{
  "id": 8612164,
  "title": "Why did Missouri football struggle vs Troy in win? Let Eli Drinkwitz explain",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/why-did-missouri-football-struggle-vs-troy-in-win-let-eli-drinkwitz",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-20T05:01:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/why-did-missouri-football-struggle-050100853.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Eli Drinkwitz reflected on a difficult football game against Troy, recalling a similar experience from their loss to Middle Tennessee State in 2023. The Tigers displayed poor defense, allowing Troy to control time of possession and score two touchdowns early in the first half. Quarterback Austin Simmons struggled, completing only 10 of 19 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown. The offensive success rate was a low 26%, while the rushing attack fared better at 48%. In the second half, the defense had opportunities to create turnovers but missed, allowing Troy to score again. The team also had penalties that moved them back 90 yards. Drinkwitz acknowledged the need for improvement, emphasizing that the win was better than the alternative. The team will face Mississippi State next, another unbeaten team, with the potential to be a pivotal game on their challenging SEC schedule.",
  "summary": "The win’s all count, but Missouri football’s Week 3 victory over Troy wasn’t pretty. Here’s what Eli Drinkwitz saw that contributed to MU’s struggles.",
  "key_points": [
    "Missouri Tigers lost to Troy due to poor defense.",
    "Quarterback Austin Simmons had a low completion rate.",
    "Second half defense missed opportunities to create turnovers."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Missouri's narrow win over Troy highlights the team's need for improvement on defense and offense, particularly in quarterback performance and penalty discipline, ahead of a challenging matchup with unbeaten Mississippi State.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Roberts runs for 122 yards and a TD, No. 20 Missouri hangs on after a slow start to beat Troy 27-17",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/roberts-runs-for-122-yards-and-a-td-no-20-missouri-hangs-on-after-a",
        "published": "2026-09-20T02:45:59.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}