Austin Simmons shines in Mizzou debut as Tigers take down Arkansas-Pine Bluff
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Mizzou is off to a 1-0 start in 2026.
The Tigers defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff 54-14 on Thursday night beyond a dominant defensive performance and a strong debut from new quarterback Austin Simmons.
Simmons led the Tigers to a 40-0 lead at the half — all of Pine Bluff’s points came after Mizzou had already pulled its starting defense for the evening. Before exiting the game himself, Simmons threw for 252 yards and 4 touchdown passes while completing 17-of-19 attempts.
Here’s a clip of Simmons’ first TD:
Receiver Donovan Olugbode was the star of the show for Mizzou. He caught 8 passes for 116 yards and 2 touchdowns.
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Running back Jamal Roberts also added a rushing touchdown in his first game of 2026. The Tigers were without star running back Ahmad Hardy as he continues to recover from a gunshot wound he sustained in the offseason.
Defensively, Mizzou held UAPB to just 6 total yards in the first half — good for an average of 0.2 yards per play. Jeremiah Beasley led Mizzou with 7 tackles.
Mizzou’s schedule will toughen up quickly as the Tigers are set to go on the road to face rival Kansas in Week 2. That game is set for next Friday evening in Lawrence.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
