COLUMBIA, Mo. —
Beau Pribula kept punching for the Tigers (5-1, 1-1), too, hitting Donovan Olugbode for a touchdown with 1:39 left. And after the Crimson Tide pounced on the onside kick, Missouri forced a quick punt to get the ball back with 1:17 still on the clock.
Pribula connected with Olugbode again on fourth down to get close to midfield, but he followed with two incompletions. Then on third down, Pribula overshot his target and was picked off by Alabama defensive back Dijon Lee Jr. to put the game away.
The loss ended the Tigers’ 15-game home winning streak, the second-longest nationally.
“We had an opportunity,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “Proud of the way our defense fought. Proud of the way our offense fought. Ultimately we just had too many critical mistakes in critical situations.”
Pribula finished with 167 yards passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions, and he also was the Tigers’ most effective runner with 61 yards and another score. The nation’s leading rusher, Ahmad Hardy, was held to just 52 yards.
“We did the job. Got the job done,” Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said. “Each side of the ball, we covered for each other.”
Missouri got off to a good start, seemingly stunning Alabama on its opening drive. It took just six plays to march 78 yards, and Pribula threw a nifty lob to tight end Brett Norfleet down the sideline for a 26-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
Yet the Crimson Tide not only regained their composure, they regained control.
Simpson was nearly perfect on an answering TD drive. And after Missouri went three-and-out, the junior QB drove the Crimson Tide downfield again, zipping a pass to Horton on third-and-long for a 16-yard touchdown pass that made it 14-7.
After each team added a field goal before halftime, Missouri took advantage of Simpson’s fumble – his only big mistake – on the first play of the second half. Pribula juked his way into the end zone three plays later to tie the game 17-all.
Yet the Tigers were never able to regain the lead.
Conor Talty added a go-ahead field goal later in the third quarter for Alabama, and the Crimson Tide stopped Missouri on fourth down midway through the fourth quarter, shoving Jamal Roberts out of bounds just shy of the marker; replays appeared to show the running back reaching the ball far enough for a first down, but the spot was upheld by the officials.
Alabama took over and, after Simpson converted on fourth-and-8 with a throw to freshman Lotzeir Brooks, the SEC’s top passer found Hill in the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the Missouri 2 with just over three minutes remaining to put it out of reach.
“We preached all week – shoot, all year – to be elite in critical situations,” Alabama linebacker Deontae Lawson said. “I think it’s just our team. We pride ourselves on being unbreakable. We know we’re going to execute in those situations.”
Missouri wrapped up its season-opening homestand by losing at Faurot Field for the first time since Oct. 7, 2023.
Alabama returns home to play No. 12 Tennessee next Saturday.
Missouri plays its first road game against Auburn the same day.
