Brady Cook passed for 242 yards and a touchdown and ran for 138 yards and a score as Missouri defeated Arkansas 29-27 Friday in Columbia, Mo.
Dominic Lovett caught six passes for 130 yards for the Tigers (6-6, 3-5 Southeastern Conference), who won the Battle Line Rivalry trophy and gained bowl eligibility.
KJ Jefferson completed 20 of 27 passes for 205 yards two touchdowns and ran for another for the Razorbacks (6-6, 3-5).
Missouri outgained Arkansas 468 to 318, earned seven sacks and forced two turnovers.
The Tigers struck first with a 40-yard field goal by Harrison Mevis 5:26 into the game. Cook’s 27-yard run sparked the 46-yard scoring drive.
The Razorbacks responded with a 75-yard touchdown drive to move ahead 7-3. Jefferson completed a 37-yard pass to Matt Landers to get Arkansas rolling and he capped the series with 3-yard TD run.
The Tigers countered with their own 75-yard march to take a 10-7 lead. The key play was Cook’s 27-yard pass to Lovett and the finish came on Cody Schrader’s 3-yard touchdown run.
Cook’s 55-yard pass to Lovett set up the quarterback’s 9-yard touchdown run as Missouri expanded its lead to 17-7 to open the second quarter.
Arkansas cut its deficit to 17-14 with Jefferson’s 27-yard TD pass to Landers.
Mevis hit a 27-yard field goal to push the Missouri lead to 20-14 with 5:26 left in the first half.
But the Razorbacks countered with another 75-yard touchdown drive to take a 21-10 lead. This time, Jefferson hit Raheim Sanders with an 8-yard touchdown pass.
Missouri scored on its first second-half possession on Cook’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Luther Burden III. The Tigers settled for a 26-21 lead when their 2-point conversion attempt failed.
Mevis made it 29-21 with a 29-yard field goal. Cam Little’s 46-yard field goal for Arkansas cut the lead to 29-24, then his 20-yard field goal cut it to 29-27 with 12:40 left to play.
The Tigers’ defense held firm from there, forcing two three-and-outs and a fumble on the Razorbacks’ last-ditch final play.
–Field Level Media
