Stop me if you've heard this one before, but despite trailing in the fourth-quarter, and for a majority of the game, the Missouri Tigers came from behind to take down the Iowa Hawkeyes 27-24 in the Music City Bowl.
Brady Cook finished his collegiate career with a fairytale ending. Cook led a 39-yard drive late in the fourth quarter, setting up his kicker Blake Craig for a long field goal attempt.
Craig stepped up, and despite struggling throughout the season, he booted it with confidence, splitting the uprights from 56-yards away. This gave Mizzou (10-3) its first lead of the game at 27-24 with just 3:21 left in the fourth quarter.
Iowa got its chance to tie or take the lead with a potential two-minute drill, but when it mattered most Mizzou's defense came away with a huge stop. Brendan Sullivan attempted a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-1, but was met in the backfield by a pack of Tigers. This put to bed any hopes that the Hawkeyes (8-5) may have had, giving Mizzou its second consecutive bowl victory over a BIG 10 opponent.
In what was expected to be a low-scoring, defensive battle, the Music City Bowl delivered a game that far surpassed expectations.
After exchanging punts on the first two possessions of the second half, Iowa started finding chunks of yards on the ground. It seemed like every time the Hawkeyes ran the ball, good things happened.
Leading 21-14, set up with a first-and-goal from Mizzou's 10-yard line, the Hawkeyes appeared destined to open up a two touchdown advantage. That's when Johnny Walker Jr. decided he had other intentions, getting pressure off the edge and taking Brendan Sullivan down for a sack. This forced Iowa to settle for a Drew Stephens 38-yard field goal, which gave the Hawkeyes a 24-14 lead with 5:19 in the third quarter.
The Tigers took advantage of this much-needed momentum swing when Cook got the ball back. Thanks to a pair of Marquis Johnson catches, Mizzou stormed down the field, eventually finding the end zone on a 4-yard end-around from Joshua Manning. This cut the deficit to 24-21 as the game reached the fourth quarter.
On the ensuing Iowa possession, defensive back Toriano Pride Jr. made an impressive play, jumping in front of an out-route and securing the interception. This set the Tigers up near midfield, only trailing by three points.
After a negative play on first down, Mizzou put itself behind the sticks, but a massive late-hit call bailed the Tigers out on third-and-forever. This barely put them in Blake Craig's range, and the redshirt freshman drilled a 51-yarder to tie the game at 24 with 10:12 left on the clock.
Seeking back-to-back 10 win seasons for just the third time in program history, Mizzou came out flat, something that has been a common theme all season.
After Marquis Johnson took the ball out of his own end zone and was stuffed at his own 10-yard line, it set the tone for the Hawkeyes' defense on the opening drive, which quickly got off the field.
When Sullivan took over, he led the Hawkeyes down field with ease, seemingly getting everything they wanted. After establishing the run behind the offensive line, a couple of play-action passes went for big gainers, including a 29-yard completion to Addison Ostrenga. The drive was capped off by a Terrell Washington end-around, where the playmaker took it 6-yards for a touchdown, opening up a 7-0 lead.
When the Tigers got the ball back, they wasted no time, putting together an incredibly impressive drive of their own. A mixture of scrambles from Cook, and completions down the field to Wease and Johnson helped them reach the red zone. Wease was the beneficiary of a 8-yard receiving touchdown, complete a 10 play, 85 yard drive to equalize the game at 7 with just 2:12 left in the first quarter.
The Hawkeyes wasted no time responding, however, as Kaden Wetjen took the ensuing kickoff 100-yards to the house for a touchdown. This was Wetjen's second return touchdown of the season, and it provided a major spark, giving Iowa a 14-7 advantage.
Mizzou responded to adversity well, marching down the field and returning the favor on a 75-yard touchdown drive. Cook flashed his rushing abilities, once again, getting the Tigers back into the red zone quickly. He linked up with Johnson in the back of the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown, leveling the score at 14 just 92 seconds into the second quarter.
After the scoring outburst, both teams came down to earth, with the defenses stepping up and forcing back-to-back punts.
With time winding in the first half, Sullivan put together an impressive 11 play, 90 yard drive, willing the Hawkeyes into the end zone. He converted multiple third-downs, using his legs to extend plays and keeping the Tigers defense off-balance. On third-and-goal from the 1-yard line, the Hawkeyes handed it off to Kamari Moulton who bounced off his offensive linemen into the end zone for a touchdown. This gave Iowa a 21-14 advantage heading into the half.