No. 9 Missouri’s big 4th quarter leads to 14-3 win over No. 7 Ohio State

ARLINGTON, Tex. 一 All Missouri needed was one explosive play to find its offensive rhythm, and it only took a little over 43 minutes for it to happen.

Quarterback Brady Cook would lead an eight-play, 95-yard drive that took the last four minutes and 25 seconds of the third quarter and five seconds of the fourth quarter, which was highlighted by a 49-yard completion to freshman receiver Marquis "Speedy" Johnson that put the Tigers in the red zone for the first time all game.

That play opened up the offense and would ultimately change the tide in Mizzou's 14-3 win over No. 7 Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl on Friday.

"It took one explosive play," running back Cody Schrader said. "When Brady threw that ball to Marquis then that's when it was like, okay, now we can go and we started running the football a little more efficiently and a little better. And we started running the football with me and Brady and they just didn't really have an answer for it."

The Tigers' 14 points, all in the fourth quarter, were a season low but were still enough to win the team's first New Year's Six bowl game, their first win against a top-10 opponent since 2013 and their first win over a top 10 team in a bowl game since defeating Navy in 1961.

Missouri had started the game with punts on eight of its first nine offensive possessions. For most of the game, the story was for every step forward the Tigers immediately took two steps back.

Ohio State's third-ranked defense proved to be as legit, and It held Missouri's top-25 offense scoreless with 123 total yards through three quarters.

It was a slugfest. Missouri couldn't sustain momentum, the one word that has seemingly defined 2023 for them, until it scored touchdown on the 95-yard drive and then again on the following drive that spanned 13 plays and 91 yards.

"Man, that's like a dream come true. I mean, I never thought it would come down to it (back-to-back 90-yard drives)," receiver Luther Burden said. "So, it's pretty big for the offense, and shout out to the defense for not letting them score a touchdown and locking down the whole game and giving us an opportunity to help get us this win."

Burden scored the touchdown to cap off the 91-yard drive but it was a highlight he will remember for a long time. Not only because it sealed the game, but because he thought it was an errant pass.

"I was definitely surprised he threw it like that because I had the dude on my outside (hip). So, I'm thinking I'm about to just run away and have just an easy touchdown, but I really thought the ball was going to hit the refs," Burden jokingly said. "But it hit my hands and I was like woah."

However, to Schrader, those plays are why Cook deserved the Offensive MVP award, but those weren't off-the-cuff plays for Cook. Schrader would know, because Cook is his roommate and he has seen the work he's put in, especially over the last month.

"That kid is the MVP. He's the MVP of the whole season," Schrader said. "You only go as far as your quarterback takes you, and Brady is a stone-cold killer. He puts his body on the line every single day. I live with Brady and this kid prepares 12 hours a day. He has been preparing for a month for Ohio State. He hasn't gone on one vacation, didn't take one break. This kid has been working his butt off. He deserves the MVP. He's MVP of the Cotton Bowl and of this 2023 season."

Cook finished the game completing 11-of-18 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. He also added 66 yards on the ground on 19 carries.

His performance statistically wasn't anything to write home about.

Before the completion to Johnson, he was 8-of-15 for 38 yards.

But, he made plays however he could. Whether it was with his legs or via pinpoint passes.

"The offense showed grit. We just kept chopping," Cook said. "We looked up, it's fourth quarter, and we have zero points. But what are you going to do? We were driving. We were confident. We still believed in the game plan. Still believed in the calls that were being sent in. And we believed in each other. So, when we put up 14 in the fourth, it's no surprise to us."

It was the worst offensive game of the season for Mizzou. It was the second-fewest yards it had in a game this season, had seven penalties, was 4-of-16 on third down, allowed six sacks and eight tackles for loss.

Yet, Missouri still came out on top.

A year ago, Missouri would've found a way to lose a close game like that. On Friday, it was another example that being Mizzou'd is a thing of the past.

GET THE INSIDE SCOOP EVERY DAY WITH YOUR PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION!

If Missouri's offense is resilient for fighting back despite being beat up for most of the game then the defense is resilient for holding off Ohio State's offense.

If Missouri's offense was considered bad for most of the game then Ohio State's was awful.

Not too often can a defense hold a top-30 offense to three points.

Now, there were a couple of things that indirectly benefitted Mizzou.

Devin Brown, who was making his first career start at quarterback, injured his ankle on Ohio State's second-to-last drive of the first quarter. He'd come out for the next possession, which the Buckeyes would go three and out in, and then he'd be replaced by freshman quarterback Lincoln Kienholz.

That changed the game for both teams. Ohio State became one-dimensional and Missouri knew it.

"We knew when they go to a third-string quarterback it wasn't a lot of options left," defensive end Darius Robinson said. "They've got to run the ball. And then once we went up, we knew they were going to throw the ball."

The Buckeyes were 2-of-15 on third down, had two fumbles (lost one), allowed four sacks and 10 tackles for loss.

This was the first time since the 2016 Fiesta Bowl (89 games) that the Buckeyes didn't score a touchdown.

Simply put the defense wouldn't allow the team to lose, even though it was on the field for nearly 34 minutes of game time.

"It's just (defensive coordinator Coach (Blake) Baker's scheme and just the energy he brings every day, that we bring in practice and was able to bring it to the game," Robinson said. "Guys just kept fighting, didn't look at the scoreboard and just kept making plays. Johnny Walker, Triston (Newson), like everybody played great from the back end (to the) linebackers (and) defensive line and was able to pull it out tonight."

