January 6, 2024

By Dylan Heinrich

Photo by Maneater Staff

Missouri ends their season on a four-game win streak with a huge win against the Buckeyes

A storybook year for Missouri football ended on a high note with a 14-3 victory over Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. 

This marks the first major bowl win for the Tigers since their last Cotton Bowl appearance in January 2014, which saw Missouri defeat Oklahoma State 41-31. While the games are all done for Missouri, there’s plenty to learn from the win about the state of the program moving forward.

Opt outs prove to be difference makers

A big storyline entering the game was the amount of Ohio State players who made the decision to opt out of the Cotton Bowl. 

From the time the matchup was announced in early December up until kickoff, 14 Buckeyes made the decision to skip the bowl game for either the transfer portal or the NFL draft. The two largest names were quarterback Kyle McCord and receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. 

McCord made the decision to join the transfer portal and has already made the decision to play for Syracuse next year. For Harrison, he decided to opt out on the day of the game, with the main reason being his extremely high draft status (Harrison is projected to be a top-5 pick in next year’s NFL Draft). 

Missouri didn’t face any problems with opt outs, as all of their major contributors returned for the Cotton Bowl. The only players who were unable to play were defenders Chad Bailey, Ty’Ron Hopper and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. who were sidelined due to injury. 

“Our brotherhood is wanting to play this one final game, this one opportunity together,” head coach Eli Drinkwitz said before the game.

For Missouri, their continuity was clear. Ohio State, on the other hand, struggled mightily without two of their best offensive weapons.

Defensive domination

The personnel differences were apparent from the get-go. Ohio State began the game with sophomore backup quarterback Devin Brown, who was starting his first career game. Early on, it certainly looked like Brown was new to a big stage, as he struggled connecting with his receivers. But Brown suffered an ankle injury earlier in the second quarter, forcing the Buckeyes to throw out freshman third-stringer Lincoln Kienholz. 

Keinholz couldn’t do much better, completing just six of his 17 pass attempts for 86 yards. The Buckeyes were already hamstrung on offense with a third-string quarterback and no Harrison Jr., but the play calling from Ohio State head coach Ryan Day was extremely conservative and run-heavy. Coupled with Missouri’s defense firing on all cylinders, this perfect storm shut down the Ohio State offense, as their three points were the fewest since their 31-0 loss to Clemson in 2016.

In addition to the three points scored, the Tigers defense held Ohio State to just 203 yards of offense and 2/15 on third downs. 

A key defensive contributor was sophomore Daylan Carnell. To cap his second year, Carnell registered three quarterback hurries and a forced fumble sack for the only turnover of the game.

The Indianapolis native entered the game with a chip on his shoulder, as he never received an offer from Ohio State despite playing within three hours of the university. 

“There was zero doubt in my mind he was going to play his best game,” Drinkwitz said.

Second half surge

On the offensive end, Missouri started slow. After only 112 yards and no points in the first half, the Tigers entered the locker room trailing 3-0. 

The offense finally found life in the second half, with 219 yards and 14 points. The catalyst for the offensive revival came on a 50-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Brady Cook to freshman wide receiver Marquis Johnson late in the third to reach the Ohio State red zone for the first time. 

The drive was finished off by graduate running back Cody Schrader, who powered his way in for his 14th touchdown of the year. Schrader finished the game and his Missouri career with 128 yards on 29 carries. 

Cook did his part through the air, with 128 yards including a touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Luther Burden III. The junior quarterback also contributed with his legs, with 66 rushing yards on 19 carries. That performance earned Cook the Cotton Bowl Offensive MVP honors.

“We’re not going to stop”

While the season may stop here, Missouri is looking to build on this season’s success. 

During their first three years under Drinkwitz, the Tigers amassed a record of 17-19. The tides have turned, with an 11-2 record in 2023 and their most wins in a season since 2014. 

As this season has come to a close, all eyes turn towards next year. While plenty of players are graduating, plenty of key contributors are returning such as Cook, Burden III and Carnell. 

Missouri currently sports the 22nd ranked class of 2024 according to 247 sports looking at both recruits and transfers.

A goal plenty of fans are setting for the Tigers is to reach the first edition of the 12-team College Football Playoff, with the chance to play for a national championship in the postseason for the first time in school history.

“We’re not going to stop. No one is waiting for Mizzou to take its place in college football,” Drinkwitz said. “We’ve got to kick the door down.”