A big play by Missouri’s defense changed the momentum of the game, and the Tigers went on to defeat Mississippi State 39-20 on Saturday.
Trailing 3-0, Missouri’s Dylan Carnell recovered a fumble and returned it 67 yards for a touchdown, shifting the game in the Tigers’ favor.
“I’m really, really proud of our football team today,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “Our defense flipped the script with the fumble recovery for a touchdown, and that allowed our offense to find ourselves.”
Mississippi State had a chance to make it a one-possession game in the fourth quarter, but the Bulldogs were stopped short on fourth-and-3. Missouri then put together a 14-play, 83-yard drive that took 8:43 off the clock, sealing the win.
The Tigers (8-3, 4-3 SEC) held the ball for 37:23, while the Bulldogs had it for 18:09. Missouri was 11-of-17 on third downs and averaged 6.4 yards per play.
Missouri’s Brady Cook was 15-of-20 passing for 268 yards and a touchdown. Luther Burden had seven catches for 91 yards, and Nate Noel led the running back group with 25 carries for 95 yards.
Mississippi State (2-9, 0-7 SEC) had just 338 yards of offense. Michael Van Buren was 16-of-28 for 191 yards and a touchdown, but his fumble in the first quarter proved costly.
“We didn’t respond the way we needed to,” Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby said. “Especially offensively, we really struggled after that.”
Davon Booth had a big game on the ground for the Bulldogs with 12 carries for 124 yards and a touchdown.
Missouri is headed to its fifth bowl game in as many years under Drinkwitz, while Mississippi State is on the verge of a winless SEC season for the first time since 2002.
Mississippi State plays Ole Miss in the Battle for the Golden Egg on Nov. 29, while Missouri hosts Arkansas on Nov. 30.
