Live Game Thread: Mizzou returns home to face Tennessee in search for win No. 8

Missouri 36, Tennessee 7 (FINAL)

First Quarter

• Tennessee has won the coin toss, and elected to defer. Missouri will receive the ball to begin the game.
• Brady Cook finds Cody Schrader on a 37-Yard completion to the Tennessee 37 yard line.
• Brady Cook throws an interception on 3rd Down to Jaylen McCollough that is returned for 36 yards to the Missouri 49 yard line.
• Missouri with a big stop on 3rd & 3 that forces a punt to the Missouri 14-yard line.
• That last interception by Brady was his 6th interception of the season after starting the season with none in the first five games. He has a TD-INT ratio of 5-6 in the span since the end of the Vanderbilt game.
• Cook making good use of his legs early, just like the Georgia game, gets a big 12 yard run to extend the drive.
• Luther Burden walked off the field gingerly after getting his first completion of the game. Looked as if he was flexing his legs as he walked to the sideline.
• Cook finds Norfleet for a completion that brings up a first down at the Missouri 43-yard line. Just over six minutes to go in the first quarter.
• Burden is back on the field, and Cook finds him on a route running across the field for a six-yard gain. Cook finds Theo Wease Jr. on an out-route for a first down to the Tennessee 43 on the next play.
• Schrader takes a run up the middle for a first down to the Tennessee 31. Drive is currently at 12 plays for 55 yards.
• Cook finds Schrader on a checkdown and Schraer runs for 12 yards after the catch to take the ball into the redzone.
• Schrader has a series of good runs to move the chains, Missouri is now 1st and Goal at the Tennessee eight-yard line.
• A penalty and a sweep for no-gain brings up 2nd and goal from the 15-yard line.
• Missouri tries to draw Tennessee offside as the quarter comes to an end with 3rd and Goal from the Tennessee seven-yard line.
• Missouri ran 24 plays to Tennessee’s three in the first quarter.

Second Quarter

• The crowd cheers as they show the members of the 2013 SEC-East winning Mizzou football team on the videoboard.
• Cook is sacked on third and goal and the Tigers will have to attempt a 24-yard field goal after 20 play, 72-yard drive that took off 10:55 from the clock.
• Field goal is good from Mevis, 3-0 Missouri with 14:16 left in the second quarter.
• Tennessee begins their drive from their own 25-yard line with a 14-yard rush from Jaylen Wright. Joe Milton then finds Ramel Keyton for a 14-yard gain on the next play to the Missouri 47-yard line.
• A holding penalty on 1st & 10 brings up a 1st & 20 from the Volunteer 46-yard line.
• Touchdown, Tennessee, Joe Milton finds Ramel Keyton on a deep ball on 3rd & 9 for 46 yards, the play is under further review. The touchdown is confirmed on the review, and the extra point is good. 7-3 Tennessee after a 1:51, 6-play 75-yard drive.
• It’s clear that the strategy for Missouri is to keep that Volunteer offense off the field, and we just saw why. The Tigers have to find the end zone if they want that strategy to truly affect Tennessee though.
• Cook finds Schrader for a 43-yard gain on 1st down. Schrader had loads of daylight after the catch, for the second time this game.
• Cook tosses a ball to Mekhi Miller down the middle for a 22-yard gain that sets up 1st and Goal from the Tennessee 7-yard line.
• TOUCHDOWN!!! Cody Schrader has a 7-yard rush up the middle and the Tigers re-take the lead! 10-7 Missouri after a 5 play, 75-yard drive that lasted only 1:52.
• A nine-minute disparity between this drive and the last one, but this one got the maximum points. Seems as if the quicker drive caught the Volunteers off guard.
• Mevis is switched out for Blake Craig on the kickoff, seemingly because Mevis hasn’t been hitting touchbacks lately. Craig consequently ended up kicking it shorter than Mevis but it’s inconsequential as the Volunteers fair caught it again.
• 23-yard pass from Milton to Squirrel White, and the Volunteers are right back at it with their fast-paced offense.
• Holding penalty on first down, and an incompletion brings up 2nd & 20 from the Volunteers 38-yard line, Ennis Rakestraw is hurt after making a tackle on a 9-yard completion on 2nd down.
• 3rd & 11 from the Tennessee 47-yard line, Milton scrambles up the middle for a five-yard gain, Ty’Ron Hopper is hurt after making the tackle.
• The Volunteers will punt from the Missouri 48-yard line, the second time they have punted in Mizzou territory this game and the ball is downed at the 3-yard line.
• Cook scrambles on 3rd & 6 for an 11-yard gain and a crucial drive-extending first down.
• Cook sees Mekhi Miller out of the backfield wide open and hits him for a 13-yard gain with plenty of yards after catch. 1st & 10 Missouri at their own 41-yard line.
• Cook is sacked on 3rd and 5 for a two-yard loss and the Tigers will have to punt from their own 44-yard line.
• While that drive didn’t result in points, it was a nine-play drive that took off 4:46 from the clock. Seems as if the Tigers are on-and-off when it comes to long drives and quick drives.
• Tennessee will start from their own nine-yard line.
• Milton connects with Chas Nimrod for a 14-yard gain to the Tiger 28-yard line.
• 3rd & 3 for Tennessee from their own 35-yard line and Milton tosses it to Ramel Keyton for 15-yards and a first down.
• Big time tackle from Triston Newson on 2nd down that brings up a 3rd & 3 for Tennessee.
• Milton runs it up the middle on 3rd & 3 for a first down to the Missouri 36-yard line.
• FUMBLE!!! Triston Newson gets his helmet on the ball as Jaylen Wright fumbles the ball after catching a pass from Milton. Missouri ball with :20 left in the first-half!
• Schrader with a massive 35-yard gain to the Tennessee 47-yard line when it looked like the Tigers were just going to run out the clock to end the half.
• Cook finds Mookie Cooper for a quick eight-yard reception that is immediately met with a timeout from Drinkwitz, eight seconds left in the half and the Tigers have the ball at the 39-yard line.
• Schrader runs it up the middle and goes down with :04 left in the half at the 29-yard line, Mevis will now come out for a field goal.
• FIELD GOAL IS GOOD! Mevis drains one from 39-yards out and it is 13-7 Missouri at the half! A beautiful 4-play, 53 yard drive gets the Tigers points when the Volunteers were driving until the fumble.

