Ty Simpson passed for 200 yards and three touchdowns and Dijon Lee recorded the clinching interception to lead No. 8 Alabama to a 27-24 victory over No. 14 Missouri on Saturday afternoon in Southeastern Conference play at Columbia, Miss.
Kevin Riley, Isaiah Horton and Daniel Hill each caught a touchdown pass as the Crimson Tide (5-1, 3-0 SEC) ended Missouri’s 15-game home winning streak. Jam Miller rushed for 85 yards and Bray Hubbard recorded his third interception of the season.
Beau Pribula completed 16 of 28 passes for 167 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions and also rushed for 61 yards and a score for the Tigers (5-1, 1-1). Brett Norfleet and Donovan Olugbode each caught a touchdown pass for Missouri.
Tigers star Ahmad Hardy rushed for 52 yards on 12 carries, marking the first time this season he failed to reach 100 yards. He entered the game as the national leader with 730 rushing yards.
Simpson completed 23 of 31 passes as Alabama defeated Missouri for the seventh consecutive time.
Missouri trailed by three midway through the fourth quarter and attempted a fake punt on fourth-and-4 from its own 37-yard line. Jamal Roberts fielded the snap and ran left but was stopped one yard shy of the first down.
A short time later, Simpson connected with Lotzeir Brooks for 29 yards on fourth-and-8 to the Tigers’ 9. Alabama later scored on fourth down when Simpson hit a wide-open Hill on a 2-yard pass to give the Crimson Tide a 27-17 lead with 3:16 remaining.
Missouri moved within three on Pribula’s 3-yard touchdown throw to Olugbode with 1:40 left. The Tigers’ final bid ended when Pribula overthrew Olugbode and Lee made the interception at the Crimson Tide 32 with 37 seconds to play.
Missouri trailed by seven at halftime but Simpson dropped back to pass on Alabama’s first play from scrimmage of the third quarter and was sacked and forced to fumble by Byron Young. Damon Wilson II recovered at the Crimson Tide 19-yard line.
Three plays later, Pribula scored on a 5-yard keeper to tie the score at 17 with 13:18 left in the third quarter.
Alabama regained the lead at 20-17 on Conor Talty’s 22-yard field goal with nine seconds left in the period.
Simpson threw two first-half touchdown passes as Alabama held a 17-10 lead.
The Tigers scurried 78 yards on six plays at the outset and scored on Pribula’s 26-yard toss to Norfleet.
The Crimson Tide responded on Simpson’s 6-yard scoring pass to Riley with 6:05 left in the first quarter. Alabama moved ahead 14-7 when Simpson hit Horton from 16 yards on the second play of the second quarter.
Talty connected on a 46-yard field goal to give the Crimson Tide a 17-7 advantage with 3:32 left in the half. Missouri’s Robert Meyer answered with a 35-yarder as time expired.
