COLUMBIA, Mo. – Freshman K Harrison Mevis made a 32-yard field goal as time expired to help Mizzou Football (5-3, 5-3 SEC) complete a 50-48 Tiger win over SEC West permanent cross-division rival Arkansas (4-6, 4-6 SEC), 50-48, Saturday afternoon (Dec. 5) at Memorial Stadium. Mizzou trailed by 14 in the fourth quarter but outscored the Razorbacks 24-8 over the final 13:15 to run its winning streak against the Razorbacks to five. The Tigers have won five of their last six with the only loss in that span coming at top-10-ranked Florida.
After Arkansas converted a two-point conversion to take a 48-47 lead with 0:43 left, Mizzou drove 60 yards to set up Mevis’ 32-yarder.
Mizzou senior RB Larry Rountree III rushed for 185 yards and three touchdowns for his 13th career 100-yard game and eighth career game with multiple scores. He has six rushing scores over his last two games, the most over a two-game span for a Mizzou rusher since Brad Smith had six in back-to-back games against No. 1 Oklahoma and Texas Tech in 2003. Rountree is also the first Mizzou running back this century to have six rushing touchdowns in a two-game span.
Junior RB Tyler Badie had two TD runs and has three over the last two games, and redshirt freshman QB Connor Bazelak threw for 380 yards, including a perfect 4-of-4 for 54 yards on the final drive. He is now 6-1 as a starter.
A QUICK RECAP
The Tigers opened a 10-0 first-quarter lead after a 51-yard field goal from Mevis on the team’s opening drive. Rountree then added a two-yard score for his 35th career rushing TD to open the 10-0 lead. Arkansas then scored on three straight drives, with Mizzou tacking on another Mevis FG and Rountree TD as the squads were tied at 20-20 with 3:34 remaining in the second quarter.
Arkansas added a touchdown late in the second quarter, capping a 21-point frame from the Razorbacks. Mizzou star LB Nick Bolton was ejected from the game for targeting on the drive, and Arkansas converted a fake field goal to set up the score, taking a 27-20 lead into the break.
The Tiger defense bowed up and forced a three-and-out on Arkansas’ opening possession of the second half, and then promptly added a third Mevis field goal to cut the lead to 23-27. Arkansas then put together an eight-play, 75-yard drive to extend the lead to 33-23 on a Trelon Smith rushing TD from 15 yards out. Mizzou DE Chris Turner blocked the extra point to keep Mizzou within 10.
Mevis then knocked in his fourth field goal nine seconds into the fourth quarter, but Arkansas’ Smith scored from 16 yards out to extend the lead to 40-26.
Badie kickstarted the Tiger comeback with 12:41 on the clock on a 46-yard TD score to cut the lead to 40-33, the longest TD rush of his career. Mizzou got a stop on the ensuing Arkansas drive and the Tigers responded again to knot the score at 40-40 with an eight-play, 82-yard drive, capped by a nine-yard TD run by Rountree, his third of the day.
Mizzou forced Arkansas to punt again on the ensuing possession, due in large part to a Trajan Jeffcoat sack, and took over at its own 20 with 6:13 left in the game. A 46-yard run from Rountree put the Tigers in Arkansas territory, eventually setting up Badie’s second TD of the day, a 25-yard scamper as Mizzou took a 47-40 lead with 4:47 left.
Arkansas responded with a 13-play, 75-yard drive that ended in the touchdown and a two-point conversion. But of course, Mizzou rallied to kick the game-winning field goal as time expired.
TOP TIGERS
- Mizzou senior RB Larry Rountree had three rushing touchdowns for his eighth career multi-TD game and his second straight game with three TDs. His six TDs over the last two games are the most since Brad Smith had six in 2003 against No. 1 Oklahoma (Oct. 18) and Texas Tech (Oct. 25). Rountree is the first Mizzou running back this century to have six rushing touchdowns in a two-game span.
- Freshman K Harrison Mevis connected on a career-high five field goals Saturday, including a 51-yarder and the 32-yard winner. He is just the fourth Tiger kicker to make three kicks of 50+ yards in his career and is the first Tiger with five field goals in a game since Tucker McCann knocked in five vs. South Carolina on Oct. 6, 2018.
- Freshman QB Connor Bazelak improved to 6-1 as a starter, going 32-for-49 (65.3%) for 380 yards.
- RB Tyler Badie scored on a 46-yard run in the fourth quarter to get Mizzou back within seven. It was his longest career TD rush, and the longest rush of the season for Mizzou. It was his fifth score of the season (three rushing, two receiving).
- Senior WR Keke Chism tallied 113 yards on six catches for his first career 100-yard game. It was the first 100-yard receiving game for a Mizzou wideout since Johnathon Johnson against Ole Miss on Oct. 12, 2019.
- Sophomore LB Devin Nicholson led Missouri with 13 total tackles, marking the third time this season that he recorded double-digit tackles. Nicholson also forced a fumble, his second of the season (Vanderbilt).
- Sophomore S Martez Manuel recorded a career-high 12 tackles.
UP NEXT
Mizzou will return home next Saturday for a Dec. 12 tilt with SEC East Division rival Georgia. A kick time has not been set for that game yet.
For all the latest on Mizzou Football, stay tuned to www.MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter (@MizzouFootball) and like the team on Facebook and Instagram.
