Missouri football score: Brady Cook scores go-ahead touchdown as MU beats Arkansas

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Columbia Daily Tribune

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Columbia Daily Tribune
Missouri football score: Brady Cook scores go-ahead touchdown as MU beats Arkansas

Calum McAndrew, Columbia Daily Tribune · Columbia Daily Tribune

Sun, Dec 1, 2024 ·

17 min read

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Hollywood, this one's a little far-fetched.

As it so often has been through his storied career, the ball was in Brady Cook 's hands with a chance to save the day. Down one point with 4 minutes and 19 seconds to play, 75 yards of a snow-covered Faurot Field stood in front of the Missouri football quarterback in his final game as a Tiger in Columbia .

It was all on Cook.

You don't need two guesses to predict how that ends.

Cook led a eight-play, 75-yard drive that ended in the storied quarterback running it into the end zone from 30 yards to give MU a late lead. He completed a 2-point conversion to Luther Burden III , also playing his final game on Faurot Field, to make it a seven-point lead.

Missouri football held off Arkansas to win 28-21 in a frigid, snowy regular-season finale Saturday on Faurot Field.

Mizzou's offense took a while to heat up. Then Cook got the ball with the game on the line.

The quarterback scrambled for a couple; he hit Burden up the seam on third-and-8; he found Brett Norfleet and Theo Wease Jr. in succession.

Then Cook took over, darting up the middle on a 30-yard designed run to give MU the lead.

Burden, who had not touched the ball until the final drive, was wide open in the right corner of the end zone for the two-pointer.

The Tigers had fallen behind by a point because of the last of Arkansas running back Ja'Quinden Jackson's three-touchdown day coming at the 4:19 mark of the fourth quarter. AU quarterback Taylen Green had kept that drive and given the visitors the advantage with a fourth-and-8 completion to star wide receiver.

While the Tigers struggled to get their passing game rolling, it was another senior who spent his whole career with Missouri — defensive end Johnny Walker Jr. — who provided the magic moments that helped Mizzou across the line.

Walker forced two fumbles, one in the first quarter and one late in the third quarter, that his teammates fell on to set the Missouri offense up with short fields.

Short fields the Tigers sorely needed.

Marcus Carroll was the back who benefitted on both occasions.

Carroll punched in the game's first touchdown late in the first quarter after Arkansas gifted MU back-to-back offsides penalties to get to the goal line. Missouri ran the ball on eight straight plays to reach the end zone after Walker Jr's forced the ball out of Arkansas QB Taylen Green's hands and defensive tackle Sterling Webb recovered to set the offense up with a 40-yard field.

Then, in the third quarter, Walker knocked the ball out of running back Ja'Quinden Jackson's hands and Corey Flagg fell on it 34 yards from the goal line.

Mizzou again took eight plays to get to goal, running on seven of them and punching it in with Carroll from the 1-yard line to retake the lead early in the fourth quarter.

It was Missouri's day. When they needed magic, the men who have so often provided did it again.

Talk about a fairytale ending.

Missouri football vs. Arkansas score updates

Fourth quarter updates

6:01 p.m.:Arkansas is inside the Missouri half. Fourteen seconds left.

5:54 p.m.:Brady Cook. Touchdown. What a play. What a design. The quarterback, in his last game on Faurot Field, runs it in from 30 yards to give MU the lead. And the two-point conversion is good to who else but Luther Burden, who is playing HIS last game on Faurot Field. Incredible.

5:50 p.m.:Two-minute timeout. Mizzou is on the 30 with second-and-10 upcoming.

5:42 p.m.:Touchdown Arkansas. Ja'Quinden Jackson with his third of the game. After the PAT: Arkansas 21, Missouri 20 with 4:19 to play.

5:40 p.m.:Huge play from Arkansas on fourth-and-8 to Andrew Armstrong . Razorbacks are 16 yards from goal.

5:31 p.m.:Missouri settles for a field goal after Wease's long catch and run. Blake Craig converts a 34-yarder to make it MU 20, Arkansas 14.

5:24 p.m.:From the Mizzou 10-yard line to the red zone. Theo Wease Jr. has a huge catch and run. 70 yards, more than doubling MU's passing yards for the day.

