Mizzou’s Luther Burden tries to make a move during Saturday’s football game against Kansas State. (Photo courtesy: Yahoo News)

NCAA Football – Sept. 16, 20231st2nd3rd4thFinal
#15 Kansas St. (2-1)7710327
Missouri (3-0)10701330

Cedric Williams
Senior Editor

COLUMBIA, MO — The University of Missouri football team pulled out its biggest win in nearly five seasons on Saturday, when it defeated No. 15 Kansas State, 30-27, in a matchup of old-time Big 8 rivals at Faurot Field.

The Tigers, who have now begun a season with three straight wins for the first time since 2018 and hadn’t beaten a ranked opponent since 2018, earned the win thanks to the leg of senior kicker Harrison Mevis, who connected on a 61-yard field goal as time expired to win the game.

The teams traded the lead throughout the day. Kansas State scored on the opening drive of the game, going 75 yards on 11 plays, capped by a 10 yard pass from quarterback Will Howard to receiver Phillip Brooks, to take a 7-0 lead.

Missouri answered right back, when its QB Brady Cook hit wideout Luther Burden — both native St. Louisans — for a 47 yard touchdown to tie the score at 7.

The Tigers took the lead a few minutes later, on a 30 yard field goal by Mevis, to go up 10-7.

K-State answered, with a Howard to Ben Sinnott touchdown pass at the beginning of the second quarter, to take a 14-10.

But Mizzou regained the lead, when Cook scored on a 4th-and-1 play, midway through the second to make it 17-14.

That was the score at halftime, and it remained that way until the Wildcats took control in the third quarter. The visitors from Manhattan, Kan., outscored Mizzou 10-0 in the third, thanks to a field goal and a second touchdown pass from Howard to Sinnott.

The Tigers cut the deficit to 24-20 on a 25-yard field goal by Mevis early in the fourth. They then re-took the lead on a sensational 26-yard catch and run for a touchdown by Burden.

Burden finished with seven catches for 114 yards and the two touchdowns. Cook threw for 356 yards and the touchdowns. He also ran for a score, in what was easily his best performance as Mizzou’s starting QB.

Mizzou had just gotten into scoring position, thanks to a 36 yard run by Cody Schrader, which was coupled with a personal foul penalty on K-State that moved the ball from the Tigers’ 23 to K-State’s 26.

That gave Mizzou a 27-24 lead. K-State tied the score on a field goal with just over five minutes left.

Both teams had possession of the ball in the final minutes, and it seemed like the game might go to overtime, with neither team able to move the ball much.

But the Tigers got the ball back one last time with 1:25 left in the game, and were able to drive from their own 18 to the K-State 39 with six seconds left on the clock.

Then a delay of game penalty on Mizzou moved the ball back to the Wildcat 44. The Tigers tried one quick pass play to try to move the ball forward some, but Cook’s pass to Burden was broken up by a K-State defender.

That set the stage for Mevis’ dramatic kick, which had the sellout Faurot Field crowd on the edge of its seats.

The ball sailed just over the crossbar and perfectly through the uprights for a walkoff winner that sent the whole stadium into excitement and drew thousands of Mizzou students and fans onto the field to celebrate the win with the Tiger players, who had also stormed the field to celebrate with Mevis.

“This is just big,” Mizzou head coach Eliah Drinkwitz said, in an interview on SEC Network immediately after the game. “I’m just proud of my guys. They just worked so hard and fought so hard. And look at these kids. This is crazy.”

Mizzou will now move on to another non-conference contest, next Saturday against 3-0 Memphis at the Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis. That matchup is scheduled to kickoff at 6:30 p.m. and will be televised live on ESPNU.

Scoring Summary

QtrTimeScoring PlayKSUMIZ
1st10:46KSU – Brooks,Phillip 10 yd pass from Howard,Will (Tennant,Chris kick) 11 plays, 75 yards, TOP 04:1470
1st07:57MIZ – Burden,Luther 47 yd pass from Cook,Brady (Mevis,Harrison kick) 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:4977
1st03:58MIZ – Mevis,Harrison 30 yd field goal 7 plays, 35 yards, TOP 03:04710
2nd10:05KSU – Sinnott,Ben 3 yd pass from Howard,Will (Tennant,Chris kick) 10 plays, 64 yards, TOP 04:461410
2nd07:36MIZ – Cook,Brady 1 yd run (Mevis,Harrison kick), 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:291417
3rd10:07KSU – Tennant,Chris 46 yd field goal 6 plays, 16 yards, TOP 02:371717
3rd01:39KSU – Sinnott,Ben 3 yd pass from Howard,Will (Tennant,Chris kick) 12 plays, 74 yards, TOP 05:522417
4th14:48MIZ – Mevis,Harrison 25 yd field goal 6 plays, 68 yards, TOP 01:512420
4th08:24MIZ – Burden,Luther 26 yd pass from Cook,Brady (Mevis,Harrison kick) 2 plays, 77 yards, TOP 00:292427
4th05:25KSU – Tennant,Chris 26 yd field goal 8 plays, 67 yards, TOP 02:592727
4th00:00MIZ – Mevis,Harrison 61 yd field goal 10 plays, 38 yards, TOP 01:252730

2023 Missouri Tigers Football Schedule

DateTimeAtOpponentLocationTVRadio
September 23, 2023 (Saturday)6:30 PMNeutralMemphisSt. Louis, Mo. / The Dome at America’s CenterTiger Radio Network
September 30, 2023 (Saturday)TBAAwayVanderbiltNashville, Tenn.Tiger Radio Network
October 7, 2023 (Saturday)TBAHomeLSUFaurot FieldTiger Radio Network
October 14, 2023 (Saturday)TBAAwayKentuckyLexington, Ky.Tiger Radio Network
October 21, 2023 (Saturday)TBAHomeSouth CarolinaFaurot FieldTiger Radio Network
November 4, 2023 (Saturday)TBAAwayGeorgiaAthens, Ga.Tiger Radio Network
November 11, 2023 (Saturday)TBAHomeTennesseeFaurot FieldTiger Radio Network
November 18, 2023 (Saturday)TBAHomeFloridaFaurot FieldTiger Radio Network
November 24, 2023 (Friday)3:00 PMAwayArkansasFayetteville, Ark.CBSTiger Radio Network