COLUMBIA, Mo. – The No. 23 Missouri Tigers will put the finishing touches on the 2024 season with their 38th bowl appearance, facing the Iowa Hawkeyes in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl on Monday, Dec. 30 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn.
Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. CT, and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN and Tiger Radio Network.
The Tigers and Hawkeyes will meet for the 14th time, with Missouri holding a 7-6 edge on the series. Iowa claimed the most recent meeting of the two programs — and the only bowl matchup in the series — a 27-24 victory over MU in the 2010 Insight Bowl in Tempe, Arizona.
Mizzou will be competing in the Music City Bowl for the first time. The Tigers earned a berth to the 2020 Music City Bowl, but MU’s matchup with Iowa was canceled due to COVID-19.
The Music City Bowl ESPN broadcast will feature Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb, and Alyssa Lang 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 119 or 191.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Iowa (8-4, 6-3 Big Ten) vs [23] Missouri (9-3, 5-3 SEC)
Monday, December 30, 2024 • 1:30 p.m. CT
Nashville, Tenn. • Nissan Stadium (69,143)
TELEVISION • ESPN
RADIO • Tiger Radio Network from LEARFIELD
GAME NOTES • Missouri Notes • Iowa Notes
LIVE STATS • MusicCityBowl.com
TWITTER • @MizzouFootball
PROMOTION • Fans Encouraged to Wear Black
INTERVIEWS • Coach Drinkwitz Weekly Press Conference | Theo Wease Jr. Pre-Practice Interview | Kristian Williams Pre-Practice Interview
GAME NOTES
Eliah Drinkwitz notched his 37th win as Mizzou’s head coach with the Tigers’ victory over Arkansas (Nov. 30), matching Dan Devine‘s program record for wins through the first five seasons of a Mizzou head coaching tenure.
With a victory over Iowa, the Tigers would not only notch their eighth 10-win season, but also conclude the year with three consecutive wins in back-to-back seasons, marking the first time achieving the feat since 1913-14.
Ranked No. 23 in the most recent Associated Press poll, the Tigers – who finished at No. 8 in the Associated Press‘ 2023 rankings – are also seeking their first back-to-back Top 25 finishes since 2013-14, when they ended the year No. 5 and No. 14 in the Associated Press‘ final polls, respectively.
The Tigers finished their 2024 Southeastern Conference slate with a 5-3 record, logging five conference victories for the second consecutive season – and for the third time in five years under Drinkwitz.
Of Missouri’s 20 victories over the last two years, 13 have been come-from-behind wins, including eight in which the Tigers have overcome second-half deficits.
Mizzou’s defense ranks among the nation’s best in several statistical categories, including first downs allowed (3rd), 3rd down conversion percentage defense (4th), scoring defense (20th) and total defense (22nd).
DE Johnny Walker Jr. brings the nation’s longest active sack streak into the Music City Bowl, with at least 0.5-plus sacks in six-straight contests (dating back to Oct. 19 vs. Auburn).
The Tigers lead the SEC and rank seventh nationally in average time of possession (33:08) and rank second in the league in fewest turnovers lost (9); Mizzou is tied with Oregon for the fewest giveaways (18) among all FBS teams over the last two seasons.
QB Brady Cook (8,726) ranks fourth on the Tigers’ all-time passing yardage list and enters the Music City Bowl just 73 yards behind Brad Smith for the No. 3 spot on MU’s career chart; Cook also ranks fourth in career completions (728).
Cook is set to become the first MU quarterback to start in four consecutive bowl games for the Tigers and brings a total of 26 career victories (26-13) as MU’s starting QB into the contest, which ranks as the No. 2 total in program history (behind only Chase Daniel‘s 30 wins).
TIGERS AND HAWKEYES AT A GLANCE
Mizzou and Iowa will meet for the 14th time and the first in the series since their 2010 Insight Bowl matchup in Tempe, Arizona.
MU leads the all-time series, 7-6, with 12 of those meetings coming between 1892 and 1910.Mizzou owns a 5-2 advantage against the Hawkeyes at home, but have gone just 2-3 in the series in Iowa City and 0-1 on neutral ground (2010 in Tempe).
Mizzou brings a cumulative all-time record of 87-133-8 against the current members of the Big Ten Conference.
The Tigers are 3-5 in bowl games against Big Ten teams.
The Tigers have yielded an average of just 4.7 points per game in their seven victories over the Hawkeyes, including shutouts on four occasions: 24-0 in 1892, 34-0 in 1895, 6-0 in 1902 and 5-0 in 1910 (MU’s most-recent win over Iowa).
The 2010 Insight Bowl was a back-and-forth battle in the second half, as Mizzou roared back from a 17-3 first-half deficit to seize the lead at 24-20 following a three-yard Blaine Gabbert-to-Michael Egnew touchdown toss late in the third period. But a fourth-quarter 72-yard pick six by Iowa’s Micah Hyde sealed the victory for the Hawkeyes over the 14th-ranked Tigers.
