Missouri football QB Austin Simmons stats, grade after loss at Mississippi State

September 27, 2026

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See our best photos from Missouri football at Mississippi State in Week 4

Sep 26, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs fans ring their cowbells outside Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field prior to the game against the Missouri Tigers. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

(Petre Thomas, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Sep 26, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz looks on during warm ups prior to the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

(Petre Thomas, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Sep 26, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Austin Simmons (13) hands the ball off to running back Jamal Roberts (20) during warm ups prior to the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

(Petre Thomas, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Sep 26, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Kamario Taylor (1) passes the ball during warm ups prior to the game against the Missouri Tigers at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

(Petre Thomas, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Sep 26, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby looks on during warm ups prior to the game against the Missouri Tigers at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

(Petre Thomas, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Sep 26, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Austin Simmons (13) passes the ball during warm ups prior to the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

(Petre Thomas, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Sep 26, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs mascots Belle and Bully walk to the field prior to the game against the Missouri Tigers at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

(Petre Thomas, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Sep 26, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Missouri Tigers cheerleaders warmup prior to the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

(Petre Thomas, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Sep 26, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz looks on prior to the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

(Petre Thomas, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Sep 26, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs cheerleaders cheer prior to the Dawg Walk prior to the game against the Missouri Tigers at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

(Petre Thomas, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Sep 26, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs fans react with cornerback Kelley Jones (1) outside Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field during the Dawg Walk prior to the game against the Missouri Tigers. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

(Petre Thomas, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Sep 26, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; A Mississippi State Bulldogs fan reacts with quarterback Kamario Taylor (1) outside Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field during the Dawg Walk prior to the game against the Missouri Tigers. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

(Petre Thomas, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Sep 26, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs fans ring their cowbells outside Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field prior to the game against the Missouri Tigers. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

(Petre Thomas, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Sep 26, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby walks to Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field during the Dawg Walk prior to the game against the Missouri Tigers. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

(Petre Thomas, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Sep 26, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs mascot Bully rings a cowbell during the Dawg Walk outside Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field prior to the game against the Missouri Tigers. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

(Petre Thomas, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Sep 26, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs fan holds up a Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Kamario Taylor (1) chain outside Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field prior to the game against the Missouri Tigers. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

(Petre Thomas, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

STARKVILLE, MISSISSIPPI – SEPTEMBER 26: Austin Simmons #13 of the Missouri Tigers arrives for the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium on September 26, 2026 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)

(Justin Ford, Getty Images)

STARKVILLE, MISSISSIPPI – SEPTEMBER 26: Head coach Eli Drinkwitz of the Missouri Tigers looks on before the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium on September 26, 2026 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)

(Justin Ford, Getty Images)

STARKVILLE, Miss. — No. 21/19-ranked Missouri football lost 31-24 to RV/24-ranked Mississippi State on Saturday, as quarterback Austin Simmons and Kamario Taylor went blow for blow in a thrilling night at Davis Wade Stadium.

The Bulldogs (4-0, 2-0 SEC) had 14-point runs in both the first and fourth quarters, as Taylor saved his best for the end on a 360-yard passing night. Simmons and Mizzou (3-1, 0-1) flipped the early deficit with a tremendous middle stretch, including a 24-3 run in the second and third quarters.

Here’s what Simmons’ statline looked like as he lost for the first time as Mizzou’s QB:

Austin Simmons’ stats

Simmons was 23-of-39 passing (59.0%) for 295 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

He tossed 21- and 28-yard scoring passes to Cayden Lee in the third quarter and a 11-yard touchdown throw to Donovan Olugbode in the second quarter.

Simmons has had at least 250 yards in three of his four starts as Mizzou’s quarterback, and he is yet to throw an interception.

Simmons’ best

When he’s on, Simmons is wonderful to watch.

The tight-window touchdown pass to Donovan Olugbode in the second quarter, capitalizing on a pick from Taylor, was tremendous. Mizzou needed it. Third-and-9. Goal-to-go. Another drive in danger of stalling out via penalties or poor execution.

Simmons’ second touchdown pass to Lee was special. He got a clean pocket and put the 28-yard pass on a plate for the fellow Ole Miss transfer.

He slotted it between three MSU defenders to find Olugbode at the goal line, and after some tough sledding early on, the Tigers were back in the game with a 10-point run in the second quarter.

The QB delivered in big moments. Simmons was not the reason the Tigers lost, and rather a major reason the game didn’t slip away earlier.

Simmons’ worst

The slow starts and inconsistent spells are a worrying trend.

As Mississippi State built a big lead, the Mizzou quarterback kept throwing at receivers who were not open.

Simmons and the Mizzou offense struggled to maintain drives early. Interspersed between some well-placed third-and-long throws were more ineffective tosses to covered receivers. The Tigers’ run game didn’t arrive until the second quarter. Mizzou went for an early fourth-and-short and fell short on a Simmons scramble.

The QB doesn’t yet have an interception, but there were throws in slower first- and fourth-quarters that probably should have gone the other way. He went into the half with a 12-of-21 (57.1%) passing mark for 135 yards. Twenty-one passes was at least half-a-dozen too many, and the slow start ended up being costly.

Grade: B+

It’s another heartbreaker for Mizzou in an important game, but Simmons was not the reason that Saturday ended in defeat.

When the moment got big, Simmons stepped up. The Tigers needed him to make some massive throws.

He got the Tigers into the red zone to tie the game after Kamario Taylor dialed up his own special moments, and Simmons and Mizzou came up a couple of plays short. Sometimes that’s just how it goes.

Missouri has the potential to knock off one of the stronger teams on its schedule. Simmons has shown proof of concept at the quarterback position, including in Saturday night’s loss in Starkville.

But he came up just short in his first outing against a top-25 opponent.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri football QB Austin Simmons stats, grade after loss at Mississippi State

Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com

Missouri football QB Austin Simmons stats, grade after loss at Mississippi State

See our best photos from Missouri football at Mississippi State in Week 4

See our best photos from Missouri football at Mississippi State in Week 4

See our best photos from Missouri football at Mississippi State in Week 4