Football
Missouri Dominates UCA, 61-6, in Season Opener on Road
Tigers’ offense found its stride early, building a lead against Central Arkansas that kept growing throughout their 2025 season opener.
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri opened its 2025 football season with a decisive 61-6 victory over Central Arkansas on Saturday at Memorial Stadium, using a balanced offense and a dominant defensive performance to secure the win.
UCA’s defense hung in for a quarter before starting to wear down and it snowballed out of control by halftime.
Quarterback Beau Pribula led the Tigers, completing 23 of 28 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns. Pribula also rushed for 65 yards and two additional scores. Missouri finished with 560 total yards and did not allow a Bears’ touchdown until the final minute.
Missouri scored first with a 49-yard touchdown pass from Pribula to Marquis Johnson at the 11:06 mark in the first quarter. Blake Craig added a 49-yard field goal late in the quarter to give the Tigers a 9-0 lead. UCA struggled to move the ball, with penalties and a strong Missouri defense forcing three punts in the opening period.
The Bears’ offense continued to sputter in the second quarter, and Missouri extended its lead. Craig hit a 55-yard field goal at 9:33, and Pribula followed with a 31-yard rushing touchdown. Pribula then connected with Brett Norfleet for a 1-yard touchdown pass with eight seconds left in the half, putting Missouri up 26-0.
Missouri built on its lead in the third quarter. Ahmad Hardy broke loose for a 44-yard run, then finished the drive with a 4-yard touchdown carry. Pribula added another touchdown on a 1-yard run. The Tigers’ defense, led by Damon Wilson II’s sack, continued to contain Central Arkansas.
In the fourth quarter, freshman quarterback Matt Zollers threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Jude James. A Bears’ fumble, recovered by Missouri’s Cameron Keys, set up a 3-yard touchdown run by Marquise Davis. Dante McClellan sealed the win with an 83-yard interception return for a touchdown with 2:48 remaining.
UCA avoided a shutout with a 3-yard touchdown pass from Will Richesson to Smith with 22 seconds to play. The Bears failed on a two-point conversion attempt.
Richesson finished 13 of 23 for 73 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 32 yards on eight carries. Smith had three catches for four yards and the Bears’ only touchdown.
UCA’s defense was led by with eight tackles. Ny’Len Ramon Jones and each had six tackles. Wilson II paced Missouri’s defense with two sacks; Jeremiah Beasley had seven tackles and a forced fumble.
Johnson was Missouri’s top receiver with five catches for 134 yards and a touchdown. Hardy rushed 10 times for 100 yards and a score. Zollers completed all three of his passes for 58 yards and a touchdown.
Missouri improved to 1-0. UCA fell to 0-1 and will host UA-Pine Bluff at Estes Stadium in Conway, Ark., on Sept. 6 at 6 p.m.
The Tigers’ home crowd saw a team that capitalized on offensive opportunities and forced turnovers, while the Bears will look to regroup after a challenging opener.
