The No. 21 Missouri Tigers hosted the Auburn Tigers  for their 113th annual Homecoming. Missouri came out on top thanks to stout defense and a triumphant comeback led by Brady Cook, defeating Auburn 21-17.

Missouri is now 6-1 and bowl game eligible with a trip to Tuscaloosa, Ala. looming. The Tigers of black and gold seem to be finding their identity at just the right time, however, some questions remain.

What did we learn from the Tigers’ duel of the fates?

Quarterback Play 

Missouri quarterback Brady Cook has been ridiculed for his performance so far this season. While he has proven to be a serviceable quarterback, his statistics fail to jump off the page. 

The senior from St. Louis, Mo. went down with an ankle injury early in the first quarter. Missouri’s backup quarterback Drew Pyne stepped into the offense through Cook’s absence.

Pyne transferred to Missouri this past offseason after spending stints at Notre Dame and most recently, Arizona State. Despite his veteran experience, he failed to put together any meaningful drives, tallying just 78 passing yards on 21 attempts.

Cook defied expectations with a heroic return, as most had ruled him out for the remainder of the game after a hospital trip. Late in the third quarter, with Missouri trailing 17-6, Cook returned to the field. He quickly connected with wide receiver Mookie Cooper for a 78-yard gain, breathing new life into the team and the crowd.

Cook led an offensive resurgence, totaling 194 passing yards and making several runs on his injured ankle en route to a 15-point fourth quarter and a Missouri victory. 

Cook overcame scrutiny and injury, cementing his legacy at MU.

Defensive Inconsistency

Missouri’s defense has been on two sides of a coin all season long. At times, they’ve impressed, showcasing elite tackling and rock-solid pass coverage. However, they seem to have lapses periodically throughout each game. 

Against Auburn, it was tackling efforts that were most jarring. While the Missouri defense often found themselves beyond the line of scrimmage pressuring the Auburn backfield, they failed to wrangle the ball carriers on several occasions. 

Auburn often escaped almost certain tackles, on their way to gaining yardage. The tackling woes, coupled with a lone play of blown coverage on a 47-yard passing touchdown, allowed Auburn to take the second-half lead.

Safety Daylan Carnell stood out for tackling and delivering powerful hits on the Auburn players. In the game’s closing moments, Carnell blew up what could have been Auburn’s game-winning drive. He dealt a heavy hit while breaking up Auburn’s first down pass attempt.

Despite occasional struggles, Missouri stays disciplined when it matters most. With the game on the line and the offense mounting a comeback, Missouri forced three separate three-and-out drives and only allowed a single first down through the entire fourth quarter.

Team Resilience

In typical Missouri fashion, the Tigers found the most challenging way possible to win. With just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter, ESPN’s win probability tracker gave Auburn a 94.3% chance of winning. 

The Tigers have seen plenty of ugly wins in the Eli Drinkwitz era. This includes its game-winning field goal against Arkansas in 2020 and its overtime victory against Florida in 2021. Last year, the Tigers led last-second drives against Kansas State and Florida, resulting in wins. 

This narrow triumph is nothing new this year  — the Tigers notched a double-overtime victory over the now No. 25 ranked Vanderbilt Commodores. This proves Missouri tends to perform at the highest level when faced with pressure.

Looking Ahead

Missouri will take on the No. 15 Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The Crimson Tide are reeling from losing two out of their last three matchups, including an Oct. 5 loss to Vanderbilt.

The Tigers must tap into whatever magic has propelled them to these recent era-defining wins for the program —they have the opportunity to beat Alabama for the first time since Sept. 8, 1975.

Edited by Michael Stamps | mstamps@themaneater.com

Copyedited by Ethan Palgon and Hannah Taylor | htaylor@themaneater.com

Edited by Annie Goodykoontz | agoodykoontz@themaneater.com