Third Quarter

• Tennessee starts off with the ball for the half, and are stopped by Missouri after a Joe Milton fumble sets them back, another big stop for the Tiger defense.
• Tennessee punts it down to the Missouri 20 yard-line, as Cook and co. will set up shop.
• Brady finds Marquis Johnson wide open on 2nd down and racks up a 48-yard completion, and I believe it would have been a touchdown if Cook had the arm to send him farther and not running back for the catch.
• Schrader gashes the Vols for another big run, this time for 18-yards as he had just one tackler to beat for a potential touchdown, 1st and 10 from the from the Tennessee 12-yard line.
• TOUCHDOWN!!! Brady Cook fakes a toss to Nathaniel Peat and takes it right up the middle for a 3-yard touchdown on 3rd & 1! The Tigers go for 2 and Cook tosses an incomplete pass intended for Mekhi Miller as the Tigers now lead 19-7!
• That drive was 7 plays for 80 yards in just 3:05, it seems that the quick drives are going to be the ones that put up points, and as long as the Tiger defense can continue to get big stops then Kirby Moore and co. should have no problem continuing that trend of high-tempo.
• Tennessee returns the kick from Mevis out of the end zone (yes, you read that right) and are stopped 11-yards shy of where they would have been if they didn’t run it out.
• The Volunteers get a two-yard run from Jaylen Wright on 3rd & 1 and the Vols will move the chains at the 25-yard line.
• 3rd & 8 for the Vols from their own 27-yard line, and the pass is nearly intercepted as Daylen Carnell breaks it up and the Volunteers will be forced to punt.
• Missouri will start at their own 35-yard line, their best field position of the day.
• The holes generated by the Tiger offensive line are wide and that has not changed after the half, it has been a dominant showing in the trenches for the Tigers.
• Cook takes a scramble to the sidelines and is hit out of bounds which adds 15-yards to the end of it, good for 32 positive yards. The Tigers now have the ball at the Volunteer 30-yard line.
• Two no-gains in a row and it is now 3rd & 10 for the Tigers at the Volunteer 30-yard line. Cook finds Schrader on a checkdown again and he takes the ball up the field for 23-yards, setting up 1st and Goal at the Volunteer seven-yard line.
• Cook’s keeper is stuffed at the five-yard line, and the Tigers will be forced to kick a field goal.
• Field Goal is Good!! Mevis hits a 15-yarder and moves to 3/3 on the night, as the Tigers cap off a 9 Play, 59-yard drive that lasted 5:04 with three points! 22-7 Missouri!
• Missouri has outgained Tennessee 424 to 220, and a major reason for that has been the Tigers leading the Volunteers 29:17 to 13:05 in time of possession.
• An illegal forward pass from Joe Milton on first down brings up a loss of five-yards, and more importantly, a loss of down. However, the play is under review. From a first look, it looks as if Milton’s first is directly on the line in the air.
• The call is overturned, and it instead becomes an 11-yard gain for a first down to the Tennessee 37-yard line.
• Milton connects with Ramel Keyton for a 20-yard gain, but the next play begins with a false start for Tennessee that will send them back to the Missouri 41-yard line.
• Milton finds Squirrel White for a 13-yard gain, which brings up 3rd & 1. The Vols get a big time run from Jaylen Wright but it is brought back due to multiple holding calls on the run and its 3rd & 11 from the Missouri 37-yard line.
• Milton’s pass to Wright on 3rd & 11 is dropped, and that will bring up another punt for the Volunteers in Tiger territory.
• The punt is downed at the 1, as it seems the punting game has been the only thing really going for the Volunteers since that 46-yard touchdown.

