Tigers Rushing Duo Combines for Over 250 Yards Versus Kansas

What a day it was for the Tigers, players, coaches, fans, and everyone in Columbia as well. It was truly an environment nobody will soon forget, as they were able to comfortably handle their rival Jayhawks, in their first matchup in over a decade.

The long-awaited contest was well worth the wait, as it started with a little bit of shootout, before Mizzou saw Jalon Daniels and the visiting Jayhawks take a swift 21-6 lead. From there, it was a fight to get back into the ball game, but once they did, Mizzou was well in control.

When the final clocks struck zeros, Mizzou had won 42-31, with a couple of exciting defensive plays to seal any chance of a late comeback by Kansas.

Though it was awesome to see the team win, it was really led by their backfield, who, as a team, had a historic day on the ground.

It's been hard to adjust to the departure of Cody Schrader after Mizzou's incredible 2023-24 campaign, but this gives fans hope that, not only do they have an answer for filling that hole in the backfield, but they actually have two.

On the one, you have Ahmad Hardy, a sophomore who came over from Louisana-Monroe after rushing for over 1300 yards, and 13 scores last year, while averaging six yards a carry. He was a must for this program, and he's thrived early, averaging over six yards a carry early in this season.

Yesterday, Hardy eclipsed 100 yards, going for 111, with all but eight coming after contact. The Mississippi native also broke 12 tackles, the most of any player in the NCAA this week. A true strong back that the Tigers can lean on in certain moments, and can be trusted on the goal line.

Beyond Hardy, head coach Eliah Drinkwitz also saw redshirt sophomore Jamal Roberts have a career day on the ground, going for 143 yards on just 13 carrys, which is almost as many as he's had in his three-year Tiger career combined.

Roberts, who hasn't been involved in the offense as much as he'd like the last two years, broke a big 66-yard run, to ice away the rivalry, showing how clutch he is, and his love for the game.

The 261 team rushing yards, which all but six of were from Hardy and Roberts, were the most Tiger fans have seen in a game, since they went for 323 in their 2022 season opener, versus Louisiana Tech.

Overall, a significant game from the backfield, and it was really nice to see a dominant game from the offensive line, after they struggled versus a sub-par Central Arkansas team. That deep room recovered nicely, playing a strong, clean contest in the Border War.

It'll be interesting to see how Drinkwitz adjusts his game plan, next week and beyond. He will need to decide if he will begin to lean on the run-game more, taking pressure off of quarterback Beau Pribula, and if so, which back will get the bulk of the work.

There's a lot to be decided, but Drinkwitz has already made it clear to media that "It's only week two," finishing by saying "there's a whole lot of stuff we need to get corrected."

Fans are sure to see more opportunities for both of the young backs, in future contests.