Hardy electrifies Mizzou, shattering the single-season rushing record with explosive yards per carry and dominating defenders. He's cementing his legacy.
With a 12-yard rush in typical Ahmad Hardy fashion, the sophomore running back is now Missouri's all-time single-season rushing yards leader, breaking Cody Schrader's record previously set in 2023 of 1,627 yards. Hardy was just three yards away from the record at halftime, but didn't break it until the fourth quarter.
It took Schrader 276 attempts to reach that number, while it took Hardy just 254. Hardy averaged a ridiculous 6.5 yards per carry heading into the Gator Bowl.
He broke the 100-yard threshold mark in eight of Missouri's 12 regular season games, and will likely do so against Virginia too, pushing that count to nine of 13. Hardy also rushed for 250 yards and three touchdowns against Louisiana, and 300 yards and three touchdowns against Mississippi State.
Hardy is up to 1,645 yards on the season and counting, along with punching in 16 touchdowns. In just one season with the program, he's cemented himself as an all-time great Missouri running back.
He led the Southeastern Conference and Power Four in rushing yards, and ranked second in all of FBS, trailing only Cam Cook of Jacksonville State. He also ranked second in all of FBS in yards after contact with 1,111, and third in FBS with 86 missed tackles forced. Hardy's 92.2 rushing grade, per pff, was the third-highest grade in the nation, trailing only projected first-round pick Jeremiyah Love and North Texas' Caleb Hawkins.
Hardy was nearly a consensus first-team All-American, making first team All-America for each of the required teams excluding the AP team, of which he made second team instead. The superstar tailback was also a finalist for the Doak Walker award, which is given to the nation's best running back.
Missouri currently trails Virginia 13-7 in the fourth quarter, and is looking to earn its third consecutive bowl game record, and its third consecutive season of nine or more wins.
Missouri obtained Hardy last offseason through the transfer portal, but won't need to worry about him exploring other opportunities for the 2026 season — he's signed on to return. No matter which quarterback was under center in 2025, they could count on Hardy to be an elite presence at all times. Now, he'll look to keep that up in 2026.