Missouri football hit the road to play Kansas State on Saturday, September 10, only for the Tigers to be outperformed and handed their first loss of the season. The Wildcats were dominant from the start, led by their defense, who forced four Missouri turnovers and held the Tiger offense to 222 total yards.Despite the bad weather, Kansas State won the game, defeating Missouri 40-12.
For the first time in eleven years, Missouri and Kansas State met to rekindle their longtime rivalry from the Big 12 days.
The game started 15 minutes later than scheduled due to weather, and the Tigers started with the ball. The offense’s first few drives consisted mostly of runs by sophomore quarterback Brady Cook or senior running back Cody Schrader. Cook completed only one pass in the drive, which was a six yard completion to graduate wide receiver Barrett Banister. The team’s opening drive stalled, and junior kicker Harrison Mevis kicked one through the uprights to take a 3-0 lead. Little did the Tigers know, they would not regain the lead for the rest of the game.
The Tiger defense played solid in its week one win against Louisiana Tech, but Kansas State was a whole new challenge.
The first defensive drive for Missouri was productive, but it didn’t matter in the end as the Wildcats found their way into the endzone to take a 7-3 lead. The Tigers forced two third downs, surrendering both of them, before giving up the one yard touchdown run to star Kansas State junior running back Deuce Vaughn.
Missouri’s offense was stale throughout the game. Head coach and offensive play caller Eliah Drinkwitz stayed pretty conservative in the first half, mostly keeping the ball on the ground. Cook missed freshman wide receiver Luther Burden on a slant that could have gone for a touchdown. After the opening drive field goal, the offense punted on four drives in a row.
Kansas State senior quarterback Adrian Martinez ran the ball into the end zone from the 16 yard line to extend the Wildcat lead.
Out of the break, Missouri’s defense seemed to stiffen up, forcing two straight punts and surrendering a field goal after Cook’s first interception of the game. The next three Missouri drives would also all end in interceptions. Cook threw one on the following drive, and was benched for graduate quarterback Jack Abraham, who threw interceptions on the next two drives.
At the end of the third quarter, the Wildcats still led 26-6. A 20 point deficit with one quarter left is not ideal and unfortunately for the Tigers, there would be no miracle.
Kansas State opened up the game in the fourth quarter. A few minutes into the quarter, Vaughn took a 24 yard run to the endzone to make it 33-6. On their next drive, the Wildcats scored again when freshman running back DJ Giddens took a 28 yard run to the house, bringing the score to40-6.
With 1:22 left in the game, the Missouri defense forced a fumble in Kansas State territory, and the Tigers were able to score their first touchdown of the game as time expired. Schrader ran it in from the one yard line, making it 40-12.
In a game that meant so much to Missouri’s season and fans, the team fell flat on its face. A combination of conservative play calling and missed opportunities cost the Tigers the game. Burden, the prized possession of Missouri’s 2022 recruiting class, only touched the ball once during the game.
The Tigers have an opportunity to bounce back next week at home against Abilene Christian.
Edited by Riley Gearhart | rgearhart@themaneater.com
Copy edited by Julia Williams | jwilliams@themaneater.com
