Missouri football leaves the comfort of Faurot Field for the first time this season as the No. 16 Tigers (5–1, 1–1 SEC) travel to face Auburn (3–3, 0–3 SEC) in a Tiger-on-Tiger clash under the lights at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Eli Drinkwitz’s team looks to bounce back from a 27–24 loss to Alabama that ended its undefeated start. Despite the setback, Missouri remains firmly in the national conversation and in control of its destiny in the SEC East.
“When you go 1-for-10 on third down, it’s hard to establish any type of rhythm or consistency,” Drinkwitz said on the defeat. “It wasn’t like we were behind the chains. We just didn’t convert the way we needed to.”
Missouri hasn’t played outside Columbia since its bowl win last winter, and Saturday night’s trip to Auburn will be its first chance to prove it can win in a tough environment. Jordan-Hare Stadium is one of college football’s most intimidating venues, and Auburn’s crowd will be hungry to pull off an upset.
Auburn, led by second-year head coach Hugh Freeze, has struggled through the early part of its SEC schedule, dropping games to Georgia, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M. But the home Tigers still feature an athletic defense and an offense capable of explosive plays if given space
Auburn’s defensive front, however, has been a bright spot—allowing just 86.5 yards per game on the ground and forcing opponents into predictable passing downs.
Mizzou Quarterback Beau Pribula struggled at times under Alabama’s pressure last week, and the Auburn defense will look to exploit any mistakes, anchored by a pass rush of lineman Keldric Faulk.
Missouri’s defense, however, enters the matchup as one of the nation’s best. Allowing fewer than 75 rushing yards per game and having generated constant backfield pressure through edge rushers Damon Wilson II and Zion Young, a struggling Jackson Arnold behind the QB helm for Auburn, will also have his hands full on his side of the down chain.
For Missouri, Saturday represents more than just another SEC road trip. A win would push the Tigers to 6–1 heading into their next road trip to Vanderbilt and keep the CFP playoff push alive. For Auburn, it’s a chance to stop a three-game skid and reestablish some confidence under Freeze.
Just one Tiger will leave Jordan-Hare victorious. Saturday will decide which team's trajectory goes up.