STARKVILLE, Miss. — On Saturday, Missouri secured a convincing 39-20 victory over Mississippi State, effectively quashing any late-game surge from the Bulldogs.
Brady Cook led the Tigers, who experienced their most productive offensive performance of the season in SEC play, amassing a total of 473 yards and setting highs in both points and total yards.
As the game entered the fourth quarter, it seemed Mississippi State might close the gap, trailing 31-20 and poised to score. However, Bulldogs’ head coach Jeff Lebby opted to go for it on fourth-and-3 inside the red zone, opting against a field goal attempt.
Unfortunately for Mississippi State, they fell short, which allowed Missouri to capitalize. The Tigers executed a lengthy 14-play, 83-yard drive that consumed over eight minutes of clock time, culminating in a one-yard touchdown run by Marcus Carroll.
In the dying moments of the game, Missouri added to their lead. The Tigers dominated possession, holding the ball for 37:23 minutes compared to just 18:09 for the Bulldogs. They also converted 11 of 17 third downs while averaging 6.4 yards per play.
Cook completed 15 of 20 passes for 268 yards, including one touchdown, and connected with Luther Burden, who made seven receptions for 91 yards. The ground attack was also strong with Nate Noel leading the rushers; he carried the ball 25 times for 95 yards as the team amassed 205 yards on the ground from 56 attempts. Carroll added to the success with 14 carries, totaling 61 yards and scoring three times.
On the other side, Mississippi State struggled offensively, recording just 338 total yards. Quarterback Michael Van Buren went 16 of 28 for 191 yards and a touchdown but his performance was marred by an early fumble that was returned for a touchdown by Dylan Carnell.
The Bulldogs’ running back Davon Booth had a standout performance with 12 carries for 124 yards and a touchdown, marking his second consecutive game with over 100 rushing yards. Despite their efforts, Mississippi State converted only 2 of 10 third-down attempts and could not capitalize on three red-zone opportunities, finishing with a mere six points.
In the bigger picture, Missouri may no longer be in contention for the playoffs, but they are set to participate in their fifth consecutive bowl game under head coach Eli Drinkwitz. The Tigers are looking to achieve their potential tenth win of the season if they can secure victories in their last two games.
Conversely, Mississippi State is facing the possibility of ending the season winless in SEC play for the first time since 2002, a challenging situation for the program.
Looking ahead, Mississippi State will face off against Ole Miss in the annual Battle for the Golden Egg on November 29, while Missouri is set to host Arkansas on November 30.