Missouri football score: Mizzou stages remarkable comeback, beats Auburn

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Columbia Daily Tribune

Story by

Columbia Daily Tribune
Missouri football score: Mizzou stages remarkable comeback, beats Auburn

Calum McAndrew, Columbia Daily Tribune · Columbia Daily Tribune

Sat, Oct 19, 2024 ·

15 min read

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Ninety-five yards travel. Four minutes, 26 seconds left on the clock.

And a QB who refused to let his team die.

Brady Cook came sprinting out of the south end zone tunnel, more than two hours after leaving the game, and brought Missouri football back to life.

Back to life from down two touchdowns, which the QB turned into a 21-17 Missouri football win over Auburn on Saturday in Columbia. Back to life in the race for a College Football Playoff spot. Back to life when there wasn't much hint or hope.

At halftime, Missouri's staff did not expect Cook to return.

The starter had other plans.

The starting QB hit Mookie Cooper for a 78-yard catch and run in his first drive back on the field to end the third quarter, matching Pyne's passing production in one play. Running back Marcus Carroll punched in the touchdown on the first play of the fourth. Mizzou went for 2, Cook faked a pitch and then hustled and bustled his way to make it a three-point game.

And then, with 4:26 left, the QB led a 95-yard drive that resulted in a Jamal Roberts rushing game-winner to put his team up with 46 seconds left on the clock.

Cook scrambled twice for crucial first downs on the drive. He found Luther Burden on a fourth-and-5 and Theo Wease Jr. on a third-and-10 to do the same.

And he kept the Missouri Tigers hunting.

Mizzou was flailing against Auburn. With backup QB Drew Pyne in the game, Mizzou couldn't sustain drives long enough to get into the scoring territory, and when they did, they made unforced errors.

Luther Burden III muffed a punt in the third quarter and Auburn recovered in the end zone, at the time seemingly putting the game — and the season with it — out of sight.

Marvin Burks Jr. lost his man in coverage as freshman wideout Cam Coleman put Auburn's first touchdown on the board from 47 yards.

Pyne fumbled a handoff to Marcus Carroll in Auburn territory. Blake Craig missed two long field-goal attempts. The QB went 10-of-21 for 78 yards.

But Mizzou overcame the deficit.

Because of its starting quarterback.

Missouri football vs. Auburn score updates

This section will be updated once the game begins.

1	2	3	4	F
Auburn	0	3	14	0	17	17
Missouri	3	0	3	15	21	21

Fourth quarter updates

2:37 p.m.:Missouri is going to win after stopping a fourth-and-18 from Thorne. Wow.

2:30 p.m.:Touchdown Missouri. Jamal Roberts. Do you believe it? 46 seconds to go.

2:29 p.m.:Third and 10 complete to Theo Wease. One minute, 11 seconds left on the clock. 15 yards to go.

2:27 p.m.:Complete to Burden. Down to the 25.

2:25 p.m.:Auburn timeout to think about the fourth-and-5. That's AU's last timeout. This is it.

2:25 p.m.:Luther Burden catch on third down, bringing about a fourth-and-5. Would be a 59-yard field goal. Nope. Offense out.

2:21 p.m.:On the first down after the PI, Brady Cook just got steamrolled for an eight-yard sack. That takes MU back out of AU territory.

2:20 p.m.:Major pass interference called on Auburn. Mizzou into AU territory.

2:16 p.m.:Two-minute timeout: Missouri is at its own 47, facing second-and-7, down 3 points.

2:11 p.m.:Missouri went three-and-out from the goal line. Punted. And then the Tigers ' defense steps up again, forcing Auburn into a quick punt from near midfield. Punt is fair caught at the 5.

2:04 p.m.:Vital third-down stop for Missouri. Auburn punting from near midfield. Seven minutes or so left in the game.

But ... the punt is downed at the one. 99 yards to go for Brady Cook to take the lead. A lot less than that for a game-tying field goal.

Oct 19, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Auburn Tigers running back Jarquez Hunter (27) leaps over Missouri Tigers cornerback Dreyden Norwood (12) and linebacker Chuck Hicks (30) during the first half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

1:54 p.m.:Cook gets sacked on back-to-back plays after a long completion to Theo Wease Jr. Total breakdowns on the O-Line. Brett Norfleet hurdled a defender and did his best to get to the line, but is brought down short of the line to gain on the third-and-26. Punt team coming out.

