No. 25 Missouri football kicks off its 2026 season at 7 p.m. against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The Tigers haven't lost their first game of a season since coach Eli Drinkwitz's debut game with the program, a Sept. 26, 2020, matchup against No. 2 Alabama. They've gone 5-0 in season openers since and will look to continue that success against the FCS-based Golden Lions shortly. Among the most anticipated Tiger performances are Ole Miss transfer quarterback Austin Simmons, brand new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey, a fully-healthy Blake Craig at kicker and plenty of young, new faces on the defense. Sophomore wideout Donovan Olugbode, transfer linebacker Robert Woodyard and senior running back Jamal Roberts will have plenty of eyes on them as well. Plenty of backups could see extended action as well, assuming Missouri handles business as expected. Keep an eye on backups like RB Xai'Shaun Edwards, QB Matt Zollers and OT Jack Lange on offense, and S Jayden McGregory, DT Jason Dowell and DE Daeden Hopkins on defense. The game could provide a glimpse into the future for Missouri's youngsters. Missouri will be without All-American running back Ahmad Hardy and All-SEC left tackle Cayden Green, as both are sidelined with injuries — Hardy recovering from a gunshot wound suffered May 10, and Green an undisclosed leg injury. After an 8-5 2025 season that ended with a Gator Bowl loss to Virginia, the Tigers will be looking to start off hot in 2026 against UAPB. Follow the thread below for updates and analysis throughout the game. FINAL: Mizzou 54, UAPB 14Fourth QuarterHatfield Scores: MIZ 54, UAPB 14 - 3:49 Remaining in Q4True freshman tailback Preston Hatfield scored in his Tiger debut, scoring on a 9-yard run late in the fourth quarter. Hatfield is up to three carries for 28 yards on the day. Touchdown UAPB: MIZ 47, UAPB 14 - 6:13 Remaining in Q4UAPB quarterback Jackson Schierholz connected with wide receiver David Brewer IV for a 16-yard pass up the middle. The Golden Lions have outscored the Tigers 14-10 in the second half. Zollers Scores His First Touchdown: MIZ 47, UAPB 7 - 10:00 Remaining in Q4Matt Zollers, who entered the game near the end of the second half, found the end zone for the first time tonight. The sophomore quarterback capped off a 44-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown rush, bringing his line on the night to 113 total yards, one touchdown and zero turnovers. Punting Continues: MIZ 40, UAPB 7 - 12:40 Remaining in Q4Brunno Reus has punted twice in the second half, the first of which went for 52 yards and the second of which went 35, pinning UAPB inside the 5-yard line. Third QuarterUAPB Gets on the Board: MIZ 40, UAPB 7, 2:31 Remaining in Q3The Golden Lions finally found the end zone, completing a seven-play, 80-yard drive in 3:09 to cut the deficit to 40-7. Running back Za'Marion Webber scored on a 27-yard rush. Missouri Cools Down: MIZ 40, UAPB 0 - 5:40 Remaining in Q3Missouri stalled out on its second drive with Zollers under center, as the sophomore led the Tigers on a nearly-5-minute drive that lasted nine plays and gained 37 yards, ending in a punt from Brunno Reus, his first as a Tiger. HALFTIME#Mizzou's stats at the end of the first half pic.twitter.com/nCPDmsCulK— Killian Wright (@byKillianWright) September 4, 2026Second QuarterZollers Checks In, Craig Makes Field Goal, First Half Ends: MIZ 40, UAPB 0After Simmons' torching of the Golden Lions, backup signal-caller Matt Zollers took the field. He didn't lead the Tigers to a touchdown, completing three of his four passes for 30 yards and tacking on nine rushing yards on two attempts. Craig made his first field goal of the season, good from 32 yards. Mizzou is on Fire: MIZ 37, UAPB 0Mizzou is scoring faster than I can type. Simmons just connected with Cayden Lee for a 47-yard touchdown to cap off a 29-second drive, breaking open the little resistance left and setting the floodgates loose. Simmons is up to 280 passing yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions while completing 17 of his 19 passes. Olugbode and Simmons Connect Again: MIZ 30, UAPB 0Simmons appears to have a favorite target in Olugbode, as the sophomore is now up to eight receptions for 144 yards and two touchdowns. Simmons threw a 35-yard ball to Olugbode, who took it down the sideline to score and extend Missouri's lead to 30-0. Craig once again converted the extra point, making him 4 for 4 on the day. Chaotic Defensive Sequence Leads to MU Score: MIZ 23, UAPB 0Safety Elijah Dotson intercepted a UAPB pass, only for a roughing-the-passer penalty against Nicholas Rodriguez to give the Golden Lions the ball back. Mizzou forced a fourth down a few plays later, of which UAPB miffed the snap and launched the ball over its punter, George Wiles-Koehler, forcing him to kick the ball through the back of the end zone — safety for Mizzou. Tigers Finally Stopped: MIZ 21, UAPB 0Missouri's fourth drive of the game was also its first scoreless drive, as Olugbode was stripped of the ball by UAPB defensive back Michael Henderson during a run-after-catch. UAPB recovered the ball, ending Mizzou's drive. Roberts Finds the End Zone: MIZ 21, UAPB 0After struggling on the ground for its first two drives, rushing for just 22 yards on 11 attempts, Missouri's run game came alive on its third. Roberts capped off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run in a race to the pylon. — Mizzou on KCSN (@mizzou_kcsn) September 4, 2026First QuarterOlugbode Gets on the Board: MIZ 14, UAPB 0Donovan Olugbode hauled in his first touchdown of the season, courtesy of a 14-yard ball from Simmons. The sophomore made the catch through traffic and a hard hit, bring his total to five receptions for 48 yards and a touchdown on the day. Simmons' Strikes First: MIZ 7, UAPB 0UAPB won the coin toss and elected to defer to Missouri. On his first drive, Simmons captained the Tigers to a touchdown, completing all seven of his pass attempts including a 25-yard touchdown to sophomore wideout Shaun Terry II. Blake Craig made the extra point to bring the score to 7-0. Simmons was sacked by UAPB linebacker Machai Simon Jr. two plays before his touchdown. Missouri forced a three-and-out on the Golden Lions' first drive, thanks to a huge tackle-for-loss by Langden Kitchen followed by a big-time pressure from Daeden Hopkins. DaMarion Fowlkes then returned a punt 25 yards to start the Tigers' drive at the UAPB 47-yard line.PregameHere's a look at Mizzou's North End Zone from inside the press box. This is the first game played since the $250M renovations from the 2025 season were completed. #Mizzou’s North End Zone pic.twitter.com/McKXOVrMN4— Killian Wright (@byKillianWright) September 3, 2026Here's some footage of Simmons warming up before his first game as a Tiger. The lefty signal-caller is set to start shortly. Also spotted on the field was Green and Hardy, who are with the team despite being sidelined with injuries. QB work from #Mizzou’s Austin Simmons pic.twitter.com/LyYlRuFQXz— Killian Wright (@byKillianWright) September 3, 2026How to Watch: Mizzou Football vs. Arkansas-Pine BluffWho: Missouri (0-0) vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0-0) When: Thursday, Sept. 3, 7 p.m. CT Where: Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Missouri TV: SEC Network Radio: Tiger Radio Network Series: First meetingSign up for our free newsletter and follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram for the latest news.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow