COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri football renews one of its oldest rivalries Saturday when the Tigers welcome the Oklahoma Sooners to Memorial Stadium for their first meeting as Southeastern Conference foes.
Kickoff is set for 6:45 p.m. CT, and the game will be broadcast live on SEC Network and Tiger Radio Network.
The Tigers and Sooners will meet for the 97th time on Saturday and their first matchup since the 2011 season. Oklahoma has won 67 of the first 96 games in the series, including 32 of the 48 all-time meetings in Columbia. The Sooners claimed the most-recent meeting in the series, a 38-28 decision over MU in Norman on September 24, 2011. The last Tigers’ victory was on October 23, 2010 when MU defeated then No. 3 Oklahoma, 36-27, on Faurot Field.
Saturday’s SEC Network broadcast will feature Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers, and Cole Cubelic on the call. The game can also be heard on the Tiger Radio Network from LEARFIELD through the Varsity Network mobile app and Sirius XM channel 82.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Oklahoma (5-4, 1-4 SEC) at Missouri (6-2, 2-2 SEC)
Saturday, November 9, 2024 • 6:45 p.m. CT
Columbia, Mo. • Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium (62,621)
TELEVISION • SECN
RADIO • Tiger Radio Network from LEARFIELD
GAME NOTES • Missouri Notes • Oklahoma Notes
LIVE STATS • MUTigers.com
TWITTER • @MizzouFootball
PROMOTION • Fans Encouraged to Wear Black
INTERVIEWS • Coach Drinkwitz Weekly Press Conference | Mitchell Walters Pre-Practice Interview | Theo Wease Jr. Pre-Practice Interview | Kristian Williams Pre-Practice Interview
GAME NOTES
Mizzou enters the game 5-0 on Faurot Field this season and winners of eight-straight home games overall, dating to an October 21, 2023 win over South Carolina; MU’s last unbeaten home season came in 2007 (6-0).
The Tigers enter Saturday’s matchup ranked No. 22 in this week’s USA Today Coaches poll; MU was ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll for 21 consecutive weeks from September 17, 2023 through October 29, 2024.
MU head coach Eliah Drinkwitz moved into sole possession of the No. 7 spot on the Tigers’ all-time coaching wins list with the Tigers’ victory over Auburn (Oct. 19), surpassing Larry Smith with his 34th win at Missouri; he needs three more victories to match Dan Devine‘s program record for wins through the first five seasons of a Mizzou head coaching tenure.
The Tigers are 25-7 at home in Drinkwitz’s five seasons, including 13 wins in their last 14 home contests since November 2022.Mizzou’s pass defense ranks 10th in the nation (164.8), while their total defense ranks 13th nationally (299.6).
MU’s offense has converted 26-of-29 (.897) red zone opportunities into points this season, which ranks fourth in the SEC and 32nd nationally; the Tigers have scored on 82-of-87 (.943) combined trips to the red zone since the start of the 2023 season.
QB Brady Cook (8,053) ranks fourth on the Tigers’ all-time passing yardage list and fifth on MU’s career touchdown passes chart (45); he enters Saturday’s game 746 yards behind Brad Smith for the No. 3 spot and six TD tosses shy of James Franklin in the No. 4 position, respectively.
K Blake Craig leads the SEC and ranks eighth nationally in field goals per game (1.88); the freshman’s 68 points on the season also rank eighth among all SEC players.
Craig has successfully booted four field goals of 50+ yards, placing him in a tie with Jeff Jacke (1988-92) for third on the Tigers’ all-time list of 50-yard makes.
WR Luther Burden III became the 12th Tiger receiver to top the 2,000-career yardage plateau with his performance vs. Auburn (Oct. 19); he joined fellow Mizzou receiver Theo Wease Jr. in that distinguished club, making the Tigers one of just 14 NCAA FBS offenses (and three SEC teams) to feature multiple receivers with 2,000+ career receiving yards to their credit.
TIGERS RENEW RIVALRY WITH SOONERS
The overall series between the Tigers and Sooners dates back to 1902 with Saturday’s contest marking the first meeting between the two schools since 2011.
Oklahoma holds a commanding 67-24-5 overall edge against the Tigers, including a 32-16 advantage in Columbia.
OU claimed the most recent matchup with Mizzou, a 38-28 decision on September 24, 2011 in Norman.
The two programs met every season from 1910 until 1999, with the Tigers and Sooners competing as conference foes for the majority of that span. The conference rivalry began in 1920 in the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association until 2012 as Big 12 Conference members when MU departed for the SEC.
ANOTHER SOLD-OUT ZOU
Missouri’s home sellout streak will reach 11-straight games this weekend, marking the Tigers’ longest since an 18-game streak dating from November 23, 1974 through September 16, 1978.
The Tigers have officially sold out all seven games on their 2024 home schedule, marking the first time MU has accomplished a season sellout since 1979.
The Tigers are on pace to draw 438,347 spectators for their seven scheduled home games, which would rank as the No. 4 home attendance total and average in Memorial Stadium history.
Mizzou single-season home attendance
NO. SEASON TOTAL AVG.
1. 2012 472, 333 67,476
2. 2014 456,996 65,285
3. 2013 444,532 63,505
4. 1981 432,511 61,787
5. 2023 421,184 60,169
6. 2024 313,105 62,621
NOVEMBER HEAT
Missouri has won its last three November contests and five of its last six in the month since 2022.
MU has averaged 38.2 points over its last five November victories.
The Tigers are 9-5 overall in November under Eliah Drinkwitz.
IN THE ZONE
Mizzou has been nearly unstoppable in the red zone, converting 26-of-29 (.897) trips inside of the opposition’s 20-yard line into points this season.
The Tigers have found the end zone on 18 of those possessions overall (62.1%).
Against Auburn (Oct. 19), the Tiger offense made three trips to the red zone, reaching the end zone twice; MU’s lone non-conversion in the red zone came on the game-ending kneel-down at the AU 17 yard line.
The Tigers red zone offense was one of the nation’s best in 2023, putting points on the board in 56-of-58 (96.6%) trips inside the 20-yard line to rank third among all FBS offenses.
MU converted 36 red zone TDs, while Harrison Mevis booted 20 red zone FGs to rank second among all FBS kickers.
Mizzou 82-of-87 (.943) in the red zone overall since the start of last season.
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