Just 1 game stands between Missouri and reaching bowl eligibility — but there’s only 1 contest left on the schedule to do just that.

Mizzou (5-6, 2-5 SEC) has 5 wins this season heading into Friday afternoon’s home matchup against Arkansas (6-5, 3-4), which had plenty of down points this season but garnered a new sense of respect as it beat Ole Miss, 42-27, last Saturday night in Fayetteville to earn a bowl berth itself.

This could very well end up being a closely contested matchup at Faurot Field, as the Tigers wrap up the 2022 regular season.

Here’s a look at 5 reasons Eli Drinkwitz’s team can pull off the win on its home turf:

1. So close, yet so far away

This has been the theme of Missouri’s entire season. Play-calling and sputtering on offense has largely been to blame for much of the Tigers’ struggles. But they have shown some flashes on that side of the ball and have fallen short by a single score in 4 of their 6 losses. There have been an array of reasons for those losses, between a mixture of failing to play complementary football, falling short in a come-from-behind attempt and playing too conservatively.

But it’s worth noting just how close the Tigers are to being a 9-win team and one that could shake things up with some tweaks. One of those close setbacks was a 26-22 loss to Georgia, which is No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings. The Tigers also posted a 23-10 win over the same South Carolina team that just embarrassed former CFP No. 1 team Tennessee, 63-38.

2. The defense looks like a top-20 unit

The Missouri defense spent the better part of the season ranked among the nation’s best units. It was just overshadowed by a lackluster overall record that has never really progressed beyond that definition and a deficient offense. One of the examples of this was the 40-12 loss to Kansas State on Sept. 10 that can be attributed to a complete offensive collapse more than anything else. The defense had its highlights and held the Wildcats to a touchdown but was eventually worn down by Mizzou’s inability to get quite literally anything going on the other side of the ball.

Missouri currently stands at No. 31 nationally in total defense, allowing an average of 5.29 yards per play and 338.2 yards of total offense per contest.

If the Tigers can bring the heat defensively the way they have in so many games this season — though the offense certainly needs to do enough to give them adequate time off the field — that will be a huge difference-maker in the outcome of this one.

3. Brady Cook has shown flashes

There are times that Cook has flashed upside and looked like a player who can develop into a true dual-threat quarterback. There have been other times that he has looked like the young and still largely inexperienced player that he is with the decision-making issues to match. But there’s no question that his positive moments have been more than respectable and that he’s got the backing of his head coach, who gave him a ringing endorsement after the win over the Gamecocks.

Cook completed 17-of-26 passes for 224 yards in that game and also rushed for 53 yards and 1 touchdown on 11 carries. So far this season, he’s completed 65.5% of his passes for 2,263 yards with 11 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. The sophomore has also added 409 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns on the ground on 107 carries.

Some have called for the Tigers to kick the tires on Sam Horn sooner rather than later, but it’s clear they’re sticking with Cook as it stands now. He’s been solid down the stretch, completing 64.4% of his passes for 468 yards and 5 touchdowns while adding 177 yards rushing on 23 carries over the past 2 games. If he can stay solid against a suspect Arkansas pass defense, this could mean good things all around for the Mizzou offense.

4. The receiving corps gets hot

There was plenty of talk at the beginning of the season about the type of talent that 5-star wide receiver Luther Burden brought to the table. And that came to light quickly, as it took no time at all for Burden to showcase his versatility and put points on the scoreboard for the Tigers. Dominic Lovett has been a force in multiple games, eclipsing the century mark in receiving yards 3 times this season. He has 716 yards receiving on 50 receptions and 3 touchdowns this year.

Sixth-year wideout Barrett Banister dealt with some injury issues throughout the season but has been a factor of late, combining for 164 receiving yards on 14 catches over the past 2 matchups against New Mexico State and Tennessee.

The Razorbacks have one of the worst pass defenses in the nation at No. 118 among FBS teams and are 3rd-worst in the SEC, allowing an average of 13.72 yards per completion and an average of 276.8 passing yards per game. If Missouri can find a rhythm in the passing game, this is a definite weak spot to attack.

5. Play to win

Conservative football tends to not pay off more times than not and when the decision to play it safe goes south, it typically garners more criticism than the gutsy call with everything on the line. The most glaring time Missouri made this mistake was in the 17-14 overtime loss to Auburn back on Sept. 24, when Mizzou chose to try for a field goal toward the end of regulation and missed it, sending a winnable game to overtime. Obviously, it didn’t work out in Missouri’s favor.

Simply put, you play to win the game. And that’s the mentality Missouri is going to have to keep with a potential bowl berth on the line in a game that wouldn’t be surprising to watch come down to the wire.