AMHERST, Mass. — Luther Burden, a receiver for Missouri, made an impactful start by scoring on a 61-yard jet sweep just under a minute into the game, leading the 21st-ranked Tigers to a decisive 45-3 victory over Massachusetts on Saturday.

The win helped Missouri (5-1) bounce back from a disappointing 41-10 defeat against Texas A&M the previous week. In contrast, UMass (1-6) suffered its third consecutive loss in this matchup.

Quarterback Brady Cook had an efficient game, completing 14 of 19 passes for 219 yards and two touchdown passes across three quarters before Drew Pyne took over to start the fourth quarter. Running back Marcus Carroll had a standout performance, rushing for 91 yards on 13 carries and scoring three touchdowns.

Missouri’s defense, ranked 15th in the nation for total defense entering the game, held UMass to just 237 total yards and restricted the Minutemen to 13 first downs throughout the match.

Burden’s explosive run on the second play of the game marked his second rushing touchdown of the season. Carroll contributed with touchdown runs of 3 and 4 yards, pushing the score to 21-0 early in the second quarter.

UMass managed to get on the scoreboard with a 28-yard field goal from Jacob Lurie. However, they threatened to score just before halftime but were thwarted when linebacker Corey Flagg Jr. intercepted a pass from Taisun Phommachanh at the Missouri 7-yard line. The Tigers ended the half with a 43-yard field goal by Blake Craig, bringing the score to 24-3.

In the third quarter, Carroll notched his third touchdown on a 35-yard run, while Cook later delivered touchdown throws of 63 yards to Joshua Manning and 8 yards to Brett Norfleet.

Phommachanh completed 12 of his 22 attempts for 132 yards with one interception, and Te’Rai Powell was UMass’s leading rusher, gaining 39 yards on a single carry. The Minutemen struggled offensively, managing only 95 yards on 31 rushing attempts.

Takeaways from the game highlighted Missouri’s balanced offensive strategy, which racked up 461 total yards, complemented by a stout defensive effort that limited an opposing team to minimal scoring for the third time this season.

For UMass, this game marked the first of three encounters against teams from the Southeastern Conference this season, with upcoming matchups against Mississippi State and Georgia in November.

Looking ahead, Missouri is set to host Auburn next Saturday, while UMass will welcome Wagner on October 26.