At halftime, OU blasted Missy Elliott’s “Lose Control” through the stadium speakers. The timing was poetic — the Tigers lost control on offense after the music played. Mizzou suffered its third defeat in the past four games in its 17-6 defeat to the Oklahoma Sooners in a game where the Tigers went 3-of-15 in third-down situations.
A fast start evaporates
Missouri’s opening drive showcased balance: three different ball carriers, three different receivers and a composed Beau Pribula returning from a dislocated ankle he suffered four weeks ago. Robert Meyer’s 39-yard field goal put Mizzou ahead 3–0 and quieted a stadium where, curiously, the Texas flag flew lower than the other SEC flags.
For a quarter and change, Mizzou’s defense overwhelmed the Sooners. Oklahoma ended the first quarter with negative seven yards.
Then everything flipped.
With Mizzou driving at the OU 17-yard line early in the second quarter, Peyton Bowen knifed through and blocked Meyer’s 35-yard attempt. Three plays later, John Mateer hit Isaiah Sategna III on a shallow crosser. Sategna bounced outside, turned upfield and sprinted 87 yards — the Sooners’ longest reception in nearly two seasons — to make it 7–3.
“Disappointing result,” head coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “As well as we played at times defensively and as well as we started offensively… our inability to score touchdowns in the red zone or have any type of conversions in the third quarter. Defense gave us every chance in the world. Just didn’t get it done.”
Critical decisions and turning points
Missouri’s issues on third and fourth down resurfaced repeatedly.
Drinkwitz elected not to go for it on 4th-and-3 from his own 47 midway through the third quarter — a conservative call that drew groans from MU’s sideline and fans. Later, an underthrown pass on third down drew a defensive pass interference — a tale as old as time — yet the Tigers couldn’t fully capitalize.
Defensively, Mizzou continued to find bright spots. Zion Young and Damien Wilson lived in the OU backfield, contributing to a unit that held Oklahoma to 276 total yards, just 138 in each half. Linebacker Josiah Trotter tallied 13 tackles, pacing the Tigers.
And yet… Sooner Magic.
Before the fourth quarter, Oklahoma played a hype video featuring the program’s mantra: “We’re hard to kill.” The Sooners proved it, choking out Mizzou’s final push with timely pressure and coverage. Their jersey motto — Unity — showed up most in the trenches, where the Sooners were incessantly in Pribula’s face.
Pribula’s return: gritty, not enough
Pribula, just a month removed from a severe ankle injury, completed 20 of 36 passes for 231 yards. He leaned heavily on Kevin Coleman Jr., who hauled in seven for 115.
Pribula said he learned Tuesday he’d likely start again.
“I’m just so blessed,” he said. “To have a dislocated ankle four weeks ago and be able to play the game I love… I’m just thankful to God for the opportunity to come back as soon as I did.”
He praised Mizzou’s training staff and his faith multiple times.
“I felt good,” he said. “The trainers did an unbelievable job… the power of prayer and everybody who kept me in their thoughts got me back.”
But he also acknowledged what stalled the Tigers most.
“Sometimes we’re too inefficient on first and second down,” Pribula said. “We need to do a better job getting the first first down and getting in a rhythm. Once we did that late, you saw the drives we put together — just probably too late.”
On fourth-and-two in the fourth quarter, with the Tigers trailing by 11, Pribula let it rip again. His end-zone shot to Coleman grazed the receiver’s fingertips and hit the turf. OU took over.
“We still have a lot to play for,” Pribula said. “We’ve played really good football. We just have to keep going and finish out the season strong.”
Sooners stand tall
Oklahoma’s defense — ranked No. 4 nationally against the run — lived up to its billing. It held nation-leading rusher Ahmad Hardy to just 57 yards on 17 carries. For Hardy, normally the “give him an inch, he’ll turn it into a mile” type of runner, the Sooners gave him no inches at all.
Even when Mizzou fought back late, OU answered with sacks, pressure and two fourth-quarter interceptions, including the game-sealer by Eli Bowen at the OU 20.
Mateer finished 14 of 30 for 173 yards — 87 on one play — and two touchdowns.
The Tigers entered wanting control of the game and the chance to lock up a marquee road win. Instead, control slipped away in a single, chaotic second quarter sequence that tilted the field — and scoreboard — for good.
And in a stadium that reminded everyone they’re “hard to kill,” the Sooners proved exactly that.