1:51 p.m.:Three-and-out for the Mizzou defense. Cook will get a chance to take the lead.

1:45 p.m.:Touchdown, 2-point conversion for Missouri. Marcus Carroll punches it in from the goal line on the first play of the quarter. Going for 2, Brady Cook fakes a pitch and bustles his way into the end zone. Wow. Life in CoMo.

Third quarter updates

1:40 p.m.:Mookie Cooper, 78 yards, instant red zone possession. Brady Cook has brought life to this game almost immediately after entering.

1:36 p.m.:Auburn misses a chip-shot field goal. Might that be a turning point? We will see. It looks a lot like Brady Cook is coming back into the game.

1:34 p.m.:Jakhai Lang sent Auburn backpedalling out of the end zone and 12 yards back with a monster sack. That brings about a third-and-goal from the 22. Great play.

1:23 p.m.:Field goal Missouri: Blake Craig cuts the deficit to 11 points with a 38-yarder. Brady Cook is warming up on the sideline but has not yet entered the game.

1:20 p.m.:Brady Cook just returned to the Missouri sideline. Could it be?

1:14 p.m.:Luther Burden muffs a punt return. Auburn recovers in the end zone. That might be that. What a horrible mistake after the Tigers' defense forced a three-and-out. Touchdown, 17-3 visitors. Missouri has 11:08 left in the third and the full fourth to rescue its season.

1:07 p.m.:Three-and-out for the Mizzou offense in response after a block in the back on the kick return back the Tigers up inside their own 10. This could get out of hand if Missouri doesn't have a stellar defensive possession right now.

Oct 19, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Drew Pyne (6) throws a pass against Auburn Tigers defensive lineman Keldric Faulk (15) during the first half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

1:03 p.m.:Touchdown Auburn. Freshman wide receiver Cam Coleman beats Marvin Burks Jr., and the visitors are in the end zone on a 47-yard score.

12:54 p.m.:Brady Cook is unlikely to return to the game, a Missouri team spokesperson confirms to the Columbia Daily Tribune. This is now Drew Pyne's game. Let's see if he can claw out a vital win for the Tigers.

Half time: Missouri 3, Auburn 3

12:38 p.m.:Auburn QB Payton Thorne is 11-of-15 for 70 yards. Jarquez Hunter has run eight times for 29 yards as the Mizzou defense has done a decent job holding AU, especially when the visitors have teetered on entering field goal territory. Auburn, as expected, also has been relatively adept at making its own mistakes, mind you.

12:37 p.m.:Drew Pyne is 8-of-14 for 69 yards since taking over for the injured Brady Cook. Missouri has run the ball extremely inefficiently, with 16 total runs for 27 yards. Eight different Mizzou players have receptions, with Theo Wease Jr., Luther Burden and Jordon Harris each with two. Burden has two catches for 11 yards, which is not enough usage in a game where the starting QB is in the locker room.

12:35 p.m.:Drew Pyne is sacked on a third-and-3 and Mizzou will run the clock into the half. That was, most certainly, one half of football.

12:29 p.m.:Missouri has two minutes, but starting from inside its own 10 it is unlikely Drew Pyne and Co. get too aggressive.

12:28 p.m.:Massive third-and-10 tackle for loss from Missouri's defense. Couldn't tell who it was, or how many got in on the TFL. Auburn may have considered a field goal without. Now, the visiting Tigers are punting.

12:18 p.m.:Anther missed field goal for Blake Craig, this one from 55 yards.

12:15 p.m.:On the other end of a timeout, Drew Pyne finds Theo Wease Jr. and Mizzou moves inside the Auburn 40.

12:12 p.m.:Quarterback Payton Thorne fumbled it. I believe that is his seventh turnover of the year. Mizzou takes over on its own 40-yard line.

12:10 p.m.:Another Auburn fumble. Missouri has it. This time for real. Sidney Williams Sr. recovers it, again, and this one will count.

12:07 p.m.:Missouri nearly had a forced and recovered fumble, but the officials ruled RB Jarquez Hunter was down before dropping the ball.

12:01 p.m.:Fumble somewhere in the middle of Drew Pyne's handoff to Marcus Carroll. Auburn recovers through DE Jalen McLeod.

Noon:Jordon Harris breaks a tackle and goes 17 yards on his second catch of the season. Mizzou is in field goal range.

