Saturday’s Week 3 matchup between No. 15 Kansas State and Missouri ended in beautiful, absolute chaos. A perfect example of college football’s madness delivering an upset for the undefeated Tigers during a seemingly dull-on-paper schedule.
At the end of a largely back-and-forth contest, Mizzou had the ball on its own 18-yard line with 1:25 left in the fourth quarter of a game tied at 27. Picking up a few first downs, the Tigers marched up the field, looking poised to pull off the last-second upset before nearly blowing it.
Somehow, inexplicably, on second-and-10 on the Wildcats’ 39-yard line, Mizzou — with zero awareness of the play clock counting down — took a delay-of-game penalty. Seriously, what?!
— no context college football (@nocontextcfb) September 16, 2023
Luckily for them, kicker Harrison Mevis saved the day after moving back to the 44-yard line, and the senior kicker drilled a game-winning 61-yard field goal as the clock hit zero. SIXTY-ONE YARDS.
It was the longest field goal in SEC history, as Mizzou took down a ranked nonconference opponent for the first time since 1990, per ESPN Stats & Info.
Missouri won, 30-27, and is now 3-0 for the first time since 2018.
DOWN GOES NO. 15 K-STATE!
A 61-YARD FIELD ON THE LAST PLAY OF THE GAME FOR MIZZOU! pic.twitter.com/5DYx67C6WZ
— ESPN (@espn) September 16, 2023
The chaos, however, didn’t stop there.
A flag appeared to be thrown just before the ball crossed the uprights, but as soon as the record-breaking field goal was ruled good, fans stormed the field, making any hope of replaying the down next to impossible. Officials seemed to decide it wasn’t a flag but an errant flying yellow object like a t-shirt, pom-pom or something else, leaving the Tigers to celebrate their victory.