Despite a disappointing end to the regular season, Missouri is going bowling. The 5-5 Tigers have accepted a bid to the Music City Bowl, where they will face Iowa, multiple sources have told PowerMizzou.
It will mark the 34th bowl appearance in program history. The Tigers have a postseason record of 15-18. They last played in a bowl game in 2018, losing to Oklahoma State in the Liberty Bowl. Missouri was not eligible for the postseason last year due to NCAA sanctions.
Missouri has never before appeared in the Music City Bowl, which will be held in Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee on Dec. 30. The game will kick off at 2:30 p.m. The Tigers last played Iowa in 2010 and hold a 4-4 record against the Hawkeyes all-time.
Iowa finished its shortened Big Ten-only schedule with six consecutive wins for a final record of 6-2. The Hawkeye offense has been led by running back Tyler Goodson, who gained 914 scrimmage yards and scored seven touchdowns in eight games. On the other side of the ball, the Hawkeyes are tied for seventh nationally in scoring defense, allowing an average of 16 points per game, and rank 13th in total defense.
The Music City Bowl will allow fans to attend, but will limit capacity. Ticket information can be found here.
Missouri started Eli Drinkwitz's first season at the helm 0-2 with losses to Alabama and Tennessee but turned the season around by upsetting defending national champion LSU. That sparked a 5-1 run over the team's next six games, with the only loss coming at Florida. The Tigers ran out of steam at the finish line, however, losing 49-14 to Georgia on Dec. 12 then finishing the season with a 51-32 defeat at the hands of Mississippi State in Starkville.
Due to the unusual and inconsistent schedules across the country caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA abolished record requirements for bowl games this season. However, several programs have opted not to participate in the postseason. Thirteen bowl games have been canceled, as well.
But Drinkwitz said last week that Missouri is committed to playing a bowl game. Even though all of the usual events and activities that normally accompany bowl games have been called off this year, he still views the experience as a reward.
We're excited about going bowling," Drinkwitz said. "It's an awesome opportunity for our team to get a chance to continue this journey together and play another game. It's an awesome opportunity for Mizzou. ... Because of the type of season we had, it's a reward. You know, bowl games are still a reward for the season that you had, and we're going to choose to go for that, and excited about it. Absolutely this season has been difficult on our guys, it's been difficult on staff. But it's a tribute to how much they one, love this game, two, they love the brotherhood and the people in that locker room."
