Missouri bounced back with a quick 75-yard scoring drive that ended with a three-yard touchdown pass from Beau Pribula to Donovan Olugbode. The Tigers were unable to recover an onside kick but forced a three-and-out and made a late push, before Pribula was intercepted by Dijon Lee Jr. on a seam pass intended for Olugbode with :37 left.
Missouri, which had won 15 consecutive home games and eight in a row overall, started both halves on fire.
The Tigers scored on their first possession for the fifth time in six games, when Pribula connected with TE Brett Norfleet for a 26-yard touchdown. Pribula ran three times for 39 yards on the six-play march, including a 23-yard run on the play prior to Norfleet’s TD. It was Norfleet’s fifth TD of the season, tying Albert Okwuegbunam and Dwayne Blakley for most touchdowns by a MU tight end in the first six games of the season.
The Tigers trailed 17-10 at halftime, but on the first play of the second half, Zion Young and Josiah Trotter combined to sack Simpson for a loss of five and forced a fumble that was recovered by Damon Wilson at the UA 19. On second and goal at the five, Pribula faked Tide safety Bray Hubbard on a run to the right and scored a touchdown to tie the score at 17-17.
Missouri outgained Alabama, 330-325, but struggled to sustain drives, going just one-for-10 on third down. Alabama won the time of possession, 38:33 to 21:27.
Pribula was 16-of-28 for 167 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, and was MU’s leading rusher with 11 carries for 61 yards. Ahmad Hardy carried 12 times for 52 yards and Roberts added 50 yards on five attempts.
Simpson completed 23-of-31 passes for 200 yards and three touchdowns but was sacked four times – two by Wilson – and hurried 10 times by Mizzou. Trotter led the Tigers with eight tackles, while Santana Banner, Daylan Carnell and Khalil Jacobs each had seven.