11:52 a.m.:Missouri holds Auburn for two plays in the red zone. Eddie Kelly Jr. hurried a throwaway from Payton Thorne to bring about the field goal attempt. Game is now tied at 3 after AU converts the 32-yarder.

11:48 a.m.:Defensive end Zion Young was down on the field. Looked like he got to his feet without too much pain. Auburn faces a second-and-6 from the Mizzou 15 after the game returns from the injury timeout.

11:45 a.m.:Auburn has run the ball into Missouri territory. Daylan Carnell just made a magnificent tackle on first down to keep Jarquez Hunter from breaking free.

Oct 19, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Brady Cook (12) throws a pass during the first half against the Auburn Tigers at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

End of the first quarter: Missouri 3, Auburn 0

11:42 a.m.:AU is at midfield and running the ball efficiently on this drive. Brady Cook still has not returned to the sideline, from what I can tell, but Chris Gervino of Tiger Radio Network is reporting that Cook will attempt to return to the game.

11:36 a.m.:Missouri offense goes three-and-out after Jordon Harris drops a Drew Pyne pass.

11:35 a.m.:Tremendous play from redshirt freshman Nicholas DeLoach Jr. to break up Payton Thorne's third-down pass. This could be a tricky day for Mizzou if Brady Cook can't return to the game, but Missouri has had two stout drives from its defense.

11:29 a.m.:Blake Craig misses his second attempt from 49 yards. Drew Pyne, in his first full drive, got Missouri to the Auburn 32-yard line in five plays that went 18 total yards.

11:16 a.m.:Blake Craig converts a 51-yard field goal. Mizzou takes the lead.

11:15 a.m.:Drew Pyne is entering the game for Missouri. Brady Cook is heading to the locker room.

11:14 a.m.:Good news: What a grab on third-and-12 from Joshua Manning. Had to go up high to get it, and man did he.

Bad news: Brady Cook took a sack on the first play of the set of downs, and looks like he is seriously in pain but still in the game. Walking with a serious limp.

11:11 a.m.: Mizzou runs Noel, passes to Mookie Cooper to bring about a third-and-1. Brady Cook designed run gives Missouri a first down on its opening possession. Cook proceeds to overthrow Luther Burden, but finds Brett Norfleet on the next play to get the Tigers a new set of downs and into the Auburn half.

11:08 a.m.:The game is underway with a touchback. Here comes Brady Cook and Co.

11:05 a.m.:Auburn wins the toss and defers. Missouri will receive the ball to start this game.

Pregame updates for Missouri football vs. Auburn

11:03 a.m.:Missouri's players have run out onto Faurot Field from the south end zone facility. Just a few minutes now until kickoff. Reminder: We'll have updates here all game long. It's a beautiful day in Columbia, Missouri, and a big one. Mizzou needs a win to keep its CFP ambitions in tact. Auburn is more than capable of playing spoiler. Off we go.

10:41 a.m.: Marquis Johnson , a game-time decision on the availability report, was dressed and participated in warmups, but he was carrying a pretty noticeable limp for the duration. I'd lean on the side of "unavailable" for Johnson.

Looked like Mizzou was running with its regular starting five on the offensive line — Bryant, Green, Tollison, Cam'Ron Johnson, Membou — after some midweek questions about whether Mitchell Walters would get a shot in the starting lineup, most likely at left guard. Best guesses, with 20 minutes or so until kickoff, is that Mizzou is not making a change and will continue to use Walters as a sixth lineman in heavy sets.

10:04 a.m.:Looks like team-wide warmups are about to begin on Faurot Field, so I'm heading down to the field to see what I can see before game-time.

9:40 a.m.:The gates are open, and some fans are beginning to move in to Memorial Stadium. A sellout crowd is expected for the game, which marks the 10th straight in Columbia.

9:38 a.m.:Missouri releases its availability report. Wide receiver Marquis Johnson is a game-time decision. Running back Nate Noel is no longer on the report, meaning he is available to play.

9:26 a.m.:In the next 10 minutes, we're expecting the final SEC-mandated availability report of the week for Missouri and Auburn. Here's where things stand for Mizzou:

Wide receiver Marquis Johnson was added to the Friday night report as "questionable."
Running back Nate Noel was given a better chance to play Friday as he was upgraded to "probable."
Wide receiver Luther Burden III and outside linebacker Triston Newson were NOT on the Friday night report after appearances earlier in the week, indicating both of them are available to play.

