Columbia, MO - Missouri (1-0), fueled by a balanced offensive attack of 560 yards and a notable defensive touchdown on an 83-yard interception return, beat Central Arkansas (0-1) 61-6 at Memorial Stadium,
In the first quarter, Missouri capitalized on their possession with a 64-yard drive, concluding with a 49-yard touchdown pass from Beau Pribula to Marquis Johnson at the 11:06 mark, although the subsequent rush attempt for an extra point failed. Missouri extended their lead with a 49-yard field goal by Blake Craig at 2:22. The Bears struggled to gain momentum, with penalties hindering their progress, including a holding call early in the quarter and a pass interference penalty later, which stalled their offensive efforts. Missouri's defense held firm, allowing no points and forcing Central Ark. into three punts during the quarter.
In the second quarter, Missouri extended their lead over the Bears with a strong offensive performance. Pribula led Missouri's attack, completing multiple passes and executing a 31-yard rushing touchdown at the 6:48 mark, followed by a successful extra point by Craig, making it 19-0. Craig also added a 55-yard field goal earlier in the quarter at 9:33. Missouri continued their momentum with a late drive, capped by a 1-yard touchdown pass from Pribula to Brett Norfleet with just 8 seconds remaining, and another successful PAT by Craig, to close the half at 26-0.
In the third quarter, Missouri capitalized on a strong opening drive, with Pribula and Ahmad Hardy leading the charge. Hardy's 44-yard run to the Bears' 35-yard line set the tone, and he capped the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run, extending Missouri's lead to 33–0. Central Ark. struggled to respond, and their drive stalled after a sack of
Luther Richesson by Damon Wilson II. Missouri continued to dominate offensively, with Pribula adding a 1-yard touchdown run, further widening the score to 40–0 by the end of the quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Missouri extended its lead with a 40-yard touchdown pass from Matt Zollers to Jude James at the 11:05 mark, followed by a successful PAT by Robert Meyer, making the score 47-0. Central Ark. fumbled at the 9:32 mark, recovered by Missouri's Cameron Keys, leading to another scoring opportunity for Missouri. Marquise Davis capitalized with a 3-yard rushing touchdown at 7:32, and Meyer again added the extra point to extend the lead. Later, Dante McClellan's 83-yard interception return for a touchdown at 2:48 further widened the gap. Central Ark. finally got on the scoreboard with a 3-yard touchdown pass from Richesson to
Manny Smith with 22 seconds remaining, but the two-point conversion attempt failed, leaving the final score 61-6 in favor of Missouri.
Smith contributed offensively with three receptions for four yards, including a touchdown. Richesson completed 13 of 23 passes for 73 yards and one touchdown, also adding 32 rushing yards on eight carries. Defensively,
Dillon Williams led the team with eight tackles.
Daylon Land added seven tackles, while Ny'Len Ramon Jones and
Dude Person each recorded six tackles.
Missouri's offense was led by senior quarterback Pribula, who completed 23 of 28 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns while adding 65 rushing yards and two more scores on the ground. Junior wide receiver Johnson was a key target with five receptions for 134 yards and a touchdown. Freshman quarterback Zollers made a perfect showing, completing all three passes for 58 yards and a touchdown. On the ground, sophomore running back Hardy carried 10 times for 100 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, junior defensive end Wilson II recorded two sacks, while junior linebacker Jeremiah Beasley led the team with seven tackles, adding a forced fumble.
The loss left Central Ark. at 0-1 overall. With the win, Missouri improved to 1-0 on the season.
Looking ahead, Central Ark. will host UA - Pine Bluff at Estes Stadium in Conway, Ark. on Saturday, September 6. Kickoff is at 6 p.m.
