Missouri football shut out the Murray State Racers 51-0 in the team’s season opener. The Tigers’ strong defense and stud-filled receiving core led the way to a blowout victory. 

Missouri sprinted to a 21-0 lead in the first six minutes of the game. Wideout Luther Burden III caught the opening touchdown, a 16-yard grab from quarterback Brady Cook. Two transfers scored the next two touchdowns, as running back Nate Noel scored on a toss play and cornerback Toriano Pride Jr. took an interception all the way to the endzone. 

“It was pure joy, I was really happy to see Toriano [Pride Jr.] go out there and make a big play,” said Chris McClellan, junior defensive lineman and fellow transfer. “That’s huge for us early in the game, picking up three touchdowns.”

Transfer running back Marcus Carroll scored near the end of the first quarter to give the Tigers a 28-0 lead after 15 minutes. The offense went cold, as Cook had a pair of deep throws that barely missed his receivers for possible touchdowns. 

“Part of that is adrenaline…figuring out how we account for the adrenaline in our throws,” head coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “But they’re the right reads.”

The offense wouldn’t see pay dirt again until Cook rushed for a touchdown in the dying seconds of the first half. 

The story of the game was the Missouri defense, which recorded its first shutout since 2020. Murray State ended the game with only one drive that reached Missouri territory while recording 85 total yards. This is the first time since 2019 the Tigers have held an opponent below 100 yards. 

McClellan was a force to be reckoned with, recording three tackles and a huge forced fumble in the third quarter to energize the crowd.

Despite some struggles from Cook, Missouri showed why its receiving core is one of the deepest in the country. Eleven different receivers caught passes from Cook and sophomore backup Drew Pyne for 300 total receiving yards. Pyne completed 10-11 passes for 85 yards.

“I was really proud of Drew,” Drinkwitz said. “For him to come back, and the way he’s been an awesome teammate to push Brady but also complement him, and for him to get a half of football in there. I’m really impressed by him.”

Sophomore tight end Brett Norfleet was one of those receivers, but injured his shoulder on his first reception and was taken out of the game. Although he was quickly ruled out, Norfleet  came back to the sideline without any medical equipment on. 

The majority of the second half was spent taking time off of the clock and a pair of field goals from freshman kicker Blake Craig helped bring the score to 51-0. This is the first time the Tigers have won a game by 50-plus points since 2019.

The Tigers will face the Buffalo Bulls at Faurot Field on Sept. 7 at 6 p.m.

Edited by Dylan Heinrich | dheinrich@themaneater.com

Copyedited by Hannah Taylor | htaylor@themaneater.com

Edited by Emily Skidmore | eskidmore@themaneater.com