Mizzou picks up first ranked win of the season over Boston College

Mizzou was put in a position early where, in the past, they might have surrendered to an inferior opponent, but not with this group of guys.

Trailing 14-6 midway through the second quarter, sophomore safety Tre'Vez Johnson shifted the momentum when he undercut a poor pass from Thomas Castellanos, resulting in an interception.

This set Mizzou up with excellent field position, and they capitalized just a few plays later when Luther Burden III reached the end zone from 19 yards out. Trailing 14-12, the Tigers chose to go for a two-point conversion to tie the game. Nate Noel took the wildcat snap, and after faking a pitch, powered his way into the end zone for the successful conversion, tying the game at 14-14 with 3:04 remaining.

At the end of the first half, Mizzou put together an impressive drive that culminated in a 55-yard field goal by Blake Craig. This was his third successful kick of the half, adding to two earlier 38-yarders. Craig showcased his range, with plenty of room to spare on the 55-yarder.

When the Tigers got the ball to start the second half, they moved right down the field, firing on all cylinders. Mizzou orchestrated a 9-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, capped off by a Brady Cook rushing touchdown.

Nate Noel was a difference-maker, carrying the ball 22 times for 121 yards. The offensive line consistently created holes, and Mizzou's running game was efficient.

Luther Burden amassed 100 yards for the first time this season, snagging 6 catches for 117 yards and a touchdown. Burden had 74 yards after the catch, making defenders look silly all day.

Defensively, the Tigers swarmed Castellanos, forcing him into bad decisions. Even when he was able to avoid defenders, Mizzou's pressure led to errant throws, resulting in multiple interceptions. Dreyden Norwood was on the receiving end of the second under throw from the Eagles' quarterback.

With 13:22 left in the fourth quarter, the Tigers got the ball back and put together an impressive drive. They managed to milk 7 minutes and 24 seconds off the clock, ultimately settling for another field goal. Craig drilled the 31-yarder, extending Mizzou's lead to 27-14 with 5:58 remaining in the game.

Just when the game felt out of reach, Castellanos led the Eagles down the field with ease. He found Kamari Morales for a 38-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit to 27-21 with 3:45 left in the fourth quarter.

Needing to kill just under four minutes, Cook put the game to rest by completing a massive third-down pass to Burden. On the ensuing set of downs, Cook scrambled for a first down, completely icing the game.

Missouri will be back in action next Saturday as they look to start the season 4-0 against Vanderbilt.