JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — When the clock hit three zeros in the first half of the Gator Bowl, Ahmed Hardy was four yards away from breaking Missouri football’s single-season rushing record.
The consensus All-American and Doc Walker Award finalist ended up entering the Missouri state record, breaking the previous record set by Cody Schrader in 2023, rushing for 89 yards on 15 carries in the Tigers’ 13-7 loss to Virginia in Saturday’s Gator Bowl to reach 1,649 yards on the season. He needs more than 1,627 yards to surpass the official program high.
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But Hardy didn’t see a touch of the ball until 4:28 into the fourth quarter as Virginia (11-3) turned a four-point halftime deficit into a Gator Bowl victory in the second half.
Why?
Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz was asked why during the postgame press conference. Hardy did not appear to be injured, with the head coach saying it was a result of circumstances rather than intentionality. His full answer:
“I thought they had the ball in the first 12 minutes of the third quarter,” Drinkwitz said. “We came out and we threw an out route to Kevin Coleman and we missed it. We gave the jet sweep to Kevin Coleman which gave us some yards and then we missed the third down conversion, which, if I remember correctly, was at the end of the third quarter. I think it was fourth-and-1 (on the next drive) and we punted there.
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“… I think the first drive in the fourth quarter was backed up and we went – Jamal (Roberts) was backed up and we ran, ran, and then we tried to run again and we came up short. We had a full-on call, but we went offsides, and then the next time we touched the ball (Hardy got the ball). So, I mean, it wasn’t designed that way. I think, we just went six plays.”
Drinkwitz’s recollection of events is largely correct, but somewhat confusing.
Seven seconds into the second half, Virginia had the ball for 10 minutes. The Wahoos ended a behemoth 19-game series with a 2-yard touchdown run that proved to be the go-ahead score.
After true freshman quarterback Matt Zollers of Missouri State threw a pick three plays from scrimmage, the Cavaliers extended their lead with a field goal three minutes from time, meaning the ACC regular-season champions had the ball for more than 13 minutes in the third quarter.
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UVA also had the ball in the first four minutes of the fourth quarter, and when the Tigers regained control of the offense, standout backup back Jamal Roberts rushed 11 times for 56 yards and the Tigers’ only touchdown, and the next two carries totaled seven yards.
Mizzou stalled again on its first drive of that drive, when right tackle Keegan Trost scrambled on fourth-and-inch, forcing Mizzou to punt from inside its own 10-yard line.
More: Missouri football linebacker Ahmed Hardy breaks Mizzou single-season rushing record
More: Missouri football team struggles in Gator Bowl, loses to Virginia
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In the nearly 26 minutes between Hardy’s possessions, the Tigers ran a total of nine possessions.
Hardy carried the ball on Mizzou’s next four possessions for a total of 25 yards, breaking the Tigers’ single-season record.
Missouri State gained just 17 total yards before finishing the drive in the second half.
Missouri Tigers running back Ahmad Hardy (29) reacts to his first catch during the first quarter of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville. Florida. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Hardy, who narrowly missed out on being an All-American by earning first-team recognition from four of the five NCAA selectees, announced he will return to the University of Missouri next season.
He has two years of eligibility remaining but will be draft eligible as a third-year player after the 2026 college football season.
This article originally appeared in the Columbia Daily Tribune: Why didn’t Ahmed Hadi get more chances in Missouri’s Gator Bowl loss?
