The Missouri Tigers lost a heartbreaker in Columbia, South Carolina on Saturday evening, falling 34-30 in the final moments of a thrilling game.
With Mizzou's back against the wall, facing a fourth-and-5, Brady Cook hit a 37-yard touchdown pass to Luther Burden, who came down with a one-handed snag. This gave the Tigers what they thought was going to be a win, as just 70 seconds remained in the game.
"It did (feel like we had won), but it's never over," Cook said. " You celebrate it, and you're pumped up and you enjoy it, but it's never over."
Missed tackles and blown coverages proved pivotal as the Gamecocks put together a game winning 70 yard drive in just 47 seconds of game time.
LaNorris Sellers escaped pressure multiple times, as the Tigers struggled to tackle in open space all night.
"Our inability to get him on the ground on that last drive was bad," Mizzou's coach Eli Drinkwitz said.
The inability to tackle was an issue all night, specifically in the final moments of the first half when South Carolina pulled ahead.
In the last two minutes of the opening half, the Tigers shot themselves in the foot, giving up two touchdowns in the span of 78 seconds, heading into the break down 21-6.
Even then, Mizzou came out strong in the second half, willing its way back into the game even when everything felt stacked against them.
"Our energy was there in the second half. We came into the locker room and it was not flat in there," Cook said. "The team picked me up. I realized the energy was up and we were in a good spot. I felt like we came out firing (in the second half)."
The Tigers will not have long to recover after a crushing loss, back in action next Saturday at Mississippi State.
"Two weeks left, let's go get nine wins in the regular season. Let's finish strong and get to 10 with a bowl game. That's what we're going to do," Cook said. "Defense, offense, we're going to pick each other up."
"We'll just take it one game at a time, go back, regroup, figure out who's healthy, who's not, and go on the road to a fresh Mississippi State team," Drinkwitz said. "It's going to be real challenging."