The late fourth quarter minutes provide a classic between Missouri and Oklahoma

“I’m starting to think there’s some real magic in Faurot,” wide receiver Theo Wease Jr. said after the Tigers’ 30-23 win.

No. 24 Missouri’s win over Oklahoma was nothing short of a whirlwind and its magical and dramatic finish is no exception.

The series of events that unfolded over the course of the game were so unpredictable as to be almost comical, but they made for another unforgettable evening at Faurot Field. On both sides, Oklahoma and Missouri made huge plays that turned the tide.

The emotional shift was different than a normal college football game, and the madness began with just three minutes left in the fourth quarter. The Sooners and Tigers played a rivalry game that will long be remembered by both fan bases.

Here’s how all the madness unfolded in Missouri’s seventh win of the season.

After a quiet first-half offense, a forced fumble by Missouri safety Daylan Carnell appeared to put the Tigers in amazing field position. This led to a touchdown from quarterback Drew Pyne to tight end Brett Norfleet, giving the Tigers a 16-9 lead after Blake Craig missed the extra point.

In search of his own result, Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold then led his offense down the field and looked for the game-winning result. After several short-yard plays, Arnold and the Sooners faced a third-and-four from the Missouri 18-yard line.

Arnold took the snap right away and handed it off to running back Taylor Tatum with what appeared to be a run attempt out of the zone. It wouldn’t have been a wild play call to run the ball on third down, especially in fourth-down territory. Instead of ending the run, Tatum threw the ball perfectly back to Arnold and the rest was history. Arnold had perfect blocks and Tatum threw a perfect ball that allowed the Sooners quarterback to find the end zone.

This result tied the game and completely silenced Faurot Field. Craig’s missed extra point compared to Missouri’s previous score appeared to be a major mistake as the Sooners tied the score. This wild turn of events at an otherwise dull point in the game marked a sequence of exciting football.

On the ensuing Missouri drive, Pyne took over the field and tried to regain the lead. The first two plays of the drive showed no signs of game-changing plays. Both were handoffs to running back Nate Noel, one for five yards and the other for 10.

On the next play, redshirt freshman running back Jamal Roberts made another loose handoff. Roberts took the ball left and ran into a trio of Sooner defenders. The ball bounced off a knee and rolled to the outside of the field.

Safety Billy Bowman Jr. was in the right place at the right time, secured the football and ran freely into the end zone, giving the Sooners a 23-16 lead. Within two minutes, Oklahoma turned the momentum completely in its favor. If there wasn’t an urgency on the offensive side of the ball before Roberts’ turnover, there certainly is now.

Robert’s fumble wasn’t ideal for the Tigers at the time, but he still had a good game. He had the most rushing yards for the Tigers with 54 and the most carries with 13, but his response to his turnovers was just as impressive.

“I thought he was a really tough runner,” head coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “Bad luck in the last game, but [he] didn’t flinch, went back there and protected us and did what we asked him to do.”

The game was at a drastic turning point and if Missouri couldn’t score on the drive after the fumble, Columbia was in danger of a massive upset. However, Pyne had another idea.

On the first play of the drive, Pyne connected with former Oklahoma receiver Theo Wease Jr. for 28 yards around midfield. After that, Pyne threw three straight incompletion throws, but the last time, Oklahoma defensive lineman Woodi Washington was cautioned for a defensive play. This gave the Tigers a free 10 yards and a crucial first down.

The chances of a win did not improve significantly in the following two games. Former defensive end R Mason Thomas sacked Pyne shortly after the penalty, forcing Drinkwitz to call a timeout. Pyne missed Wease in the middle of the field after the timeout, setting up a third-and-16 scenario for the Tigers. Needing a big play from the backup quarterback, the Tigers relied on Pyne to do whatever it took to win.

“I said I’ll just do what I can,” Pyne said. “We talked all week about whatever it takes, whatever it takes to win this game.”

He did just that, hitting star receiver Luther Burden III in a tight passing window for 33 yards to the Oklahoma 10-yard line. After a stalled run by Marcus Caroll, Pyne did the unthinkable again, hitting Wease in the right corner of the end zone for an impressive tip-toe catch while tying the football game at 23 points.

“I saw the coverage of his guy,” Pyne said. “We had a fade on that side. I threw him up and he played the ball. I’m so happy for Theo.” [Wease Jr.]he is such a great leader of our team.

Arnold started the Sooner offense on the 25-yard line with 1:03 remaining. Getting the length of the field into field goal range or touchdown territory was a lofty ask from a quarterback who struggled most of the night, but it wasn’t impossible.

Like the rest of the amazing plays throughout this game, Oklahoma’s push started simply. Arnold missed receiver Deion Burks on a slant route, but still got the ball forward thanks to pass interference. Xavier Robinson made a five-yard run down the stretch on the next play to give the Sooners a second-and-five as the clock expired.

As Arnold rolled to his right after escaping the pocket, linebacker Triston Newson hit Arnold in the throwing motion and forced a fumble. Defensive back Zion Young, who had constantly harassed Arnold all night, found himself in a perfect position to grab the football and sprint into the end zone. Scoring and scoring is a common training focus for the Tigers, so the success of both Newson and Young in this scenario was no surprise

“I told y’all: Conducting drills is the reality of game day, and that’s exactly what happened,” Drinkwitz said.

Young did exactly what he needed to do in this situation and positioned himself perfectly for the score. In a truly crazy play, Young made a move to seal the deal.

“Surreal moment. Grab it, pick it up. It’s a city ball, get it in the end zone,” Young said.

Young’s return and score gave the Tigers a 30-23 lead with less than 30 seconds to play, making Oklahoma’s task much more daunting. Arnold and the Sooner offense returned to the field one last time to make another special play, but the magic at Faurot Field was over and the Tigers walked away with another dramatic victory.

Pyne comes through: Mizzou’s offense explodes in the second half, sneaks win against Oklahoma
Four takeaways from Missouri’s thrilling win over Oklahoma
No. 24 Missouri pulls off a last-minute comeback win against Oklahoma