Mizzou takes down Oklahoma in one of the craziest games of the season

What looked like it might be a pillow fight turned into a drunk college football game within the blink of an eye late in the fourth quarter, with Mizzou taking down Oklahoma 30-23 in one of the craziest games of the season.

When it was announced that starting quarterback Brady Cook wasn't playing, that appeal began slowly fading, but still, this rivalry being so historic set up a highly anticipated matchup.

Early in the fourth quarter, Mizzou's defensive back Marvin Burks leveled Deion Burks, forcing a fumble that the Tigers recovered.

The next possession Mizzou took the ball 30 yards on 9 plays, finishing the drive with a third-and-goal completion to Brett Norfleet for a 5-yard touchdown. Blake Craig yanked the ensuing extra point wide left giving Mizzou a 16-9 lead with 8:47 remaining.

Oklahoma wouldn't go away without a fight, and Arnold led his team down the field for the Sooners most impressive drive of the game. Arnold found the end zone on a trick play, scoring from 18 yards out to tie the game with 3:18 left in the fourth.

On Mizzou's ensuing possession, attempting to keep the ball on the ground, freshman running back Jamal Roberts coughed up the football and Billy Bowman returned it 43 yards for a Sooners touchdown. This gave Oklahoma a 23-16 lead with 2 minutes to play.

Needing a score to tie the game, Pyne gave his team a chance. Luther Burden made an emphatic 33-yard catch and then Wease followed it with one of his own, good for a 10-yard touchdown, tying the game at 23 with 1:03 left on the clock.

Despite all of the hate, Pyne led his team down the field and gave Mizzou a chance to win the game.

With Oklahoma attempting to get in field goal range, Triston Newson sacked Arnold and Zion Young picked the ball up, returning it 17-yards for a Mizzou touchdown. This gave the Tigers a 30-23 lead with just 22 seconds left.

Mizzou's defense was special all evening, and it was only fitting that it was the defense who sealed one of the craziest games of the season.

What occurred in the first half was a pillow fight that looked awfully similar to a lot of 2023 Iowa football games. In the opening half, the two biggest plays came on punts.

First, Oklahoma punter Luke Elzinga ran a fake punt to perfection, sprinting towards the line of scrimmage as if he were about to run before hurling a pass to Bauer Sharp for 43 yards. This set up the Sooners with great field position, but they were unable to capitalize, ultimately settling for a 40-yard field goal to start the scoring 6 seconds into the second quarter.

The second biggest play was a muffed punt via Oklahoma return man Peyton Bowen, which set Mizzou up on the doorstep of the red zone. Blake Craig knocked through a 25-yard field goal, cutting the lead to 6-3 with 3:26 remaining in the first half.

The Sooners kicker Zach Schmit was the first half MVP, converting on all three of his field goal attempts, including a 56-yard season long to end the half, giving Oklahoma a 9-3 lead at the break.

With Pyne at quarterback, Mizzou showed no real ability to move the ball down field. The Sooners were able to load up the line of scrimmage, ultimately preventing the Tigers' offense from breaking free.

On defense, Mizzou looked dominant, completely shutting down Oklahoma's offense. The Sooners' quarterback Jackson Arnold had the same amount of passing yards in the first half as his team's punter, tallying 43.

Coming out of the locker room, it looked like much of the same, but midway through the third quarter, Mizzou put together a strong 12 play, 59 yard touchdown drive, capped off by a Theo Wease screen pass for a 13-yard touchdown.

The Tigers' defense continued its second half dominance, constantly swarming Oklahoma's offense.