The crowd may not have been treated to any offensive masterpiece, but Missouri came away with a victory nonetheless in a 14-3 triumph over Ohio State in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl on Friday night.
After a first half that consisted of one Buckeyes field goal and 12 punts, fans and analysts were cracking jokes on social media about how Missouri’s color scheme resembled Iowa.
However, the Missouri offense came alive (by comparison) in the final fifteen minutes. Running back Cody Schrader, who finished the regular season as a Doak Walker Award finalist with more than 1,400 yards, punched into the end zone from nine yards out to give the Tigers the lead.
In a complete reversal from the rest of the game, Missouri scored on back-to-back possessions. The Tigers marched 91 yards down the field on 13 plays the following drive, culminating in a seven-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brady Cook to standout sophomore wide receiver Luther Burden III to expand the lead to 14-3.
Ohio State’s backs pressed against the wall with five minutes to play and two scores needed, but quarterback freshman Lincoln Kienholz started to churn. The young quarterback, who had thrown five collegiate passes before the game, led the Buckeyes into Missouri territory quickly with hopes of a miracle comeback. He lost the ball on a sack around the 40-yard line with three minutes to play, however, and the Tigers pounced on the ball and ran the clock out from there.
Kienholz finished the game with six completions on 17 attempts, throwing for 86 yards. Both teams combined for 534 yards, with 203 of those coming on the ground for Missouri. Schrader ended the game with 128 yards on 29 attempts.
The win gave the Tigers a final record of 11-2, their first 11-win season since 2014 and just their fourth in school history.
Here are the best photos from the Tigers’ big win.