Mizzou's resiliency shines through in Border War comeback
For the first time since 2006, the Missouri Tigers and the Kansas Jayhawks played football in Columbia, Missouri.
But nothing changed about where the War Drum will reside for the next year.
After handing Kansas 21 straight points in the final 10 minutes of the first quarter, the Tigers stormed back to build a 42-31 win Saturday at Faurot Field. Claiming a fourth-consecutive win in the rivalry series that was paused when the Tigers left the Big 12 for the SEC after the 2011-12 school year.
“We let our emotions get the better of us a couple of times,” Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz said. “To be down, find a way to battle back in, tie the game up, take the lead, get down in the fourth quarter and go on … to put the game away … I’m extremely proud of those guys.”
The longest winning streak in the rivalry is five games, which Missouri claimed from 1938-42. Though there are longer loss-less streaks for the Tigers in the series history, including a run from 1935-42 that involved two ties.
But this streak was slightly different. It’s by far the longest amount of time from the first win to the fourth.
The first win in the Tigers’ current run came in 2009. Not a single member of the Tigers’ 2009 roster is still playing football, let alone trying to beat Kansas for a fourth consecutive time.
The Tigers had to rebuild the hatred for the long-time conference foe from the west.
But it didn’t take long for this year’s Tigers to get into the groove.
The Tigers are in it
Missouri’s defense came out and immediately forced a three-and-out, including a tackle for loss on third-and-1 to force a punt.
Then the Tiger offense got to work.
Beau Pribula hit Brett Norfleet in the flat and Norfleet hurdled a defender for a 14-yard gain.
“First play, ball goes to me and at the end of the day, I kind of just thought it was time to break it out again,” Norfleet said. “And it worked, and it was awesome, and I didn’t get hurt. So that was cool.”
Then Ahmad Hardy put up rushes of 12 and 4 yards, on the way to a second 100-yard gain in two Mizzou appearances.
Pribula then connected with Donovan Olugbode for 9 yards to get to the Kansas 32, and Hardy was off to the races.
Hardy’s 32-yard run put the Tigers in front and had the packed house at Faurot Field getting excited for a blowout.
But the wheels came off quick as those emotions Drinkwitz mentioned started to build.
The momentum swings to Kansas
The extra point by true freshman kicker Robert Meyer, in for the injured Blake Craig, was blocked.
Then a short kickoff gave Kansas the ball at its own 38.
It needed just eight plays to go 62 yards as quarterback Jalon Daniels found Boden Groend open for a 24-yard gain on fourth-and-1 from the Mizzou 46. Then he connected with a wide-open DeShawn Hanika in the middle of the end zone for a touchdown.
The extra point was good and Kansas had a 7-6 lead.
Just three plays later, that lead would extend to 14-6 as Pribula scrambled to try to gain a first down on third-and-3. He lost control of the ball and Austin Alexander recovered it, taking it 28 yards for a touchdown.
The Tigers went three-and-out and had to punt, then Daniels led a six-play, 54-yard drive, ending with a 1-yard QB sneak to take a 21-6 lead with 2:13 left in the first quarter.
From up 6-0 with 10:58 left to do 21-6 with 2:13. The wheels had fallen off and the once jubilant Faurot Field crowd was left hoping for anything.
The comeback begins
The Tigers came back out and nearly faced another three-and-out, but then they began to turn to Kevin Coleman.
On third-and-5, Coleman came across the middle and shifted through defenders for a 20-yard gain.
The Tiger offense had some life, but it once again faced third-and-9 from the Kansas 49.
Then a toss to transfer receiver Xavier Loyd got a first down and sent the game to the second quarter.
And in the second quarter, it was all Mizzou.
On third-and-3 from the 27, Hardy rushed for 4 for a first down. Then on third-and-5 from the 6, Hardy got 3 more to set up fourth-and-goal from the 2.
And when the Tigers needed a score, they turned to Coleman.
Offensive coordinator Kirby Moore sent Coleman in motion before the snap going from right to left, he hesitated and nearly turned back behind the left tackle, then got moving to his left again, where he was wide open in the flat for a 2-yard touchdown pass from Pribula.
