Missouri football hosted Arkansas in a sold-out regular-season finale on Saturday, Nov. 30. The two teams are part of a historic rivalry known as the Battle Line Rivalry. Prior to Saturday’s contest, Missouri had won 11 of these rivalry matchups while the Razorbacks had won four. 

With a 28-21 win on Saturday, Missouri earned its 12th overall and third consecutive victory against Arkansas. The win also marked Missouri’s ninth of the 2024 season.

“The difference between a good year and a great year was the ability to win this last game and get nine wins,” head coach Eliah Drinkwitz said. “I figure we’ll finish the season ranked, which is a step in the right direction.”

Missouri’s defense, nicknamed “Death Row Defense,” started the game strong. The Razorbacks made a gutsy call when they elected to go for a fourth-and-7 on their first offensive drive. They failed to convert this fourth down when safety Marvin Burks Jr. broke up Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green’s pass.

After punting on offense, Missouri sent its defense back out onto the field. The Tigers made another big play when they created a turnover. On third down, defensive end Johnny Walker Jr. forced a fumble from Green, which was recovered by defensive tackle Sterling Webb. This gave Missouri the ball on Arkansas’ 40-yard line.

“Coach Drink said we needed turnovers, so I just thought that would be a good time to get one,” Walker said.

Missouri recovered a second fumble in the third quarter. This turnover was forced by Walker again, and the loose ball was recovered by linebacker Corey Flagg Jr. to set the Tigers up at the Arkansas 34-yard line.

Aside from the two takeaways, the Tigers’ defense ended the day with four tackles for loss, eight pass breakups and two sacks.

“Our defense’s ability to force turnovers was the difference in the game,” Drinkwitz said. “For our guys to play complimentary football like that, which is what we’ve done best all year, is pretty good.”

Both turnovers put Missouri in Arkansas territory. Utilizing the good field position and some penalties against Arkansas, Missouri scored the first points of the game. The touchdown came after running back Marcus Carroll pounded his way into the end zone from 2 yards out. This gave Missouri a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

Arkansas responded by tying the game on its next offensive drive. The Razorbacks’ score came when Green handed the ball to running back Ja’Quinden Jackson for a 2-yard rushing touchdown. The Razorbacks’ scoring drive took 7:41 off the clock. 

Using the momentum from the touchdown, Arkansas’ defense forced Missouri to a three-and-out. However, when the Razorbacks came out on offense, Missouri gave them a taste of their own medicine by forcing a three-and-out as well.

The two consecutive three-and-outs were indicative of how the rest of the half played out. Neither team was able to score again and they entered halftime with the score tied at 7.

The game’s low score at halftime reflected the offensive struggles of both teams. Through the first half, Missouri logged 107 total yards, 26 of which were through the air. Quarterback Brady Cook threw six passes, completing three of them.

Arkansas had 108 passing yards in the first half, but the team’s run game was limited with 60 yards being picked up on the ground.

The Razorbacks ended the scoring drought when their offense took the field for the first time in the third quarter. Arkansas’ drive started at midfield and was six plays long, capped off by a 12-yard run by Jackson to give the Razorbacks a 14-7 lead.

Trailing by seven points, the Tigers took the field on offense. A crucial play on the drive occurred when Missouri was put in a fourth-and-1 situation. The Tigers chose to go for this, running the ball with Carroll who got the first down. Carroll and the run game continued to be utilized on this drive that resulted in Missouri kicker Blake Craig drilling a 28-yard field goal. This cut the Arkansas lead to 14-10.

In the fourth quarter, Carroll ran in his second touchdown of the game, giving Missouri a 17-14 lead. Carroll performed well in this game, leading the team in rushing yards with 90. The run game as a whole also picked up after halftime, as the rush yards increased from 81 in the first half to 112 in the second.

“We’ve had a tendency to start slow in a lot of games,” Cook said. “That’s never what you want, but it is what it is and it just shows we have grit. We don’t quit, we don’t flinch and when the game is on the line, we’re going to be there.”

Cook’s statistics reflected the sentiment of starting slowly but improving. In the second half, he threw for 142 yards to end the game with 168 yards off 10 completions. He also scored the game winning touchdown with 1:53 left.

Cook’s longest pass of the day came when he connected with wide receiver Theo Wease Jr. on a 70-yard gain. This was the biggest play of the game by either team. 

“We never flinch, no matter the situation,” Wease said. “It’s a true brotherhood and we put everything on the line for each other.”

The wideout’s explosive play led to the Tigers kicking a field goal. Craig’s 34-yard kick extended the Missouri lead to 20-14.

Back on offense, the Razorbacks worked their way down the field until they found themselves facing a fourth-and-8. Arkansas converted off a 25-yard pass to wide receiver Andrew Armstrong. Two plays later, the Razorbacks sprinted into the end zone to take a 21-20 lead with 4:19 on the clock.

The Tigers had some wild finishes this season, so trailing with less than five minutes of playing time was nothing too daunting. Missouri proved it was up for the challenge when Cook kept the ball and ran for a 30-yard score.

“I love that it was a fourth quarter game,” Cook said. “Corey Flagg was running off and I told him, ‘Hey, I’m going to go score, and then you guys are going to get a stop to win the game.’ And that’s what happened. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

Cook’s rushing touchdown secured the win for Missouri on Senior Day. The Tigers celebrated by lifting the Battle Line Rivalry Trophy for the third year in a row.

With the conclusion of this game, Missouri’s 2024 regular season is over.​​ The Tigers finished the season with a record of 9-3. They will see the field again at an unknown time and place when they play in a bowl game.

Edited by Michael Stamps | mstamps@themaneater.com

Copyedited by Emma Short | eshort@themaneater.com

Edited by Emily Skidmore | eskidmore@themaneater.com