The Auburn Tigers take on the Missouri Tigers in an intriguing SEC battle in Week 8. It’s a must-win game for head coach Hugh Freeze, and what could be a season-defining moment for head coach Eli Drinkwitz. With that in mind, let’s dive into this Auburn vs. Missouri 2025 game preview.
Auburn Tigers vs. Missouri Tigers: Matchup History and Excerpts
Auburn and Missouri have played five times in their history. Auburn has a 3-2 record all-time against Missouri as they enter this matchup. Missouri won the first matchup in 1973, then Auburn rattled off three in a row, starting with an SEC Championship win in 2013 and a fluke win in 2024 to end their streak. Missouri won last year, and is favored as a two-point favorite now, despite opening as an underdog.
An interesting wrinkle in this matchup is that team captain Damari Alston was removed from the team for, “failing to meet the standards and expectations of the program,” according to coach Hugh Freeze. His dismissal led to teammates defending him on social media, and an interesting comment by Jackson Arnold at Tuesday’s practice.
Arnold said, “If you don’t want to be here, don’t be here,” and mentioned the players that are here working hard. Auburn’s key players will have to outperform or match Missouri’s key players to win. If they don’t, and the Auburn Tigers lose badly, then Hugh Freeze’s job could easily be on the line this week.
Auburn vs. Missouri 2025 Preview: Keys, Players, and Predictions
Auburn Key Offensive Players
With the dismissal of Damari Alston, Jeremiah Cobb becomes an even more important part of the offense. In total, the two running backs totaled 19 carries against Georgia, with Cobb getting 12 of them. On the year, Cobb has 70 carries for 453 yards, and four touchdowns. He has clearly grown into a strong SEC starting running back, and will have to continue to show that going forward. However, Cobb only has two receptions for 11 yards, and struggles in pass protection. To combat these struggles, Auburn should use him in the screen game to help an offense that has been struggling in general.
Jackson Arnold is going to be a key player as long as he is the starting quarterback of the Auburn Tigers. Hugh Freeze has got to put Arnold in situations to succeed and allow him to be the quarterback that he can be. This does not mean forcing him to be a drop back passer, but rather using him as an RPO quarterback. Allow him to make reads with quick passes, hand the ball off to Cobb, or even take off and run himself. Arnold is currently the second-leading rusher on the team in yards (including sack yards), and he leads the team in carries. Use this strength to the best of Arnold’s ability to unlock the offense, then start to take deep shots.
Malcolm Simmons is the next key player for Auburn. Simmons has two carries for 18 yards and one touchdown on the ground, and 12 receptions for 102 yards. He is a versatile and explosive athlete who has been underutilized within this offense. Horation Fields has been injured, and Alston is now dismissed from the team. Someone has to step up for this Auburn offense, and Simmons is the perfect candidate. His speed can take over a game if used properly, and he would make a great change of pace for Cobb in the run game. Freeze should look to Simmons and fellow freshman Perry Thompson more behind Eric Singleton and Cam Coleman in the passing game to help Arnold succeed more.
Missouri Key Offensive Players
Ahmad Hardy has been an incredible story this season after transferring in from the University of Louisiana-Monroe. Hardy is currently second in the nation in rushing yards with 782 yards on only 115 carries. He has nine touchdowns and is averaging 6.8 yards per carry. The Missouri offense runs through Hardy, and Auburn will be pressed to stop him. He will have to uphold his success against a strong Auburn rush defense to help Beau Pribula.
The next key player for Missouri is the aforementioned Beau Pribula. Pribula, the Penn State transfer, has been a pleasant surprise for the Missouri offense. On the season, Beau Pribula has completed 72-percent of his passes for 1365 yards, 11 touchdowns, and five interceptions while also adding a dual-threat ability with 182 yards on 51 carries and four rushing touchdowns. The Auburn defense will have a challenge in stopping the one-two punch of Missouri’s rushing attack with Pribula and Hardy, while also stopping Pribula passing to Kevin Coleman Jr.
Coleman is the final key player for Missouri. He is on his fourth school in four years, yet has seemed to connect with Pribula. It is his second season in the SEC, as he transferred from Mississippi State, where he racked up 74 receptions, 932 yards, and six touchdowns. This year, he has 40 receptions, 388 yards, and one touchdown. The receiver is also Beau Pribula’s safety blanket. When Pribula needs a play made, he looks Coleman’s way and it usually works out. Auburn’s secondary will need to key on him.
