Fantasy at Faurot. Chaos in Columbia. Mania in Mizzou.
Taglines aside, there aren’t many words to describe what most Mizzou Tigers fans are feeling after the thrilling 30-27 upset victory against Kansas State on Saturday. There are even fewer ways to describe how it happened.
The two former Big 12 rivals met on the field last year in Manhattan, Kansas, in which the Wildcats completely routed the Tigers 40-12. This time, however, it was much closer. Both teams exchanged blows throughout the game, with early touchdown passes by Kansas State quarterback Will Howard countered by Mizzou quarterback Brady Cook throwing for one score and running for another. Going into the half, the Tigers were only three points ahead of a Wildcat team who always seemed close behind, and Cook seemed to be injured on his leg before the break. He stayed in the game, however, and continued orchestrating offensive coordinator Kirby Moore’s potent scheming. After the game, Cook responded with some humor to questions about what it would take to keep him off of the field. “I think [he and the coaches] talked about this last year,” Cook said. “It would have to be a broken leg or something.”
The second half is where everything went off the rails (or back on to them, depending on your point of view). The Tiger offense began to stall out, punting twice to start the half. Kansas State drove down the field and cashed in 10 points on two drives courtesy of Will Howard and receiver Ben Sinnott, making the score 24-17. Mizzou’s offense then roared back to life, scoring with just two plays: a thundering 26-yard run by Cody Schrader and a 26-yard pass from Cook to the ever-electric Luther Burden III. With the game at 27-24, and with the Wildcat offense only mustering a field goal, the Tigers had a chance to walk it off in Memorial Stadium. That’s when head coach Eliah Drinkwitz set to work.
According to Coach Drinkwitz, if the Mizzou offense reached the opposing 40-yard line, they would try for the game-winning field goal. At first, the plan seemed to work, as the Tigers spiked the ball with only six seconds left. Instead of immediately going for the kick, the Tiger offense was instead charged with a delay of game penalty, pushing the kick back to 61 yards, which would set an SEC record. “We took the penalty to make it more dramatic,” Drinkwitz said after the game. “It’s all in the script.”
Kicker Harrison Mevis (right, #92) is interviewed after his record-breaking 61-yard game-winning field goal. Photo/ John Sansone
Harrison Mevis took the field, fans and teammates alike waiting with bated breath. The snap went off, the hold was good, and the kick sailed just above the crossbar, sealing the victory as perhaps the most exciting game in recent memory. “I kind of forgot everything. I was locked in,” Mevis said. Mevis may have cleared his mind before his record-breaking kick, but the fans who were in Columbia are sure to remember what happened next.