No. 24 Missouri Triumphs Over Sooners in Final Minutes

© Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The No. 24 Missouri Tigers (7-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) defeated the Oklahoma Sooners (5-5, 1-5) 30-23 in Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Mo. on Nov. 9. It was an utterly boring game for the first three quarters and 12 minutes, during which both teams' kickers and punters got a lot of work. The Sooners and Tigers saved the fireworks for the end of the game, as there were four touchdowns scored in the final three minutes and 18 seconds, including the game-winning fumble return to put Mizzou up for good.

Game Summary

The first half was a splendid display of offensive ineptitude by both teams. The Tigers and Sooners combined for 6 punts, 1 fumble, 3 field goals and one failed fourth-down conversion in the first half. The score was 9-3 in favor of Oklahoma heading into halftime.

It was much of the same in the third quarter. More punts and another failed fourth-down attempt. Mizzou would score in the third to make the score 10-6, Tigers. After a Jackson Arnold fumble early in the fourth quarter, Mizzou scored a touchdown but missed the extra point. With a little less than 9 minutes left in the game, the score was 16-9, Mizzou. And that is how the score would remain until the clock struck 3:18.

Arnold and the Sooner offense answered Missouri's touchdown with a 12-play, 75-yard drive and capped the drive with a quarterback throwback that resulted in an 18-yard touchdown reception by Arnold. On the ensuing Mizzou drive, Tigers' running back Jamal Roberts fumbled, and Oklahoma's Billy Bowman Jr. scooped the ball and took it to the house to give the Sooners the 23-16 lead.

Missouri quarterback Drew Pyne, in for injured starter Brady Cook, stepped up on his final drive of the game. Pyne led the Tigers 75 yards in 57 seconds and completed huge throws to receivers Luther Burden III and Theo Wease Jr., including the 10-yard touchdown to Wease to tie the game with just over a minute left to play.

With 22 seconds left, Arnold was sacked by Mizzou's Tristan Newsome, the ball popped free, and Zion Young returned it 17 yards to seal the game for the Tigers.

Looking Ahead: Missouri

When asked what the victory means for his team, Mizzou head coach Eli Drinkwitz said, "It keeps us in the playoff hunt. That's right, I said it. Playoff hunt." And he's right. The win over Oklahoma keeps Missouri's College Football Playoff hopes alive. They will need some help from some teams ahead of them, but they're alive in the SEC, and they only have to find their way into the top 12 teams. Getting healthy and winning out will be the Tigers' priority. Mizzou's pursuit of the playoffs continues against a dangerous South Carolina (6-3, 4-3) team in Week 12.

Looking Ahead: Oklahoma

Head coach Brent Venables' defense is still playing elite ball, but the Sooner offense has done their brethren on the other side of the ball no favors in 2024. The inability to protect the quarterback is a glaring weakness for this Sooners squad. Oklahoma gets a bye week in Week 12. The final weeks of the season aren't favorable for the Sooners, as they host No. 11 Alabama (7-2, 4-2) and travel to No. 15 LSU (6-3, 3-2).