Resilient performances from St. Louis natives pushed Missouri ahead to its fourth victory of the year.
Missouri football won a valiant battle against Memphis on Saturday, defeating the Tigers from Tennessee 34-27 at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis.
Resilient performances from three of the team’s St. Louis natives — Brady Cook, Cody Schrader, Luther Burden III — told the story of the game. Missouri’s running back, and Lutheran South High School graduate, Schrader struggled early on. On a second down in the first quarter, he received a handoff and fumbled the ball. Memphis recovered and only needed four plays to score a touchdown that gave Missouri a 10-7 lead.
“There’s nobody more disappointed in himself [after the fumble] than Cody,” head coach Eli Drinkwitz said of the turnover. “For us, it’s about encouraging him, letting him know we believe in him.”
The faith that Drinkwitz and the team held in Schrader was rewarded when they kept feeding him the ball, as Schrader ultimately finished the game with 123 rushing yards. On a carry with less than three minutes left in the game, he burst through the Memphis defense for a 36-yard touchdown that proved to be the dagger of the game.
“You really find out who you are in the face of adversity, and you really find out who your teammates are,” Schrader said after the game. “[From the] very get-go that moment (fumble) happened, Brady picked me up, [the] o-Line picked me up, everybody was dapping me up. I think it’s a testament to what type of brotherhood we have.”
Quarterback Brady Cook — a graduate of St. Louis’ Chaminade College Preparatory School— led by example in that moment by supporting Schrader, and did so in many other instances throughout the game. The junior quarterback was playing through a knee injury he suffered last week against Kansas State, but he still threw for 341 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday night. Equipped with a brace on his left leg, Cook’s toughness was on full display against Memphis.
Late in the first half, Cook scrambled for a 17-yard gain, but was crushed by a Memphis defender on the way down. After a discussion with trainers, Cook returned to the game without missing a single play.
After the game, Schrader expressed his admiration for Cook.
“That kid is the toughest kid that I’ve ever met,” Schrader said.
Cook’s favorite target of the night was wide receiver Luther Burden III, who grew up in nearby East St. Louis. Burden registered 10 receptions for 177 yards through the night, both of which were career highs.
Missouri sophomore Luther Burden III dodges Memphis defensive back DeAgo Brumfield following a Brady Cook pass for a gain of 56 yards on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023 at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis. Burden would record 10 receptions for 177 receiving yards in the Tigers’ 34-27 victory over Memphis.
On many of those receptions, Burden miraculously carved out his own open space, including on a 56-yard reception late in the third quarter – 52 of those yards were gained after the catch. As Burden evaded defenders and scampered down the field, the crowd roared, but came to a hush seconds later when they realized that Burden was sprawled out on the field talking to two team trainers above him, after taking a rough tackle by a Memphis defender.
With the assistance of the two trainers, Burden walked into the tunnel to be evaluated for possible injuries. The issue turned out to only be cramps, and Burden would return in the fourth quarter to finish the game.
The star wide-receiver was one of the many Missouri players who suffered injuries against Memphis. This caused many players to unexpectedly take on a bigger role, especially on defense.
Starting defensive back Ennis Rakestraw suffered an injury in practice this week, and was unable to play. This caused sophomore Dreyden Norwood to fill in for Rakestraw. However, after a strong start from Norwood, that saw him break up a potential touchdown pass from Memphis, he suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter. Next on the rotation of defensive backs for Missouri came senior Marcus Clarke. Clarke rose to the occasion in the fourth quarter when, on a fourth down, he intercepted a pass from Memphis quarterback Seth Henigan. This turnover from Clarke stopped Memphis from scoring, and gave Missouri’s offense the opportunity to extend its lead to two possessions late in the game.
The injuries suffered by Missouri in Saturday’s game will present numerous challenges for them as they begin conference play next week in Vanderbilt. However, after winning its first four games of the season for the first time since 2013, the team has shown they are capable of overcoming the many obstacles they might face this season.
“Our team is committed to each other,” Drinkwitz said. ”They believe in each other, they don’t panic, they just keep fighting.”
Edited by Quentin Corpuel | qcorpuel@themaneater.com
Copy Edited by Sterling Sewell | ssewell@themaneater.com