5:21 p.m.:Arkansas' response stalls out near midfield. Instead of going for a fourth-and-3 just inside the Mizzou half, the Razorbacks punt it down to the 10.

5:12 p.m.:Blake Craig converts the PAT, and the Tigers have a 17-14 lead with 13:45 to play.

5:10 p.m.:Touchdown Missouri. Marcus Carroll punches it in from the 1-yard line for his second TD of the day.

End of 3rd quarter: Arkansas 14, Mizzou 10

5:07 p.m.:Missouri will have first-and-goal from the 8-yard line when the game returns for the fourth quarter. A nifty RPO that Cook pulled in got the entire Arkansas defense to bite and left Brett Norfleet wide open. That got the Tigers all but one of a second-and-20. Mizzou is knocking. Can they retake the lead?

5:03 p.m.:A Missouri touchdown is pulled back for holding on Armand Membou.

5:01 p.m.:Ruling stands. Mizzou ball.

5 p.m.:Mizzou forces and recovers another Arkansas fumble. Tigers will take over with about 35 yards to goal. It was Johnny Walker Jr. who forced the ball out of Ja'Quinden Jackson's hands, and linebacker Corey Flagg Jr. who fell on it. The play is being reviewed.

4:55 p.m.:Mizzou was lined up to go for a fourth-and-1 from the 6, but a false start on Jordon Harris makes it fourth-and-6 and brings the field goal unit out. Blake Craig converts the 28-yarder, and Mizzou cuts the Arkansas lead to four points.

4:50 p.m.:And Marcus Carroll converts the fourth-and-short with a run right up the middle. New set of downs inside the 30.

4:49 p.m.:Hold that thought: Missouri has the offense on the field.

4:48 p.m.:A couple of Brady Cook scrambles and a rare completed pass has got Mizzou inside the Arkansas 30, but the Tigers are facing fourth-and-1 on the other side of this timeout. Looks like Blake Craig is warming up for what would be about a 47-yarder.

4:41 p.m.:Marquis Johnson fumbled on the kick return, but Missouri fell on it. Disaster averted.

4:37 p.m.:Touchdown Arkansas. Ja'Quinden Jackson has his second score of the day, and the Hogs have their first lead of the day. That was far too easy for the Razorbacks, who have found a functioning balance between the run and pass game on offense. Arkansas is up 14-7. Missouri has sorely lacked inspiration so far.

4:33 p.m.:Brady Cook throws three passes to open the second half — all incomplete. Luke Bauer's punt drops and rolls just into the Arkansas half. Short field for the Razorbacks coming, especially after an illegal formation penalty on MU gifts them 5 yards.

4:30 p.m.:The second half is about to get underway on Faurot Field. Arkansas will kick the ball to the Tigers to open the half.

Half: Mizzou 7, Arkansas 7

4:10 p.m.:Pretty uninspiring way to end an altogether sleepy first half. Not sure why Brady Cook took a hit instead of getting rid of it. Cook is 3-of-6 for 26 yards. The Tigers have run the ball 23 times in 29 plays.

4:06 p.m.:Arkansas defensive end Landon Jackson was just carted off the field. The whole Arkansas team was out and huddled while he was treated.. A lot of Missouri players were on one knee. A horrible sight to see. It appears to be a head injury, but that is unconfirmed.

The game has now resumed after a lengthy delay.

3:52 p.m.:Mizzou gets Arkansas' offense off the field incredibly fast and will have time to play with at the end of the first half.

After the punt, it's a 65-yard field for the Tigers with 1:42 left on the clock.

3:44 p.m.:Not the best series Luther Burden III will put together. He was called for unnecessary roughness after a play that set Mizzou up with second-and-18. He then dropped a pass that looked like it was right at his chest on third down. Mizzou punting again.

3:30 p.m.:Not much in the way of an answer from Missouri's offense. Nate Noel got blown up almost instantly after a handoff for a four-yard loss; Theo Wease Jr. took a hard hit following a quick pass for a short gain; and a Brady Cook scramble was tracked down for almost no gain.

