Mizzou’s Marcus Carroll scores one of his three touchdowns of the day in the Tigers’ win over Mississippi State on Saturday. (Photo courtesy: Chucky Booker)
| NCAA Football | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #23 Missouri (8-3, 4-3) | 14 | 14 | 3 | 8 | 39 |
| Mississippi St. (2-9, 0-7) | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
STARKVILLE, MS — Ball control throughout the day, several big pass plays, and a huge defensive play in the early going were the keys in the University of Missouri football team’s 39-20 win over Mississippi State, Saturday afternoon at MSU’s Davis Wade Stadium.
It was Missouri’s final true road game of the 2024 season and the Tigers looked like a team that wanted to finish off their road slate in style.
Mizzou held possession of the ball for nearly 42 of the game’s 60 minutes, as it relied on its ground game to control the clock and keep MSU’s high-powered offense off he field. The Tigers ran the ball 56 times for 204 yards, which included 25 carries for 95 yards by Nate Noel and 61 yards, three touchdowns, and a two-point conversion by Marcus Carroll.
Missouri’s control of the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball was the primary factor in the Tigers (8-3, 4-3) earning the win in their second-to-last game of the regular season.
“We knew (Mississippi State was) dynamic offensively and could get into a rhythm,” Mizzou head coach Eli Drinkwitz told SEC Network’s Alyssa Lang on the field after the game. “But we felt like if we could consistently run the ball, we could frustate them and that was the key to our success.”
Mizzou WR Theo Wease breaks free from a Mississippi State defender during the first half of Saturday’s NCAA Football game at Davis Wade Stadium. (Photo: Chucky Booker)
The first big play of the game though, came from Mizzou’s defense, which sacked MSU’s quarterback and forced a fumble, which was returned 68 yards for a touchdown by safety Daylan Carnell midway through the first quarter. That play, along with the extra-point, gave the Tigers a 7-3 lead and Mizzou never trailed again the rest of the way.
“Our defense really turned the whole momentum when (they made that play),” Drinkwitz said. “And then our offense kind of came alive (after that).”
Missouri led 28-10 late in the second quarter, following a brilliant 28-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brady Cook to wide receiver Luther Burden III, and 31-13 midway through the third, but MSU responded with a long touchdown run late in the third to pull within 31-20.
The Bulldogs then got the ball back with a chance to move even closer, but Mizzou’s defense stopped MSU on a fourth down play to get the ball back, which led to Carroll’s third touchdown run and the two-point conversion that helped put the game away.
“I’m really proud of the way we handled that fourth quarter right there,” Drinkwitz said. “It was a good win.”
Cook finished with 268 yards and a touchdown on 15-of-20 completions, and Burden led all receivers with seven catches for 91 yards and his touchdown catch.
Teammate Theo Wease caught four passes for 72 yards, including a 38-yarder that helped set up a score, while sophomores Marquis Johnson, Joshua Manning, and Brett Norfleet all caught long passes in the game as well.
Mizzou WR Luther Burden III had seven catches for 91 yards and a touchdown in the Tigers’ win over Mississippi State on Saturday. (Photo: Chucky Booker)
Missouri finished with 472 total yards and converted on 11-of-18 third downs and went 2-for-2 on fourth downs, as well. The Tigers had four scoring drives of 75-or-more yards, and once they got the lead simply refused to let MSU have it back.
On defense, Mizzou was led by linebacker Triston Newson and safety Joseph Charleston, who each had six tackles. Defensive end Johnny Walker, Jr., added another quarterback sack, which gave him at least one in five straight games.
The Tigers will close out the regular season next Saturday, when they’ll host the annual Battle Line Rivalry Game against Arkansas. Kickoff at Faurot Field is set for 2:30 p.m., and the game will be televised live on the SEC Network.
SCORING SUMMARY
| Qtr | Time | Scoring Play | MIZ | MSU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 11:42 | MSU – Ferrie,Kyle 38 yd field goal 9 plays, 61 yards, TOP 03:12 | 0 | 3 |
| 1st | 06:33 | MIZ – Carnell,Daylan 68 yd fumble recovery (Craig,Blake kick) | 7 | 3 |
| 1st | 02:49 | MIZ – Carroll,Marcus 2 yd run (Craig,Blake kick), 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:54 | 14 | 3 |
| 1st | 00:20 | MSU – Mosley,Jordan 11 yd pass from Van Buren Jr.,Michael (Ferrie,Kyle kick) 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:29 | 14 | 10 |
| 2nd | 09:58 | MIZ – Burden,Luther 28 yd pass from Cook,Brady (Craig,Blake kick) 11 plays, 79 yards, TOP 05:18 | 21 | 10 |
| 2nd | 04:32 | MIZ – Carroll,Marcus 19 yd run (Craig,Blake kick), 7 plays, 83 yards, TOP 04:12 | 28 | 10 |
| 2nd | 00:30 | MSU – Ferrie,Kyle 26 yd field goal 14 plays, 67 yards, TOP 04:02 | 28 | 13 |
| 3rd | 06:14 | MIZ – Craig,Blake 35 yd field goal 15 plays, 57 yards, TOP 08:46 | 31 | 13 |
| 3rd | 05:31 | MSU – Booth,Davon 43 yd run (Ferrie,Kyle kick), 2 plays, 65 yards, TOP 00:43 | 31 | 20 |
| 4th | 05:40 | MIZ – Carroll,Marcus 1 yd run (Carroll,Marcus rush), 14 plays, 83 yards, TOP 08:43 | 39 | 20 |
MISSOURI TIGERS 2024 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | TV | Radio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 30, 2024 (Saturday) | 2:30 | Home | Arkansas | Columbia, Mo. / Faurot Field |  | Tiger Radio Network |
| TBD | TBD | Neutral | Bowl Game | TBD | TBD | TBD |