Mizzou QB Brady Cook reaches through the pile for a first down during Saturday’s NCAA Football game at Faurot Field against Boston College. (Photo: Cedric Williams)
| NCAA Football | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #24 Boston College (2-1) | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| #6 Missouri (3-0) | 3 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
COLUMBIA, MO — After not being tested much in its first two games of the new NCAA football season, a pair of shutout wins over Murray State and Buffalo, the No. 6-ranked University of Missouri Tigers faced a mighty test, Saturday afternoon, against No. 24 Boston College.
The visiting Eagles came into Faurot Field and took a quick 14-3 lead. But Missouri responded by scoring 24 straight points and then closing out the clock at the end, in what proved to be an exciting 27-21 win.
“I’m really proud of our team, they were able to face adversity and fought,” Mizzou head coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “[It wasn’t] by far the cleanest game, but they found a way to win. In the second half, we responded in every critical situation. I’m really proud of them, but there’s a lot of things to fix.”
Missouri’s offense found its rhythm midway through the second quarter, when it drove from its own 12-yard line to the BC 21, before stalling out and settling for a 38-yard field goal by kicker Blake Craig. It was his second 38-yarder and it made the score 14-6.
The play that turned the game though, came on the first play of BC’s next possession, when Mizzou’s Tre’Vez Johnson intercepted a pass from BC’s Thomas Castellanos and returned it to the BC 25-yard line. The play fired up the Mizzou sideline and the entire sold out crowd of 62,621 at Faurot Field.
Three plays later, Mizzou quarterback Brady Cook hit receiver Luther Burden III on a short out in the right flat. Burden broke away from one defender, then juked out three others, on his way to end zone for a sensational 19-yard touchdown.
The Tigers went for two to tie the game, which they got, on a short run by Nate Noel and just that quick the game was tied at 14.
“I’ll say, you know, this team is special,” Burden, who had six catches for 117 yards and the touchdown, said. “Now we went down 14 to 3, but I think this team showed that it’s never over. So, we’re going to keep swinging no matter what and I’m proud of this team.”
Mizzou got the ball back again, later in the half, and quickly drove into BC territory to set up a 55-yard field goal attempt by Craig. The redshirt freshman from Kansas City nailed it and even though it trailed most of the first half, Missouri found itself ahead 17-14 at halftime.
The Tigers extended their lead on the first drive of the third quarter, when they went 75 yards on nine plays, culminating with a 6-yard touchdown run by Cook. Like Burden did on his score, Cook had to fake out several BC defenders before he found the end zone.
“I think at times we tackle well, but you’re right, we (struggled) tackling today,” Boston College head coach Bill O’Brien said. “At that point in the game, [we] gave up too many yards rushing. We turned the ball over too much… How do we correct it? We go back to work.”
Another BC turnover at the beginning of the fourth quarter helped set up Mizzou’s final score.
Junior Dreyden Norwood picked off a Castellanos pass and gave Mizzou the ball at its own 38-yard line. The Tigers drove deep into BC territory by converting a third down and two fourth downs, before finally settling for a Craig 31-yard field goal. That put Mizzou up 27-14.
BC put up a fight in the final minutes though, and pulled within a score when Castellanos hit tight end Kamari Morales for a 31-yard touchdown that made it 27-21.
The Eagles needed a stop to get the ball back and potentially score another touchdown to win the game. But Mizzou wouldn’t allow it.
The Tigers drove the field and ran out the clock on their final possession. Mizzou converted two key third downs and eventually took a knee to end the game.
Tailback Nate Noel was a key factor in those drives, as he was throughout the game. The senior finished the day with 22 carries for 121 yards and the two-point conversion run.
“It felt great,” Noel said. “Just being behind all my big O-linemen, with my tight ends coming back. Brett, coming back helped the receivers, just blocking downfield. It was great today. Perfect execution on everybody’s part.”
Mizzou stayed unbeaten at 3-0, while Boston College suffered its first loss and is now 2-1.
Missouri will begin SEC play next week, when it hosts Vanderbilt in a game, Saturday, September 21, at Faurot Field.
Kickoff for that contest will be at 3:15 p.m., and the game will be televised on the SEC Network.
SCORING SUMMARY
| Qtr | Time | Scoring Play | BC | MIZ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 07:31 | BC – Bradley, Jerand 12 yd pass from Castellanos, Thomas (Lombardo, Luca kick) 14 plays, 75 yards, TOP 07:29 | 7 | 0 |
| 1st | 02:49 | MIZ – Craig, Blake 38 yd field goal 11 plays, 60 yards, TOP 04:37 | 7 | 3 |
| 2nd | 09:44 | BC – Harris, Reed 67 yd pass from Castellanos, Thomas (Lombardo, Luca kick) 4 plays, 86 yards, TOP 01:32 | 14 | 3 |
| 2nd | 04:54 | MIZ – Craig, Blake 38 yd field goal 10 plays, 67 yards, TOP 04:50 | 14 | 6 |
| 2nd | 03:04 | MIZ – Burden, Luther 19 yd pass from Cook, Brady (Noel, Nate 2-pt rush) 3 plays, 25 yards, TOP 01:16 | 14 | 14 |
| 2nd | 00:00 | MIZ – Craig, Blake 56 yd field goal 6 plays, 53 yards, TOP 00:46 | 14 | 17 |
| 3rd | 10:31 | MIZ – Cook, Brady 6 yd run (Craig, Blake kick), 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 04:29 | 14 | 24 |
| 4th | 05:58 | MIZ – Craig, Blake 31 yd field goal 14 plays, 48 yards, TOP 07:24 | 14 | 27 |
| 4th | 03:45 | BC – Morales, Kamari 38 yd pass from Castellanos, Thomas (Lombardo, Luca kick) 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:13 | 21 | 27 |
MISSOURI TIGERS 2024 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | TV | Radio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 21, 2024 (Saturday) | 3:15 PM | Home | Vanderbilt | Columbia, Mo. / Faurot Field |  | Tiger Radio Network |
| October 5, 2024 (Saturday) | 11 AM | Away | Texas A&M | College Station, Texas | Tiger Radio Network | |
| October 12, 2024 (Saturday) | TBA | Away | UMass | Amherst, Mass. | Tiger Radio Network | |
| October 19, 2024 (Saturday) | TBA | Home | Auburn | Columbia, Mo. / Faurot Field | Tiger Radio Network | |
| October 26, 2024 (Saturday) | TBA | Away | #4 Alabama | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | Tiger Radio Network | |
| November 9, 2024 (Saturday) | TBA | Home | #15 Oklahoma | Columbia, Mo. / Faurot Field | Tiger Radio Network | |
| November 16, 2024 (Saturday) | TBA | Away | South Carolina | Columbia, S.C. | Tiger Radio Network | |
| November 23, 2024 (Saturday) | TBA | Away | Mississippi State | Starkville, Miss. | Tiger Radio Network | |
| November 30, 2024 (Saturday) | TBA | Home | Arkansas | Columbia, Mo. / Faurot Field | Tiger Radio Network |