STARKVILLE, Miss. – Ball control and a big defensive play were the key to the University of Missouri’s 39-20 victory over Mississippi State at Davis Wade Stadium on Saturday.
The win marked Mizzou’s (8-3, 4-3 SEC) first over the Bulldogs (2-9, 0-7) as conference foes and first in Starkville to shift the all-time series in the Tigers’ favor at 3-2.
The Tigers, who lead the SEC in time of possession, only added to that statistic with a 41:51-18:09 bulge over the Bulldogs, including a 26:14-3:46 advantage in the second half, when MU ran 44 plays and MSU just 11.
Missouri leaned on its ground game, running the ball 56 times for 204 yards, led by Nate Noel who scampered 25 times for 95 yards, and Marcus Carroll who added 61 yards and ran for three touchdowns and a two-point conversion.
Quarterback Brady Cook completed 15-of-20 passes for 268 yards and one touchdown and directed a Mizzou offense that rolled up 472 total yards and converted on 11-of-18 third downs and 2-of-2 fourth downs. Missouri had four scoring drives of 75-or-more yards.
The Bulldogs took an early 3-0 lead, but Missouri erased that when defensive tackle Kristian Williams strip-sacked MSU QB Michael Van Buren and safety Daylan Carnell scooped the ball and sped 68 yards for a touchdown to give the Tigers a 7-3 lead. It was MU’s longest fumble return for a score since Shane Ray went 73 yards against Oklahoma State in the 2014 Cotton Bowl. It was also Mizzou’s second fumble return for a score this season, which last happened in 2014 vs. Florida (Markus Golden) and UCF (Duron Singleton).
Carroll got his first score on a two-yard run three plays after Cook had hurled a 45-yard pass down the middle to wide receiver Marquis Johnson.
In the second quarter, with MU ahead 14-10, on a 3rd-and-9, Cook scrambled out of trouble, directed traffic and found wide receiver Luther Burden III, who made a diving, twisting catch in the end zone for a 28-yard touchdown, and a 21-10 lead with 9:58 left in the second quarter. It was the 21st career receiving score for Burden III, tying him with J’Mon Moore for fifth in Missouri history.
On the day, Burden III caught seven passes for 91 yards. The St. Louis native now has 191 receptions and 2,272 receiving yards to rank tied with Danario Alexander for fourth and sixth place, respectively, on Mizzou’s career charts.
Fellow wide out Theo Wease Jr. added four catches for 72 yards.
Carroll’s second score came on a 19-yard burst late in the second quarter, and his third was a one-yarder in the fourth quarter, followed by his two-point conversion run.
Linebacker Triston Newson and safety Joseph Charleston led the Tigers defensive with six tackles apiece, while defensive end Johnny Walker Jr. tallied his fifth consecutive sack.
UP NEXT
The Tigers return home next Saturday, November 30 to close out the regular season with the annual Battle Line Rivalry against the Arkansas Razorbacks. Game time at Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field in Columbia, Missouri, will be 2:30 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on the SEC Network.
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