9:20 a.m.:One of the first players out on the field for Missouri appears to be Joshua Manning, catching some passes from a team GA. There's a good chance we see a bit more of Manning in the offense today as he continues to progress up the ranks in a strong room. The 63-yard, catch-and-run TD last week against UMass was a good indicator of what he can do.

9:02 a.m.:The players are in the building after going through Tiger Walk, and some are beginning to trout onto the field for some light warmups.

8:42 a.m.:Good morning from Columbia, Missouri, where the skies are blue and the traffic, today, is abhorrent. If you're coming to the stadium, make some plans to give yourself some spare time. It's homecoming, after all. The players will arrive at the stadium shortly. Already looks as if there's a good fan turnout in the tailgaiting lots, for what should be an incredibly interesting game of football.

We have plenty coverage leading into this week. If you have time and interest, there's also a lot of basketball coverage over on our main page. Plenty to keep you tied over until kickoff.

All of our Missouri football coverage ahead of Auburn game

You can get up to speed on all of our Mizzou coverage previewing this week's game at the following links:

More: Missouri football vs. Auburn: Scouting report, score prediction

More: Missouri football bowl projections: Where prognosticators have Tigers in postseason

More: Stadium construction to impact pedestrian flow for Missouri football games. What to expect

More: Here's what Auburn coach Hugh Freeze, AU players said about Missouri football before game

More: Is Missouri football considering lineup changes? Breaking down some midseason competition

More: Missouri football loses two key defensive players to season-ending injuries

More: Missouri football climbs in coaches poll, AP Top 25 after UMass win

More: Missouri football's offense shows good bones in UMass win. Now, can Tigers carry that over?

What TV channel is Missouri football vs. Auburn on today?

TV Channel:ESPN

Stream:FUBO (free trial)

Date:Saturday, Oct. 19

Kickoff time:11 a.m. CDT

Missouri's game against Auburn will air on ESPN. Dave Pasch will be the play-by-play announcer for the game, and former Oklahoma and Chicago Bears nose tackle Dusty Dvoracek will be the on-air analyst. Taylor McGregor will be the sideline reporter for the game.

FUBO, which offers a free trial for potential subscribers, will stream Missouri's game against Auburn.

Watch Missouri football vs. Auburn free on FUBO

How to listen to Saturday's game

Local radio:1580 AM; 105.1 FM

Satellite radio:Sirius XM 119 or 191

Tiger Radio Network will air the game live with 'Voice of the Tigers' Mike Kelly as the play-by-play announcer, Howard Richards as the analyst and Chris Gervino as the sideline reporter.

Oct 12, 2024; Amherst, Massachusetts, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Brady Cook (12) runs onto the field before a game against the Massachusetts Minutemen at Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Missouri-Auburn series history

Series record:Missouri trails 3-1
Last game:Auburn 17, Missouri 14 (OT) (Sept. 24, 2022 in Auburn, Ala.)
Missouri's last win:Mizzou 34, Auburn 17 (Dec. 19, 1973 in El Paso, Texas)

Missouri football's full 2024 schedule

Date (Time)	Opponent	Location
Aug. 29	Missouri 51, Murray State 0 (1-0)	Columbia, Mo.
Sept. 7	Missouri 38, Buffalo 0 (2-0)	Columbia, Mo.
Sept. 14	Missouri 27, Boston College 21 (3-0)	Columbia, Mo.
Sept. 21	Missouri 30, Vanderbilt 27 (2OT) (4-0)	Columbia, Mo.
IDLE	IDLE	IDLE
Oct. 5	Texas A&M 41, Missouri 10 (4-1)	College Station, Texas
Oct. 12	Missouri 45, UMass 3 (5-1)	Amherst, Mass.
Oct. 19 (11 a.m., ESPN)	Auburn	Columbia, Mo.
Oct. 26 (3:30-7 p.m.)	Alabama	Tuscaloosa, Ala.
IDLE	IDLE	IDLE
Nov. 9 (3:30-7 p.m.)	Oklahoma	Columbia, Mo.
Nov. 16 (2:30-3:30 p.m.)	South Carolina	Columbia, S.C.
Nov. 23 (2:30-3:30 p.m.)	Mississippi State	Starkville, Miss.
Nov. 30 (2:30-3:30 p.m.)	Arkansas	Columbia, Mo.
Dec. 7	SEC Championship	Atlanta , Ga.

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This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri football score: Mizzou stages remarkable comeback, beats Auburn

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