Bruising First Quarter Carries Missouri Through Season-Opening Shutout

Missouri football began its season with a 51-point win over Murray State, scoring 28 points in the first quarter alone.

Aug. 29, 2024: WR Luther Burden carries the ball into the end zone for a touchdown against Murray State. / Matt Guzman / MissouriOnSI

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Ahead of Thursday's season opener against Murray State, the expectations placed on the Missouri Tigers were a little different than a year ago.

Capping off its 2023 campaign with a Cotton Bowl Championship and a final ranking as the No. 8 team in the country, the Tigers finally reached the pedigree of becoming a major player in the Southeastern Conference. So when they stepped on the field for the very first time of the 2024 season, anything less than a punctuating win would've been seen as beneath it.

The first quarter alone sealed a potential disappointment from taking place.

Missouri jumped out of the gate with an energized offense, converting its first score of the season in a matter of 2:18. Wide receiver Luther Burden III caught a short pass from quarterback Brady Cook, and immediately shook off a defender and high-stepped into the end zone. It was only right for the duo that connected so many times last season to kick-off the new one with a celebratory touchdown.

On the next drive, the Tigers decided to get Nate Noel — one half of their new running back tandem — involved in the action. First it was a four-yard rush to the left, then a six-yard up the middle and a nine-yard carry to the right for a touchdown. The senior showcased the same speed and athleticism he displayed at Appalachian State last season, working his way through the Racers' defense to bring the score to 14-0 at the 9:48 mark.

Playing in an SEC atmosphere for the first time, the game felt "different" for Noel. Just over five minutes into his career in a new home, he already secured his first points.

Aug. 29, 2024: WR Joshua Manning and RB Nate Noel celebrate in the end zone following a touchdown against Murray State. / Matt Guzman / MissouriOnSI

It didn't take much longer for the ball to find its way in Missouri's hands again. On the first pass attempt of Murray State's next drive, quarterback Jayden Johannsen was quickly picked off by cornerback Toriano Pride Jr., who took the ball right back into the end zone for a 25-yard return. If you blinked, you could've missed it.

"He's been really competitive and challenging routes, for him to make that play today was pretty awesome," head coach Eli Drinkwitz said on Pride Jr.'s interception. "I know it's really special for him."

Now with a 21-0 lead, the Tigers still had one more score in them before the quarter wrapped.

This time it was running back Marcus Carroll who completed the drive, following a 12-yard completion to wide receiver Theo Wease Jr. that brought Missouri to the one-yard line. Both Carroll and Noel — along with likes of Kewan Lacy and Tavorus Jones — asserted the running back position as one that can produce by committee.

"Everybody has their own role," Noel said, "Everybody knows what they need to do and whenever somebody new goes in, the speed doesn't change."

Four different players completed a score in the first quarter alone, and with a comfortable 28-0 lead in their hands, the next three quarters were hardly a challenge the Tigers.

Missouri went on to complete a shutout performance over Murray State, 51-0. Unlike last year's opening game where it let Louisiana Tech score double digit points, they didn't toy around with the Racers. Instead, they applied enough pressure throughout the rest of the contest to keep opposing momentum entirely away and complete a routing win.

Aug 29, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers cornerback Toriano Pride Jr. (2) scores after intercepting a pass against the Murray State Racers during the first half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

It was crucial for the Tigers to come out swinging offensively. As a team commonly included in the conversation for the College Football Playoffs, letting a Missouri Valley Conference opponent have any hope of upsetting them in the first game of the season would've been consequential. There might've been some doubt placed on them or debate on their legitimacy, and that was to be avoided.

By reaching a 28-point lead in a matter of 15 minutes, the story of the game was already told. The resulting shutout was just a product of the first quarter. Missouri handled Murray State the way a reigning Cotton Bowl Champion should — win, and do it emphatically.

That being said, this is a new version of the Tigers. There's a far different assortment of players this time around, so comparing to last season can only go so far. Drinkwitz and his team wanted to come out to prove that, and through an uncontested 51 points, it certainly did.

"We're going to have our own identity," Drinkwitz said. "I'm really proud of these guys for setting the standard."

Thursday night was only the start to Missouri's climb back to the mountaintop. There's a long road ahead on the schedule, and the path is only going to get more difficult from here. But just looking at the final score of its first outing, it couldn't have gone much smoother.