Missouri Tigers: Revenge Served Cold Against South Carolina, 21-20
By Derek Franks
The Tigers, in a stunning turn of events, committed to the run Saturday night against South Carolina. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
17-0.
That score has haunted the Missouri Tigers since last October.
It was the lead the South Carolina Gamecocks overcame in the second half, in a game that was won, then lost– surrendered, no less– in last year’s meeting between the two. A thrilling game. A heartbreaking finish for the stunned Mizzou fans on homecoming. And it was a long, long, wait to get a chance at revenge. But revenge came.
South Carolina got a taste of its own medicine Saturday.
From the early moments of the second quarter on until late in the game, it was South Carolina, not Missouri, who outscored the visiting team, 17-0. And it was Missouri, not South Carolina, who somehow against the odds, came roaring back.
Sep 27, 2014; Columbia, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks cornerback Al Harris Jr. (31) chases Missouri Tigers quarterback Maty Mauk (7) during the second quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Trailing 20-7, Missouri (which embarrassed itself a week earlier with a loss to the traveling comedy show Indiana) decided it was going to win. And drove and scored, twice, to come out on top, 21-20, giving the Tigers (4-1, 1-0) complete control of the SEC East division.
While not in the same humiliating vein as missing a 24-yard tying field goal in over time, as was the case in Mizzou’s loss last season, South Carolina still feels the same reverberations of heartbreak nonetheless, seemingly having the game clinched with seven minutes to play.
Instead, the tables turned.
Much like last week’s game, Missouri looked out of sync on offense and just couldn’t find a way to get any kind of drive going. The team was, in a twist, running the football with adamant loyalty. It was nice to see it happen, but it just wasn’t going anywhere. When the Tigers attempted to pass, its banged up offensive line could not provide a moment for quarterback Maty Mauk to save their lives.
Missouri failed to convert 10 consecutive third down attempts. And punted a jaw-dropping 9 times. But South Carolina, with a revered, explosive offense, couldn’t do much better for much of the game, stalled by a seriously gutty performance from Missouri’s defense. And the Tigers managed to stay in the game.
Of course, early the game looked to be the opposite of its ultimately low scoring affair. Mizzou took the opening drive for a touchdown to jump out to a 7-0 lead. And everyone thought, “here we go.” But then the Tigers didn’t score again until the fourth quarter.
Now, when these two programs meet on the gridiron each year, we will all play all of these memories back. And it will make fans and players of both teams want to beat the other more than anything else in the world.
South Carolina’s second quarter touchdown put the lead in its hands, taking a 10-7 score into half time. But Mizzou’s deffense, despite S.C.’s knack for scoring, held strong. The Gamecocks were forced to punt a couple of times. When they did get their engines going and get the ball in striking distance, Missouri’s defense saved the day, forcing a field goal after South Carolina initially had first and goal from the two. “Heroic” is what we’ll call that.
With the game at a 13-7 score, fans of both sides were confused. But it was just a kind of game both coaches wanted. In reality, a shootout might have made it easier for one team to close out the other. The game plan from both sides was to grind it out. And we should all thank them for it.
S.C. finally looked like themselves midway though the final frame. Its offense put on a clinic and drove right down the field against Missouri’s now tired defense. Quarterback Dylan Thompson threw a riffle to the goal line, and receiver Nick Jones made one of the night’s best catches, even with Tiger safety Braylon Webb jolting him with a huge hit from behind. Touchdown. Game over.
That’s what we all said, at least.
The Tigers offense, having been dormant for a majority of the football game, looked dead in the water in the fourth quarter. But alas, down 13 following a the late Gamecock touchdown, a sleeping giant was awoken. Despite looking relatively elementary all night long, quarterback Maty Mauk and the rest of the offense caught fire, two-minute-drilling S.C. into the ground, with an impressive show both by pass and by run.
Mauk found receiver Bud Sasser on a pair of awesome throws. Then running backs Marcus Murphy and Russell Hanbrough took turns giving Missouri big-time runs when Carolina was expecting pass. Hansbrough scored from 20-yards out, after somehow eluding a sack in the back field and reversing field to get to the end zone. Like that, Mizzou was back in the game.
Mizzou could not have asked for a better performance from Bud Sasser on Saturday. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
But there would be no roaring comeback without a stop on defense. And Mizzou got it. The Tigers forced one of the most timely three and outs in the history of football, just when you thought S.C. had gained all of the confidence and momentum from its last drive.
Missouri got the ball back and did the same thing as its previous drive, with more big pass plays to Bud Sasser. The Tigers even converted on fourth down before eventually getting the ball inside the five, thanks to another great running play. Then it was third and goal from the 1.
And then it was fourth and goal from the 1.
And then, it was 21-20.
Another big stop from the defense sealed the deal. And Missouri lined up in victor formation– probably the most shocking thing Tigers fans have ever seen. And into the record books, another classic game, and from it a new arch rivalry is born.
Missouri has returned the favor. The bad memories and haunting feeling now belong in Columbia, South Carolina.
The Tigers didn’t play their best football in this contest. But they definitely earned the hard-fought victory. Against all odds, Mizzou found a way.
Leaving their adrenaline-pumped, nearly-at-cardiac-arrest fans on the edge of their seat, as they so often do, the Tigers found a way.
Say what you want about the SEC manufacturing rivalries, these two teams have created one by the performance of their last two meetings. Both games exemplified everything we love about college football.
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The bad blood, some of the best fans in all of sports, the thrilling game finishes, the last second heroics, the storied coaches in a battle of chess, and twists and turns in the action that will be revisited from years to come. Now, when these two programs meet on the gridiron each year, we will all play all of these memories back. And it will make fans and players of both teams want to beat the other more than anything else in the world.
What we have is a true budding rivalry on our hands. And boy, does it make for utter excitement to get to play again next year. In the next version of Mizzou-South Carolina, The Gamecocks return to Mid-missouri to see if they can inflict the pain back on the Tigers. Who knows– maybe Mizzou will choose it for its Homecoming again. Wouldn’t that be the ultimate challenge?
For now, the Tigers must enjoy this victory, but more importantly seize the opportunity to continue defending its SEC East division title. And what way to start, by beating South Carolina in their house.
The long awaited revenge came. And it was, as they say, best served cold. Really cold.