By: Andy Humphrey
We should just accept that no SEC games at Faurot Field will ever be comfortable for the heart.
But in 2024, they didn’t result in any losses. Mizzou sealed an undefeated home season with a come-from-behind 28-21 win over rival Arkansas in the snow globe that was Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
With so many things going on, from the snow, to Senior Day, to a rivalry game, to keeping a 10-win season on the table, Mizzou kept an impressive level of focus on doing whatever it took to win. It didn’t mean being dominant, and they certainly weren’t. But dominance isn’t the only way to recognize a good college football team. With some much variance in this sport, it means something to consistently come up big in key leverage situations to gain that edge at the very end. As it showed several times this year, Mizzou proved it was exactly that type of team.
With that, let’s dive into the Knee-Jerk Reactions:
It came down to turnovers
When the weather plays a factor the way it did Saturday, you have to adjust the way you operate with the ball. And the most important aspect of that is ball security.
Mizzou didn’t turn the ball over at all. Arkansas did twice, and Mizzou scored two touchdowns off of those turnovers. That’s the game right there. Sometimes, it just boils down to simple things like taking care of the ball.
Sure, Mizzou wasn’t great on offense for most of the game. Some of it was the weather, some of it was Arkansas and some of it was their own fault. But when it’s a lot more slippery and cold than usual, the team that waits out their opponents’ mistakes and punishes them typically wins the day. Mizzou made very few mistakes. That’s why they had the upper hand.
It also lends to the coaching staff relaying the message well all throughout the prior week in practice. Keep both hands on the football on offense, and try to rip the ball out on defense. Ultimately, Mizzou was the more ready team to play in the conditions Saturday.
Brady Cook. The Closer.
Through three quarters, Cook was 5-of-13 for 59 yards in his final regular season game. As we had seen several times in the past, things looked off. Maybe due to the weather, maybe due to health, maybe due to general ineffectiveness, maybe all three. Who knows?
But then the fourth quarter came around, and one of Mizzou’s most clutch players in recent memory kicked into gear.
Cook only completed five more passes in the fourth quarter, but they went for 109 yards, most of that coming on Theo Wease’s long catch and run for 70 yards, setting up a field goal. And when Mizzou once again found themselves behind with about four minutes left, Cook dialed in when it mattered most. He completed an 11-yard pass to Luther Burden to convert a third down, found Brett Norfleet and Wease for a couple more first downs, then made yet another legacy play by running in a 30-yard touchdown on a QB draw.
In the end, I thought it was a perfect encapsulation of Cook’s time as Mizzou’s starting quarterback. There were countless ups and downs. He could look great in one moment, and bad in the next. The numbers don’t always jump off the page. But in the times when Mizzou’s offense needs a play or a drive to tie or win a game, he has delivered a lot more often than not. The way he’s played quarterback may not be aesthetically pleasing. It’s definitely not perfect. But it won Mizzou a lot of games over two years, more wins than almost all of the possible two-year stretches in Mizzou history. That’s meaningful. And that’s Brady Cook’s legacy. Clutch. A winner. A fighter. A closer. What more could you ask for from your starting quarterback?
Marcus Carroll keeps scoring
My conclusion: Marcus Carroll isn’t been the best running back on Mizzou’s team, but he has been the most important.
With all other things equal (weather, health, etc.), Nate Noel has the most talent. He’s shown that at times. But unfortunately, he hasn’t been fully healthy. I don’t know if that’s why he only got 10 carries on Saturday. The weather might’ve lent more to Carroll’s game than Noel’s.
For whatever reason, Noel made way for Carroll against Arkansas, and Carroll once again delivered. His 22 carries for 90 yards kept Mizzou on schedule. His two touchdowns on Saturday gave him five in the last two games. On a day where Mizzou needed to lean on the run game, Carroll was effective in Mizzou’s leading role.
And it’s not the first time Carroll has had to come up big as the lead back. Again, I think if Mizzou could draw it up themselves, they would prefer Noel to be the main back with his explosiveness. But it didn’t work out that way, so they turned to Carroll. And while his numbers weren’t as flashy, he kept Mizzou’s run game effective and he finished drives with touchdowns. His contributions down the stretch played a major part in Mizzou being a nine-win team.
Let’s talk about the defense
No, the numbers they gave up against Arkansas’ offense in the cold were not encouraging. We’ve seen this trend over the last few games. The coverage on the back end has been the biggest concern.
But let’s get something straight: Taylen Green, Ja’Quinden Jackson, Andrew Armstrong and others on the Arkansas offense made some great plays. That 4th down completion from Green to Armstrong on their final touchdown drive was excellent play-making on both ends. There were other moments, too, but that one stood out. Sometimes, the offense moving the football against your favorite team’s defense isn’t always just because your team is doing a bunch of different things wrong. The other team in this case has SEC talent, too, and sometimes they also make great plays. Not trying to excuse the defense, but it’s not 100% screw-ups on their end like fans make it seem.
And, when it came down to it, they made the stops they needed to finish and win the game. Johnny Walker Jr. forced two fumbles that led to Mizzou touchdowns. They batted several passes at the line of scrimmage on the final drive. Joseph Charleston made a key hit to prevent a touchdown catch with six seconds left. Arkansas was held to just 3-of-11 on third down.
Overall, the numbers Mizzou gave up in this game weren’t favorable. But situationally, they did everything they needed to keep Mizzou ahead. When you win, especially in these conditions, the complaints don’t ring as loudly
It was an exciting end to a good season
Last year’s blowout win by Mizzou was the anomaly. Since these head-to-head matchups between Mizzou and Arkansas started being played in 2014, they have typically been nail-biters. This year was no exception. Mizzou was only a three-point favorite going in. That means two evenly-matched teams, with a slight bump to the home-field advantage side. Throw in the snow, and you’ve got a lot of unpredictability for this one. Ultimately, there shouldn’t be too many complaints about how the game ended for Mizzou fans. I can understand being a little tired of the heart-stopping, game-winning drives with under two minutes every single game, but wins are wins.
And Mizzou got nine of those wins this season. That means it’s a good season.
No, they won’t make the playoff and that’s what everyone was hoping for. And right or wrong, the teams in Mizzou’s position going forward will be a lot more disappointed about not making a 12-team field and getting a consolation bowl game after it’s decided.
But let’s not lose focus on what Mizzou has put together. They’ve won 20 games in the past two years. In the history of Mizzou football, there have only been three two-year spans of 20 wins or more. Two of those instances happened under Gary Pinkel. The third one… just happened. Eli Drinkwitz has accomplished something that only the winningest head coach in Mizzou’s history has been able to accomplish before. This is an indication of a standard being raised. It’s not to say that every single season will finish with nine or more wins and a top-25 ranking. But it’s proof that it’s possible, and a reasonable goal for each Mizzou season going forward, along with the higher goals of eventually reaching the playoff. Regardless of whether they win the Gator/Texas/Music City/Liberty/Las Vegas/Reliaquest Bowl in a few weeks, that’s the conclusion. It wasn’t the season everyone wanted, but it was still proof of progress in Mizzou’s program.
(Photo credit: Andy Humphrey)
