This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.
The Oklahoma Sooners let their bowl hopes slip away in the final two minutes of their dramatic matchup with the Missouri Tigers, losing 30-23 in Columbia on Saturday night.
A defensive battle defined a 9-3 first half. The Sooners were carried by the leg of Zach Schmit and the punting and passing ability of Luke Elzinga. Oklahoma had an opportunity in the red zone after Elzinga hit Bauer Sharp on a pop pass that went for 47 yards and gave the Sooners a first-and-goal at the 10. A delay of game followed by back-to-back sacks ended the touchdown threat, and the Sooners were forced to settle for three.
In the second half, the Sooners started to let the game slip away.
Missouri took advantage of a failed fourth-and-1 by the offense and drove down the field. Despite a pair of negative plays, including a forced fumble by Damonic Williams that Missouri quarterback Drew Pyne recovered, Theo Wease took a screen pass 13 yards for the go-ahead score.
After the two teams traded punts, Jackson Arnold hit Deion Burks for what looked like a third-down conversion, but Burks fumbled the ball, putting the defense back on the field. Missouri converted three third downs on the ensuing drive and took a 16-9 lead on Pyne’s touchdown pass to Brett Northfleet with Billy Bowman in coverage.
But Oklahoma answered with a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to tie the game on Taylor Tatum’s throwback to Jackson Arnold. That drive was highlighted by the fantastic running of Xavier Robinson, who carried the ball seven times for 48 yards on the drive and added a reception for seven yards. He picked up three first downs on for the Sooners to lead OU to the red zone and set up Arnold’s touchdown reception.
Then it looked like Sooner Magic had struck again. Missouri’s lead running back, Nate Noel, was stripped by Samuel Omosigho, and the ball popped out of the pile. Billy Bowman was ther to pick it up cleanly and race to the end zone for the touchdown with two minutes remaining to play to give OU a 23-16 lead.
And that should have created a moment for the Sooners defense to close it out. But Missouri and Drew Pyne needed just 57 seconds to drive 75 yards to score the game-tying touchdown. Pyne hit Wease for 28 yards on first down to put the Tigers on the OU half of the 50. The Sooners overcame a weak holding call on Woodi Washington to put Pyne and the Tigers in a third-and-16 situation after an R Mason Thomas sack and an incompletion.
With OU rushing three and dropping eight into coverage, Missouri triple-teamed Thomas, and Pyne lofted a ball down the sideline to Luther Burden, who was open after cornerback Jacobe Johnson fell down in coverage. That gave Missouri first-and-goal at the 10-yard line. Two plays later, Pyne hit Wease on a fade route in the corner of the end zone for the game-tying touchdown.
Still, there was 1:03 remaining on the clock, and the Sooners had two timeouts. A defensive pass interference on Deion Burks gave the Sooners a first-and-10 at their own 30-yard line. Xavier Robinson picked up five yards to put OU in a manageable second down. Arnold dropped back to pass and, when he didn’t throw it right away, was flushed to his right. as he attempted to evade pressure, he was hit, and the ball popped out of his hand. It was picked up by Zion Young, who ran it back for the game-winning touchdown.
It was a devastating turn of events for the Sooners in the final two minutes as they gave the game away with one of their worst defensive drives of the season and then a turnover that’s become the theme of the season for the offense.
It was another horrible performance for the Sooners offense. They gained just 257 yards of total offense, 47 of which came on the fake punt. Arnold was 15 of 24 for just 75 yards in the game, averaging just 3.1 yards per attempt on the day. Robinson finished the day with nine carries for 56 yards. Making his return to the field, Deion Burks led the Sooners in receiving with five catches for 44 yards before leaving the game late due to what looked like a concussion on what could have been a targeting call.
Oklahoma now sits at 5-5 on the year, with games against Alabama and LSU coming after their bye this week. There will be a lot of soul-searching for Brent Venables and his staff as they try to bounce back from a demoralizing defeat at the hands of the Missouri Tigers.
