Mizzou Football: What can we learn in Week 1?

When Missouri takes the field on Thursday night against Arkansas Pine-Bluff to kick off its 136th season, it will mark the end of a long wait dating back to last December.

It sparks excitement because, for the first time since the Gator Bowl, the Tigers have real live-action collegiate football. It will be against an FCS opponent that hasn’t won more than four games in a season since 2019; as 50-plus point favorites, it should be decisively over pretty soon.

But, within each football game, there is always something to learn or observe as fans. While this game will likely be a decisive blowout, here are some things to keep an eye on throughout a full 60 minutes.

How aggressive are Missouri’s quarterbacks downfield?

It’s something that could be key to an explosive offense in 2026. Generating deep shots downfield comes with a high-risk, high-reward element, something Mizzou has benefited from in some of its most successful seasons but was lacking in its offense in 2025.

Now, on Thursday, we’ll get to see if the Tigers show signs of committing to it live. Chip Lindsey was brought in with a history of quarterbacks willing to hunt downfield, while Austin Simmons brings a level of arm talent that Drinkwitz hasn’t seen in his time in Columbia. It’ll be interesting to see how frequently the Tigers attack the deep parts of the field (20-plus yards).

This game also comes on the heels of former Tigers quarterback Beau Pribula making his Virginia debut. In the Cavaliers’ win against NC State, he threw more touchdown passes of 15-plus yards (2) on Saturday than he did all of last season, per ESPN Insights. So, this shows how great the Tigers’ downfield passing attack was last season.

Yes, Missouri is going to score a lot of points, move the ball, and rightfully so, but how the sauce is made is one to watch for.

Do the tight ends actually stretch the field vertically?

Another big talker of this offseason. Will Chip Lindsey utilize the tight ends as anticipated? We know talent isn’t the issue; it comes more down to what they’re asked to do.

From Brett Norfleet to Jordon Harris to Jude James and down the depth chart, it’s going to be worth seeing what route combinations these tight ends are going to be asked to run and how they’re deployed once on the field.

Will we see more crossers, seams, or flat-out releasing vertically? It ties into point No. 1 and is a vital part of taking the offense to another step.

What will Jack Lange show in a larger sample size?

We know that Cayden Green will be out for an unknown amount of time, per Eli Drinkwitz, creating opportunities at the left tackle position. Per Drinkwitz, Mizzou will get an extensive look at Jack Lange at the position.

Lange, a former 4-star recruit and the top-ranked one in the state in 2024, has just four career offensive snaps to his name, which came against Louisiana last season. It’ll be the largest sample size we have of Lange to date on Thursday.

For Mizzou, the future of the offensive line is unknown. Green could return for another season in 2027, but the NFL is an extremely appealing option. Dominick Guidice, Curtis Peagler and Tristan Wilson are all in their final seasons as Tigers, meaning there will be some reshuffling on the offensive line next year.

Lange getting extensive work provides the team (And us fans) a glimpse into the future to see how ready he is for a larger role.

Of course, how will the newcomers look?

There will be a lot of new faces, and plenty of opportunities on Thursday. Like Lange, there are plenty of intriguing questions elsewhere.

Ahmad Hardy is out until mid-September, and we know Jamal Roberts is running back No. 1 until then, but Malae Fonoti and Xai’Shaun Edwards were both brought in from the FCS level to a team that hasn’t shied away from running the ball. How will they perform in their first games at Mizzou?

Wide receiver Naeshaun Montgomery hasn’t played many snaps in his collegiate career but is listed as a starter as a former 4-star recruit, while fellow 4-star recruit Ja’Don Blair is listed as the primary backup free safety, but has just 19 snaps in his career.

It raises curiosity of how things beyond what the final score is. We know Mizzou is going to win, and most likely by a large amount, but there’s still plenty to observe outside of what the box score says. We don’t have to wait too much longer with kickoff a day away.