RECAP: Mizzou takes fifth-straight Battle Line win in dominant fashion

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KMIZ)

The Tigers came away with their fifth straight win over the Razorbacks, 34-10.

Mizzou put its bye week to good use, recovering from injuries to get the team ready for the final five weeks of the season.

Despite rain falling all night, the Tigers only got more lively as the night went on, flexing its muscles against Arkansas now that they've gotten healthy.

"When we've got a full tank, it's different," Mizzou football coach Eli Drinkwitz said. "Tip of the hat to those guys for having the urgency to get healthy."

One of those players returning to the line up was all-American running back Ahmad Hardy, who was making his season debut after being shot in the leg.

"Everybody been there every day literally like from coaches to the staff, to the players," Hardy said. "So everybody just been real supportive."

Hardy only recorded two carries for five yards, but was just excited to be back playing football again.

"The guys wanted me out there and I was out there. I got two carries, but I didn't even expect that. I thought I was a decoy."

With Hardy still making his way back, the team leaned on another top back in the SEC. Jamal Roberts finished the night with 158 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns. He's carried the load for the Tigers several times in the first part of the season, but with the rain coming down, his role was that much bigger.

"Working those elements during practice, we were doing wet ball drills just knowing the weather that was coming," Roberts said. "But ground and pound, that's my game"

"Our preparation, I think is one and done, you know," Quarterback Austin Simmons said. "We really talk about, executing on all areas of the game throughout the week."

"We talked about pregame, it was going to be a wet game. We had practiced for it. We prepared for it is going to come down to fundamentals and ball security," Coach Drinkwitz said. "Every guy that walked in, we either said, ball security or attack ball."

Winning the turnover battle was the biggest key to victory for the Tigers. Mizzou forced four giveaways, including a trio of fumbles, one of which ending up in the end zone for a touchdown.

"We had a bunch of dogs rally to the ball, and it was Darris came up with it and I was super excited and happy for him," Linebacker Nicholas Rodriguez said.

"We knew opportunities were going to come," Safety Trajen Greco said. "Just whenever the ball is in the air, you know, we need to make sure we need to create more turnovers on the team and I feel like we did that very well today."

Up Next - Mizzou kicks off a stretch of three-straight ranked opponents, the first being 11th-ranked Texas. The Tigers and Longhorns are set to kick off at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7.