NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In an exciting finish, Blake Craig successfully kicked two field goals in the final quarter, including a remarkable 56-yarder with just 4:36 remaining, leading No. 23 Missouri to a thrilling 27-24 victory over Iowa in the Music City Bowl on Monday night.
Missouri was behind 24-14 at one point but managed to rally back, scoring the last 13 points to secure the win. Quarterback Brady Cook threw for a total of 287 yards and two touchdown passes while also rushing for 54 yards. Joshua Manning contributed significantly by rushing for a touchdown as well. On the receiving end, Marquis Johnson recorded 122 yards and caught one touchdown pass, helping fuel Missouri’s late-game resurgence.
With this victory, Missouri finished the season with a 10-3 record, achieving its eighth season with ten or more wins in program history. Head Coach Eli Drinkwitz acknowledged the achievement as a commendable feat for the seniors, emphasizing that finishing the season with a top ranking is a point of pride. “It’s something that they should take a lot of pride in back-to-back seasons,” Drinkwitz remarked. “Finishing ranked is an unbelievable accomplishment for our program and really, really proud of them.”
Cook later stated that neither he nor defensive end Johnny Walker thought about opting out of their final game, highlighting their determination to leave a lasting legacy at Missouri. “We knew we were going to and getting that 10th win and leaving our legacy and going out with a win, going out winning a championship — no matter what the championship is, we won a championship today,” Cook explained. “And that’s what we want to do every single year.”
Iowa, concluding its season with an 8-5 record, fell short again in bowl games, denying Coach Kirk Ferentz the opportunity to ascend the ranks within the Big Ten. Ferentz now trails Woody Hayes’ 205 wins at Ohio State for the most in league history and remains tied with Joe Paterno for the most bowl victories at ten.
The Hawkeyes had a couple of final opportunities to tie the game, with their last drive starting near midfield and 1:54 left on the clock. Walker’s second sack of the evening helped Missouri’s defense secure a crucial stop on third down, and they halted quarterback Brendan Sullivan for no gain on a critical fourth-and-1 play, prompting excited celebrations from the Missouri fans with chants of “S-E-C.” Ferentz reflected on the loss, stating, “It’s disappointing … We just didn’t have what it took to get it done.”
The game saw Iowa initially take a 14-7 lead with touchdowns from Terrell Washington Jr. on a 6-yard pass from Sullivan and Kaden Wetjen’s spectacular 100-yard kickoff return. Kamari Moulton’s 1-yard touchdown run helped Iowa maintain a 21-14 advantage by halftime, while Drew Stevens added a 38-yard field goal in the third quarter.
Missouri began closing the gap late in the third quarter with Manning’s touchdown, followed by Toriano Pride Jr. intercepting a Sullivan pass. The Tigers managed to tie the game with a 51-yard field goal from Craig, before he nailed the game-winner.
Looking at the key moments of the game, Missouri’s Theo Wease was sidelined in the second half due to an upper body injury, after finishing the first half with five receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown. Notably, Luther Burden, Missouri’s leading receiver with 61 catches in the season, opted out of this game to prepare for the NFL draft.
On the Iowa side, they played without their star running back, Kaleb Johnson, who also opted out to focus on his impending NFL career. However, Moulton had a respectable performance, rushing for 96 yards on 14 carries, while Jaziun Patterson contributed with 74 yards.
Looking ahead, Missouri will kick off its next season on August 30 by hosting Central Arkansas. Coach Drinkwitz is set to welcome Beau Pribula from Penn State through the transfer portal to take over the quarterback position in 2025 after Cook’s tenure. Similarly, Iowa will face off against Albany on August 30, with Ferentz bringing in Hank Brown from Auburn to enhance competition and depth in the quarterback position.
