Faurot Magic: Late Fourth Quarter Minutes Deliver Classic Between Missouri, Oklahoma

The ups and downs of the Tigers victory resulted in a clash of two rivals that will be remembered by both sides.

Nov 9, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers wide receiver Theo Wease Jr. (1) scores a touchdown against Oklahoma Sooners defensive lineman Ethan Downs (40) and linebacker Kip Lewis (10) during the second half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

"I'm starting to believe Faurot got some real magic in it," wide receiver Theo Wease Jr. said after the Tigers' 30-23 victory.

No. 24 Missouri's victory over Oklahoma was nothing short of a whirlwind and its magical and dramatic conclusion is no exception.

The series of events that unfolded down the stretch of the game were so unpredictable it was almost funny, but it made for another memorable night at Faurot Field. On both sides of the ball, Oklahoma and Missouri delivered massive plays that turned the tide of the game.

The change in emotion was unlike a normal college football game and the craziness started with just three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The Sooners and Tigers participated in a rivalry game that should be remembered by both fanbases for a long period.

Here's how all the craziness unfolded in Missouri's seventh win of the season.

3:18 4th Quarter: Taylor Tatum finds Jackson Arnold

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

In search of a score of its own, Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold then led his offense down the field in search of the game-tying score. After multiple short-yardage plays, Arnold and the Sooners faced a third-and-four from the Missouri 18-yard line.

Arnold took the snap directly and handed it off to running back Taylor Tatum with the appearance of an outside-zone run attempt. It wouldn't have been a wild play call to run the ball on third down, especially in four-down territory. Instead of completing 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 endzone.

This score tied the game and completely quieted Faurot Field. Craig's missed extra point on Missouri's previous score looked like a gut-wrenching mistake as the Sooners evened the scoreboard. That wild turn of events at an otherwise boring spot in the game marked a sequence of exhilarating football.

2:06 4th Quarter: Roberts Fumbles and Sooners Score

On the ensuing Missouri drive, Pyne took the field looking to regain the lead. The first two plays of the drive showed no signs of any 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 took another casual handoff. Roberts took the ball to the left and ran into a trio of Sooner defenders and the ball bounced off a knee, rolling to the outside of the field.

Safety Billy Bowman Jr. was at the right spot at the right time, securing the football and running free into the end zone, giving the Sooners a 23-16 lead. In two minutes, Oklahoma completely shifted the momentum in its favor. If there wasn't urgency on the offensive side of the ball before Roberts' turnover, there certainly was now.

Robert's fumble was not ideal at the time for the Tigers, but he still played a good game. He had the most rushing yards for the Tigers with 54 and tied for the most carries with 13, but his response to his turnover was equally impressive.

"I thought he was a really tough runner," head coach Eli Drinkwitz said. "Unfortunate on that last play, but [he] didn't flinch, went back in there and protected and did what we needed him to do."

1:03 4th Quarter: Pyne Finds Wease in Corner of the End Zone

The game was at a drastic turning point and if Missouri failed to score on the drive following the fumble, a massive upset in Columbia was in the making. Pyne, however, had a different idea.

On the first play of the drive, Pyne connected with former Oklahoma receiver Theo Wease Jr. for 28 yards around midfield. Following that, Pyne threw three straight incompletions but on the last, Oklahoma defensive back Woodi Washington was flagged for a defensive holding. This gave the Tigers a free 10 yards and a crucial first down.

The outlook on winning didn't improve much on the following two plays. Sooner 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 the Tigers up with a third-and-16 scenario. Needing a big play from the backup quarterback, the Tigers leaned on Pyne to deliver to do whatever was possible to win.

"I said I'm just going to do whatever I possibly can," Pyne said. "We've talked about all week, whatever it takes, whatever it takes to win this game."

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

"I saw his man coverage," Pyne said. "We had a fade on that side. I threw it up and he made a play on the ball. I'm so happy for Theo [Wease Jr.], he's such a great leader of our team."

0:24 4th Quarter: Young Gives Missouri the Lead with a Strip-Sack Score

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

Like the rest of the mind-boggling plays down the stretch of this game, Oklahoma's drive started simple. Arnold missed receiver Deion Burks on a slant route but advanced the ball anyway thanks to a pass interference. Xavier Robinson took a five-yard run up the gut the next play to set up a second-and-five for the Sooners with the clock ticking down.

As Arnold rolled to his right after escaping the pocket, linebacker Triston Newson hit Arnold in the motion of throwing, forcing a fumble. Defensive end Zion Young, who'd consistently harassed Arnold all night, found himself in a perfect position to scoop the football and sprint into the end zone. Scooping and scoring is a frequent practice emphasis for the Tigers, so the success of both Newson and Young in this scenario was not a surprise

"I said to y'all, practice execution equals game day reality and that's exactly what happened," Drinkwitz said.

Young did exactly what he needed to do in that situation, positioning himself perfectly for the score. In what ended as a truly crazy game, Young made a play to seal the deal.

"Surreal moment. Grab it, pick it up. It's a city ball, take it to the end zone," Young said.

Young's return and score gave the Tigers a 30-23 lead with under 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 all out and the Tigers walked away with another dramatic win.

Read More Missouri Tigers News:

Pyne Gets By: Mizzou's Offense Explodes in 2nd Half, Sneaks Win Over Oklahoma
Four Takeaways from Missouri's Thrilling Win Over Oklahoma
No. 24 Missouri Earns a Last-Minute Comeback Win Over Oklahoma