COLUMBIA, Mo. – A week after overcoming a multiple-score deficit against Oklahoma, Missouri nearly managed to do it again. On the road against No. 21 South Carolina, Missouri challenged the Gamecocks late but ultimately fell 34-30, ending the Tigers’ hopes of a spot in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.
Missouri fans were surely encouraged to see a returning Brady Cook hit the field, who previously dealt with a hand and ankle injury that kept him out of action against Alabama and Oklahoma. Against streaking South Carolina, Missouri needed to put forward its best to challenge their hosts.
With Brady Cook back alongside lead rusher Nate Noel, Missouri’s offense returned to form in the first quarter. On the Tigers’ first drive, the methodical rush-pass system made its way to South Carolina’s 20-yard line, but ultimately stalled out, forcing them to kick a 38-yard field goal. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina’s redshirt freshman, responded with a quick drive, capped off by a 26-yard passing touchdown to Nyck Harbor to take the lead 7-3. Missouri’s second chance on offense ended much like the first, unable to get into the red zone, so they had to settle, once again, for the field goal.
The second quarter began much like the first, but South Carolina’s stalwart defense, made up of numerous guys who’ll be playing on Sundays in the future, stifled Missouri’s opportunity to score. While the Tigers struggled, Sellers led his offense through two more quick scoring drives, both ending in passing touchdowns with one to Joshua Simon and the other to Jared Brown. Except for an interception from cornerback Dreyden Norwood, Missouri’s defense stopped little, and the Tigers would enter the second half down 21-6.
Despite their early troubles, the Tigers would not surrender. Woken from its stupor, Missouri’s defense forced the Gamecocks to turn the ball over on fourth down, giving the offense another opportunity to score. Eli Drinkwitz used his plethora of running backs at his disposal to find the end zone, with Nate Noel, Kewan Lacy and Marcus Carroll all logging rushing yards on the drive. Carroll ultimately found the end zone on a short 2-yard rush up the middle to cut South Carolina’s advantage to 21-12. Missouri went for two in hopes of cutting the lead down to 7, but Cook was stopped just shy of the endzone on a quarterback draw to keep it a two-score game.
The game burst open in the fourth quarter, as Missouri would score on a 25-yard field goal from Blake Craig and a rushing touchdown from Nate Noel to take a 22-21 lead with nine minutes remaining. Sellers wouldn’t be stopped, though, adding another passing touchdown to his day with a connection to Michael Smith, swinging the lead back in South Carolina’s favor. With less than five minutes to go, Brady Cook connected on a deep pass down the left sideline to Luther Burden, who would run the ball in to take back the lead for the Tigers. After a successful two-point conversion from Jamal Roberts, Missouri looked poised to win, leading 30-27 with one minute left.
In a stunning turn, South Carolina would leave Missouri’s defense bewildered, as Sellers led the Gamecocks on a quick 47-second drive, connecting with Rocket Sanders for his career-high fifth passing touchdown of the day. Despite 15 seconds left on the clock, Missouri’s energy seemed gone, and Cook would end his return to the football field by getting sacked and throwing an interception, sealing the 34-30 loss.
With the loss, Missouri dropped to 7-3 and 3-3 in conference play, a disappointing result when considering its preseason playoff hopes. With one of the SEC’s easiest schedules and now 1-3 on the road, Missouri’s path to a playoff berth is well and truly finished. Even if the Tigers were to finish the season 9-3 with wins over Mississippi State and Arkansas, it simply wouldn’t be enough when comparing their resume to the rest of the country.
Still ranked No. 23 by the playoff committee, the Tigers’ focus should shift to finishing the season off with nine or ten wins. If they were to accomplish this, it would be the first time since 2013 and ’14 that the Tigers would finish with nine-plus wins in back-to-back seasons. Also, with bowl eligibility, every win matters in pushing Missouri up the totem pole for a more note-worthy game in December or January.
With two games left on the schedule, all Missouri can do for now is follow its “1-0” mindset that has been the staple of the team for the last two seasons.
Missouri continues its road trip on Saturday, Nov. 23, when it travels to Davis Wade Stadium to take on Mississippi State.