Nov 30, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green (10) is sacked by Missouri Tigers defensive end Johnny Walker Jr. (15) during the first half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

3:26 p.m.:Touchdown Arkansas, as running back Ja'Quinden Jackson runs it in from the goal line and ties the game up at 7. Chuck Hicks was called for defensive holding and unnecessary roughness on the play before to set the Razorbacks up right on the doorstep. A lot of sloppy plays from the Razorbacks threatened to kill that drive. In the end, it was quick back-to-back mistakes from Mizzou that helped them home.

3:22 p.m.:Arkansas just had a touchdown taken off the board for holding, just a handful of plays after Taylen Green had a long scramble inside the 10 pulled back for holding.

End of the 1st quarter: Missouri 7, Arkansas 0

3:12 p.m.:Solid first 15 minutes for Mizzou. The Tigers have forced two fumbles, recovering one, and have turned Arkansas over on back-to-back drives. Mizzou capitalized on one of those turnovers with Carroll's touchdown run. Hogs will begin the second quarter near midfield with a new set of downs.

3:05 p.m.:Touchdown Mizzou. Marcus Carroll runs it in from 4 yards to open the scoring and makes a snow angel in the north end zone to celebrate. Missouri 7, Arkansas 0 after the eight-play (all runs), 40-yard drive.

3:03 p.m.:Facing third-and-10, Arkansas gifting Missouri in the red zone. Jumped offside in two straight plays, and there was PI called on the (second) free play to Theo Wease. First-and-goal coming.

2:57 p.m.:Taylen Green fumbles, Missouri recovers. Pressure was on the QB almost immediately, with Johnny Walker Jr. getting round the left tackle quick. Tigers will take over in Arkansas territory. Walker is who the statisticians have marked as forcing the fumble, defensive tackle Sterling Webb recovered.

2:50 p.m.:Mizzou's drive on the other end of the turnover on downs stalls out just on the other side of midfield. After Luke Bauer's punt took a hop forward toward the end zone, a leaping attempt from Marquis Johnson very nearly kept it out and downed inside the 5. But, it's ruled a touchback. Looked very close.

2:41 p.m.:Turnover on downs from Arkansas on the Hogs' opening drive. Marvin Burks Jr. had a big hit for pass breakup on fourth down. Before that, Toriano Pride forced an Arkansas fumble, but it was recovered by tight end Luke Hasz . Taylen Green then had back to back incomplete passes, including one that was tipped dangerously in front of Corey Flagg. Good start for the MU defense.

2:34 p.m.:Mizzou wins the toss and defers to the second half. Ball heading to Arkansas to begin this regular-season finale.

Pregame updates

2:32 p.m.:The players have emerged from the south end zone tunnel. The field has mostly been cleared, or at least enough to get this game going. Looks like the snowfall has stopped, too. The regular-season finale is about to begin.

2:15 p.m.:Missouri is currently holding its senior day ceremony. As a reminder, 27 players are expected to walk today, including quarterback Brady Cook and wide receiver Luther Burden III.

2:07 p.m.:While I thaw out after taking a quick trip down to the field, here is a quick video of Brady Cook and a picture of current field conditions:

1:22 p.m.:With approximately 70 minutes until scheduled kickoff, here is a snapshot of the current field conditions. The game has not yet been delayed, but it seems like it's going to be tight to get the field cleared in time for the 2:30 p.m. kickoff.

1:07 p.m.:Missouri has published its final availability report ahead of the Arkansas game: Long snapper Brett Le Blanc, backup OL Logan Reichert and backup CB Shamar McNeil each are out, along with the players who have been ruled out for the season. No questions or game-time decisions heading into the final game of the year.

12:40 p.m.:Luther Burden is playing his final game on Faurot Field today — and most likely his last as a Missouri Tiger. He's enjoying the novelty, it seems.

12:37 p.m.:Arkansas' players are now out on Faurot Field and getting their first look at the field conditions. I'm going to go ahead and guess that this field will not be fully cleared by the time kickoff comes around. The plows and shoves and leaf blowers are out, but it's hardly making a dent as it continues to come down.

12:28 p.m.:Back from Tiger Walk. Missouri's players are off the bus and in the building. A solid portion of them are now on Faurot Field — shirtless! — making snow angels and getting some team pictures. There are GAs in the south end zone throwing passes and running routes. This is an incredible scene.