Walker earned Defensive MVP honors after racking up two tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble.

It was a full-circle moment for him. Not only because he committed a costly unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on third and 16 inside Ohio State's two-yard line, which inevitably led to Ohio State being able to move the ball down and eventually punt and flip the field, but because Walker was thinking about transferring last year.

"I mean, my man's got a GED. Johnny Walker, we flipped him late from Washington State, and he didn't play,” Eli Drinkwitz said. “Didn't play a whole lot. Last year before the bowl game, came in and talked to me about, 'Coach, should I transfer? Do you believe in me?'

"I told him, I believe in you, man. Come back. Earn it. And all he's done is developed into the Most Valuable Player of the 88th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic."

Safety Daylan Carnell was the talk of a lot of the postgame media scrum. The redshirt sophomore had three tackles, a tackle for loss, a sack and a forced fumble.

"Daylan, he's a baller," Walker said. "He comes in, works hard. Leaves, comes back, works hard. There's nothing I don't think he can't do. Sacks, interceptions, force fumbles."

"If there was anybody that didn't think Daylan Carnell was going to come ball out tonight, being from Indianapolis, didn't have an Ohio State offer, was overlooked, undervalued, and was exactly what we're talking about, a brotherhood that's forged in the wilderness," head coach Eli Drinkwitz said. "I mean, there was zero doubt in my mind that he was going to play his best game."

Drinkwitz made sure to note in his postgame presser just how much the defense had to do to play the way it did. Robinson injured his groin on Wednesday and was able to play all week. Cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine separated his shoulder and Drinkwitz told him he was done for the game and Abrams-Draine told him "The hell I am," and remained in the game. Safety Jaylon Carlies had a busted nose and he played the entire game too.

On Friday, the players brought the physicality and Baker brought the gameplan, and that's why Drinkwitz is happy Missouri was able to retain Baker because the Houston native was a hot commodity for other jobs this month.

"When I had a chance to hire him, I knew it was going to be impactful because I knew the type of energy and the type of culture he would bring to our staff," Drinkwitz said. "And I knew he would always have my back. And he's just a special person. And he's a great leader. He has the right type of fun with the players but seriousness. He does an unbelievable job game planning, and he'll tell you it's the entire defensive staff.

"But we're very grateful for him to be here. He turned down a lot of defensive coordinator job offers in the last four weeks. And I'm appreciative to Desiree (Reed-Francois) and our administration for stepping up and compensating him and securing his future here as a defensive coordinator. But he's a special, special person and a guy I rely on. And I was glad that they poured Gatorade on him, too, because he's certainly responsible for this as much as anybody else."

Schrader's story has been told hundreds of times by media all over the country for months now, but every time the story seems to have a nice fairytale ending he adds another compelling chapter to the story.

After racking up 1,499 yards and 13 touchdowns in the regular season, Schrader earned All-SEC first-team honors, AP All-American first-team and FWAA All-American second-team honors, the Burlsworth Trophy, given to the nation's best former walk on and finished eighth in the Heisman voting.

Now, he can add Missouri's single-season rushing record holder to the list of accolades.

Schrader needed 106 rushing yards to break Tyler Badie's record set two years ago, and he finished the game with 128 to go along with a touchdown.

A Cotton Bowl win and the single-season rushing record is a storybook ending that Hollywood couldn't even write.

Schrader was eighth on the depth chart when he arrived on campus in 2022 and now he's leaving Missouri as one of the more decorated players in school history.

The ever-humble Schrader couldn't completely wrap his mind around being the single-season rushing leader, because his original goal was what every walk-on hopes to do, and that's just to be a part of the rotation.

"My only goal was to play," Schrader said jokingly. "So, all these accolades, all these awards, man, it comes with just the work and you know, I know I'm living in an answered prayer, and when you are living in an answered prayer, man, you give all the glory to God because this is what I've been praying for since I was a little kid."

When asked if he was sad about the end of his Mizzou career, Schrader said he was but he's content with what he's done. In typical Schrader fashion, he made the discussion about what the team built culturally and what he expects them to do going forward.

"It's sad, but I'm at peace," Schrader said. "You know, there was no other option but to win tonight. You know, we had zero opt-outs from this team. And I think that just goes to show what type of brotherhood, type of culture we had this season and that we're building and we're going to continue building. Man, these young guys that we have are going to make sure that this team stays winning championships and winning big-time football games. But yeah, it's just a special moment."

Burden, who was a five-star prospect, said Schrader taught him life lessons by the way he worked. Something he never thought a walk-on could be able to do.

"I never thought a walk-on could just come straight to an SEC school and start their first year. ... But I'm not surprised," Burden said. "Because I saw him work every day when I first got there. He really showed me the way as far as how it's supposed to be done. He does everything right and I'm super excited for his future."

Finally, 1,627 yards and 14 touchdowns later after the start of Schrader's final collegiate season, the end of Schrader's fairy tale story ends on the highest of notes.

"Oh, man, I couldn't have drawn it up any more perfectly," Cook said. "He deserves it. He embodies what our team is and what our values are and how we operate. And man, he did it. He did it. He deserves this. He deserves the credit. I mean, I can't say enough about him. I mean, I'm just so proud of that guy. I hope he's got a smile on his face right now."

Stay up to date on all the Mizzou news with your premium subscription

Talk about this story and more in The Tigers' Lair

Make sure you're caught up on all the Tiger news and headlines

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video and live streaming coverage

Follow our entire staff on Twitter