Halftime Adjustments Kept Mizzou Alive Against South Carolina Despite Loss

The Tigers might have added a third loss to its record, but the changes head coach Eli Drinkwitz and his team made at the break gave them a chance to win.

Nov 16, 2024; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Brady Cook (12) and teammates celebrate after a touchdown against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the second half at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images / Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

The No. 23 Missouri Tigers trailed 21-6 at halftime to South Carolina. It looked like every other first-half performance in the Tigers' other two losses that resulted in blowouts and in each one of those games, the second half only got uglier.

Fortunately for Missouri, a different story unfolded against the Gamecocks in the second half. Missouri got a stop on its first defensive possession and the first offensive drive resulted in a Marcus Carroll rushing touchdown. The so-called grittiness of this Missouri team that head coach Eli Drinkwitz references so often was in full effect in Columbia, S.C. Unfortunately for the Tigers, they came up just short.

“[I] just think there's a relentlessness that our team plays with and believes in and [we] just didn't have enough tonight,” Drinkwitz said.

A few select moments in the first half ended up directly impacting the final score. Missouri kicker Blake Craig was called upon multiple times in the first half because of the Tigers' inability to score touchdowns in the red zone, but his one miss on four attempts would have narrowed the score.

Trailing 7-6 with seven minutes remaining in the first half, Gamecock quarterback LaNorris Sellers was picked off by Tiger defensive back Dreyden Norwood. An opportunity to take the lead was right in the hands of the Missouri offense, but an incompletion to receiver Marquis Johnson, a short toss to Luther Burden III and an eight-yard sack in which Cook was the victim shut down the drive quicker than it started. Craig then missed the field goal the following play and the Tigers failed to capitalize on a great early scoring opportunity.

“I think that's the difference in the game,” Drinkwitz said. “In the first half, we had the fourth down stop and we had the turnover and didn't get any points off the turnover.”

Third downs were an issue all night too. Three of Craig's four attempts came in the first half and were a symbol of the Tigers' inability to score touchdowns. If one of those field goal attempts was a touchdown instead, again, the final score is completely different.

“Our inability to convert third downs in the red zone in the first half was it was why we were behind,” Drinkwitz said.

Cook did not have an awful first half, but he too missed opportunities the Tigers could have capitalized on.

“I mean, it's those third downs in the first half that we were not able to convert on and we had to kick it,” Cook said. “That's a huge deal.”

There were moments in the game where the energy levels faltered. At some points, Cook was a part of that bad energy. Coming back after being down 21-6 would never be easy and a hot start to begin the second half and everyone needed to be ready to go. Cook started slow, but thanks to his teammates, he was revitalized.

“I’ll say the team picked me up and I was even feeling a little flat coming out at halftime and immediately I realized the energy's up,” Cook said. “We're in a good spot.”

After the third loss of the season, the Tigers travel to Starkville, Miss to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Kickoff is slated for 3:15 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23.

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