Jamal Roberts rushed for 222 yards and two touchdowns, and No. 14 Missouri kept Texas A&M out of the end zone in a 27-6 victory Saturday afternoon in Southeastern Conference play at Columbia, Mo.
Missouri (5-1, 2-1 SEC) intercepted Marcel Reed twice, getting one pick apiece from Trajen Greco and Elijah Dotson. The Tigers allowed 216 total yards, including 29 on the ground.
Texas A&M (3-3, 1-3 SEC) trailed 10-3 at halftime, and played effectively on defense until later in the second half, when Roberts and the Mizzou run game appeared to grind them down. Reed finished 19-of-39 passing for 187 yards.
Roberts, the Tigers top tailback with No. 1 Ahmad Hardy still recovering from a gunshot wound in the offseason, scored Mizzou’s final touchdown on a 54-yard run with just under three minutes to play.
Roberts, who had 211 rushing yards a week ago against No. 8 Florida, joined Leonard Fournette and Derrick Henry as recent SEC backs to rush for at least 200 yards on the ground in consecutive games. Fournette did it in three straight games in 2015.
Austin Simmons completed 14 of 28 passes for 147 yards and one interception, plus a 32-yard touchdown to Cayden Lee. Simmons put up 340 yards a week earlier against Florida.
Lee finished with 94 receiving yards, and Blake Craig hit a pair of 50-plus yard field goals for the Tigers.
The opponents traded first-quarter turnovers. Texas A&M’s T.J. Searcy tipped a Simmons pass at the line and Daymion Sanford intercepted it before a short return to the Mizzou 14-yard line. The Aggies’ ensuing drive resulted in zero points because Greco tipped a pass that Dotson intercepted in the end zone.
A 26-yard shanked punt by Brunno Reus set up A&M with another potentially short drive, but Mizzou’s defense stiffened again before David Olano nailed a 53-yard field goal with 4:46 left in the first quarter. Olano made a 57-yarder against Arkansas a week ago.
Missouri’s fourth possession resulted in their first points early in the second quarter. The Tigers drove 77 yards in 10 plays, with Lee breaking free after a short pass from Simmons for a 32-yard score.
Greco came up with Missouri’s second interception of the half after Ashton Bethel-Roman had a pass go through his hands. Craig’s 50-yard field goal increased the Tigers’ lead to 10-3 midway through the second quarter.
Missouri’s first drive of the third quarter went 42 yards in seven plays before Craig added a 51-yard field goal and a 13-3 lead. Craig has four field goals of 50-plus yards this season.
Missouri later went 12 plays and 76 yards, and that resulted in Roberts’ 2-yard touchdown run on the final play of the third quarter.
–Field Level Media
