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Roberts runs for 122 yards and a TD, No. 20 Missouri hangs on after a slow start to beat Troy 27-17

Troy Missouri Football Missouri running back Jamal Roberts, front left, run the ball during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Troy, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in Columbia, Mo. (AP Photo/LG Patterson) (LG Patterson/AP Photo/LG Patterson)

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Jamal Roberts ran for 122 yards and a touchdown, DaMarion Folkes returned a punt 68 yards for another score, and No. 20 Missouri shook off a slow start before holding on to beat Troy 27-17 on Saturday night.

Former Ole Miss quarterback Austin Simmons struggled most of the way for Missouri (3-0), completing 10 of 19 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown. But the Tigers did enough on defense to win their 16th straight regular-season non-conference game.

Goose Crowder completed his first five passes of the game and finished with 230 passing yards and two touchdowns for Troy (2-1), which was looking for its third win over a ranked opponent in school history.

Ethan Head missed a 54-yard field goal attempt with 2:46 left in the fourth quarter, which would have pulled the Trojans to within a touchdown of the Tigers. Missouri nearly ran out the clock from there on the victory.

The Tigers capitalized on turnovers on back-to-back drives by Troy late the second quarter.

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First, Sione Laulea intercepted Crowder and returned it to the Troy 18, setting up Simmons’ touchdown pass to Donovan Olugbode and giving Missouri a 17-10 lead — its first of the game. Then, Langden Kitchen strip-sacked Crowder and Jason Dowell scooped up the ball and returned it to the Troy 13, setting up Roberts’ TD run to put Missouri ahead 24-10 with 1:44 left in the half.

Fowlkes’ punt return had tied the game at 10-all with 9:39 remaining in the second quarter. It was Missouri’s first punt return for a touchdown since Luther Burden III returned a punt 78 yards against Abilene Christian on Sept. 17, 2022.

Troy pulled out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. Crowder connected with TK Keyes on a 76-yard touchdown pass on the second play of the game, and Head kicked a 27-yard field goal to cap a 19-play, 81-yard drive that lasted more than 10 1/2 minutes.

The Takeaway

Troy: The Trojans outgained Missouri 323 to 224 and held the ball for 37 minutes, 23 seconds.

Missouri: The Tigers missed several tackles and committed nine penalties for 90 yards.

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Up next

Troy: Visits Utah State on Saturday night.

Missouri: Opens SEC play at Mississippi State on Saturday night.

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