From a more practical standpoint, the snow plows have not stopped and some leaf blowers have made an appearance to get the snow off the field. They haven't made too much of a dent. Two hours to go, mind you.

11:56 a.m.:Getting word that Tiger Walk is being slightly modified today. Instead of the players being dropped off at the top of the hill and walking down the — we assume exceptionally slippery — hill down to the south end zone, the team bus is going to drop Mizzou players directly in front of the facility near the south side of the stadium. Good call.

11:53 a.m.:Good morning from a very snowy Columbia, Missouri. Snow in CoMo? SnowMo? Maybe we'll have a good name figured out by kickoff. The plows are out on Faurot Field, where the forecast is calling for snowfall until around about the time of kickoff. It's quite the sight for the regular season finale.

All of our Missouri football coverage ahead of Arkansas

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. Arkansas: Scouting report, score prediction for regular-season finale

More: Missouri football DB Phillip Roche no longer with program, team spokesperson confirms

More: Will Luther Burden III walk in Missouri football's senior day proceedings? What we know

More: Missouri football wide receiver Mookie Cooper has season-, career-ending surgery

More: Missouri football bowl projections: Where national media predicts Mizzou to play

More: Did Missouri football re-enter national polls after MSU win? Here's where Tigers landed

More: Missouri football beat Mississippi State doing what it has done best: Bouncing back

More: After Mississippi State win, what is Missouri football's likeliest bowl game destination?

What TV channel is Missouri football vs Arkansas on today?

TV Channel:SEC Network

Stream:FUBO (free trial)

Kickoff time:2:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30

Location:Memorial Stadium in Columbia

Missouri's game against Arkansas will air on SEC Network. Taylor Zarzour will be the play-by-play announcer for the game, and Matt Stinchcomb will be the on-air analyst. Alyssa Lang will be the sideline reporter for the game.

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

Watch Missouri vs Arkansas 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.

COLUMBIA, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 14: Wide receiver Luther Burden III #3 of the Missouri Tigers celebrates a run against the Boston College Eagles in the second half at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium on September 14, 2024 in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

Will Missouri-Arkansas be a snow game?

The forecast has wavered throughout the week, but it appears some snow will fall on Faurot Field, with 1-3 inches in the forecast. Whether it snows or not, it's going to be a frigid finale. The temperature is expected to be 31 degrees at kickoff and may dip below 30 into the second half.

Missouri-Arkansas series history

Series record:Missouri leads 11-4
Last game:Mizzou 48, Arkansas 14 (Nov. 24, 2023 in Fayetteville, Ark.)
Last loss:Arkansas 34, Mizzou 17 (Dec. 19, 2020 in Starkville, Miss.)

Missouri has never lost to Arkansas in Columbia, and has only taken two defeats in the 10 matchups between the two teams that have taken place since Mizzou became an SEC team. The first game between the two teams was played in November 1906 in Columbia. Last season, Mizzou led 41-0 heading into the fourth quarter in Fayetteville in a game that included two touchdowns in 11 seconds of game time from tight end Brett Norfleet.

Missouri injury news

Three players not previously listed on the Tigers' availability report as out will miss the game this Saturday: backup cornerback Shamar McNeil; backup offensive lineman Logan Reichert; and long snapper Brett Le Blanc. Freshman running back Kewan Lacy is designated as "questionable" to play in the game.

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	Missouri 21, Auburn 17 (6-1)	Columbia, Mo.
Oct. 26	Alabama 34, Missouri 0 (6-2)	Tuscaloosa, Ala.
IDLE	IDLE	IDLE
Nov. 9	Missouri 30, Oklahoma 23 (7-2)	Columbia, Mo.
Nov. 16	South Carolina 34, Missouri 30 (7-3)	Columbia, S.C.
Nov. 23	Missouri 39, Mississippi State 20 (8-3)	Starkville, Miss.
Nov. 30 (2:30 p.m., SECN)	Arkansas	Columbia, Mo.

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This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri football score: Brady Cook scores go-ahead TD as MU beats Arkansas

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