In the 88th annual Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium on Friday, No. 9 Missouri claimed a 14-3 victory over No. 7 Ohio State, marking their first bowl win since 2014. The victory came in part due to their fourth-quarter performance, where they scored two touchdowns.
Kirby Moore’s offense was struggling for the majority of the game. They gained momentum towards the end of the third quarter after making a big play.
Quarterback Brady Cook connected with freshman wide receiver Marquise Johnson for a 50-yard reception to get to the Buckeyes’ 15-yard line. On the final play of the quarter, Cook rushed for an eight-yard gain, placing the ball on the OSU 7-yard line.
Photo Cred: KOMU
Following the game, head coach Eliah Drinkwitz praised his team’s effort. He credited his defense for keeping the team in the game while applauding the offense for not giving up.
“We stayed together,” Drinkwitz said. “Our defense was playing great and our offense just kept fighting. They never gave up and we eventually found success.”
The Tigers capitalized on their newfound momentum on the first play of the final quarter. Running back Cody Schrader rushed for a seven-yard touchdown, securing a 7-3 Missouri lead with 14:55 remaining in the game.
Photo Cred: FOX Sports
Blake Baker’s defense took advantage of the momentum by forcing Ohio State to punt on the next drive. The Tigers’ offense built off of their first touchdown with another strong possession.
Schrader rushed for 11 yards on three straight plays to secure a first down. Two plays later, Cook found WR Theo Wease Jr. for a 31-yard reception, advancing the ball near midfield. After an eight-yard gain from Schrader, OSU safety Josh Proctor got penalized for a late hit, which added 15 yards to the end of the run.
MU came up big on a crucial play down the stretch. Cook rushed for two yards on fourth-and-one to get a fresh set of downs for Missouri. On the very next play, Schrader carried the ball 11 yards to enter the red zone.
Photo Cred: Kansas City Star
Cook sealed the drive with a touchdown pass, finding WR Luther Burden III for a seven-yard touchdown. The Tigers’ lead extended to 14-3 with 5:12 remaining in the matchup.
“We remained confident,” Cook said. “We didn’t let the previous possessions bother us and we stayed confident that we were going to score eventually.”
The junior QB threw for 128 yards and a touchdown while also tallying 66 rushing yards. Schrader concluded the contest with 128 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries. Wease led MU receivers with 43 yards on four receptions.
Photo Cred: WKEF