Auburn Key Defensive Players
Missouri does not corner the market on successful transfer players, and Auburn’s defense has leaned on transfer linebacker Xavier Atkins. Atkins is leading the team with 37 tackles while also having one pass defended and one interception. He will be a key component in stopping Ahmad Hardy and also making Beau Pribula think about throwing over the middle of the field. Expect Atkins to have another great game because if not then Auburn will be in trouble.
As mentioned, Ahmad Hardy is really good. To slow him down, Auburn’s defensive line is going to have to play their well. This starts with Keldric Faulk and Keyron Crawford off the edge. However, the next key player for Auburn is interior defensive linemen Malik Blocton.
Blocton only has 13 tackles this season. Yet, the 6-foot-3, 300-pound sophomore is going to be important in clogging running lanes. The lineman has made impact plays in games this season and will have to step up against Missouri. With Crawford and Faulk garnering most of the attention, Blocton will have plenty of opportunity to make an impact this week as well.
Finally, sophomore cornerback Jay Crawford is the last key player for Auburn’s defense. His sole responsibility will be guarding Kevin Coleman Jr. Crawford has had a slow start to the season due to injury. However, his talent should allow him to compete with any receiver in the SEC. He will have to play to that level and be disruptive against Pribula and the Missouri offense.
Missouri Key Defensive Players
Missouri has another very good transfer player, in Damon Wilson. And, Wilson is clearly excited to face the Auburn Tiger offense as seen in the press conference. The Georgia-transfer defensive end has 5.5 sacks this season and has racked up 11 tackles as well. His pass-rush ability is the kind that gives opposing quarterbacks nightmares, and Jackson Arnold probably isn’t sleeping well this week. Wilson is going to be a problem for an Auburn offensive line that has struggled to pick up pass-rushers and allowed 10 sacks to Oklahoma.
Wilson’s counterpart on the defensive line is the next key player, Zion Young. Second on the team in sacks with three, Young is also an incredible pass rusher. He has accumulated 18 tackles, two passes defended, and two forced fumbles this season. Jackson Arnold struggles with ball security when running, and Zion Young has shown an ability to strip the ball out.
The final key player for Missouri is sophomore linebacker Josiah Trotter. Trotter leads the team with 36 tackles this season, and had 93 as a freshman at West Virginia. If Auburn is going to run the ball, then Trotter is going to be an important piece in stopping it. If he is successful, then Auburn will have to pass more, and that will unleash Wilson and Young. Stopping the run is Missouri’s key to winning the defensive battle against Auburn.
Auburn Keys to Victory
The keys for Auburn to win the game parallel each other. Offensively, Auburn has to keep the offense simple and run the ball. They must utilize players like Malcolm Simmons, Eric Singleton Jr., and Perry Thompson to complement Jeremiah Cobb and Jackson Arnold. If they can succeed rushing the ball and in the short passing game, they can allow Arnold to attempt deep passes.
Defensively, Auburn has to stop the phenom that is Ahmad Hardy in the rushing attack. Slowing him down and containing Beau Pribula in the rushing game will force Missouri into passing the ball. Pribula has been a pleasant surprise, but his game is still flawed; and Auburn has the pass rushers to ruin his day. If they can stop the run and unleash these guys, then Auburn has a chance to win.
Final Score Prediction: 17-13, Auburn
Hugh Freeze Firing Prediction: Not yet
Auburn Tigers Recruiting Roundup
Shadarius Toodle is back! The four-star linebacker from Mobile, Alabama flipped back to the Auburn Tigers from Georgia after Auburn lost him to Georgia. The likely contributing factor is that Auburn took his brother, Shadrick Toodle Jr., as a transfer commit from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Georgia was not willing to do so. There is a third brother as well and this family is clearly close-knit. Toodle’s commitment also shows that despite the fans’ depression, things on the recruiting trail are still good.
Auburn has one official visit scheduled for this weekend so far with four-star wide receiver Tyren Wortham. Wortham is not currently committed anywhere. The other 2026 visit on the schedule is for three-star tight end Dream Rashad. Rashad is important as Kaden Johnson shut down his commitment and is staying with Texas A&M, leaving an opening in the class for another tight end.
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