The Tigers saw some crazy times in 2014. There were highs. There were lows. There was uncertainty and there were plenty of doubters. But for these Missouri Tigers, the season cannot be described as anything more than a resounding success.
Mizzou may have “arrived” with its 2013 trip to the SEC Championship. But these season’s addition of the East Division champs put the program back on the map. The team has proven it belongs in the Southeastern Conference. But more importantly, it proved that that it belongs in the discussion as one of the premier teams in college football.
Jan 1, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Maty Mauk (7) drops back to pass during the second half in the 2015 Citrus Bowl against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Florida Citrus Bowl. Missouri wins 33-17 over Minnesota. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
From the disaster that occurred early in the season at home against Indiana, to the second straight trip to Atlanta (an accomplishment despite a loss), to everything in between that culminated in a very solid New Years’ Day bowl win against Minnesota, MU made this 2014 season a memorable one. And gave the fans a lot to look forward to for 2015.
Here are the top 5 key moments from this season for the Missouri Tigers:
Late Rally And 4th And Goal In Columbia, S.C.
In many ways, this moment was a defining moment for the season for the Tigers. It set the wheels in motion for the defense of their SEC East title. But more importantly, it set a tone that this is, in fact a team that can win.
The team had just come off of a horrible loss to a bad Big 10 team. And never mind the offense played poorly for a majority of the game. Mizzou made things happen when it counted and was able to get the win.
After a late touchdown by South Carolina, the Tigers trailed 20-7 with less than seven minutes to play. Game. Set. Match. The game was over. Or so everyone thought. But then, the Missouri offense turned from a hopeless vessel to a world beater. Quarterback Maty Mauk and company drove right down the field, bolstered by a 48-yard pass to wide receiver Bud Sasser and capped by a 39-yard touchdown run by Russell Hansbrough.
But the key moment? That happened with under two minutes to play. After a huge three-and-out forced by the defense, Mizzou went right back to work and found itself at the Carolina 1. But three straight stuffs, and Mizzou faced fourth and goal. Game on the line. And they punched it in.
It showed true grit and fight that this time would need later on and set a presedence that this team can win games late. We would see similar events several times down the stretch in 2014.
The scoreboard says it all in this moment. Missouri Tigers quarterback Maty Mauk (7) sets up the fourth down effort that would tie the game at 20 points during the fourth quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Missouri wins in the final minutes 21-20 over South Carolina. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Being Kicked in the Groin by Georgia
Mark this one down as the most painful key moment this season.
While there was a lot of good in 2014 for the Missouri Tigers, there was plenty of “bad” that had an impact as well. The Indiana loss was embarrassing and left a terrible taste in Mizzou Nation’s mouths. But it was nothing more than a really bad loss– capped by a really questionable call by the officials.The Alabama loss in the SEC Championship game was frustrating because the team squandered a game that was at hand by making bad mistakes late.
If we have to pick one key bad memory from the 2014 slate for the Tigers, it was the 34-0 drubbing by Georgia at home. This is a key moment because the team had a great opportunity to lay down and roll over after this game.
Getting blown out at home to your division rival is the kind of moment where teams give in. Fall apart. Self-destruct. This is where bad teams start losing over and over again.
But Mizzou kept the faith. It says a lot about this team, its players, its coaches and the program in general that they were to keep fighting after such a disastrous knock out punch. Thankfully, Mizzou showed it was a great team by overcoming this gigantic obstacle.
“A Golden Ray Down Here In Florida!”
Perhaps the biggest moment of 2014, this may have been the truest sign of a division title team. The special teams had been extra special in this one. Marcus Murphy scored a touchdown in three different ways– a kick return and a punt return to go along with a first half touchdown run. And Mizzou found a way to finish the Gators with 42 points on just 190 yards of total offense.
But the team showed it could win– and win big.
Oct 18, 2014; Gainesville, FL, USA; Missouri Tigers defensive lineman Markus Golden (33) celebrates with defensive back Kenya Dennis (7) after scoring a touchdown after a fumble during the second half against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The Tigers won 42-13. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
No bigger moment happened down in the Swamp than when Missouri scored two defensive touchdowns in less than a minute during the triumphant third quarter. Just before cornerback Darvin Ruise returned a 36-yard interception for a touchdown, Mizzou saw its “brightest” moment.
Super star and All-American defensive end Shane Ray stripped the inept Florida QB Jeff Driskell as he was making a sack, and the star defensive end counterpart Markus Golden scooped and scored on a 21-yard touchdown. The great ESPN commentator Joe Tessitore fittingly exclaimed, “A golden ray down here in Florida!”
Goal Line Stand as Mizzou Runs Past Texas A&M
Jan 1, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Gary Pinkel gets the ceremonial Gatorade bath during the second half in the 2015 Citrus Bowl agains the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Florida Citrus Bowl. Missouri wins 33-17 over Minnesota. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Just as the Missouri Tigers were able to win with the goal line score in South Carolina, they were able to win it with defense in South Texas. Mizzou rallied (which it did a lot of this year) and took a 34-20 lead with just 8 minutes to play, thanks to a pair of huge touchdown runs and a career best 199-yard rushing game from Russell Hansbrough.
But A&M scored late then stopped Mizzou, forcing the Tigers defense to again make a big defensive stand. That stand would be a goal line stand. Markus Golden was in on the stop on the Aggies’ run from the one-yard line and Missouri found a way to pick up the 34-27 win. Once again, it showed just how resilient this Tigers team is, and put Mizzou in the driver seat in the SEC east.
Rally Vs. Arkansas Seals The Second Straight SEC East Title
Need we say more about the toughness in this team. When the Tigers fell down in 2014, they got back up. No more did that show itself than in the Arkansas game, which mirrored several other huge wins for MU.
South Bound & Down
Again, Mizzou trailed late and seemed dead in the water. But just as it had all season long, the Tigers found their groove late, down 14-6. Maty Mauk hit Bud Sasser for the touchdown, then ran a trick play to score a tying two-point conversion.
After Mizzou made a stop then got a huge touchdown run from Marcus Murphy to give them the lead, Arkansas began an impressive looking drive and got within striking distance. But the Tigers showed their clutch ability to close games. Markus Golden’s hit on the Razorback running back forced a fumble and Mizzou won the SEC East.
So ended a wild 2014 regular season. And this game perfectly reflected the rise above tough times, the dust-yourself-off calmness from the team’s leaders and the will to hold on to its division title.
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Which of these do you think was the biggest ‘key’ moment? Was there an event in 2014 that should have been included on this list? Tell us below in the comments!
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