“Big-time players make big-time players in big-time games,” Drinkwitz said. “… Kevin’s been making big-time plays at every school he’s ever been at. So there was zero doubt when we got him that that’s what we were going to get.”
The momentum shifts back to Mizzou
After the kickoff, Kansas was trying to keep the game from turning Mizzou’s way. But finally some pressure landed.
Zion Young hit Daniels and knocked the ball loose. It was picked up in the end zone for a safety and the momentum was all Mizzou.
“I’m fixing to change the game,” Young said. “… Damon (Wilson), Darris (Smith), they were hunting … they made the guy move around a little bit. He was tired, fatigued a little bit.”
The safety cut the Kansas lead to 21-15 with 9:49 left before halftime.
The Tigers received the free kick and started the next drive at their own 30. After 16 plays, Meyer came out for a 25-yard field goal, the first field goal attempt of the true freshman’s career, and hit it.
The kick cut the deficit to 21-18 with 1:03 on the clock.
Missouri’s defense forced a three-and-out while the Tigers used their final two timesouts, and Mizzou got the ball back on its own 14 with 19 seconds to play.
With a play call likely expected to just run out the clock, Jamal Roberts broke free for a 39-yard gain that brought life back to the offense for one final drive before halftime.
Two plays later, Pribula found Coleman for a 50-yard catch-and-run as he maneuvered through the entire Kansas defense.
He got out of bounds with 3 seconds left and Meyer came on to kick a 20-yard field goal and the game was tied at 21 going into halftime.
“I thought the leadership on the sideline was really good,” Drinkwitz said. “Didn’t flinch.”
The second half
Kansas retook the lead on its first drive of the second half when Laith Marjan kicked a 26-yard field goal to create a 24-21 lead.
But the Tigers responded with another long drive.
Pribula connected with Marquis Johnson for 13 yards, then on third-and-3 found Daniel Blood for a 26-yard gain.
On third-and-1, Roberts ran up the middle for a first down. Then on third-and-goal from the 11, Pribula found Norfleet sitting in the middle of a zone with no one around him for a touchdown.
“Once you can find a rhythm, I think you just keep it going,” Pribula said. “Anytime we’re moving tempo, it kind of puts the defense in a tough position and I think we work a lot on it as an offense.”
The score gave the Tigers a 28-24 lead with 24 seconds left in the third.
The lead held until Kansas put together a nine-play, 92-yard drive, ending with Daniels finding Hanika for another score on a 6-yard toss.
The lead had changed hands once again with Kansas now in front 31-28 and 8:45 left to play.
Taking control
But the Tigers didn’t flinch.
Pribula hit Roberts for a 9-yard gain, then found Coleman for 17 more. After a sack, it was third-and-17 and Pribula turned to Norfleet for a 10-yard gain to cut the distance.
On fourth-and-7, he went back to Coleman for a 10-yard gain.
Then three plays later, it was fourth-and-1 from the Kansas 27. Norfleet leaked out of the left side of the formation and was wide open. Pribula found him and Norfleet did the rest, running the 27 yards for a score.
“I just so happened to be wide open and I ran to the end zone,” Norfleet said. “So that was pretty awesome.”
The touchdown made it 35-31 Missouri.
The Tiger defense came back out and forced a three-and-out, then Roberts put the exclamation point on the game, breaking free for a 63-yard touchdown run to create the final margin.
Stats
Missouri ended with 595 total yards to Kansas’ 254.
The Tigers had 334 in the air and 261 on the ground, while holding the birds from the west to just 31 rushing yards.
Missouri went 10-of-19 on third down and 4-of-5 on fourth down.
The Tigers held the ball for 40:27 out of 60 total minutes.
Pribula was 30-of-39 passing for 334 yards and three touchdowns.
Coleman was the primary target with 126 yards on 10 catches with a score. Norfleet was next at seven catches for 76 yards and two touchdowns.
Roberts led the way on the ground with 13 attempts for 143 yards and a score, while Hardy ran it 25 times for 112 yards and a touchdown.
Jalen Catalon led the Tiger defense with six tackles, Dreyden Norwood and Josiah Trotter each had five.
Daylan Carnell had an interception and Young forced a fumble that ended up in the safety.
