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No. 25 Missouri faces a brutal slate as QB Austin Simmons arrives and RB Ahmad Hardy recovers

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Cite

Skretta, D. (2026, August 20). No. 25 Missouri faces a brutal slate as QB Austin Simmons arrives and RB Ahmad Hardy recovers. Toronto Star. https://www.thestar.com/sports/football/no-25-missouri-faces-a-brutal-slate-as-qb-austin-simmons-arrives-and-rb-ahmad-hardy-recovers/article_183e77aa-0c82-5294-9eae-56c2f0178ec2.html

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Toronto Star · collected 2026-08-20 · by Dave Skretta

Quick Summary

No. 25 Missouri is facing a tough schedule this season, with five of the top 10 teams in the AP Top 25 preseason poll on their slate. The Tigers are hoping that quarterback Austin Simmons and possibly returning running back Ahmad Hardy can help improve their chances. According to the article, expectations for the team are low, having struggled to escape mediocrity in the SEC under head coach Eli Drinkwitz. The defense is a major concern, with many key players lost through graduation or transfer, including top pass rushers Damon Wilson II and Zion Young.
Written by AI on 2026-08-20, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

The University of Missouri's football team is gearing up for a challenging season, led by new quarterback Austin Simmons who transferred from Ole Miss. The team also welcomes several other transfers, including wide receiver Cayden Lee and running back Xai'Shaun Edwards. However, they will face stiff competition with five of the top 10 teams in the AP Top 25 preseason poll on their schedule, including games against Kansas, Texas, and Georgia. Despite these challenges, Missouri has shown improvement under coach Eli Drinkwitz, who led the team to an 11-2 finish last season capped by a Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State. However, the team's success is contingent on the return of star running back Ahmad Hardy, who is recovering from a gunshot wound sustained earlier this year. If Hardy returns healthy and the defense continues to perform well under coordinator Corey Batoon, Missouri may be able to excel against their tough schedule.

Written for “Missouri Football Schedule” on 2026-11-04, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Missouri Football Schedule
Sports · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

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This article reads unscored and hedges 0% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
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How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
15
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
0%
0 of 15 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
64/100
Toronto Star's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
Sports
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-08-20 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

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Who wrote this

Dave Skretta
29 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 But when the NCAA passed a rule change in April 2004 saying Division I schools could no longer play non-college teams, they had to begin scheduling tuneups against Division II and Division III schools that rarely provided the same challenge.
2026-10-25 · assertive framing · A game that won't count, but could pay off: Duke-Kansas brings high stakes to Allen Fieldhouse
🔮 The Kansas City Chiefs placed Josh Simmons on injured reserve because of a bulging disk in his lower back Thursday, guaranteeing their starting left tackle will be out at least four more weeks after having already missed the first five games of the season.
2026-10-22 · assertive framing · Chiefs place left tackle Josh Simmons on injured reserve with a bulging disk in his lower back
🔮 It would be helpful if a Georgia court answered that question.
2026-10-21 · assertive framing · Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd fumes as forward RJ Godfrey's eligibility remains stuck in Georgia courts
🔮 The Kansas City Chiefs spent a good chunk of their week off working on short-yardage situations, which they had been relatively good at this season, given how mightily they struggled in converting those same situations last season.
2026-10-19 · assertive framing · Chiefs savor a 22-6 win but stew over short-yardage failures as the Seahawks and Broncos loom
🔮 Harbaugh refused to use injuries as an excuse, though nobody would think any less of him if he did.
2026-10-19 · assertive framing · Harbaugh says Chargers will evaluate everything after 22-6 loss to Chiefs drops them to 0-6
🔮 ... CB Nohl Williams missed a few plays early with a shoulder injury, but finished the game.
2026-10-19 · assertive framing · Chiefs move to 5-0 as Kenneth Walker runs for two TDs in a 22-6 win over Chargers
🔮 On the offensive line, the Chiefs will continue with undrafted rookie Kahlil Benson at left tackle and Jaylon Moore at right tackle, while Kingsley Suamataia will be back at left guard after missing the game against the Raiders due to a coaching decision.
2026-10-16 · assertive framing · Chiefs rule out WR Rashee Rice and LT Josh Simmons for Sunday's game against the Chargers
🔮 On Saturday, the two will face off in Oxford, Mississippi, in one of college football’s marquee matchups.
2026-10-13 · assertive framing · Now stars for No. 13 Mizzou, QB Simmons and WR Lee ready to face former teammates at No. 9 Ole Miss
🔮 Yet the way things transpired in the Chiefs’ 30-27 win in Las Vegas on Sunday, the bye may have come at an opportune time.
2026-10-05 · assertive framing · Chiefs’ early bye timely after Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton hurt. Could Tyreek Hill be an answer?
🔮 “Nobody in our locker room could care less about that.
2026-10-04 · assertive framing · No. 25 Missouri trounces No. 8 Florida 45-17 to snap 9-game skid against Top 25 opponents
Also by Dave Skretta
A game that won't count, but could pay off: Duke-Kansas brings high stakes to Allen Fieldhouse
2026-10-25 · Toronto Star
Chiefs place left tackle Josh Simmons on injured reserve with a bulging disk in his lower back
2026-10-22 · Toronto Star
Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd fumes as forward RJ Godfrey's eligibility remains stuck in Georgia courts
2026-10-21 · Toronto Star
Chiefs savor a 22-6 win but stew over short-yardage failures as the Seahawks and Broncos loom
2026-10-19 · Toronto Star
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 29 articles by Dave Skretta →

