December 12, 2023

By Michael Stamps

Photo by Makenna Birmingham

The Tigers dominated in all facets of the game, from Cody Schrader’s historic performance to the defense only allowing seven points 

Cody Schrader was all over the field for Missouri at home against Tennessee, securing his spot in SEC history as the first player to rush for 200 yards and register 100 receiving yards in a single game. The Tigers knocked off the Volunteers 36-7 in dominant fashion.

Schrader was impossible to stop on the ground, tallying 205 yards with 35 carries. He surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing mark on the season, keeping his crown as the leading rusher in the SEC conference. Schrader also caught five passes for 116 yards. 

The evening ended with the crowd chanting his name and Schrader being lifted up by his teammates. 

The first half was low-scoring, and both defenses were firing on all cylinders. The first drive started with a 37-yard reception to Schrader, but ended with an interception by sophomore quarterback Brady Cook. Tennessee senior defensive back Jaylen McCullough anticipated the throw over the middle perfectly and returned the pick all the way into Missouri territory. The Tigers got a stop of their own on defense the very next possession.

The first points of the game came early in the second quarter after a long 22-play drive. Senior kicker Harrison Mevis drilled a 31-yard field goal to put the Tigers up 3-0. Tennessee Senior quarterback Joe Milton III responded right away with a 46-yard bomb to Dont’e Thornton Jr. for a touchdown. 

Schrader started his tear shortly after, scoring his first and only touchdown with 10:33 left in the second quarter. Mevis drilled another field goal at the end of the second quarter, putting the Tigers up 13-7 heading into halftime. 

On their opening drive of the half, Cook found freshman wideout Marquis Johnson on the move for 48 yards. Johnson was forced to make an athletic sliding catch to secure the underthrown ball. Schrader carried the ball seven times on the drive, and Cook capped it off with a three-yard keeper up the middle, making the score 19-7. 

This marked the start of a defensive masterclass from the Tigers, as they prevented the Volunteers from scoring for the rest of the game. Missouri only recorded one sack in the game, but they only allowed 83 total rushing yards. The unit also only allowed Tennessee Junior running back Jaylen Wright, the third-leading rusher in the SEC, to rush for just 23 yards. 

The Tigers continued to feed Schrader after stopping the Volunteers time and time again. Both Schrader and Cook went for long runs multiple times, with Schrader getting loose for 23 yards and Cook exploding to the right side of the field for 24. Tennessee’s defense stayed resilient, gathering multiple stops after the first Tiger score in the third quarter. 

Missouri’s offensive line was sloppy at times, primarily in the fourth quarter. Three false start penalties from freshman Armand Membou, senior Theo Wease Jr. and senior Javon Foster set the Tigers back on what seemed to be a promising drive halfway through the fourth quarter. Fortunately, Schrader ran for 47 yards on that drive and Cook flipped a ball to receiver Luther Burden III for a 21-yard touchdown, putting them 29-7.

The Tigers secondary put the final nail in the coffin for Tennessee after sophomore safety Daylan Carnell got a pick off Milton and took it to the endzone, extending the lead to 36-7. With around six minutes left after the interception, the win was all but secured for Missouri. 

With this game, Missouri football grabbed potentially their best win of the season. They improved to 8-2 on the season with just two games remaining on the schedule, the first with the Florida Gators coming to Columbia on Nov. 18. 

Edited by Quentin Corpuel | qcorpuel@themaneater.com 

Copy edited by Sterling Sewell | ssewell@themaneater.com