20 for 20 #3: The time the Tigers took the Bulldogs out for a walk

In an effort to look back fondly at the successes of Tiger football, the Rock M Nation football staff compiled and ranked the greatest games of the past 20 years. There’s no science or math involved here: we simply listed what we thought were the 20 best games of the past 20 years and counted the votes. We’ll start with the games getting the fewest votes and work our way up to #1.

2013: #25 Mizzou 41 - #7 Georgia- 26

It was nearly 7 years ago today that the Missouri Tigers walked into Sanford Stadium and and handed the then 7th ranked Bulldogs their only home loss of the season.

This was without question the finest season of Mizzou football since the Chase Daniel era, and possibly ever. Missouri had jumped to 5-0 on the season heading into week six against the Bulldogs, and though the Tigers had finally cracked the top 25 in the polls, they’d yet to play a ranked team. Georgia, on the other hand, was nationally ranked in the top 10, had already played against three ranked teams, all of whom were also nationally ranked in the top 10, and managed to win two of those three games. It was fair to say the Tigers were the underdog heading into this matchup.

In the first quarter, Heisman candidate Aaron Murray drove the Bulldogs down the field and into the endzone to grab a 7-0 lead, though it wouldn’t take long for the Tigers to find an answer. Led by the highly versatile James “The Tank” Franklin, the Tigers would tie things at 7 to end the first quarter.

The second quarter of this game may quite possibly be the most dominant football that Mizzou has ever played. On the Tigers’ first drive in the second quarter, Franklin would connect with L’Damian Washington in the endzone for a 16-yard touchdown. Then, following a successful Bulldog field goal, on a third-down, Marcus Murphy pulled off one of the greatest touchdown plays of the season. Maneuvering though a cluster of Bulldog defenders, stumbling and then finding the balance to stay on his feet and speed into the endzone, Murphy would give the Tigers a 21-10 lead.

Full Highlights here:

Let’s not forget how well Mizzou’s defense performed. Of course there was the Michael Sam scoop-and-score that would give the Tigers a 28-10 lead going into the half, but the Tigers also forced another fumble on the ensuing Bulldog drive that would at least save a field goal before halftime. The Tigers’ secondary would also collect two big interceptions in the fourth quarter that would ultimately seal the deal.

Despite the dominating performance on both sides of the ball, the Bulldogs would actually come back in the second half, and managed to cut the lead down to just two points. That’s when Gary Pinkel decided to show how big his cahoonas were and let WR Bud Sasser throw a 40 yard bomb to Washington in the endzone. Touchdown, Tigers! That drive would give Mizzou their momentum back and the Bulldogs wouldn’t find the endzone the rest of the afternoon.

Boy, those were the good ole days.