Missouri’s narrow loss to Alabama wasn’t about effort or talent. It came down to the fine margins, small details that separate upset bids from statement wins.
The Tigers hung with the nation’s No. 8 team for four quarters, but the Pro Football Focus (PFF) data paints a clearer picture of what went right, what went wrong and where adjustments are needed for Missouri as it heads into the back half of the season.
Here are four takeaways from Missouri’s 27-24 defeat at Memorial Stadium:
1. Beau Pribula’s inexperience finally caught up to him
For much of this season, Beau Pribula has been the steady machine Missouri needed at quarterback. On Saturday, he looked human.
His 52.9 offensive grade was the third lowest among Missouri offensive players and reflected what was visible in real time: missed reads, hurried throws and moments where Alabama’s speed forced hesitation.
Pribula completed just 57.1% of his passes, marking his second-straight SEC game under 60%.
His average time to throw was 3.44 seconds, easily the longest of his career, both as a starter and his time at Penn State. That number suggests a quarterback holding the ball too long, waiting for routes to develop instead of taking what the defense allowed.
Pribula has shown toughness and poise all season, but against Alabama, inexperience surfaced in ways that changed the game’s rhythm.
2. Kevin Coleman Jr. vanished — and Donovan Olugbode stepped up late
When Missouri’s offense needed a big play through the air, it didn’t come from its usual source.
Kevin Coleman Jr., typically one of the Tigers’ most reliable receivers, was nearly invisible. He caught one pass for two yards, his lowest total in any FBS game, and was targeted just three times.
The Crimson Tide cornerbacks jammed him early, limiting opportunities and forcing Pribula to look elsewhere.
That opened the door for Donovan Olugbode late in the game. The freshman receiver turned just 15 snaps into massive production, catching all three of his targets and posting a team-high receiving grade of 85.9. Two of those came during Missouri’s final drive, including one contested grab that reignited the crowd.
Olugbode’s late burst was one of the few offensive bright spots, and with continued performances like that, he will quickly carve out a larger role in the rotation.
3. The secondary delivered its cleanest performance yet
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson made a handful of difficult throws, but Missouri’s defensive backs didn’t make life easy.
Simpson finished with 200 passing yards, his lowest total as a starter, and much of that came on tight-window completions.
This was a stark improvement from earlier games, where miscommunication and coverage breakdowns plagued the Tigers’ secondary.
Daylan Carnell played a key role, finishing with five tackles a PFF grade of 76.4, flashing the athleticism that made him one of Missouri’s most versatile defenders last season.
Safety Jalen Catalon (76.7) was steady in coverage, while Santana Banner, pressed into extended duty after Marvin Burks Jr. was ejected for targeting, allowed just one reception on four targets.
Defensive coordinator Corey Batoon has preached communication and discipline all season. On Saturday, both finally showed up and that cohesion kept Missouri in the game deep into the fourth quarter.
4. Missouri abandoned what made its offense special
Through five weeks, Missouri’s offense leaned on its run game to set the tone. Against Alabama, that identity disappeared.
Ahmad Hardy and Jamal Roberts combined for only 17 carries — their fewest total of the season. Roberts’ lone second-half rush came on a fake punt. Hardy, meanwhile, turned limited touches into 52 rushing yards, including an almost comical 53 after contact yards according to PFF.
It wasn’t just a matter of inefficiency; it was a matter of opportunity. Missouri shifted away from the run once Alabama built momentum. The result was an offense that became predictable and overly reliant on Pribula’s arm in obvious passing situations.
When the Tigers have been at their best, they’ve controlled tempo and dictated physicality through the ground game. Saturday was the opposite, and it proved costly.
Missouri (5-1, 1-1 SEC) will try to regain its offensive balance when it travels to Auburn for its first road test of the season on Saturday night.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.