Zion Young’s play — and swagger — set a tone in Missouri’s overtime win at Auburn

As Missouri gathered at midfield for the overtime coin toss Saturday night, Zion Young wasn’t quiet.

The senior defensive end barked out expletive-laced words that cut through the noise of 88,043 fans inside Jordan-Hare Stadium. His energy was impossible to ignore — a mix of intensity and confidence that teammates say has become his signature.

Moments later, that emotion turned into action. On the second snap of overtime, Young burst off the edge and brought down Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold for a 9-yard sack that set the tone for what followed.

The sequence captured everything about Missouri’s 23-17 double-overtime victory: gritty, imperfect and decided by who could make a play when it mattered most.

“We held our composure,” Young said. “I was telling the guys the whole time, ‘We’re right where we want to be.’”

A defining performance

Young finished with five tackles, two sacks and 2½ tackles for loss, earning recognition Monday as the Southeastern Conference Defensive Lineman of the Week. His effort helped Missouri secure its first SEC road win of the season and its sixth victory overall.

According to Pro Football Focus, Young’s performance earned a 74.2 overall defensive grade, one of the highest on the team. He generated four pressures and consistently won one-on-one matchups, beating his blocker on nearly a quarter of his pass rush attempts.

It wasn’t just the production; it was when it came. Both of Young’s sacks arrived in crucial moments, one late in regulation and another to open overtime. Each shifted momentum back to the Tigers and helped stall Auburn drives that had threatened to swing the outcome.

A spark when Missouri needed it

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Missouri’s offense struggled for much of the night. Quarterback Beau Pribula faced constant pressure, and the run game rarely found daylight. That left the defense to create opportunities.

Young’s presence, both vocal and physical, gave the unit its edge. His energy during the coin toss quickly spread to the sideline, where teammates matched his emotion heading into extra time.

The play that followed proved it. Young’s sack forced Auburn behind schedule and led to a missed field goal two plays later. While MU’s offense failed to capitalize in the first OT, it scored in the second and allowed the defense an opportunity to close out the game. The Tigers’ front seized the opportunity.

“He refused to be blocked,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “They ran seven plays (in overtime), and he had to have had one sack, one TFL — it was unbelievable.”

Recognition earned

By Monday, the SEC made official what Missouri players already knew: Young was one of the weekend’s standouts. His confidence has grown in two years at MU since transferring from Michigan State, underscoring how quickly he has become one of the Tigers’ defensive leaders.

Drinkwitz said Young’s combination of length, speed and effort has helped transform the MU pass rush. Through seven games, he is second on the team with five sacks and ranks among the SEC’s top 10 in pressures.

Looking ahead

Missouri (6-1, 2-1 SEC) will need more performances like that when it travels to Vanderbilt on Saturday for a top-15 matchup with major conference implications.

For Young, the goal is simple: Keep the same mindset that carried through that coin toss in Auburn. That shouldn’t be an issue for Young, a player unafraid to be himself and radiate energy to his teammates.