Thrilling Win Adds New Chapter to Historic Mizzou-Oklahoma Rivalry

After 13 years without a game, the Sooners and Tigers added a dramatic game to their history books.

Nov 9, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold (11) runs the ball against Missouri Tigers defensive end Eddie Kelly Jr. (97) during the first half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The sea of black and gold was dotted with red. Oklahoma fans traveled hundred of miles to observe a rivalry renewed.

A rivalry that predates both world wars was put on ice when conference realignment split the Missouri Tigers and Oklahoma Sooners up. What used to be yearly matchups between two historic teams was left behind as the Missouri joined the SEC.

It would be 13 years before the pair would get to face off again on the gridiron. Another conference realignment sent Oklahoma to the SEC, as well. The pair with a storied past would be able to add another chapter to their book.

Historically, Oklahoma has dominated the overall series to the point many Sooners fans don't really consider it a true rivalry. To them, Missouri seemed more like the annoying younger brother that thought they could play with the big kids. Sometimes the Tigers proved they could, but 67 of the games showed the opposite was true.

There used to be a Peace Pipe that was given to the winning team starting in 1940. It was a genuine Native American artifact from the Pawnee tribe, donated to the rivalry from an alumni. After each win, the victors would inscribe their name on the pipe. The pipe was lost after 1975, last in the possession of Oklahoma.

There may not have a trophy for the winning team of the reborn rivalry this time around, but the game was still important nonetheless. Some of the passion behind the rivalry may have eroded away with time, everyone recognized that it looked a bit different now.

Some fans and members of the current Missouri Football team were counting down the days, others forgot it even existed. It was before their time.

There was no forgetting for Brady Cook, however. He wanted to be a the quarterback of the Missouri Tigers since he was a little boy. He watched them in their Big-12 days when they would face off against Oklahoma nearly every single year. This game meant a lot to him, but he was stuck on the sideline injured, forced to watch the game that he dreamed of playing in.

"He's been dying to play this game his whole life," Missouri quarterback Drew Pyne said. "In the off season, it was his background for a long time. I told him I'd do everything I could to go win that game for him."

Nov 9, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Brady Cook (12) looks on from the sideline during the second half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

As the Missouri team entered the stadium, the players could feel the return of the spirit. It was over a decade in the making.

"When we did the Tiger Walk coming down here, everybody on the team felt it then," linebacker Triston Newson said. "We saw a lot of people and it's just a great feeling for our team to go out and play against a team like Oklahoma, which is a good team."

The only thing that had been keeping the rivalry alive in the meantime was stray tweets between the fanbases, and recruitment battles.

"I thought (former Oklahoma) coach Stoops did a nice job stirring it up this summer," head coach Eli Drinkwitz said. "I thought their coaches did some stuff this summer that felt like they started up a little bit with some tweets. Our guys were ready."

Before the game that was 13 years overdue, Missouri wide receiver and former Oklahoma Sooner Theo Wease Jr. thought a lot about this matchup. He knew he would have friends on both side of the field and a lot of history behind him.

"Being there for four years and just going through what I went through there, I really just wanted to put everything on the line tonight," Wease said.

When it came time for Wease's name to be called in the starting lineup, there were boos mixed into the cheering at Faurot field.

"My old teammates were happy to see me," Wease said. "The fans booed me when they did the starting lineup."

The booing was not from any of the Tigers fans, it came from the southeast corner of the stadium. Also known as the home of the visiting fans. But the Missouri Tigers made sure this game wasn't Wease versus the Sooners, it was all of them together. They knew this was a personal game for Wease.

"He made it clear," defensive end Zion Young said. "He actually made it clear Monday prior to this game."

His performance on the field showed just that. The wide receiver brought in two touchdowns for his new team, one of them being a crucial game-tying snag with just minutes left in the game.

THEO WEASE ARE YOU KIDDING ME

MISSOURI TIES IT UP WITH OKLAHOMA 😱

pic.twitter.com/ZUoH1Wb1Hr

— College Football Report (@CFBRep) November 10, 2024

"I'm starting to believe Faurot got some real magic in it," Wease said. "Honestly, that was crazy. I can't even put my emotions into words."

He didn't have as much trouble putting his feeling about the visiting fans into words and didn't forget about his "fans" that booed him prior to the game. His first stop following the game was to tell the Sooners section of the stadium to go home.

The chaos of the game was just what the rivalry renewed needed to bring back it's true spirit. It was a game in which both teams seemed equally matched. Throughout the game, it seemed like either team could come out on top.

"I just told someone like couple days ago that I feel good to be in the rivalry, and I'm on the good side," Wease said.