Topics

Houston Christian Missouri Ole Miss SEC Tigers

Subjects

Tigers ORG · 7× Missouri GPE · 4× Ole Miss ORG · 4× SEC ORG · 3× Austin Simmons PERSON · 2× Beau Pribula PERSON · 2× Cayden Lee PERSON · 2× Drinkwitz PERSON · 2× Houston Christian ORG · 2× Virginia GPE · 2×

Narrative

In the secondary, Marvin Burkes Jr. and Daylan Carnell are among those that will have to be replaced New faces QB Austin Simmons (transfer from Ole Miss), WR Cayden Lee (transfer from Ole Miss), RB Xai’Shaun Edwards (transfer from Houston Christian), LB Robert Woodyard Jr. (transfer from Auburn), CB Chris Graves Jr. (transfer from Ole Miss). Key losses DE Zion Young (second-round pick of Baltimore), LB Josiah Trotter (second-round pick of Tampa Bay), DT Chris McLellan (third-round pick of Green Bay), OT Keagan Trost (third-round pick of Green Bay), QB Beau Pribula (transfer to Virginia). Biggest games for the Tigers At Kansas (Sept. 11), vs. Texas (Nov. 7), at Georgia (Nov. 14). ___
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-08-20
🔮 If All-American running back Ahmad Hardy can return from a gunshot wound sustained earlier this year, and the defense under coordinator Corey Batoon can continue to be among the stingiest in the nation, perhaps the Tigers can excel against a schedule that shapes up to be one of the most difficult in the nation: The Tigers are the only team that will play five of the top 10 teams in the AP Top 25 preseason poll.
2026-08-20 · Toronto Star
No. 25 Missouri faces a brutal slate as QB Austin Simmons arrives and RB Ahmad Hardy recovers · assertive framing

Claims (15 extracted, 0 hedged)

Missouri has gone to six bowl games in six seasons under Eli Drinkwitz, including an 11-2 finish in 2023 capped by a Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State. asserted
Missouri → go → State
But other than that spectacular season, the Tigers have struggled to escape the middle tier of mediocrity in the SEC, twice under Drinkwitz finishing with losing records after bowl defeats. asserted
Tigers → struggle → defeats
If All-American running back Ahmad Hardy can return from a gunshot wound sustained earlier this year, and the defense under coordinator Corey Batoon can continue to be among the stingiest in the nation, perhaps the Tigers can excel against a schedule that shapes up to be one of the most difficult in the nation: The Tigers are the only team that will play five of the top 10 teams in the AP Top 25 preseason poll. asserted
that → return → poll
“For us, we have had the same mentality we’ve always had: STP, something to prove,” Drinkwitz said. asserted
Drinkwitz → have → mentality
“Everybody at the University of Missouri has something to prove every day, something to prove that we belong in the SEC, something to prove that we can win and at a high level, and something to prove that we want to do it this year. asserted
we → have → it
Strengths start with the offense Austin Simmons backed up Jaxson Dart at Ole Miss before winning the starting job ahead of last season. asserted
Simmons → start → season
When an ankle injury in Week 2 against Kentucky sent him to the sideline, Trinidad Chambliss took over and quickly became a star. asserted
Chambliss → send → sideline
Simmons played sparingly the rest of the season before transferring to Missouri as the replacement for Beau Pribula, who left for Virginia. asserted
who → play → Virginia
His big arm should upgrade the Tigers’ passing attack, especially with former Rebels teammate Cayden Lee and Minnesota transfer Caleb Goodie giving him a couple of promising targets to go with veteran tight end Brett Norfleet. asserted
Lee → upgrade → Norfleet
But the offense really hinges on the running game, where Hardy scampered for an SEC-best 1,649 yards and 16 scores in his first season with the Tigers. asserted
Hardy → hinge → Tigers
Missouri hopes he’ll be able to contribute at a similarly high level at some point in the season. asserted
he → hop → season
In the meantime, Jamal Roberts (753 yards, six TDs last season) and Houston Christian transfer Xai’Shaun Edwards will help with the load. asserted
Roberts → help → load
Weaknesses surround questions on the defense The Tigers will be almost completely new on defense, and the players that they lost from last season through graduation or the portal merely helped them finish eighth nationally last season allowing 277 yards per game. asserted
them → surround → game
Top pass rushers Damon Wilson II and Zion Young will have to be replaced after combining for 15 1/2 sacks last season; Wilson transferred to Miami while Young was a second-round pick of the Ravens. asserted
Young → have → Ravens
In the secondary, Marvin Burkes Jr. and Daylan Carnell are among those that will have to be replaced New faces QB Austin Simmons (transfer from Ole Miss), WR Cayden Lee (transfer from Ole Miss), RB Xai’Shaun Edwards (transfer from Houston Christian), LB Robert Woodyard Jr. (transfer from Auburn), CB Chris Graves Jr. (transfer from Ole Miss). Key losses DE Zion Young (second-round pick of Baltimore), LB Josiah Trotter (second-round pick of Tampa Bay), DT Chris McLellan (third-round pick of Green Bay), OT Keagan Trost (third-round pick of Green Bay), QB Beau Pribula (transfer to Virginia). Biggest games for the Tigers At Kansas (Sept. 11), vs. Texas (Nov. 7), at Georgia (Nov. 14). ___ asserted
that → have → Georgia
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