In that same contest, WR T.J. Moe shattered Mizzou’s bowl record for receptions with his 15 catches, eclipsing the Tigers’ record of eight receptions, previously shared by WR Thomson Omboga (2003 Independence Bowl vs. Arkansas) and TE Chase Coffman (2005 Independence Bowl vs. South Carolina).
Moe also broke the Tigers’ bowl mark for receiving yards (152) in the contest, helping the Mizzou offense set team bowl records for total plays (86) and first downs (32).
GOIN’ BOWLING
Missouri will make its 38th bowl game appearance, and it’s fifth in as many seasons under head coach Eliah Drinkwitz (including its 2020 Music City Bowl berth that was canceled due to COVID 19).
The Tigers are 16-20 overall in bowl games, including a 3-5 mark against current members of the Big Ten Conference.
Mizzou has faced Iowa one previous time in the postseason – a 27-24 Hawkeyes victory in the 2010 Insight Bowl in Tempe, Arizona.
MU brings a 4-2 record in Nashville – all vs. Vanderbilt – into this year’s Music City Bowl
The Tigers have gone 9-7 all-time in the state of Tennessee, including 1-2 in three previous bowl trips to the state (all at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis).
PERFECT 10
Missouri locked up its 10th nine-win season with its victory over Arkansas on Nov. 30 in its regular-season finale.
With a victory over Iowa in the Music City Bowl, the Tigers would register back-to-back 10-win campaigns for just the third time in program history (joining the 2007-08 and 2013-14 Mizzou teams).
Head coach Eliah Drinkwitz is just the third Mizzou bench boss to guide the Tigers to a 10-win campaign, joining Dan Devine (1960) and Gary Pinkel (five times), and would be just the second to do so in multiple seasons.
DRINK IT UP
Fifth-year head coach Eliah Drinkwitz has led Missouri to 37 victories his first five seasons, matching Dan Devine‘s program record for coaching wins through five seasons.
Under Drinkwitz, Mizzou has gone 27-7 (.794) in five seasons on Faurot Field, giving the Tigers’ sideline boss the best home win percentage in the history of the program.
With Mizzou’s win over Arkansas to close the regular season, Drinkwitz moved to within one victory of catching Al Onofrio in the No. 6 spot on the Tigers’ all-time wins list.
Drinkwitz has guided Mizzou to a 20-5 overall record over the last two seasons, which already ranks among the top 25-game stretches in program history and with a victory over Iowa, the Tigers’ two-year winning percentage would rank sixth in Mizzou history.
In addition, the 2023 SEC Coach of the Year became the first MU coach to lead the program to bowl berths in each of his first five seasons at the helm.
‘TIS THE SEASON
Mizzou will benefit from the combined postseason experience of several veteran standouts who have already left their mark as a Tigers with memorable bowl performances.
With a start against Iowa, QB Brady Cook will become the first Tiger quarterback to start in four bowl games.
Cook, the 2023 Cotton Bowl Offensive MVP, enters the Music City Bowl already in possession of the Tigers’ all-time record for career completions in bowl games with 68 in his three previous postseason starts vs. Army West Point (2021 Armed Forces), Wake Forest (2022 Gasparilla) and Ohio State (2023 Cotton).
Cook also ranks fourth in passing yards among all MU quarterbacks in the postseason, needing 46 additional yards to catch Drew Lock (642) in the No. 3 spot, 76 yards to match Chase Daniel (672) in the No. 2 position and 129 to equal Blaine Gabbert‘s all-time Mizzou bowl mark of 725 combined passing yards.
In last year’s Cotton Bowl against Ohio State, Cook completed 6-of-7 second-half passes for 100 yards and a game-clinching touchdown toss to WR Luther Burden III, while adding 19 rushes for 66 yards.
Additionally, WR Theo Wease Jr. will be making his fourth postseason appearance, and coming off a team-high four receptions for the Tigers in last year’s Cotton Bowl; Wease Jr. has logged six career catches for 80 yards in three previous postseason games (2019 Peach Bowl vs. LSU in the CFP Semifinal, 2020 Cotton Bowl vs. Florida and 2023 Cotton Bowl vs. Ohio State).
On the defensive side of the ball, DE Johnny Walker Jr. will also make his fourth bowl appearance after turning in a 2023 Cotton Bowl Defensive MVP performance last year against Ohio State; Walker Jr. logged 1.5 tackles for loss, including a key sack and forced fumble, in the 14-3 win over the Buckeyes.
25 TO REMEMBER
Missouri enters the Music City Bowl 20-5 over its last 25 games (Aug. 31, 2023 through Nov. 30, 2024), marking one of the most successful periods in program history.
The Tigers’ 20 victories over that stretch are tied for the fourth-best 25-game total in program history; the 1907-09 Mizzou teams went 20-4-1 from Oct. 5, 1907 through Nov. 25-1909.
The 2007-08 and 2013-14 Tigers each turned in 21-4 stretches that stand as the top 25-game win totals and winning percentages in the history of the program.
Previously this fall, the Tigers equaled the second-best 20-game period in program history, going 17-3 over a 20-game stretch extending from its 2023 season opener vs. South Dakota through its Oct. 19 win over Auburn.
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