Ohio State had a poor day passing with Devin Brown, who left the game early with an injury, and Lincoln Kienholz combining for 106 yards of passing, 10 for 24. YIKES!
The Buckeye defense, who played great throughout, finally gave up 14 points to Missouri in the final quarter. The Tiger running game was huge down the stretch rushing the Buckeyes 207 to 97.
Marvin Harrison Jr. ended up not playing tonight, meaning that, more than likely, Harrison will be entering the 2024 NFL Draft.
Head coach Ryan Day treated this game like an exhibition, and it felt like that on the field for the OSU offense. There is a lot of pressure for Day and the staff as it is back-to-back seasons with two straight losses to end the season. Losing to Michigan and an SEC team to end the year again, UGH!
Cody Schrader, the All-America running back, amassed 128 rushing yards and powered into the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown, marking Missouri’s first score in the opening moments of the fourth quarter. The ninth-ranked Tigers concluded their 11-win season with a 14-3 victory over No. 7 Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl on Friday night.
In a game where the total number of punts equaled the points scored (16), the Tigers (11-2) broke the scoring drought by securing touchdowns on consecutive drives after eight previous punts. Brady Cook contributed to the scoring with a 7-yard TD pass to Luther Burden III with 5:12 remaining in the game.
Ohio State (11-2), previously undefeated before losing their regular-season finale to Michigan, faced the challenge without two-time All-America receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who opted out of playing. The Buckeyes were also missing starting quarterback Kyle McCord, who transferred to Syracuse earlier in the month. Devin Brown, who assumed the starting role, left the game in the middle of the second quarter with a left ankle injury, leaving Ohio State with only 203 total yards.
Closing coach Eliah Drinkwitz’s fourth season, Missouri bounced back from two consecutive bowl losses to finish the season with 11 wins for the first time since 2014.
The Tigers struggled offensively, accumulating only 120 total yards before a crucial eight-play, 95-yard drive that culminated in Schrader’s 14th TD of the season. Cook’s 50-yard pass to Marquis Johnson was a highlight in the drive. The subsequent 91-yard, 13-play drive featured a fourth-and-1 conversion by Cook, leading to Burden’s touchdown.
Brown, who replaced the absent McCord, suffered an apparent injury in the first quarter but returned briefly before being replaced by true freshman Lincoln Kienholz. Despite the quarterback changes, Ohio State failed to find a rhythm and finished the game with only Fielding’s 44-yard field goal as their sole points.
Fielding’s 48-yard attempt in the second half hit the upright, and Ohio State struggled to advance beyond the red zone in all 11 possessions, resulting in eight punts and a challenging end to their season.
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