Late scoop-and-score lifts No. 24 Mizzou to narrow win | News

Theo Wease Jr. caught 154 passes in his college career. Perhaps they were more important than his fourth reception in Saturday night’s 30-23 win over Oklahoma at Memorial Stadium.

They trailed 23-16 with just two minutes to play after a 43-yard scoop-and-score by Billy Bowman Jr. gave the Sooners the lead late in the game, and Wease hauled in a 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Drew Pyne with 1:03 remaining in the game to tie the contest at 23 total.

The catch secured a chance at overtime, but then the Tigers defense did the unimaginable.

On a second-and-5 from his own 35-yard line, Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold was thrown out of the pocket and lost control of the ball. It fell to the turf and Mizzou defensive end Zion Young picked up picked it up and returned it 17 yards for the go-ahead score.

It was quite a rebound for the Tigers, who allowed two touchdowns in 1:18 to start the fourth quarter, turning their 16-7 lead into a seven-point hole with just two minutes left in the game.

Pyne, who completed just six passes for 23 yards in the first half, and after the Tigers opened the second half with a three-and-out, Missouri fans had little reason to believe the black and gold would go their way would fight back into the competition on Saturday.

But Pyne flipped a switch early in the third quarter, suddenly connecting with receivers and displaying a pocket attitude that the Arizona State transfer had previously lacked. Over 12 plays and nearly six minutes of game time, the Tigers marched 59 yards to the end zone and set up a score with a play to Wease. Pyne later added another touchdown to tight end Brett Norfleet and seemed to bring a little more pride to the field after the two-minute timeout.

Still, the task ahead seemed daunting.

Missouri had to cover 75 yards in two minutes – and Pyne did it with the precision of a surgeon.

A 28-yard chunk play against Wease, a hold call against Oklahoma and an impressive 33-yard sideline catch by star junior wideout Luther Burden III over the head of a Sooner defender brought Missouri close to a game-winning touchdown.

Then, on second-and-10 from just outside the Oklahoma 10-yard line, Pyne found Wease in the end zone on a fade route. The veteran receiver used his full 6-foot-3 frame to make the catch and planted one foot in the end zone to complete it, reigniting the back-and-forth contest.

A tumult immediately erupted among the Mizzou faithful, prompting the loudest cheer of the night to that point. Three plays later, however, when linebacker Triston Newson stripped Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold, an even greater outcry erupted throughout Memorial Stadium.

Young, a transfer from Michigan State, grabbed the loose ball and stumbled 17 yards for the go-ahead score. When all 265 pounds of Young collapsed across the Missouri goal line with 30 seconds to play, it was clear the Tigers had pulled off an improbable comeback.

Four touchdowns were scored in the final 3:18 of the Southeastern Conference showdown, completely upending the scenario of the stubborn defensive battle dictated by the 9-3 halftime score.

Two receiving touchdowns for Wease – the other on a 13-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter – and a 5-yard reception score by tight end Brett Norfleet highlight a true rebound performance for Pyne. Pyne started in place of Brady Cook and finished the day 14-for-27 for 143 yards and three passing TDs.

Oklahoma turned the ball over four times in its loss, the most turnovers in a game since its fifth turnover against Baylor on Nov. 18, 2006.

Redshirt junior defensive back Daylan Carnell delivered one of his best performances in the black and gold, forcing a pair of Sooner fumbles that were recovered by Johnny Walker and Tre’Vez Johnson, respectively. Ja’Marion Wayne, a former wide receiver turned defensive back who plays primarily on special teams, also recovered from a botched punt at Oklahoma.

Missouri scored 17 points off turnovers in the win, none more important than Young’s game-winning scoop-and-score that brought the excitement back to a renewed rivalry between two former conference rivals.

The Tigers (7-2, 3-2 SEC) next face South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina on Saturday at 3:15 p.m. Mizzou has won five straight matchups in this series.