{"id":82840,"date":"2025-11-21T18:00:17","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T23:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/?p=82840"},"modified":"2025-11-21T15:36:52","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T20:36:52","slug":"a-big-12-reunion-oklahoma-welcomes-missouri","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2025\/11\/21\/a-big-12-reunion-oklahoma-welcomes-missouri\/","title":{"rendered":"A Big 12 Reunion, Oklahoma Welcomes Missouri"},"content":{"rendered":"
Three weeks remain before the College Football Playoff bracket is officially set and the playoff begins. In the meantime, teams are fighting for a chance to play in their conference championship game, and some are making a last-ditch push to make the playoffs. For Oklahoma, last weekend couldn\u2019t have gone better, upsetting Alabama on the road<\/a>, watching their rivals lose and get knocked out of the playoff bracket, and lastly seeing their name in the playoffs. As it stands, Oklahoma is ranked eighth in the nation, which would give it a home game. Still, the Sooners can\u2019t get too ahead of themselves as they\u2019ve got two more SEC games, including this week\u2019s matchup against 22nd-ranked Missouri. Before we get into the preview, here\u2019s a look back at their long history dating back to 1902.<\/div>\n

A Big 12 Reunion, Oklahoma Welcomes Missouri<\/h2>\n

Former Big 12 Foes<\/h3>\n
The Sooners and the Tigers have gone up against each other 97 times. The Sooners lead the all-time series with a record of 67-25-5. Still, Mizzou has the first win in the series and the most recent win. In last year\u2019s matchup in Columbia, Missouri, the team won 30-23<\/a> on a late scoop and score by Zion Young<\/a>. Last year was the first time in 13 years that the two schools faced off. When Missouri left for the SEC in 2012, the rivalry was put on hold, but now it will occur for the next four years due to the SEC protecting rivalry games. From 1946 to 2011, the Sooners were dominant in the series, allowing the Tigers to win only 8 times. Now a new era of the rivalry is upon us, and last year\u2019s game did not disappoint. Here\u2019s everything to know about this year\u2019s matchup, from keys to win to key players.<\/div>\n

Looking to Return<\/h3>\n
Missouri hasn\u2019t been the same team through the air since its week nine battle with Vanderbilt. Starting quarterback Beau Pribula<\/a> went down on the goal line and was later carted off. Since then, true freshman Matt Zollers<\/a> has been the starter, helping them go 1-1 as a starter, throwing for three touchdowns and one interception. Now, Pribula looks to return this weekend but is listed as questionable. He dislocated his ankle, which didn\u2019t require surgery, luckily, but he is still rehabbing. Before the injury, he was throwing 1,685 yards, which ranks 15th in the SEC. His biggest issue at the start of the year was protecting the ball, as he has thrown seven interceptions. Still, Pribula\u2019s gutsy play style makes him a difference and can cause problems for Oklahoma.<\/div>\n

Finding the End Zone<\/h3>\n
The Oklahoma offense continues to confuse week in and week out. At the beginning of the year, it was the run game that struggled, then it was the pass game when John Mateer<\/a> returned from injury, and now it\u2019s both. Nevertheless, the Sooners are finding ways to win against top teams through their defense and kicker Tate Sandell<\/a>. Still, to compete with playoff teams like Ohio State and Indiana, they will need to find the end zone more often. Currently, Mateer has eight touchdowns and seven interceptions. In the SEC, they rank third to last in passing touchdowns and 11th in rushing touchdowns. Out of the 11 passing, receiver Isiah Sategna<\/a> has five of them, putting him eighth in the SEC for receiving touchdowns. Overall, Mateer will have to find someone in the end zone this Saturday if they want any momentum in the passing game going forward.<\/div>\n
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Photo Credit: BRYAN TERRY\/THE OKLAHOMAN \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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A Defensive Line Gauntlet<\/h3>\n
Oklahoma and Missouri have established top-tier defensive lines this season. In the SEC, Oklahoma is second in yards allowed per game (278.4), while Missouri is first by a yard (277.5). Both teams are in the top five and six for sacks created, passing and rushing yards allowed per game, and points allowed per game, and all season. Saturday is likely to feature a lot of pressure and tackles for loss. Look for Taylor Wein<\/a> and Kip Lews<\/a> to create the pressure for Oklahoma. For Missouri, look for Young and Damon Wilson II<\/a>, who has seven sacks.<\/div>\n

Key Players: Both Offensive Lines<\/h3>\n
This is a battle of whose offensive line will last longer. For Missouri, if Pribula doesn\u2019t suit up, giving time for Zollers in the pocket is crucial. Oklahoma\u2019s R Mason Thomas<\/a> is still questionable for Saturday, so a loss like him will help the offensive line. For the Sooners, creating holes for their backs, Tory Blaylock<\/a> and Xavier Robinson,<\/a> is key, along with creating space for Mateer to run. Mateer scored the crucial touchdown last week at the end of the first half, putting them up ten. The issue the Sooners have to face is that starting offensive lineman Heath Ozaeta<\/a> is questionable. Both teams have allowed over 20 sacks on the season. Time will tell if either offensive line can hold its own.<\/div>\n

Ahmad Hardy, RB, Missouri<\/h3>\n
Hardy<\/a> has been the SEC\u2019s breakout star this season. The Louisiana Monroe transfer leads the nation in rushing yards with 1,346. He ranks third in rushing touchdowns with 15, scoring at least one in every game but once. Last week he had his best game, rushing for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. Now he faces the fourth-best rush defense in the nation. If Hardy is productive early, the Tigers will be able to compete, but if he is limited like he was against Vanderbilt, it could be a long day.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Oklahoma is two wins away from making its first playoff since 2019 and giving Brent Venables his first playoff berth as a coach. The only obstacles in their way are Missouri this Saturday and LSU next week. Oklahoma can\u2019t overlook either of these teams, even if they are home for both. The Sooners need to use these two games to establish their identity on offense and continue to dominate on defense. Enjoy the game, everyone, and get ready for rivalry weekend.<\/div>\n

How To Watch:<\/h3>\n
\n

Opponent: <\/b>Missouri
\nHistory:<\/b> Sooners lead the all-time series with a record of 67-25-5.
\nDate and Time:<\/b> Saturday, Nov. 22nd | 11:00 a.m. CST
\nLocation: <\/b>OU Memorial Stadium, Norman, Oklahoma
\nTelevision:<\/b>\u00a0ABC<\/p>\n

Main Photo: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Three weeks remain before the College Football Playoff bracket is officially set and the playoff begins. In the meantime, teams are fighting for a chance to play in their conference championship game, and some are making a last-ditch push to make the playoffs. For Oklahoma, last weekend couldn\u2019t have gone better, upsetting Alabama on the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5571,"featured_media":82850,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,35586,17,35581,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-82840","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-missouri-tigers","category-news","category-oklahoma-sooners","category-sec"],"modified_by":"Kate Pearson Halyburton, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82840","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5571"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82840"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82840\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82851,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82840\/revisions\/82851"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/82850"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82840"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82840"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82840"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}