Fourth Quarter

• Cook takes another scramble, this one on 3rd & 10 from his own one-yard line, all the way down to the Missouri 25-yard line.
• Schrader gets another chunk-run for a first down, this one is a 10-yarder and it brings up first down at the Tiger 37-yard line.
• The drive stalls after a few negative plays, and the Tigers will be forced to punt from their own 36.
• After a few missed tackles on the punt return, the Vols will set up shop at their own 31-yard line.
• A dodgy pass-interference call gives the Volunteers the ball at thir own 46-yard line. The call is followed by a few positive plays as the Volunteers claim the ball at the Tiger 43-yard line.
• An incomplete pass is now being reviewed for a fumble, and there is a clear recovery for the Tigers on this play if it is. It appears the ball is fumbled, and the Tigers look poised to take the ball as the ball was loose before Milton threw it.
• FUMBLE!!! The SEC officiating crew overturns their call and rule it a fumble, as the Tigers will now have the ball at their own 34-yard line!
• A series of penalties take the Tigers from 2nd & 1 from their own 43 to 2nd & 17 from their own 27.
• Burden has a jet-sweep that goes for no gain, but a facemask from the defense gives the Tigers a crucial automatic first down and 15 yards.
• Schrader burns the Vols yet again, and takes a 31-yard gain to the Volunteer 27-yard line.
• A fellow media member in the box just told me, Cody Schrader has 305 scrimmage yards, which is 13 more yards than Tennessee has as a team right now (292).
• A false start penalty is no trouble for Schrader, as he increases his scrimmage yard total to 319 as a 14-yard gain makes it 2nd & 1 at the Tennessee 18-yard line.
• Yet another false start, makes it 2nd & 6, and is followed by a two-yard run from Schrader making it 3rd & 4.
• TOUCHDOWN!!! Cook finds Luther coming across the field off the RPO and Burden takes it to the endzone for a 21-yard score!! That one might have sealed it folks, as the Mevis PAT makes it 29-7 Missouri!
• That was a six play, 66-yard drive that lasted 4:36 and put up a touchdown, a beautiful drive that capitalized on the timely Tennessee turnover.
• A completed pass short of the sticks, and an incomplete pass brings up 3rd & 2 from the Volunteer 33-yard line.
• PICK-SIX!!! DAYLAN CARNELL!! Undercuts the route and picks off Joe Milton’s pass and takes it 33-yards for the score! Mevis’ PAT is good and it is 36-7 Missouri! Faurot Field is rocking!
• The Tennessee section of the field is noticeably empty, and that’s always a good sign if you’re a Missouri fan.
• SACKED. Milton is sacked on first down and it appears the Tigers are ready to run this one away into the Columbia sunset.
• A run for no gain, and an incomplete pass brings up 4th & 13, and the Volunteers aren’t even going to try to salvage this game as they send out the punt team.
• The Tigers send out Nathaniel Peat to get some carries, as Cody Schrader gets some well-deserved rest after a 321 scrimmage yard performance.
• Peat will be tackled for a loss as this drive was clearly one that was designed to run clock, as there is now just under 3:30 left in the game with the Tigers in cruise control.
• At this point we are looking at the Schrader vs. Tennessee yardage tally, and are grimacing as the Volunteers are five yards away from surpassing Schrader’s 321 yards.
• The Volunteers have just passed Schrader’s mark with a nine-yard completion...sigh.
• Milton takes a run up the middle on 3rd & 11 to the Tiger 19-yard line with less than two minutes remaining
• A good run has the Volunteers at 1st and Goal at the five-yard line.
• An incomplete pass on 2nd and Goal brings up 3rd and Goal at the eight-yard line. Milton’s pass is deflected to make it 4th down, but it looks like there was some extracurricular activity and a potential flag on the Tigers. But no! It’s a flag on Tennessee and that will move them back to the 23-yard line.
• The Volunteers are sending out the kicking team for a 33-yard field goal! Drinkwitz isn’t going to take his timeouts home with him, and so he calls one to “ice” the kicker here with :40 left and the Tigers up 29.
• THE KICK IS NO GOOD!! THE SINGLE DIGITS STAY ON THE BOARD! Missouri will take over and line up in victory formation and seal this one! Tigers lead 36-7!
• Brady Cook is hit on the kneel down to the dismay of the Tigers but the coaches calm down their team as this one is over!
• FINAL: Missouri 36, Tennessee 7

Pregame updates

Game info

Time: 2:30 p.m. CT

Date: November 11, 2023

Location: Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium, Columbia, Mo.

TV: CBS

Fan Questions

1. How many rushing yards will Mizzou limit Tennessee to?
2. How many carries will Cody Schrader have?
3. How many catches will Mizzou’s tight end room have?
4. Who will record the Tigers first turnover?
5. Which Tiger will sack Joe Milton first?

Lastly, give us your score predictions and MVP for the game in the comments below!