TUSCALOOSA, Ala. _ The Missouri Tigers arrived in Alabama like most mortal foes, heavy underdogs given little chance to spring the year's biggest upset.
What unfolded over the next three-plus hours mostly went to script as the top-ranked Crimson Tide imposed their will with an explosive passing game and a thunderous defense that capitalized on Drew Lock's third straight shaky game.
By night's end, the Bryant-Denny Stadium crowd had witnessed a 39-10 Alabama victory and Mizzou's third consecutive loss.
With their record back to .500, the Tigers (3-3, 0-3 Southeastern Conference) now begin the second half of their season _ but without last year's luxury of a safe passageway to bowl eligibility. First up, a homecoming date with Memphis, followed by games against two vastly improved division foes, Kentucky and Florida. Here's the sobering reality for Odom's third season: Mizzou has to win of those three games to post a better regular-season record than last year's 7-5.
While Alabama looked poised to turn Saturday's game into a bloodbath, the Tigers occasionally seized but rarely sustained momentum.
For the first time in three years, Alabama brought back one of its favorite game-day traditions, as the crowd of 100,000 belted out the country classic "Dixieland Delight" midway through the fourth quarter. The Crimson Tide stuck with other traditions, too. The win was Alabama's 19th straight over SEC East opponents, 23rd straight at home and 79th straight over an unranked team.
The Tide (7-0, 4-0) kept their streaks alive by pounding Missouri quarterback Drew Lock, who completed 13 of 26 passes for 142 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. He also lost a fumble on one of Alabama's four sacks.
His counterpart saw less action but was far more efficient. Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa, who left the game in the third quarter after appearing to re-injure a sprained right knee, threw for 265 yards and three touchdowns. The Tide, 28-point favorites at kickoff, outgained Missouri in total yardage 564-212.
Here was the good news for Missouri: Alabama didn't score on its first play from scrimmage. The Tide waited for their second play. In the first example of many to come, Alabama showed off its superior speed as Jerry Jeudy raced past safety Cam Hilton on a post pattern and snagged Tagovailoa's pass for an 81-yard touchdown. All of 23 seconds had come off the clock.
With the crowd still roaring, Alabama got the ball right back when Lock misfired for Albert Okwuegbunam along the sideline two plays into the Tigers' first series. Alabama cornerback Saivion Smith caught it instead and dashed 33 yards to set up an Alabama field goal.
The Tigers finally caught their breath on Alabama's next possession and even managed the rare takeaway. Defensive tackle Kobie Whiteside plunged into Tagovailoa and jarred the ball loose, recovered by linemate Akial Byers. The Tigers turned the turnover into a 43-yard Tucker McCann field goal, breaking up the shutout at 10-3 midway through the first quarter.
Mizzou's defense responded with a second straight stop in the red zone, holding the Tide to another short field goal.
Then it was the offense's turn. Four straight Tyler Badie runs got the Tigers on the front porch of the red zone and then Lock kicked in the door, rifling a 20-yard bullet to Jalen Knox in the back of the end zone, his first touchdown pass since the second quarter of the Purdue game four weeks ago. Mizzou again played without senior receivers Nate Brown and Emanuel Hall, both out with groin injuries.
The Tigers' defense suffered a costly blow on Alabama's next series when senior linebacker Terez Hall was flagged for targeting on a helmet-to-helmet hit on running back Damien Harris, who ducked his head just as Hall arrived to make the tackle. Alabama finished the drive with Tagovailoa's third-down touchdown pass to tight end Irv Smith.
Things went from bad to worse quickly for the Tigers. On the third play of Mizzou's next series, Lock lost the ball deep in Alabama territory and watched the ball skitter away from two diving teammates trying to corral it. Instead, Alabama ball. Tagovailoa needed only one snap to connect with DeVonta Smith for a 13-yard touchdown, putting the Tide ahead 27-10. They'd add another field goal when a series stalled in the red zone.
Leading 30-10 at halftime, Alabama tried to even the playing field with a string of injuries in the second half. Receivers DeVonta Smith and Henry Ruggs III both left the game with injuries. Then just three minutes into the half, Tagovailoa landed awkwardly at the end of a scramble and had to be helped off the field. He was taken into the team's injury tent along the sideline. Jalen Hurts, Alabama's starter during the 2016-17 seasons, took over on the next series, but the Tide missed a 52-yard field goal.
A series later, Missouri held its ground just outside of the goal line, as a pile of tacklers stood up Harris on fourth down from the 6. The Mizzou momentum was fleeting. Lock took his first snap in the end zone, inexplicably attempted a pump fake just as the pocket collapsed and Quinnen Williams dropped him for a safety.
The passing game barely suffered. Hurts dropped a 44-yard pass out of the sky to Jeudy, then connected with Ruggs for a 29-yard gain, setting up Harris' 2-yard touchdown run for a 39-10 lead.
Missouri revisited the end zone late in the fourth quarter but Lock unloaded a third-down pass into the end zone and watched Smith grab it for his second interception and Lock's third turnover of the night. During MU's three-game losing streak, Lock has one touchdown pass and seven turnovers coming on five interceptions and two lost fumbles.
